02.01.01
STEPS ENTER THE CHARTS A WEEK TOO EARLY AT NO.72!

72 THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL (STEPS)
"This record should not be here. The new single from STEPS actually gets its official release this week. However many shops will have been serviced with stocks of the single several days ago to ensure they had them in time. Despite being plastered with huge labels that say "do not sell until January 1st 2001" some copies did find their way onto shelves and subsequently into the hands of the paying public. The charts do not discriminate between leaked and officially released tracks and so the sales have registered and the single has been given a chart position. This kind of accidental leak isn't completely unknown. For example in January 1992 the Prodigy's Everybody In The Place EP was made available prematurely leading to it charting at Number 48 the week before release and then rocketing to Number 10 the week after. Normally however the numbers involved mean the single ends up with a premature unofficial position of 156 or similar. This week sales levels are on such an artificial low that the leaked copies of the STEPS single are enough to give it a Top 75 placing. Now this is an official chart position which means that wherever the record charts next week it will be listed as a climber from No.72. Is it possible that STEPS are going to write themselves into history and register the biggest ever leap to No.1?"
(Dotmusic)


JIVE TO TAKE NO ACTION OVER SINGLE COCK UP!

Steps have charted at an abysmal number 72 with their new single, after almost 1,000 copies were sold across the country a week before the actual release, dotmusic has learnt.
'The Way You Make Me Feel' was due in the shops on January 1, 2001, but was put on-sale by some bungling stores who had been issued with the CD early to ensure stock was available.
A spokesman for the band's record label Jive today confirmed the cock-up, but suggested there would be no action of behalf of the band, despite the long-term impact on the single's chart placing.
"About 980 have been sold over the counter," the spokesman said. "We're looking at it as a nice early New Year present for some Steps fans who got hold of it early.
"We've not seen the midweeks yet, but if the figures prove significant then it will be a bit of a disappointment, but we don't plan on grumbling about it."
(Dotmusic)


03.01.01

STEPS FURY AT RECORD STORE BLUNDER!

STEPS are furious at a slip-up by record shops which could stop their new single hitting No1.
A few stores across the country mistakenly started selling the record, IT'S THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL, during the week before its New Year's Day release.
With almost 1,000 copies sold, it reached No72 in Sunday's chart - but the group's management fear that will mean a corresponding dip of nearly 1,000 in this week's sales.
Those sales could be critical in STEPS' battle for the top of the charts with Bob The Builder and dance act Rui da Silva.
A STEPS insider told me: "We had been told to get the record in the stores extra early to beat Christmas and we had put a sticker on it to make sure it was not sold early.
"But a few dim-witted store managers put out the single without realising it had not been released yet. The band's chart position could be seriously affected by these early sales. We may even prosecute the stores in question if this mistake costs us the No1 position.
"Also, because of what has happened, IT'S THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL will go down on record as entering the charts at No72, which is STEPS' worst-ever chart position."
It is not the first time such a mistake has happened. In January 1992, Prodigy's Everybody In The Place was made available early and charted at No48, before rising to No10 the following week.
And I do have some consolation for STEPS. Due to the fiasco they are almost certain to set a new record for highest chart climber.
Prodigy currently hold the record as a result of the mistake made with their record.
(The Sun)


CHART TRAGEDY BUT STEPS ARE ON TRACK TO BE NO.1!

