Premium Stuff Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Anyone tell me what 'Two Step' is please? I'm guessing it is a kind of slow-ish modern-ish soul music defined by some kind of 'two step' dancing - i.e. the music is defined by the type of dance you do (much like 'stomper'). Am I right? Can anyone describe the dancing, or post up video clips showing it please? Cheers Richard Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Benji Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 You're pretty close Richard. Very slow but with a beat. Bit like Modern Soul's answer to the 60s beat ballads (but a tad slower). Not to be confused with "2step" that was popular 10 odd years ago (Craig David etc.). Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Premium Stuff Posted March 28, 2013 Author Share Posted March 28, 2013 You're pretty close Richard. Very slow but with a beat. Bit like Modern Soul's answer to the 60s beat ballads (but a tad slower). Not to be confused with "2step" that was popular 10 odd years ago (Craig David etc.). Cheers Benji - so it's like modern soul for old folk Anyone got any video footage please so I can see it Thanks Richard 1 Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Epic Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Two Step is music that should be played on a radio show, on your sound system at home or maybe in the car. It was never intended to be danced to !!! 2 Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Ian Dewhirst Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Some good examples on here..... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Backbeats-Steps-Soul-Heaven-More-Steppers/dp/B0062Y9CFC Ian D Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Popular Post Daved Posted March 28, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted March 28, 2013 I love two step. It’s mainly late 70s to early 80s stuff. I won’t provide a list of records because someone will say that a certain track doesn’t qualify. The deeper into these sub-genres you go, the more anoraky and aggressive people become. You should see the debate on EMS about two step recently. I’m no expert on it but know what I like! 4 Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Nick Soule Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 1 Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Premium Stuff Posted March 28, 2013 Author Share Posted March 28, 2013 Cheers Nick Is that the two step that gets done in rare soul clubs these days - or is it the 2step that Benji mentioned above that Craig David etc. made popular - or are they one and the same thing? Cheers Richard Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
John Reed Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 (edited) I love two step. It’s mainly late 70s to early 80s stuff. I won’t provide a list of records because someone will say that a certain track doesn’t qualify. The deeper into these sub-genres you go, the more anoraky and aggressive people become. You should see the debate on EMS about two step recently. I’m no expert on it but know what I like! There have been a couple of lengthy debates on here too, although I can't seem to find the threads Edited March 28, 2013 by John Reed Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Popular Post Steveh73 Posted March 28, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted March 28, 2013 2 step was borne out of the Lovers Rock reggae scene in the early 80s and was chiefly a London-based thing - the tunes that were picked up were mainly mellow soul with a beat that roughly corresponded to the reggae otherwise being played by the sound-systems. It is nothing to do with the kind of UK Garage popularised by Craig David, the Modern Soul scene or Steppers scene in Chicago, although some tunes overlap from one to another. 6 Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Premium Stuff Posted March 28, 2013 Author Share Posted March 28, 2013 Now I'm confused - there are loads of different types! I'm interested in the type that gets played in Northern/Modern venues - want to see what it looks like and know of a couple of classic examples of the sub-genre please Cheers Richard Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Bo Diddley Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 (edited) Often wondered about this myself. Often used in sales...."great two stepper..". I'd agree it's the sort of this you might like to listen to but not sure of how it's fits in if played at a Norther Soul type venue. I have this record, a nice cheapo, and have always assumed it fitted the description. Currently £15 on JM site. Moses - Sweetest Love https://youtu.be/lEk3So5rLeA Edited March 28, 2013 by bo diddley 1 Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Daved Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 I suppose a few obvious examples are: Leroy Hutson — Because of You Bobby Womack — Woman’s Gotta Have It Beverly & Duane — I Wanna Be With You Stephanie Mills — Keep Away Girls Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
John Reed Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 (edited) Its the strong baseline that really dominate's what a 2-Step tune is. Clausel - Let Me Love You was a massive tune in the mid/late 80's in London, just to name one. Also anything to do with Leroy Hutson was a sure fire hit. Edited March 28, 2013 by John Reed 2 Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Popular Post jocko Posted March 28, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted March 28, 2013 Two Step is music that should be played on a radio show, on your sound system at home or maybe in the car. It was never intended to be danced to !!! Really! 2000 people at Southport use to disagree. And an awful lot of London people would disagree! I certainly do. Glad to see its not just Northern people who try and dumb it down. In top 10 ridiculous statements this year. Can't see it being moved! 5 Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Jordirip Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Really! 2000 people at Southport use to disagree. And an awful lot of London people would disagree! I certainly do. Glad to see its not just Northern people who try and dumb it down. In top 10 ridiculous statements this year. Can't see it being moved! Parkers in Manchester would certainly beg to differ as well. Big, packed heaving dancefloor all night everytime to connoisseur 2 steppers. There is a really good definitive list on here somewhere that lists tons of classic 2 step tunes. R. Kelly certainly ain't one of them just 'cos it's got 'Step' in the title, that's just your regular modern mid tempo plodder, or 'giffer' soul as Jason Stirland brilliantly once christened the genre. 3 Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Mark68 Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Yep used to hear a bit of it at Parkers (enjoyed those nights) and it was a predominant sound of London pirate stations in the 8ts....Starvue, Jeffree, Father's Children etc etc Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
macca Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Arnold Blair on Gemigo was definitely intended to be danced to, I'd have thought. There might be some who prefer it in the intimacy of their dining room though... Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Mark R Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 A good example from the 90's from one of the Northern scene's favourite darlings???........... Cheers, Mark R Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Duke Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 I remember the term being applied to a particular sound the emerged in the very late 80's. Things like Bobby Brown's 'don't be cruel' is the most high profile example of what I'm on about. Seems it may have been used differently in different regions. Clausel is brilliant but I just thought of it as a bit slow...plodder is a good description of the sound and the associated dancing but I don't think that's a very marketable word. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Greg Belson Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 One of my favourite examples..... 2 Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Popular Post Mark R Posted March 28, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted March 28, 2013 The worst aspect of the current modern scene is that the slower tunes struggle for needle time. This is a notable (& very worthy)exception in recent years............. BTW, the Lionel Blair is probably the best example of a two-stepper from back in the day I would think. Cheers, Mark R 4 Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Popular Post grouse Posted March 28, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted March 28, 2013 Anyone tell me what 'Two Step' is please? Never mind 'Two Step' I'm still trying to figure out what a 'Tittyshaker' is..... 5 Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Ceejay Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Really! 2000 people at Southport use to disagree. And an awful lot of London people would disagree! I certainly do. Glad to see its not just Northern people who try and dumb it down. In top 10 ridiculous statements this year. Can't see it being moved! I'M WITH EPIC ON THIS ONE!!! 2 Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Popular Post Mark R Posted March 28, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted March 28, 2013 Well I'm with Jock, and that comes from someone who has listened to more house music than anything else over the last decade or so!!! My pet hate is how polarised lots of people are on the soul scene.................vinyl only........download only............uptempo..........no uptempo. If you feel it, you can dance to it, whatever the tempo. This was massive as a new release at Southport, but it would have no chance of anything but an early doors or radio spin now, which is extremely sad IMHO...... Cheers, Mark R 5 Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Len Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Never mind 'Two Step' I'm still trying to figure out what a 'Tittyshaker' is..... Same here...but I'm still trying my bestest to picture it All the best, Len Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Len Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 If you feel it, you can dance to it, whatever the tempo. Cheers, Mark R ......I can tell you what it's not (if that's any help).....It's not a 'Burnley Sound' (There's a whole thread on that)......and it's the last kind of dance you would see (or do!) at Burnley All the best, Len Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
TOAD Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 wheres burnley ? Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Len Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 wheres burnley ? Near St Ives (Of the legendary nighters / dayers fame)......down in Cornwall of course........thank the Lord for Sat-navs.....or Taxi's (before someone else says it)........ Len Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Len Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Back on topic - Two step (the dance) is great, and easy to do! It’s just ‘stepping’ from one foot to the other (clues in the title), absorbing the music, and enjoying yourself - Otherwise known as ‘Dad Dancing’ (in a complimentary kinda way)….Holding a bottle of beer is optional, but allowed in this particular instance. Brian Goucher trained me at ‘Essence’ …..I simply had to do some ‘Norman Soul Dancing’ at times though. It just didn’t feel right doing it all night, but these guys can, no spins or anything required - blo*dy ridiculousness if you ask me - Call themselves Soulies! Seriously though, I would imagine any music that you can do ‘Two Step’ to, can be classed as ‘Two Step’, up until the tempo gets too fast to do so (That’s my understanding anyway) If adopted every so often, it can save one looking like a ‘husk’ after a nighter, which apparently isn’t the most attractive look - so Nina (Mrs ‘Long Suffering’) frequently tells me….usually closely followed by, 'F*ck off Len, you’re scaring the Children'…….. …..’Poetic licence’ that last bit, by the way (honest) All the best, Len Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Jeesh have some of you lot been living in an alternative universe to the rest of us.. First Bob Sinclair and now no one knows what two step is.. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Geeselad Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 its a rhythmic thing surely, Clausel sums that up for me, but i've also seen it refer to some slow, often epic soul ballads, that to these ears verge on the quiet storm territory. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Cunnie Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Summed up perfectly here Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Let's get one thing straight. Clausel is not a 2 step record. A proper 2 step record should have a slightly funky beat to it like Starvue or Hutson All because of you. This subject crops up every year! Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Premium Stuff Posted March 29, 2013 Author Share Posted March 29, 2013 Summed up perfectly here Thanks Cunnie - much appreciated - sets it out nicely I'm sure there's some 3step and 4step in there though Richard Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
