The Five Stairsteps

Curtis Mayfield producer

The Five Stairsteps , later also 5 Stairsteps & Cubie , Staisteps and The Invisible Man's Band , was an American singing group that was founded in Chicago , Illinois in the 1960s .

Band history

The Burke family (Aloha, Clarence, James, Dennis, Kenneth Michael and later Cubie) began singing as early as the 1960s, initially as a quintet, and were the forerunners of a whole range of American family bands, such as The Osmonds and The Jackson Five .

Curtis Mayfield became aware of them when the group won a talent competition at the Regal Theater in Chicago . He was lead singer and songwriter for The Impressions at the time and also a producer . Mayfield was so enthusiastic about the siblings that he immediately took them under his wing and looked after them. He produced a number of R&B songs for the formation , including You Waited Too Long (1966), Danger! She's a Stranger (1967), A Million to One (1968), and Stay Close to Me (1969), which hit the Billboard R&B charts.

The Five Stairsteps had their biggest hit in the pop charts in 1970 after they switched producers. Stan Vincent wrote and produced the song Ooh Child , which not only made it into the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 but also became a million seller . A few smaller hits followed by 1983. With From Us to You (as Stairsteps, 1976) and All Night Thing (as The Invisible Man's Band, 1980), the group again achieved top 10 positions in the R&B charts.

Discography

Albums

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)		Remarks
		US	R&B
1967	The Five Stairsteps	US139 (4 weeks) US	R&B8 (13 weeks) R&B	First published: February 1967
1968	Our family portrait	US195 (3 weeks) US	R&B20 (8 weeks) R&B	First published: January 1968 as 5 Stairsteps & Cubie
1969	Love's happening	US198 (2 weeks) US	R&B22 (10 weeks) R&B	First release: April 1969 as 5 Stairsteps & Cubie
1970	Stairsteps	US83 (12 weeks) US	R&B12 (20 weeks) R&B	First published: May 1970 as Stairsteps
1976	2nd Resurrection	-	R&B37 (8 weeks) R&B	First published: March 1976 as Stairsteps
1980	The Invisible Man's Band	US90 (14 weeks) US	R&B19 (17 weeks) R&B	First published: May 1980 as The Invisible Man's Band

More albums

• 1971: Stairsteps
• 1981: Really Wanna See You (as The Invisible Man's Band)

Compilations

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)		Remarks
		US	R&B
1970	Step by step by step	US199 (2 weeks) US	R&B47 (4 weeks) R&B	First published: December 1970 as Stairsteps

More compilations

• 1971: Stay Close to Me
• 1985: The Best of the Five Stairsteps
• 1990: Comeback: The Best of the 5 Stairsteps
• 1994: Step by Step by Stairsteps: Greatest Hits Featuring Keni Burke
• 2001: The First Family of Soul: The Best of the Five Stairsteps
• 2011: The Complete Curtis Mayfield Years
• 2014: Our Family Portrait / Stairsteps

Singles

year	Title album	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)		Remarks
		US	R&B
1966	You Waited Too Long The Five Stairsteps	US94 (2 weeks) US	R&B16 (10 weeks) R&B	First published: March 1966 Authors: Clarence Burke, Gregory Fowler
	World of Fantasy The Five Stairsteps	US49 (8 weeks) US	R&B12 (10 weeks) R&B	First published: July 1966 Authors: Clarence Burke, Gregory Fowler
	Come Back The Five Stairsteps	US61 (6 weeks) US	R&B15 (9 weeks) R&B	First published: October 1966 Authors: Clarence Burke, Gregory Fowler
1967	Danger! She's a Stranger The Five Stairsteps	US89 (5 weeks) US	R&B16 (8 weeks) R&B	First published: December 1966 Authors: Curtis Mayfield , Clarence Burke, Gregory Fowler
	Ain't Gonna Rest (Till I Get You)	US87 (2 weeks) US	R&B37 (5 weeks) R&B	First published: March 1967 Authors: Clarence Burke, Clarence Burke Sr.
	Oooh, baby baby the five stairsteps	US63 (6 weeks) US	R&B34 (7 weeks) R&B	First published: March 1967 Authors: Warren Moore, Smokey Robinson Original: The Miracles , 1965
	Something's Missing Our Family Portrait	US88 (6 weeks) US	R&B17 (8 weeks) R&B	First published: November 1967 as 5 Stairsteps & Cubie Authors: Clarence Burke, Clarence Burke Sr.
1968	A Million to One Our Family Portrait	US68 (6 weeks) US	R&B28 (7 weeks) R&B	First published: January 1968 as 5 Stairsteps & Cubie Author: Phil Medley Original: Jimmy Charles & the Revelletts , 1960
	The Shadow of Your Love	US94 (1 week) US	-	First release: March 1968 as 5 Stairsteps & Cubie feat. Clarence Jr. Author: Ted Daryll
	Don't Change Your Love Love’s happening	US59 (9 weeks) US	R&B15 (9 weeks) R&B	First published: August 1968 as 5 Stairsteps & Cubie Author: Curtis Mayfield
	Stay Close to Me Love’s Happening	US91 (2 weeks) US	-	First published: October 1968 as 5 Stairsteps & Cubie Author: Curtis Mayfield
1969	Baby Make Me Feel So Good Love’s Happening	-	R&B12 (9 weeks) R&B	First published: January 1969 as 5 Stairsteps & Cubie Author: Curtis Mayfield
	Madame Mary	-	R&B38 (2 weeks) R&B	First published: July 1969 as 5 Stairsteps & Cubie Author: Curtis Mayfield
	We Must Be in Love Step by Step by Step	US88 (3 weeks) US	R&B17 (7 weeks) R&B	First published: September 1969 as 5 Stairsteps & Cubie Author: Curtis Mayfield
1970	Dear Prudence Stairsteps (1970)	US66 (8 weeks) US	R&B49 (3 weeks) R&B	B-side by Ooh Child Authors: John Lennon , Paul McCartney Original: The Beatles , 1968
	Ooh Child Stairsteps (1970)	US8th gold (16 weeks)US	R&B14 (19 weeks) R&B	First published: February 1970 Author: Stan Vincent
	Because I Love You Stairsteps (1970)	US86 (1 week) US	-	First published: September 1970 Author: Clarence Burke Jr.
	America standing	US83 (2 weeks) US	-	B-side of Because I Love You Authors: AJ Edmonton, J. Kay, N. St. Nicholas, L. Byron, Stan Vincent
1971	Didn't It Look So Easy Stairsteps (1971)	US81 (6 weeks) US	R&B32 (6 weeks) R&B	First published: January 1971 as Stairsteps Author: Al Martin
1972	I Love You - Stop Stairsteps (1971)	-	R&B40 (5 weeks) R&B	First published: December 1971 as Stairsteps Authors: Bobby Flax, Lanny Lambert
1976	From Us to You 2nd Resurrection	-	R&B10 (17 weeks) R&B	First published: December 3, 1975 as Stairsteps Authors: Keni Burke, Clarence Burke Jr.
1980	All Night Thing The Invisible Man's Band	US45 (10 weeks) US	R&B9 (22 weeks) R&B	First published: March 1980 as The Invisible Man's Band. Author: Clarence Burke
1982	Really Wanna See You Really Wanna See You	-	R&B79 (4 weeks) R&B	First published: February 1982 as The Invisible Man's Band Authors: Alex Masucci, Clarence Burke
1983	Sunday afternoon	-	R&B77 (7 weeks) R&B	First published: August 1983 as The Invisible Man's Band Authors: Clarence Burke and the Invisible Man

More singles

• 1966: Don't Waste Your Time (released March)
• 1967: The Touch of You (release: July)
• 1968: Look of Love (Aloha Burke with the Five Stairsteps; release: April)
• 1969: Little Young Lover
• 1971: Snow (as stairsteps; release: March)
• 1971: Stay Close to Me (as Stairsteps; release: October 29th)
• 1972: Hush Child (as stairsteps; release: March)
• 1972: Every Single Way (as Stairsteps; release: September)
• 1975: Pasado
• 1976: Tell Me Why (as stairsteps; release: June 14th)
• 1980: X-Country (Flamin 'Hot) (as The Invisible Man's Band; released August)
• 1980: 9 X's Out of Ten
• 1981: Rated X (as The Invisible Man's Band; released September)

literature

• Warner, Jay: The Billboard Book of American Singing Groups. A History 1940–1990 . New York City / New York: Billboard Books, 1992, pp. 382f.

swell

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Chart sources: US
2. ↑ ^{a b c} gold / platinum database US
3. ^ Joel Whitburn : Top R&B Albums 1965–1998, ISBN 0-89820-134-9 .
4. ^ Joel Whitburn : Hot R&B Songs 1942–2010: 6th Edition, ISBN 978-0-89820-186-4 .

Web links

• The Five Stairsteps at Allmusic (English)
• Five Stairsteps at Discogs (English)
• Single discography The Five Stairsteps
• Singles discography The Invisible Man's Band