Despite suffering a minor chart tragedy scare after a sales bungle, Steps new single, The Way You Make Me Feel is battling with Rui Da Silva's dance hit Touch Me for this week's No 1 spot according to the worldpop sponsored UK charts.
The Steps single entered this week's chart at No 72 after nearly 1,000 copies were sold by some shops a week early. Copies of the track were sent out early in a bid to avoid Christmas delivery problems. A spokesman for the band, who have scored two No 1 hits, says: 'Some hung-over staff at record shops must have looked through their stockrooms and thought, oh, there are some Steps singles. We'd better put these on display. Either a small number of shops have been selling it early or it might be that every single shop is selling it and nobody likes it. I would think it is the former. But we're not complaining. It's obviously going to be a high riser this week.'
If Steps do climb to No 1 this week it will signify one of the biggest ever leaps to the top spot although chart compilers CIN say it has happened before. 'This happens with dance singles on limited release or on import,' says a CIN spokesman. 'It happened last year with Lady by Modjo. It entered the lower half of the Top 75 on import one week and then the next week, on proper release, it went to No 1.' Check up on everything Steps related on worldpop's microsite here
The battle for this week's No 1 seems to be a three way race between Rui Da Silva, Steps and Fragma's Everytime You Need Me. Elsewhere on the worldpop sponsored UK chart DJ Mauro Picotto enters the Top 20 with his new single Save A Soul. There are also Top 40 entries for Lene Marlin's Where I'm Headed and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Road Trippin'. The Beatles 1 compilation retains the top album spot.
(World Pop)


06.01.01

H AND LISA URGE FANS TO BUY STEPS SINGLE!

If you saw H and LISA on sm:tv this morning you'll know that STEPS are currently 2000 copies behind in the race for the No.1 spot this week.
STEPS' latest offering, IT'S THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL, was heading for the No.1 spot until record stores made the fatal blunder of releasing it a week early! The single sold well over 1000 copies none of which are being allowed to be counted in this weeks chart meaning that STEPS may well have to be satisfied with the No.2 postition!
However just as H told all the fans on todays show, you can help, please go and buy an extra copy of IT'S THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL today, the cassettes are only £2.99 and CDs £3.99 and don't forget you also get CLAIRE'S tour solo, IN IT FOR LOVE and STEPS Mowtown Mania song, TOO BUSY THINKING as marvellous bonus tracks with it!
The CD:UK Saturday chart placed STEPS at No.2 so todays sales really do make all the difference!
FAYE, LEE and CLAIRE were not in the studio so a recording of a previously shown performance was used.
H and LISA also revealed in their interview that STEPS will be spending a lot of 2001 promoting abroad some of the places H mentioned were South Africa, Asia and Europe.
It is thought that IT'S THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL will be the first single from BUZZ to be released to foreign countries.

07.01.01

IT'S THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL AT NO.2!

STEPS latest single, IT'S THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL, has entered the UK singles charts at No.2
Although No.2 is a brilliant chart postion we imagine the band will be a little dissapointed that they didn't manage to match the sucess of their last single STOMP which entered the charts at No.1 in October 2000.
STEPS have been plagued with misfortune over the release of this single after idiotic record store staff sold over 1000 copies of it a week before release!


STEPS MAKE IT IN THE RECORD BOOKS AGAIN!

They may not be No.1 and they may have paid the cost of the stores selling their single a week early, but STEPS have now broken yet another record!
They now have the highest climbing single of all time!
IT'S THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL entered the charts last week at No.72, but has now climbed to No.2 meaning it's risen up the charts by an amazing 70 places!


08.01.01

MORE CHART CONFUSION!

It seems that STEPS went the only band whose latest chart offering was released a week too early! All three of the Top 3 singles in this weeks chart went on the record store shelves earlier than anticipated!

1 (112) Touch Me - Rui Da Silva ft Cassandra

2 (72) It's The Way You Make Me Feel - Steps

3 (129) Everytime You Need Me - Fragma ft Maria Rubia

The numbers in the brackets are the chart postitions they entered at last week!

STEPS were the only ones to make it in to the top 75!


STEP OUT OF THE WAY!

Portuguese DJ Rui Da Silva has beaten off the challenge of STEPS to land this week's No 1 on the worldpop-sponsored UK singles chart. Da Silva's track, Touch Me, was originally set for release in December but faced problems with EMI who claimed Da Silva had stolen a riff from Spandau Ballet's 1981 hit Chant No 1. The track has received huge support from DJs such as Danny Tenaglia, Pete Tong and Dave Pearce. Touch Me features the vocals of Cassandra Fox. Rui met Cassandra as she was busking in the street.

STEPS, at No 2, suffered a sales bungle last week when 1,000 copies of IT'S THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL went on sale a week early. But in the end the margin for the No 1 spot was greater than the 1,000 sales discrepancy so Rui won the battle fair and square!
(Worldpop)



DOT MUSIC'S CHART COMMENTARY FOR IT'S THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL!

2 IT'S THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL (Steps)
You know it is funny, when I spotted the STEPS single at No.72 last week I thought it was worth a brief mention as a passing curiosity. Little did I know that it would turn out to be one of the big music stories of the last week with just about every newspaper and media outlet in the country scurrying around for quotes from the band and music experts as a result of that one story here on Dotmusic. The daft thing is of course is that it is not completely unknown for the odd copy of a single to be sold a few days too early. Indeed (as Jive records pointed out last week) the STEPS record was not the only one to suffer from being placed on the shelves too early as the whole of this week's Top 3 registered sales in the weeka after Christmas. So it was that Rui Da Silva was listed at No.112 and Fragma were placed at No.129. However it was STEPS who sold enough to land an official Top 75 placing so it comes to pass that they are listed on chart countdowns everywhere as having leaped from 72-2. That 70 place climb is far and away the biggest ever leap made by a single within the Top 75, wiping out the original record of 62 places which was set by Nick Berry's Every Loser Wins when it vaulted from 66-4 on October 11th 1986. STEPS narrowly fail to break the record for the biggest climb to No.1 which was set by Captain Sensible's version of Happy Talk which shot 33-1 in July 1982.

Amongst all of this of course we must not actually forget the record itself. IT'S THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL is the second single to be taken from Steps' latest album and the followup to STOMP which topped the chart in October last year. Deep down the record company aren't complaining too much about the fuss surrounding their low chart entry last week. With the group on holiday and unable to do any live promotion for the track, the resulting publicity was the best free advertising it could have hoped to receive. This all means that the single become another massive hit and duly their 11th consecutive Top 10 single. If you study the label you may notice the track is a Cheiron production, written by Jorgen Elofsson who has previously co-written singles by the likes of Westlife and Britney Spears.
(Dotmusic.com)



10.01.01

YOU CAN WAKE UP WITH LISA AND FAYE!

Well we're sure it's a dream for many of you to wake up with STEPS sexiest babes LISA SCOTT-LEE and FAYE TOZER and next week you can!
LISA and FAYE will be joining Richard Bacon to host an episode of The Big Breakfast on Channel 4.
You'll have to be up bright and early on Thursday 18th January as the fun starts at 7.00am!


LISA AND H'S BACKSTAGE GOSSIP!

LISA and H had to flee the studio in a hurry. Why? 'Because I'm off to the dentist and I'm late,' said LISA. Could she be having her brace removed? H spent most of his backstage time rehearsing lines for his Chums guest spot and admitted that he was a bit nervous - but not about appearing on the SM:tv sitcom. 'Our new song THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL is a real change of direction for us and I hope the fans like it,' he said.
(Worldpop)


10.01.01

H'S MUM IS BANNED FOR DRINK DRIVING!

Gaynor Watkins, the mother of STEPS member H, Ian Watkins, has been banned from driving after admitting drink-driving.
Magistrates at Pontypridd, Wales, heard she had 50 microgrammes of alcohol in her blood. The legal limit is 35. Mrs Watkins was banned from driving for three months and fined £350.
In interviews, H has often credited his mum with encouraging him to become a performer.
(World Pop)



LEE'S A RODEO ROMEO TO COW GIRL VICKY!

