Deeper Shade of Blue

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"Deeper Shade of Blue"
Single by Steps
from the album Steptacular
Released April 3, 2000 (UK)[1]
Format CD Single, cassette
Recorded 1999
Genre Pop
Length 3:45 (single version)
4:16 (album version)
Label Jive Records
Writer(s) Mark Topham, Karl Twigg
Producer(s) Topham, Twigg, Waterman
Steps singles chronology
"Say You'll Be Mine / Better the Devil You Know"
(1999)		 "Deeper Shade of Blue"
(2000)		 "When I Said Goodbye / Summer of Love"
(2000)

"Deeper Shade of Blue" is a song by British group Steps, released as the band's ninth single. The song is an uptempo pop song about the darker side of life and an attempt to break free. It was the fifth song to be released from the group's second album Steptacular. The song was initially recorded by Tina Cousins but, aside from a few promotional 12" records, her version remains unreleased.

The first two verses are performed by H and Claire,[2] respectively, whilst all 5 members perform the middle 8. The chorus features all five voices. In October 2011 following the reformation of the band, they performed the track on Lorraine Kelly and Loose Women. The song was added to the UK compilation album Now That's What I Call Music!, vol. 46 (2000),[3] as well as Steps's compilation albums Gold: Greatest Hits (2001),[4] The Last Dance (2002),[5] and The Ultimate Collection (2011).[6]

On September 1st 2015, Claire Richards premiered a new stripped backed piano recording of the track via her social media pages

Composition and reception

Jon O'Brien wrote for Allmusic and in two different reviews he noted it is a "club potential", and the Sleaze Sisters remix is "realized on a Sash-esque trance remix".[5] O'Brien also commented it is "Italo house-inspired" and it "fits right in with the current retro-dance revival".[6]

The song was referenced by Dave Benson-Phillips during an episode of Get Your Own Back when band member Ian "H" Watkins was thrown in the Gunk Dunk. After Watkins' shocked reaction to being gunged, Benson-Phillips remarked "As we can see, H has gone a deeper shade of blue" before H splashed him.

Music video

File:Steps3.jpg
The band members in the video.

The music video has a futuristic style, with the group wearing blue latex uniforms for the dance sequences and each transforming into a darker alter-ego during the video. The alter-egos are to show the darker side of life that the song talks about.

Track listings

UK CD-Maxi Enhanced

  1. Deeper Shade of Blue [Radio Edit] - 3:45
  2. Deeper Shade of Blue [W.I.P. Mix] - 6:47
  3. Deeper Shade of Blue [Sleaze Sisters Anthem Mix] - 7:54
  4. Deeper Shade Of Blue (Video)

Europe CD-Maxi

  1. Deeper Shade Of Blue (Kiss W.I.P. Remix) 3:59
  2. Deeper Shade Of Blue (Radio Edit) 3:45
  3. Deeper Shade Of Blue (W.I.P. Mix) 6:47
  4. Deeper Shade Of Blue (Sleaze Sisters Anthem Mix) 7:54
  5. Deeper Shade Of Blue (Blockbuster Dirt Blue Klub Mix) 6:49

Europe CD-Single

  1. Deeper Shade Of Blue (Kiss W.I.P. Remix) 3:59
  2. Deeper Shade Of Blue (Radio Edit) 3:45

Cassette

  1. Deeper Shade of Blue [Radio Edit] - 3:45
  2. Deeper Shade of Blue [W.I.P. Mix] - 6:47

Remixes

  • Deeper Shade Of Blue (Sleazesisters Anthem Edit) - featured on "The Last Dance" CD.
  • Deeper Shade Of Blue (Sleazesisters Anthem Mix)
  • Deeper Shade Of Blue (Blockbuster Dirty Blue Klub Mix) - appears on European Single
  • Deeper Shade Of Blue (Blockbuster Dirty Blue Dub Mix)
  • Deeper Shade Of Blue (Kiss W.I.P. Remix) - appears on European single

Chart performance

The single entered the charts at #4 and spent one more week in the top ten before falling down the charts. After a total of 9 weeks, the shortest for any Steps single, the song left the top 75.

Chart positions

Chart (2000) Peak
position
Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[7] 36
Irish Singles Chart[8] 24
UK Singles Chart[9] 4

References

  1. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/deeper-shade-of-blue-2-tracks-mw0001473182
  2. ↑ International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music, Volumes 33-34
  3. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/now-vol-46-uk-mw0000537162
  4. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/gold-greatest-hits-mw0000456058
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 http://www.allmusic.com/album/last-dance-mw0000458222
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-ultimate-collection-mw0002206735
  7. ↑ http://www.ultratop.be/nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Steps&titel=Deeper+Shade+Of+Blue&cat=s
  8. ↑ http://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p%2Fmusicvideo%2Fmusic%2Farchive%2Findex_test.jsp&ct=240001&arch=t&lyr=2000&year=2000&week=16
  9. ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/archive-chart/_/1/2000-04-15/

External links

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