Steppin' Out (Joe Jackson song)
| "Steppin' Out" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Another World" (UK 7") "Chinatown" (U.S. 7") |
"Steppin' Out" is a song written by Joe Jackson, originally included on his 1982 album, Night and Day.[1]
The song is about the anticipation and excitement of a night out on the town.[2] Released as a single in August 1982, it became Jackson's biggest Billboard Hot 100 hit in the U.S., peaking at number six.[1] It was his second biggest hit on the UK Singles Chart, also reaching number six.[1] Only "It's Different for Girls", which reached number five in the UK in 1980 did better.[3] The music video for the song, directed by Steve Barron, featured a housekeeper pretending she was a Cinderella figure. It was filmed over one night in the St. Regis Hotel in New York during the summer of 1982.[2]
"Steppin' Out" eventually earned Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male.[4]
In a retrospective review of the single, Allmusic journalist Chris True praised the song as a "mélange of simple piano hooks, rudimentary electronic treatment and classic vocal pop, with a rhythm track that is quaint in its simplicity and driving enough to invoke images of the big city at night."[5]
The song was most recently covered by AM as part of his collaboration called AM & Shawn Lee for his 2013 album La Musique Numerique. Fantastic Plastic Machine for his 1998 self-titled album. It was also covered by Stanley Jordan on his 2008 album "State of Nature"[6] and Kurt Elling on his 2011 album "The Gate".[7]
In 2002, "Steppin' Out" appeared in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, playing on pop radio station Flash FM.
A loop of the instrumental portion of this song is used as the theme music for the WYES-TV (New Orleans, Louisiana) weekly arts and entertainment program, Steppin' Out.
The song is heard as background music in the 2009 film, L'affaire Farewell. It is used in a scene set in 1981, which predated the actual release of the song.
A snippet from the song appears at the end of a 2011 Target television commercial for Pedigree dog food.
Simon Godfrey of Tinyfish performed an acoustic version of the song at World Cafe Live in 2013.[8]
References
- ^ a b c Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp. 485–486. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
- ^ a b "Steppin' Out" by Joe Jackson at Songfacts.com
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 274. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "Biography by William Ruhlmann". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/song/steppin-out-mt0041120986
- ^ State of Nature, Album review, Nov. 17, 2008.
- ^ Kurt Elling: The Gate - review, Album review, Mar. 10, 2011.
- ^ https://www.facebook.com/events/462580697169366/