STEPS star LEE LATCHFORD-EVANS has found love with singer Vicky Dawdall from his support band girls@play.
The couple have been almost inseparable since the start of their joint tour in November.
Vicky's bandmate Lisa Jay told me: "On tour she'd go really quiet whenever he was about - until we went out.
"LEE loves to party and they'd always spend all evening together."
A STEPS insider added: "It was obvious to everyone on the tour that they got on brilliantly.
"They were always in a dark corner talking until the early hours.
"We all ribbed them about a romance and they wouldn't deny it.
"Now the tour is over, they are making as much time for each other as possible. They really want to give this relationship a go."
LEE split from long-term love Vanessa two months ago and has been spotted with Hollyoaks beauty Terri Dwyer.
He has been mates with Vicky since they went to Posh Spice's old school, Laine Arts Theatre in Epsom, Surrey.
They kept bumping into each other on the pop circuit but it was only when they worked together that they realised they wanted to be more than friends.
Love is definitely in the air for the STEPS crowd-FAYE TOZER has admitted she is ENGAGED.
The singer, who has dated Jasper of Dutch band Monkey for three years, said: "All those rumours about me and Jasper getting engaged - they're not rumours."
(The Sun)

11.01.01

STEPS INTO 2001

STEPS have been telling Smash Hits magazine what they hope tp achieve this year and what their plans are.
As far as we know STEPS will not be releasing another studio album this year, but there will be a Greatest Hits album out at the end of the year to coincide with another UK tour around Xmas.
In March they'll be in the Far East and Europe and then they may well head back off to the USA in July or August to have another stab and breaking the American market.
There should be another UK single out in about May.


FAYE SAYS SHE'LL BE JASPER'S!

As we revealed a long time back FAYE TOZER and long term lover JASPER IRN are engaged! FAYE has now come forward and given the reason that she didn't tell everyone as soon as she and JASPER decided to get married.

'I'd like to say that all those rumours about me and my boyfriend Jasper getting engaged - well, they're not rumours,' FAYE told this fortnight's issue of Smash Hits. 'We haven't announced it because we didn't want to, it's our news, not everyone else's, and it's not about STEPS, it's about me and my boyfriend,' she added.

FAYE TOZER has been going out with Jasper for several years and the couple live together. Like FAYE, JASPER is a musician and even picked up a songwriting credit on STEPS' recent album, BUZZ. Rumours that JASPER is a magician and that FAYE used to work as his assistant are completely false!

In the same issue of Smash Hits, the other members of STEPS have spoken about their love lives. CLAIRE RICHARDS revealed that she is currently attached and is very happy whileLISA SCOTT-LEE describes her love life as 'boom-tastic' as she is dating JOHNNY SHENTALL from new band, Boom. LEE and H are currently the only single members of the band.


12.01.01

THE SKY'S THE LIMIT!

The STEPS girls, LISA SCOTT-LEE, FAYE TOZER and CLAIRE RICHARDS have all taken part in this months Sky Magazines naked issue!
The girls got wet and wild in a series of stunning pics for the raunchy lads mag, LISA even became the sexy centre fold!
It's not the first time the girls have stripped down to their undies for sexy pics, they've all appeared in FHM, Maxim and Sky for revealing photo spreads before.

VIVA LA STEPS!

STEPS will be in Spain for a few days in February.
It is believed that they will be visiting for the election Miss Spain and a radio station awards ceremony.


13.01.01

STEPS US SINGLE NEWS!

STEPS will be releasing IT'S THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL in the United States on the 3rd April 2001!
It will be their third single release over in the US. They also attempted to break the US market in 1999 with ONE FOR SORROW and in 2000 with TRAGEDY, but they failed to make an impact of the American charts.
They will also be releasing BUZZ in the States, but it is thought that the title and tracklisting will be altered slightly to appeal to the American market.
STEPS have already toured the States as a support act to Britney Spears and appeared in a Disney Concert with Youngstown.
The band all hope to crack the Staes as it is one of the hardest countries to make it big in, however CLAIRE told this months Smash Hits magazine "If we don't crack America it's not the end of the world! We won't slit our wrists!".


15.01.01

NEWS ON FUTURE STEPS RELEASES THIS YEAR!

As we've already told you it looks highly likely that HERE AND NOW will be STEPS next single and it will be released in the UK around May. But we've also heard that the last single to be taken from BUZZ will be PARADISE LOST and that will be released in the UK around August time.
The Greatest Hits album should be out sometime in October or November and will include a few new bonus tracks and at least one of them will probably be released as a single.
We'll get you more info on this as we get it.


