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Monday, November 3, 2008

Steps Are Always In My Heart To Stay: "Heartbeat/Tragedy" At Age 10

Yeah, yeah–I know there's probably the most historic Presidential election of our times tomorrow, but we'll get to that tomorrow.

For now, chew on this: Steps' fourth single, "Heartbeat," (double A-sided with their cover of the Bee Gees' "Tragedy," which became the fivesome's signature tune) came out 10 years ago today.

It would go on to climb its way to the top of the U.K. chart in early January 1999, making it the first of Steps' two #1 singles in the U.K. (followed by 2000's "Stomp").

Is it a sacrilege to point out that I grew tired of "Tragedy" early on, and always preferred "Heartbeat"? Yeah, probably. But I hold my head up high and remember fondly getting the band's first album Step One on import that winter, which, incidentally, contained five classic pop singles and "Back To You," an album track that perhaps deserved so much more.

Some things are better best forgotten. After a whole decade, Steps, as it turns out, are not one of them.

Bundle up and check out the video for "Heartbeat" below. Could a cheesy band like Steps ever happen again? Could the forced rhyming of "am" and "palm" be any more annoying? Could Ian "H" Watkins be any gayer?

No on all counts. And that's what makes this a classy jam: