Joe Jackson’s Steppin’ Out Covered by AM & Shawn Lee
In 1982, Joe Jackson released his billboard charting hit “Steppin’ Out”. After that point, the young men and women of the 80’s had a soundtrack for crimping their hair and…
By Collin • • 1 min readAM & Shawn Lee on MBE photo by Rob LaFond
In 1982, Joe Jackson released his billboard charting hit “Steppin’ Out”. After that point, the young men and women of the 80’s had a soundtrack for crimping their hair and pulling up the sleeves on that dinner jacket.
It became the seminal “gettin’ ready” song. (I think mine was Biggie or something–but that’s pop music for you.)
In a retrospective piece, Allmusic’s Chris True wrote that Steppin’ Out was 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.”
I love that description. Taken out of context that describes most every indie pop song out there today, save for the piano. It’s popular for it’s simplicity, taking the things that are out there today, wrapping them in warm vocals and make it fun. I don’t care, I love it.
When AM and Shawn Lee came by Morning Becomes Eclectic the other day, their laid back grooves and funked-out sound was perfect for a mellow kind of mood. But then suddenly and without warning, in their own electronic jammed out way, they started gettin’ ready on us and then everything was Ray-Bans and neon clothes again.
Oh, wait.