01.09.00
H SPILLS THE BEANS ON STEPS THIRD ALBUM PHOTO SHOOT!
H has revelaed that STEPS shot their album cover shots yesterday! And apparently the look is very different to the STEP ONE and STEPTACULAR cover shots. Aparently it is very techno and millennium inspired, keeping to the theme set by their recent hit single DEEPER SHADE OF BLUE.
H also revealed that the band had chosen their next single last night, but didn't give anything else away so as not to spoil the surprise, however the band were apparently divided on what they thought the next release should be.
03.09.00
FAYE TO WED!
SHE doesnt want anyone to know and shell no doubt deny itbut Steps singer Faye Tozer is all geared up to wed her long-term boyfriend Jasper, whos the drummer in Dutch band Monkey.
Saucy Fayewho has had her nipples pierced especially for Jasperhas been telling her close friends that the engaged couple (another story she denied), pictured left, want to get hitched before the band kick off their tour in November.
A source close to the couple said: Theyre practically married anyway.
"They live together in north-west London and have been seeing each other for over three years.
The source added: The pair will delay the honeymoon until the tour finishes at Christmas.
(The News Of The World)
05.09.00
STEPS UNVEIL SOLO SONGS!
Steps are currently putting the finishing touches to their third album, and H has taken time out from the band's hectic schedule to fill worldpop in on the finer details.
'The album's nearly finished now and we're all really excited about it,' he says. 'We were in New York recently recording with some American producers and Claire and I recorded the songs that we've both written. We've all written a song each for the album and mine is a mixture of dance and pop because that's what I love. It's kind of like Sonique's single Feels So Good with a bit of an Eastern twist.'
The band have also nipped over to Denmark to work with the Cherion team, who have previously teamed up with the likes of the Backstreet Boys, Britney and 'N Sync. H is hopeful that this album will be the one to break the tough American market. 'I think the album's going to have much more of a global sound. Whereas a lot of the music we've done before has been very British, this has got more of an international feel. Our American record company seem to think that we can break the States with this album, which would be fantastic.'
But while the album appears to be shaping up brilliantly, Steps do have one small problem; 'We still haven't got a name for it!' H laughs. 'We've got some ideas, and we're thinking of naming it after one of the tracks.I'm sure we'll come up with something soon. At least, I hope so.'
(Worldpop)
06.09.00
TAKE STEPS HOME WITH YOU!
The time has come! The Official STEPS Dolls are now on sale at Woolworths throughout the UK and Ireland, yep you can take LISA, FAYE, CLAIRE, H and LEE home with you!
The dolls which are priced at £11.99 are dressed in STEPS white and silver 1999 Next Step Tour outfits, that the band wore to perform TRAGEDY.
It is rumoured that there may be some different outfits available for sale soon!
STEPS COULD BE KINDER SURPRISING YOU!
As you know STEPS have signed a promotional deal with German chocolate firm Kinder, well the STEPS eggs are on sale now and you could win tickets for a new tour that will be taking place in 2001 or a very special performance from STEPS at your school, so what are you waiting for go and buy one now!
07.09.00
LOVE'S GOT A HOLD ON THEIR HEARTS!
STEPS Star IAN WATKINS was seen out and about with a mystery brunette last night, so has H ditched his gorgeous girlfriend Sarah Connoley?!
No! Sarah has has had her raven black hair dyed light brown and looks even more stunning than before!
The couple who have been dating since October 1999 joined H's fellow STEPS singer CLAIRE RICHARDS and her dancer partner Mark Webb for a night on the town.
On lookers said "Love really does have a hold on their hearts!"
(The Daily Record)
08.09.00
BUZZ!
H and CLAIRE have exclusively revealed on CBBC that the new STEPS album will be called BUZZ!
H told viewers that STEPS had just finished the photo shoot for the albums cover shots this morning at that the eagerly awaited third album would be called BUZZ!
The pair were there to promote a second series of STEPS II The Stars, the childrens talent show that they fronted earlier this year.
10.09.00
AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE FOR LEE!
LEE has reportedly split with his French girlfriend Vanessa, making him young free and single again!
NEW VIDEO NEWS!
It is thought that the new STEPS video will be shot at a secret location later this week. Things are very hush hush and no name has been given for the new single, which is due out mid October.
11.09.00
LISA GOES BACK TO BLACK!
