Every Little Step
{{Short description|1989 single by Bobby Brown}}
{{For|the 2008 Broadway documentary|Every Little Step (film)}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Every Little Step
| cover = EveryLittleStep.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Bobby Brown
| album = Don't Be Cruel
| released = 1989
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre =
- R&B
- new jack swing{{cite magazine|first= Gary |last= Pini |title= Bobby Brown's "Every Little Step" Is Our Music Video of the Day |date= September 30, 2011 |magazine= Paper |url= http://www.papermag.com/bobby-browns-every-little-step-is-our-music-video-of-the-day-1425842852.html |access-date= July 27, 2016}}
- pop{{cite book|last1=Considine|first1=J.D.|last2=Coleman|first2=Mark|last3=Evans|first3=Paul|last4=McGee|first4=David|chapter=
Bobby Brown|editor1-last=DeCurtis|editor1-first=Anthony|editor2-last=Henke|editor2-first=James|editor3-last=George-Warren|editor-first3=Holly|date=1992|title=Rolling Stone Album Guide|publisher=Random House|location=New York|page= 49}}
| length = 3:57
| label = MCA
| writer =
| producer =
- Babyface
- L.A. Reid
| prev_title = Roni
| prev_year = 1988
| next_title = On Our Own
| next_year = 1989
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|P0FKzPfsxA4|"Every Little Step"}} }}
}}
"Every Little Step" is a 1989 single by American singer Bobby Brown, written by L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and released by MCA Records. Released as the fourth single on his second album Don't Be Cruel it reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100, number 2 on the Cash Box Top 100,{{cite book|title=Top Pop Singles 1955-2010|year=2011|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|author-link=Joel Whitburn|publisher=Record Research}}{{cite book|title=Cash Box Pop Hits: 1952-1996|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|author-link=Joel Whitburn|year=2014|publisher=Record Research}} number one on the Hot Black Singles chart, and number six on the UK Singles Chart in 1989. The song also appears on Brown's remix album Dance!...Ya Know It!. The single garnered Brown's first career Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 32nd Grammy Awards in 1990.
Composition and production
Around the time Don't Be Cruel was in production, Reid was dating singer Pebbles, who later became his wife. Inspired by his relationship with his girlfriend at the time, he wrote and co-produced the song with Edmonds, intending to give it to the group Midnight Star. Bobby Brown, however, heard a demo of the song and liked it instantly, which led to its inclusion on Don't Be Cruel.{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/every-little-step-mt0004349717 |title=Every Little Step by Bobby Brown |work=AllMusic |access-date=November 2, 2013}}
Brown popularized the Roger Rabbit dance (aka the "backwards" running man),{{citation needed|date=September 2024}} as performed in the music video for the song,{{cite web | url=https://rickeysmileymorningshow.com/2852861/bobby-browns-most-trendsetting-style-moments/ | title=Bobby Brown's Most Trendsetting Style Moments | date=26 May 2022 }} along with the Gumby-style hi-top fade.{{cite web | url=https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/entertainment/arts/2014/07/06/fade-s/12137571/ | title=Fade to the '90s }}
In 1995, "Every Little Step" was remixed by British DJ/producer C.J. Mackintosh and was included on Brown's remix album, Two Can Play That Game (1995). This version of the song was released as a single in 1996, reaching number 25 in the UK Singles Chart.{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/25034/bobby-brown/|title=BOBBY BROWN | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company|website=www.officialcharts.com}}
In 2013, former New Edition manager Steven Machat claimed additional vocals on the song were allegedly done by Brown's friend, and fellow New Edition member Ralph Tresvant. Machat alleges that Tresvant was brought in to sing some of Brown's vocals, as he claims Brown had been strung out on drugs.{{cite web|last1=Noakes|first1=Tim|title=Bobby Brown's cruel birthday|url=http://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/16423/1/bobby-browns-cruel-birthday|website=dazeddi8gital.com|date=20 June 2013 |publisher=Dazed Magazine|access-date=2017-12-27}} Machat's story contradicts what happened with Brown as far back as 1989, where he was interviewed by Rolling Stone during the filming of the video for "On Our Own". Brown said he left New Edition primarily because of Machat and his business partners, Bill Dern and Rick Smith, whom he named as the managers who ripped him off and started the rumor of him being heavily addicted to drugs at the time. Brown said, "People at MCA thought we was on drugs. That wasn't us. We were a bunch of brats, but we wasn't into drugs, we wasn't into liquor. We was into girls".{{cite web|last1=Tannennbaum|first1=Rob|title=Bobby Brown's Uneasy Passage|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/bobby-browns-uneasy-passage-19890907|website=rollingstone.com|date=7 September 1989 |publisher=Rolling Stone|access-date=2017-12-27}}
Track listing
=A-side=
- "Every Little Step" (Extended Version) – 7:55
- "Every Little Step" (Instrumental) – 4:02
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1989) !Peak |
| {{single chart|Australia|8|artist=Bobby Brown|song=Every Little Step|rowheader=true|access-date=May 19, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Flanders|32|artist=Bobby Brown|song=Every Little Step|rowheader=true|access-date=July 29, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Canadatopsingles|12|chartid=6359|rowheader=true|access-date=July 29, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Canadadance|1|chartid=6353|rowheader=true|access-date=July 29, 2022}} |
| scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=6|issue=22|page=21|date=June 3, 1989}}
|19 |
|---|
| {{single chart|Ireland2|10|song=Every Little Step|rowheader=true|access-date=July 29, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Dutch40|28|year=1989|week=26|rowheader=true|access-date=July 29, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Dutch100|30|artist=Bobby Brown|song=Every Little Step|rowheader=true|access-date=July 29, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|New Zealand|5|artist=Bobby Brown|song=Every Little Step|rowheader=true|access-date=July 29, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|UK|6|date=19890521|rowheader=true|access-date=May 19, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardhot100|3|artist=Bobby Brown|rowheader=true|access-date=May 19, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Billboarddanceclubplay|17|artist=Bobby Brown|rowheader=true|access-date=May 19, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Billboarddancesales|5|artist=Bobby Brown|rowheader=true|access-date=July 29, 2022}} |
| scope="row"|US Hot Black Singles (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/bobby-brown/chart-history/bsi/|title=Bobby Brown Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)|magazine=Billboard}}
|1 |
| scope="row"|US Cash Box Top 100{{cite book|title=Cash Box Pop Hits: 1952-1996|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|author-link=Joel Whitburn|year=2014|publisher=Record Research}}
|2 |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|region=Australia|artist=Bobby Brown|title=Every Little Step|award=Gold|relyear=1989|certyear=1990|accessdate=November 9, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|region=United States|artist=Bobby Brown|title=Every Little Step|award=Gold|relyear=1989|certyear=1989|refname="riaa"}}
{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}
Additional personnel
- L.A. Reid: remixing, drum programming, percussion
- Donald K. Parks: Fairlight programming
- Kayo: Pro-One synth bass
- Daryl Simmons & Karyn White: background vocals
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|P0FKzPfsxA4|Official Video}}
{{Bobby Brown}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Babyface (musician)
Category:Songs written by L.A. Reid
Category:Song recordings produced by Babyface (musician)