Deeper Shade of Blue

"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 originally recorded by Tina Cousins but, aside from a few promotional 12" records, her version remains unreleased.

"Deeper Shade of Blue"
Single by Steps
from the album Steptacular
ReleasedApril 3, 2000 (UK)[1]
FormatCD single, cassette
Recorded1999
Genre
Length3:45
4:16 (album version)
LabelJive Records
Songwriter(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)

The single entered the UK Singles Chart at number four and spent one more week in the top ten before falling down the charts. After a total of nine weeks, the shortest for any Steps single, the song left the top 75.

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 included on Steps's compilation albums Gold: Greatest Hits (2001),[3] The Last Dance (2002),[4] and The Ultimate Collection (2011).[5]

On September 1, 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".[4] O'Brien also commented it is "Italo house-inspired" and it "fits right in with the current retro-dance revival".[5] Lucas Villa from AXS described the song as a "futuristic club banger", adding that the group "battled the love blues atop pulsating house music beats with Richards' out-of-this-world vocals channeling the dance floor divas that came before her." He also stated that the song "remains the band's fiercest, most flawless effort."[6] CantStopThePop called it "a total mood-piece", noting that "the thumping club beat creates a brooding darkness that was quite unlike anything Steps had attempted before."[7]

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

The music video has a futuristic style, with the group wearing blue and red latex uniforms with red latex gloves with the girls wearing blue latex hats 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

Credits and personnel

Recording

  • Recorded at PWL Studios, Manchester in 1999
  • Mixed at PWL Studios, Manchester
  • Mastered at Transfermation Studios, London

Vocals

  • Lead vocals – Ian "H" Watkins, Claire Richards
  • Background vocals – Faye Tozer, Lisa Scott-Lee, Lee Latchford-Evans

Personnel

  • Songwriting – Mark Topham, Karl Twigg
  • Production – Mark Topham, Karl Twigg, Pete Waterman
  • Mixing – Tim Speight
  • Engineer – Chris McDonnell, Tim Speight
  • Drums – Chris McDonnell
  • Keyboards – Karl Twigg
  • Guitar – Mark Topham
  • Bass – Mark Topham

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Steptacular.[8]

Charts
Chart (2000) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 36
Ireland (IRMA)[10] 24
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[11] 4
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[12] 4
UK Indie (Official Charts Company)[13] 2

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[14] Silver 200,000

sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

References
  1. http://www.allmusic.com/album/deeper-shade-of-blue-2-tracks-mw0001473182
  2. "International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music".
  3. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Gold: Greatest Hits". AllMusic.
  4. Jon O'Brien. "Last Dance". AllMusic.
  5. Jon O'Brien. "The Ultimate Collection". AllMusic.
  6. Villa, Lucas (19 June 2017). "Steps turns 20: Counting down the pop group's top 10 singles". AXS. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  7. "Steps – Deeper Shade Of Blue". CantStopThePop. 30 March 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  8. Steptacular (Liner notes). Steps. Jive Records, EBUL. 1999. 0519112.CS1 maint: others (link)
  9. "Ultratop.be – Steps – Deeper Shade of Blue" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  10. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Deeper Shade of Blue". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  11. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  12. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  13. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  14. "British single certifications – Steps – Deeper Shade of Blue". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Deeper Shade of Blue in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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