O-o-h Child, Before the Jackson 5, They Were "The First Family of Soul"

I started writing this post on Saturday afternoon, but things got so hectic I wan't able to finish. But I still wanted to blog about this group, so here we go.

I was watching Boyz N the Hood with my son for about the 1000th time the other night.  The scene when Furious is in the car with his son Trey, always tickles me because Furious (Lawrence Fishburn) is singing along with a song that's playing on the radio.  The song is "O-o-h Child" by the Five Stairsteps.  It tickles me because Furious clearly loves that song and he thinks he's looking really cool while singing it.  I love that song too.  Whenever I hear it, I'm awash in memories of simpler times, when I was young enough to be free of any real responsibilities, yet old enough to have replaced my toys with a transitor radio and 45 rpm records.



The Five Stairsteps was comprised of siblings Clarence Jr., Alohe Jean, James, Kenneth "Keni", Dennis (and briefly Cubie) Burke.  Their parents, Betty and Clarence Burke, Sr. raised the family on Chicago's south side.  Clarence Sr., a detective with the Chicago police department, was a talented musician who had a lifelong love of music.  Burke took notice of the natural talent possessed by his children (they were all singers and musicians) and became their manager.

As with most musical acts, the Five Stairsteps played the local circuit, gaining notoriety for their sound, stage presense and professionalism. After winning a talent contest at Chicago's Regal Theatre, recording contract offers began to pour in.  Clarence Sr., settled on a local label and the group was signed to Curtis Mayfield's Windy City imprint. The group's first release did well, charting on Billboard's top 20 in the spring of 1966. By 1967, the group would turn out more successful releases on Mayfield's renamed Buddah Records.

Doo doo doo doo doo

It's a world of fantasy

It's a world where I am never alone

It's a world of sheer make-believe

Where all young lovers have gone

To set their hearts?

Still evolving as an act, 1970 brought about a number of changes.  The youngest Burke, Cubie, while not a regular with the group, left to pursue a career in dance and enjoyed success with several companies including the Dance Theatre of Harlem and Alvin Ailey (later he would perform with The Atlanta Ballet, various Las Vegas theatrical shows and during the closing ceremonies for the Olympics in Barcelona and Los Angeles). It was also in 1970 that the group released it's biggest hit, 'O-o-h Child" (today ranked on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time) Times were so different then.  This song was so hopeful, so optimistic. It made you feel good.  I felt the same way when listening to "Crystal Blue Persuasion" by Tommy James and the Shondells. These songs have a similar vibe.  

Ooh-oo child
Things are gonna get easier
Ooh-oo child
Things'll get brighter

...Some day, yeah
We'll get it together and we'll get it all done
Some day 
When your head is much lighter

The group experienced more changes, including the departure of Alohe (1972) and signing with a new lable--The Beatles' George Harrison's Dark Horse label. The Five Stairsteps would continue to enjoy success until roughly the mid-70's, recording and touring with various artists.  By 1977, the Five Stairsteps had gone their separate ways, but remained musically active.  Clarence, the group's lead singer, choreographer and guitarist continued as a solo singer, and Keni (guitar and bass) would become a highly sought after session musician, recording with some of the biggest names in the industry.

But wait, there's more....

Apparently, the brothers weren't done performing together, because in 1979, they re-emerged.  This time their sound would be funkier and they were no longer called the Five Stairsteps. They were now the Invisible Man's Band.  In 1980, they released a self-titled ablum, that included "All Night Thing," a song that not only had people burning up the dance floor, but it burned on the charts too. The Invisible Man's Band would release a few more singles, but the group's tenure was short-lived.  I was really surprised when I first learned that the Invisible Man's Band was the Five Stairsteps reformulated.  I was so happy because they'd done it again...they'd made another jam!

One, two, three

Waiting on the dance,

to get started.

Hollywood stands, it's jammed down

Hoo cha!

It's a party now.

Take three...

Clarence and Keni continued to make music after the Invisible Man's Band, with both performing as solo artists and doing session work.  Keni signed a deal with RCA in 1981 and released a couple of albums.  His second album, "Changes" included "Risin' to the Top" which reached number 63 on the charts.  However, the song resurfaced in the 1990s and remains a favorite of  "steppers" and continues to be played on radio in the Quiet Storm music format. Mid-Schoolers (as opposed to Ol' Schoolers or Nu Skoolers) may also be familiar with "Risin' to the Top" as it has been sampled by several artists including Mary J. Blige.

I know we're doing

Everything that we want to

Meanwhile, are we losing?

Because we won't let go

And yet we go

Let's start thinking what we're doing

Don't let nothing change your mind

Let's start (heading) homeward bound

Get off the ground

Stop losing, yeah losing

Keep risin' to the top

The Burke children really were the First Family of Soul.  In addition to the the million-selling "O-o-h Child," the Five Stairsteps would have another nine singles to reach the Top 20 on Billboard's R&B chart. But of course there's always something new on the horizon.  And rising out of Gary, Indiana. just a few miles east of the Burke's home was another family with stairstep children full of talent.  It wouldn't be long before The Jackson 5 would be touted as America's First Family of Soul.  

(Clarence  Jr., and Cubie died in May 2013 and May 2014 respectively. When Alohe left the group, she went on a spirtual quest and completed her education at Emory University.  Today she is known as RAMI.)