LISA OFFERED £250,000 TO POSE NUDE!

According to Channel 4 Teletext STEPS Babe LISA SCOTT-LEE has been offered £250,000 to do a "girl next door" style photo spread for a leading top shelf adult magazine. LISA has already commented on this story in this months Sky Magazine and has said that although it was a nice offer and a lot of money she would not be taking part in any nude photo shoots.

STEPS STILL IN TOP 5!

STEPS are still riding high in the UK single charts after three weeks, IT'S THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL is at No.4!
Their STEPTACULAR Tour video has gone back to the No.1 spot in the video charts and BUZZ is still in the top 20 albums chart at No.16.


16.01.01

STEPS ARE NOMINATED FOR A BRIT AWARD!

STEPS have been nominated for Best Pop Act at the BRIT Awards 2001, that are to be held at Earl's Court, London, on Monday 26th February.
STEPS walked away from the BRIT Awards 2000 with a special honoury award for being the Biggest Selling Live Act in the UK. Let's hope they leave this years ceremony with an award too!

STEPS caused controversy the first time they were nominated for a BRIT award back in 1999 for Best British Newcomer when their producer Pete Waterman rumbled a scam that had been set up by Scottish Indie group Belle & Sebastien.
Belle & Sebastien went on to win the award, despite the fact that STEPS had been tipped hot favourites to win. Later it emerged that Belle & Sebastien had cheated in the vote that Radio 1 had sponsered and that almost half of their votes had come from the same computer!
The Sun newspaper asked their readers to vote in a phone in who they thought should have won and STEPS won by miles!

Then at the BRIT Awrads 2000 STEPS recieved a special award to praise their amazing sell out UK tours, one which we're sure if you've seen them live, you'll agree they definately deserved!
They were also nominated in the Best Pop Act catergory for their No,1 smash hit single Heartbeat/Tragedy, but they lost out to bad boy band Five.

This year STEPS are up for the Best Pop Act again and will have to beat off competion from Britney Spears, Ronan Keating, S Club 7 and Westlife.

This is what The BRITS 2001 site says about STEPS:

Winners of a 2000 BRIT Award as Best Selling Live Act, STEPS earn their second successive listing for the title thanks to three hit singles last year. The No.1 STOMP, DEEPER SHADE OF BLUE (No.4) and WHEN I SAID GOODBYE/SUMMER OF LOVE (No.5).
LISA, H, FAYE, LEE and CLAIRE peaked at No.4 with their third album BUZZ.


And this what The Sun, Official Sponsers of The Best Pop Act catergory say:


STEPS are still one of the biggest pop bands in Britain. They confirmed their status as a hard-working live group after selling their millionth gig ticket last year. Their biggest hit of last year were STOMP. The band have never picked up a Brit but many consider them to have been Britains top pop performers for a couple of years now.



Now then this where we all have to really play our part because this catergory is decided by the fans, you need to vote for STEPS to make sure that they get the Brit Award we all know they so rightly deserve!
To vote visit The Official Brits 2001 site at www.britawards.co.uk

Or call

UK 09063 612289
IRELAND 1550 927589


17.01.01

STEPS SALES FIGURES FOR LAST YEAR!

BIGGEST SELLING SINGLES ARTISTS OF 2000:

01 Westlife (1,240,000 singles sold)
02 Eminem
03 Craig David
04 S Club 7
05 Britney Spears
06 Robbie Williams
07 Sonique
08 Madonna
09 All Saints
10 Bob The Builder
11 Mel C
12 Artful Dodger
13 Destiny's Child
14 Gabrielle
15 Baha Men
16 Kylie Minogue
17 STEPS (590,000 singles)
18 Fragma
19 Sisqo
20 Truesteppers


100 BEST SELLING SINGLES OF 2000:

STEPS managed to get all 3 of their singles, released in 2000, into the top 100:

82 Deeper Shade Of Blue

89 Stomp

90 Summer Of Love / When I Said Goodbye


100 BEST SELLING ALBUMS OF 2000:

And they also managed to get 2 albums into the top 100!

27 Buzz

45 Steptacular



2001 - THE YEAR OF THE GIRL/BOY POP COMBO!

Well according to readers of World Pop the year 2001 will be the year of the Girl/Boy pop combo, which of course is very good news for the original and the best band to do it...STEPS!

'Last but not least, you put on your thinking caps to work out whether 2001 will be the year of solo males, solo females, groups or something completely different. Boy/girl combos a la STEPS, S Club 7 and new band Boom! took the category with 30% although male soloists were closely behind with 26%.'

2001 will be the year of the
Girl/boy combo 30%
Boy soloist 26%
All-male bands 21%
Girl soloist 13%
All-female bands 9%


18.01.01

NEXT STEP USA?

Rumours of a STEPS greatest hits album have been downplayed this morning (January 17), but it looks likely that the band will be spending most of 2001 out of the UK building on their successes abroad.

A spokesperson for the band told NME.COM this morning that a greatest hits is "A possibility. It's difficult to say because there aren't any definite plans beyond May, but I think a lot of people are thinking along the lines of 'There are 15 tracks, so we could do one'. There might be another album this year, you never know."

He added that apart from a new series of 'Steps To The Stars' starting on BBC1 in February, the band would be spending a lot of time in the USA. The spokesperson added: "They haven't spent that long their in the past, but it's difficult because if you spend too long promoting over there everyone in the UK forgets who you are. It's B*Witched syndrome."

Earlier this month the band's manager Tim Byrne told NME.COM that the use of Swedish hit factory Cheiron on current single 'It's The Way You Make Me Feel', and the Ace Of Base-esque feel of 'Buzz' album tracks like 'Happy Go Lucky', were part of a deliberate plan to build on the Stateside success already achieved by the band.

Steps will also be spending time in Europe and Asia, leaving little time to record a fourth album. If the greatest hits does go ahead, 2001 will break the band's run of an album per year. Though Claire Richards has suggested that a Steps greatest hits album would contain new bonus tracks, the impressive tracklisting to date stands as follows:

'5,6,7,8'
'Last Thing On My Mind'
'One For Sorrow'
'Heartbeat'
'Tragedy'
'Better Best Forgotten'
'Love's Got A Hold On My Heart'
'After The Love Has Gone'
'Say You'll Be Mine'
'Better The Devil You Know'
'Deeper Shade Of Blue'
'When I Said Goodbye'
'Summer Of Love'
'Stomp'
'It's The Way You Make Me Feel'

(NME Pop)


19.01.01

VICKY @ PLAY WITH STEPS STAR LEE!

Lee was caught smooching in a corner at Vicky's 22nd birthday party at London's Eve Club.
I revealed last week how the two have known each other since their college days.
They became almost inseparable when Vicky's band played support for STEPS on their recent nationwide tour.
One partygoer told me: "Lee and Vicky didn't make any secret of their romance and were holed up in the corner for most of the night.
"They are going to have a hard few months ahead as they will be performing in different countries from each other.
"But they really want to make this relationship work."
You may not have heard of girls@play but they are the latest pop band to emerge in the STEPS/Spice Girls pop mould.
Their first single is called Airhead.
Need I say more?
(The Sun)

20.01.01

LISA'S A WRITE ON GIRL!

STEPS beauty LISA SCOTT-LEE has revealed the sauciest signature she ever did was on a besotted male fan's manhood...in front of her Mum!
The bold-as-brass singer, didn't hesitate to sctribble her autograph onto the intimate anatomy offered to her.
But the fan was left feeling a right plonker, because LISA could only fit on one letter of her double-barralled autograph!
Dark-haired Lisa, 25, said "He whipped it out and asked me to sign it! My Mum was like 'put it away'."
And she added with a laugh : "I wouldn't have minded, but it was so small I could only get an 'L' on it!"
Blushing band mate FAYE TOZER, 25, quickly chipped in "I am sorry, but I can't match that!"
The pop pair made their shock confession while working as guest presenters on the Big Breakfast alongside Richard Bacon.
Saucy LISA and FAYE recently admitted that while on tour they also take sneaky peaks at the adult porn channels!
LISA said "The knack is to flick through the previews quickly. I don't want to get charges on my bill for porno viewing."
Blonde pal FAYE added "Anyone who says they don't have a crafty look is lying!"
(The Daily Star)

21.01.01

STEPS IN LEAD FOR BRIT AWARD!

