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Steppin' Out (Joe Jackson song)

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This article is about the Joe Jackson song. For other uses, see Steppin' Out.

"Steppin' Out"
Artwork for UK vinyl releases; other editions that use this artwork have various B-side tracks
Single by Joe Jackson
from the album Night and Day
B-side
  • "Another World" (UK 7-inch)
  • "Chinatown" (U.S. 7-inch)
ReleasedAugust 1982 (US)
October 1982 (UK)
RecordedJanuary 1982
StudioBlue Rock, New York City
Genre
Length4:23 (album version)
3:43 (single version)
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)Joe Jackson
Producer(s)
Joe Jackson singles chronology
"Real Men"
(1982) 		"Steppin' Out"
(1982) 		"Breaking Us in Two"
(1983)
Music video
"Steppin' Out" on YouTube

"Steppin' Out" is a song by English musician Joe Jackson, originally included on his 1982 album Night and Day.[7] The song, inspired by Jackson's time in New York City, was his highest-charting single in America, where it peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. It reached the same position in Jackson's native UK.

Background

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The song is about the anticipation and excitement of a drive out around the town.[8] Released as a single in early August 1982, it became Jackson's biggest hit in the United States, peaking at No. 5 in Cashbox magazine and No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 for four consecutive weeks from December 11, 1982 to January 1, 1983.[7][9][10]

It also reached No. 4 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and No. 7 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks.[11] The infectious tune was Jackson's second biggest hit on the UK Singles Chart, where it reached No. 6 in December 1982.[7] Only "It's Different for Girls", which reached No. 5 in the UK in 1980, did better.[12]

During his 2019 tour for the album Fool, Jackson stated he played all the instruments on "Steppin' Out" – with the exception of session drummer Larry Tolfree, who added a real snare drum and cymbal hits.[13] The rest of the song's drum beat was programmed into a 1979 Korg KR-55 drum machine, the original of which Jackson used on the 2019 tour to play the song.[13]

Music video

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The music video for the song, directed by Steve Barron, featured a blonde, attractive hotel maid fantasising that she is a Cinderella figure. It was filmed over one night in the St. Regis Hotel in New York City during the summer of 1982. The video used the shorter single version instead of the full album version.[8] According to an interview with Time Out, Jackson made the music video against his wishes. "Rock 'n' roll is degenerating into a big circus, and videos and MTV are very much part of that," he said.[14]

Personnel

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Accolades

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"Steppin' Out" earned two Grammy nominations in 1983, for Record of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.[15] The song lost to Toto's "Rosanna" and Lionel Richie's "Truly", respectively.

Reception

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AllMusic journalist Chris True praised the song as a "mélange of simple piano hooks, rudimentary electronic treatment and classic vocal pop, with a rhythm track that is quaint in its simplicity and driving enough to invoke images of the big city at night."[16]

In 2015, Pitchfork Media placed "Steppin' Out" at 153 on its list of "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1980s."[17] In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked it 93 on their list "100 Best Songs of 1982".[18] Glide Magazine ranked it as Jackson's second best song.[19]

Chart history

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References

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  1. ^ Larson, Sarah (15 October 2015). "Joe Jackson, Past, Present, and Fast Forward". The New Yorker.
  2. ^ "Whether You Like Pop, Swing, Jazz Or Beyond, Grammy Winner Joe Jackson Has Hits For You". The Smith Center.
  3. ^ Holden, Stephen (16 August 1982). "Joe Jackson: Night And Day". Rolling Stone. No. 376. Archived from the original on 2 June 2008. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  4. ^ Molanphy, Chris (19 November 2022). "Angry Young Men Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  5. ^ Pitchfork Staff (10 September 2018). "The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s". Pitchfork. Retrieved 21 April 2023. ...on "Steppin' Out"—Jackson's biggest-ever hit—he makes synth-pop seem as sophisticated and sultry as Cole Porter.
  6. ^ Rolling Stone Staff (24 September 2024). "The 101 Greatest Soundtracks of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 October 2024. ...some of the biggest synth-pop hits of the day...Joe Jackson's "Steppin' Out,"...
  7. ^ a b c Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp. 485–486. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
  8. ^ a b "Steppin' Out by Joe Jackson - Songfacts". www.songfacts.com.
  9. ^ Joe Jackson, Billboard Hot 100 – Billboard.com. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  10. ^ Billboard Hot 100, Week of January 1, 1983 – Billboard.com. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  11. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 123.
  12. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 274. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  13. ^ a b Joe Jackson-Steppin' Out (Live at the London Palladium 17/04/2019), archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 26 May 2020
  14. ^ Kutner, Jon. "Steppin' Out (Joe Jackson)". Single Of The Week. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  15. ^ "Biography by William Ruhlmann". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  16. ^ Chris True. "Steppin' Out - Joe Jackson | Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  17. ^ "Staff Lists: The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  18. ^ Sheffield, Rob (27 September 2022). "100 Best Songs of 1982". Rolling Stone.
  19. ^ Handler, Shane (15 June 2009). "Volume 26: Joe Jackson". Glide Magazine. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  20. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 151. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  21. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6926." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  22. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Steppin' Out". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  23. ^ "Joe Jackson – Steppin' Out". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  24. ^ "Joe Jackson: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  25. ^ "Joe Jackson Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  26. ^ "Joe Jackson Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  27. ^ "Joe Jackson Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  28. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 12/18/82". tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  29. ^ "Joe Jackson". wweb.uta.edu.
  30. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Joe Jackson – Steppin' Out" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  31. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016.
  32. ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1982". tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  33. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1983/Top 100 Songs of 1983". www.musicoutfitters.com.
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