We've had reports from fans that STEPS resident babe LISA has dyed her bright red hair back to black and has also had blue extensions!
FAYE has also had a new hairstyle and has had long hair extensions down past her waist put in, it is thought these new hairstyles are for the new STEPS video that is being filmed at the end of the week.
HAVE STEPS 'AD IT?!
STEPS will be appearing in Kinder Egg advertisements on our TV screens very shortly!
The band are being sponsered by the German chocolate giant on there STEPS Into Xmas 2000 UK tour.
14.09.00
STEPS FILM NEW VIDEO!
STEPS will be busy today filming the new video to their next single. The track which is currently being kept a secret from fans will be announced next Saturday and we'll keep you up to date on that!
STEPS have said that fans may find their video "mildly surprising!" Whatever can they mean?!?!
STEPS ON TV!
Check the diary page for new TV dates in September!
15.09.00
STEPS BOOK SIGNING!
STEPS will be doing a signing for the launch of their new Official book STEPS In Private on Monday 9th October 2000 at the Virgin Megastore, picadilly, London.
Entry will be by ticket only due to safety reasons.
16.09.00
EXCLUSIVE SINGLE NEWS!
STEPS new single is called STOMP and will be out in mid October! The video was filmed in London at a secret location on Thursday and Friday and features STEPS dancing in the street and is really disco inspired!
19.09.00
STEPS TO BE AT DISNEY AWARDS!
It has just been confirmed that STEPS are a last-minute addition to the Disney Channel Kids Awards line-up.
STEPS will be performing their brand new single STOMP for just the second time ever, and the first time to an audience of that size! The five have been taking a breather from the limelight since their summer shows but in just one week's time they'll unveil their new look and new dance routine.
The Disney Channel Kids Awards already boasts appearances from Westlife, S Club 7, Lolly, Vengaboys, Scooch, a1, Atomic Kitten and Artful Dodger, plus countless other music, sports and TV celebrities who will presenting and picking up the awards.
The show takes place next Saturday 23 September at London Arena, Docklands and tickets are still available through the telephone hotline on 0870 1200 140. But if you can't make it on the day, the event will be broadcast on the Disney Channel on 24 September. And keep checking worldpop for all the exclusive backstage gossip.
STEPS' new single STOMP is due to be released on 16 October
(Worldpop)
20.09.00
STEPS AT BILLIE'S BIRTHDAY BASH!
STEPS all attended pop star Billie Piper's 18th birthday bash in London last night. H reportedly danced the night away!
CLAIRE'S SINGLE FOR THE SAKE OF STEPS!
STEPS star CLAIRE RICHARDS has ruled love out of her life in order to concentrate on her pop career.
The "LOVE'S GOT A HOLD ON MY HEART" hitmaker, 23, says she took the difficult decision to embrace the single life after the failure of her last relationship.
She says, "I haven't got a boyfriend at the moment. I did for a while, but it was too hard to split my time between the band and my personal life. I was under a lot of pressure in the relationship.
"I just thought, life's too short. I have all the time in the world for a love life. At the moment, my career is more important to me. This is what I've wanted to do all my life, so I've got to make the most of it while it's there."
Before she joined STEPS, CLAIRE was a member of the group TSD, who once supported Boyzone.
She adds, "I got dropped from a great height when all that ended. I was going to give up singing because I couldn't cope with the break-up of the band. But luckily my mum pushed me to do something else."
(MTV)
23.09.00
STEPS PREMIERE STOMP ON SM:TV!
STEPS did their first ever performance of their new single STOMP on sm:tv this morning and we have to say we think it's destined to be a smash hit! It's a brilliant discotastic number and could well give the band their second UK number 1!
STEPS AT DISNEY AWARDS TODAY!
STEPS will be performing STOMP at the Disney Awards in London this afternoon and hopefully picking up an award or two while they're at it!
24.09.00
STEPS IN NEW TV SHOW?!
We reported a while back that STEPS were possibly making a new TV series, in the style of S Club 7's shows, called Stepping Out With STEPS.
Well the Kinder Surprise site are running this story too as they are official sponsers of STEPS new tour.
STEPS have not commented on the news so we'll just ahve to wait and see if it is true or not.
You can check out this story and some more info on STEPS at www.kindersurprise.co.uk
26.09.00
STOMP VIDEO NOW ON THE BOX!