STEPS are currently leading the race to pick up Best Pop Act at this years Brit Awards.

The results so far are:

STEPS - 59,000

Westlife -56,000

Ronan Keating - 55,000

S Club 7 - 31,000

Britney Spears - 12,000


Keep voting though! We need to make sure that STEPS get the award they so rightly deserve!!


23.01.01

STEPS MAKE ROCKIN' ROLE MODELS!

The important thing about Steps is that they're are great role models, and hopefully what Bono has done for the image of sunglasses, the lovely Lisa (she's the dark haired one) will do for braces - and unusually for an fashion-obsessed industry, these ones are on her teeth! As they are, of course for, thousands of young teenagers up and down the land.

The message is spot on from these kids. If Lisa can still be cool with braces in her mouth, what must that do for the self confidence of others.

I mean, you've got to hand it to her - most teenagers only have to worry about the rest of the class looking at them, she's got a lot more to contend with.

Then there's Claire - why do I love her? She got a belly that's why! A real, chubby, wobbly one and it's gorgeous.

She's no stick insect - yet she puts the Posh Spices and Christina Aguileras of the pop world totally in the shade. Again great image - because she's real.

Faye is the other blonde - her hairstyles change all the time because of extensions, and she's breathtakingly gorgeous because - like the other girls, and boys - 'H' and Lee they are all nice kids.

By being out of step, I really hope Steps will attract more affection than a lot of the processed makey-up groups.
(The Mirror)


24.01.01

STEPS @ G-A-Y REVIEW!

'Now it's time for Steps and, since they've played G.A.Y so many times before, everyone in the packed-like-sardines crowd knows what they'll be getting. Recent hits like 'The Way You Make Me Feel' and 'Stomp', older hits like 'Last Thing On My Mind', and '5-6-7-8' nowhere within earshot. (They hate it, apparently.)

It's a typically energetic half hour, done with the usual professionalism and enthusiasm and, yes, some of the singing is live. Trouble is, Steps are trying to turn down the cheese and none of their newer songs have dance routines that can be easily copied. So long as they still do 'Tragedy' and 'Better The Devil You Know' they'll still be G.A.Y. favourites, but getting serious could pose a serious threat to their position as the perfect accessory to tight t-shirts and poppers.'
(NME)

26.01.01

CLAIRE GETS A 'BUZZ' WITH HER NEW MAN!

STEPS beauty CLAIRE RICHARDS has reportedly split with her dancer boyfriend Mark Webb, but she's not shedding too many tears over it, because she has a new man!
CLAIRE is rumoured to be dating STEPS writer/producer Andy Goldmark.
Andy worked on STEPS latest album BUZZ and helped co-write the tracks HAPPY GO LUCKY, WOULDN'T HURT SO BAD and BUZZZ.
CLAIRE has had a turbulent love life in 1999 it was revealed by The Sun newspaper that she had embarked on an affair with Reece Hill, a member of the STEPS PR team.
Hill's fiancé and mother of his child went on to reveal that CLAIRE had stolen Hill from her whilst she was pregnant with their first child.
CLAIRE split with Hill in late 1999 and began dating Webb who toured as a dancer with STEPS.
CLAIRE attempted to keep her love for Webb a secret, but it was a well known affair and eventually the strain of her job began to show in their relationship.
Meanwhile the rest of STEPS look like thery'e settling down...
FAYE TOZER has revealed that she is set to marry her Dutch lover Jasper Irn, LISA SCOTT-LEE is "blissfully happy" with her live-in boyfriend Johnny Shentall, Ian Watkins is back with lover Sarah Connolley and Lee Latchford-Evans is rumoured to be dating Vicky Dawdell.
(Daily Star)