charliew Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Nice vid Mart but the proffesors telling us to give him any new ideas or renditions lol ,so i gather there is no actual set steps its just a case of going with the flow and feeling the music, Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Guest LeoLyxxx Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 The purest form of soul music alongside sweet, beat ballads and other more down/midtempo-genres. People seems to like steppers here in Sweden but yet no clubs for it, would like to try it sometime for a broadminded audience and a small dancefloor. For me it's easily the most catchy form of soul music there is.. funky bassline, good rhtythms, often nice synthesizers and great guitar licks without the old school 60s way of writing music, it can often be a song where the groove is the center of everything and ends up being nicely hypnotic even though the tempo isn't that fast. Lovely stuff!!! Favourites: Carver high "not tonight" Patti Shaw "somebody pulled the switch" Alton Mcclain "makin' room for love" Teddy Pendergrass "close the door" Lee Mcdonald "i still believe in love" Ocean to Ocean "summertime" +++++++++ thousands more Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Guest Nick Harrison Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 (edited) Here's a previous link which should assist. Not the bible - but this previous link is a accurate testament to the 2 step term & showcases some excellent sounding examples. Edited March 29, 2013 by Nick Harrison 1 Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Steveh73 Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Sorry to say this but Clausel was played on the 2 step scene and was even bootlegged to cater for demand from that scene. Let's get one thing straight. Clausel is not a 2 step record. A proper 2 step record should have a slightly funky beat to it like Starvue or Hutson All because of you. This subject crops up every year! Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Sorry to say this but Clausel was played on the 2 step scene and was even bootlegged to cater for demand from that scene. Maybe later but not originally. Sounds nothing like a 2 step track. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Epic Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Jeesh have some of you lot been living in an alternative universe to the rest of us.. First Bob Sinclair and now no one knows what two step is.. Bob Sinclair & Two Step in one post !!! That would be a poser for Room 101. It's called Two Step because of the distance you go from your chair..... in case you get a little tired !!! Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Guest dundeedavie Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Love a bit of 2 step, perfect tempo to get your groove on !! Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Guest LeoLyxxx Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Also whats so great is availabillity on the records, a truly smashing 2step 45 can cost you nearly nothing.. Puts the fun back in collecting instead of buying overplayed uptempo evergreens people have been hammering since the days of yor.. Feels fresh and healthy Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Scotters Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Interesting as always to see different view on stuff like this. Best no one starts another thread for "what's crossover?"! A more modern interpretation for sure but I'll throw this into the debate from '93....The late great Teddy Pendergrass - I believe in love. This particular mix always gets me "stepping" 1 Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
John Reed Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 (edited) Let's get one thing straight. Clausel is not a 2 step record. A proper 2 step record should have a slightly funky beat to it like Starvue or Hutson All because of you. This subject crops up every year! It was definatly a big tune for a couple the London sound systems in the late 80's cant remember 100% which ones, but one of them may have been Touch Of Class Edited March 29, 2013 by John Reed Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Jordirip Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Well I'm with Jock, and that comes from someone who has listened to more house music than anything else over the last decade or so!!! My pet hate is how polarised lots of people are on the soul scene.................vinyl only........download only............uptempo..........no uptempo. If you feel it, you can dance to it, whatever the tempo. This was massive as a new release at Southport, but it would have no chance of anything but an early doors or radio spin now, which is extremely sad IMHO...... Cheers, Mark R Blimy Mark, that's bizarre, I dug that out and played it at home a few nights ago. Lovely tune, what a shame it was never on a 45 or even 12". Jordi Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Wrongcrowd Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 (edited) Two Step is music that should be played on a radio show, on your sound system at home or maybe in the car. It was never intended to be danced to !!! Speaking as one of the 2,000 at Southport......I'm so disappointed in you Edited March 29, 2013 by Wrongcrowd Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Jordirip Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Also whats so great is availabillity on the records, a truly smashing 2step 45 can cost you nearly nothing.. Puts the fun back in collecting instead of buying overplayed uptempo evergreens people have been hammering since the days of yor.. Feels fresh and healthy 2 step (and rare groove) was what got me back into the scene and collecting bug again in the late 80's. There was always a killer 2 step track buried away on most late 70's / early 80's soul albums and it was always fun trying to find them. The Americans call 2 step 'smooth funk' I was once told by a dealer. 1 Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Mark R Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Blimy Mark, that's bizarre, I dug that out and played it at home a few nights ago. Lovely tune, what a shame it was never on a 45 or even 12". Jordi Promo LP vinyl though Jordi, I take it you have one of those? If not I recall Fish had one at a good price recently. Cheers, Mark R Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Premium Stuff Posted March 29, 2013 Author Share Posted March 29, 2013 Talking of America - I seem to recall the Cloe Martin / It comes to my attention / Geneva getting booted for the USA maket ? Often see the boot being sold as 'original' . How can you tell the difference please? Cheers Richard Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
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