The new STEPS video STOMP is now showing on the music channel The Box.
This what they say about it:
"The latest taste of the third Step's album which is to be called 'Buzz'.
The band have taken a hand in writing their new material and this first
single sees them go dancing (for a change)."
VOTE STEPS!
Firstly STEPS have been nominated for an MTV Europe award by viewers of the popuar show Select. You can vote for STEPS on the MTV site at www.mtv.co.uk
You also need to vote for H and LEE in the Sexiest Boys In Pop poll on The Box site, you can do this by going to www.thebox.co.uk
At the moment both boys are third in their groups H has 17% and LEE has 20% But we know they deserve to win it, so get voting!
27.09.00
STEPS LEAK ALBUM SECRETS!
STEPS have revealed that their forthcoming album BUZZ is sure to surprise fans and critics alike and will reveal a hint of their future musical direction.
Chatting on the set of the video for their new single STOMP, LEE, LISA and H told worldpop that some of the new tracks on their third album are sure to raise a few eyebrows.
'We've always had a theme running through our albums and had very STEPS-sounding songs on them. But I think that people are going to get really surprised by a few songs on BUZZ,' confessed LEE, adding, 'They'll be left thinking, Is that STEPS?'
The brunette singer confirmed that BUZZ will have, 'a different edge to it.' He explained that though the band will retain the distinctive STEPS pure pop sound, a few of the tracks will hint at the style of future STEPS material. 'We're gonna get to a different sound later on,' he said. 'For now there's a few hints in there.'
H revealed that BUZZ provides a 'happy medium' between the STEPS of old and the STEPS of the future. 'Like cheese and pineapple at a party!' added LISA, somewhat mysteriously.
The Welsh pair admitted that they're proud to have written a selection of the album tracks. 'Usually everybody says that they're writing their album but it doesn't happen,' confided H, before agreeing with LISA that songwriting for their own studio album is something they've wanted to do for long time.
Meanwhile bandmate CLAIRE RICHARDS is chuffed to have recorded her self-penned ballad HAND ON MY HEART, alongside an 18-string orchestra. 'It just sounds amazing. It's typical of me - really slushy,' she said.
As reported previously on worldpop, fifth member FAYE TOZER recorded her own track with Cyndi Lauper in America.
STOMP is released on 16th October with the album BUZZ following on 30th October.
STEPS are currently rehearsing for the their Christmas tour which kicks off in Birmingham on 18th November.
(worldpop)
28.09.00
BUZZ PROMO CD'S OUT NOW!
The promo copies of STEPS new album, Buzz, are out now and the tracklisting is as follows:
1. Better The Devil You Know
2. Stomp
3. Summer Of Love
4. It's The Way You Make Me Feel
5. You'll Be Sorry
6. Learn To Love Again
7. Never Get Over You
8. Hand On Your Heart
9. Happy Go Lucky
10.Buzz
11.Here & Now
12.Paradise Lost
13.Turnaround
14.Wouldn't Hurt So Bad
15.If You Believe
It is thought that the Austrailian version will include the bonus track Run To You and the video for Stomp, although that has not been confirmed.
30.09.00
FROM BOB MARLEY TO STEPS!
Straight after the first ever live performance of STOMP on SM:tv last week, STEPS dashed off to the Disney Channel Kids Awards. We caught up with FAYE and H backstage and the pair revealed that their upcoming album features disco, house and blues tracks. And would you believe the title track, BUZZ, is a reggae tune?!
FAYE says Our album is a huge mix of lots of different things weve even got some songs produced in a reggae style! Theyre the tracks we did for America, cos in America the reggae beat is coming back big time. Theyve got a kind of Ace Of Base feel. weve got three tracks that have that feel on them. Its interesting to hear your voices re produced differently.
There are so many different styles of music on the album, agrees H. Reggae, blues, disco, pop, heavy house...
So STEPS have gone reggae! Well, stranger things have happened. But not many"
REQUEST STOMP ON THE BOX NOW!
The new STEPS video, STOMP, is now up for selection on The Box. It's selection number is 102 to select ring 09001 44 66 00.
The video centers around H and LISA looking after someones house and throwing a wild party with CLAIRE, LEE and FAYE!
If you do not recieve The Box look out for the video this morning on sm:tv at around 11.20am.
