UNITED KINGDOM: GARAGE MUSIC GROUP "TRUE STEPPERS" TALK ABOUT THEIR NEW SINGLE "TRUE STEP TONIGHT"

Record ID: 390439

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: GARAGE MUSIC GROUP "TRUE STEPPERS" TALK ABOUT THEIR NEW SINGLE "TRUE STEP TONIGHT"
  • Date: 23rd October 2000
  • Summary: LONDON, UK (OCTOBER 23, 2000) (REUTERS) / (MUSIC FROM "OUT OF YOUR MIND PLAYED OVER VISION) VARIOUS, TRUE STEPPERS JONNY AND ANDY WALKING INTO PUB WITH BRIAN HARVEY (MIDDLE)
  • Embargoed: 7th November 2000 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, UK
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Entertainment,General
  • Reuters ID: LVAARX2BAU95M765GUCHNUPTEBDO
  • Story Text: They are the brains behind Posh Spice Victoria Beckham's first solo effort "Out of Your Mind". Garage music producers Jonny and Andy - better known as "True Steppers" - have recruited their latest vocal talent for their new single "True Step Tonight". And it's none other than bad boy Brian Harvey - former front man for East 17. Reuters caught up with the trio in London to see how they're getting on.
    Three months ago Posh Spice Victoria Beckham surprised her fans with long hair and a funky solo debut. "Out of Your Mind" hit the charts and went straight to number two.
    The two brains behind this single are garage producers Andy and Jonny, or "True Steppers" as they call themselves.
    Friends for over ten years, the duo decided to get together workwise and make serious music. For their first hit "Buggin" they contracted Dane Bowers from boy band Another Level. Bowers also featured in "Out of Your Mind".
    "We've known each other for over 10 years. Jonny was doing his own bits, I was doing my own bits and when he came out of his record deal we formed a band together, but we've known each other for ten years" says Andy.
    "She (Posh Spice) heard the track that we were working on as a follow-up with Dane and she was into it, so she asked to sing it and we we're like 'cool', says Jonny.
    Finding the right vocalist for their songs is essential - so who calls the shots? "We all do. Sometimes Andy says, you know I want to work with Cher and I say not right now, later date. And then I'd be like yeah I want to work with Brian, so it'd be whoever."
    For their next single, True Steppers lined up bad boy Ex East 17 frontman Brian Harvey to lend his vocal cords. How did that cooperation come about? Jokes Brian "We was all banged up in a cell together...
    and we thought when we get out it's be a good idea to make a tune. So I drove down to Hendon, down to Jonny's , that is your place, isn't it? He's got a garage in the back which is fully done up - sound proof studio, loads of equipment, can't move in there for equipment and I went down there one night and they had a little backing track almost ready and we added to it, we started writing and we finished the tune in about 3 hours."
    Garage started off as underground music, but is becoming more and more popular. More mainstream now, but it hasn't lost its edge.
    Says Jonny "Because the record companies are getting involved. They have power in the game now, so they're putting money behind it and all the promotion is getting out in the forefront...Because the club stuff is there. If you go to any of the clubs you still hear the underground sounds. It's like last time I went, it was like being at a drum and base rave and then you've got the radio stuff which is, as you know, let the body move."
    Most people remember Brian Harvey from East 17 - and his highs and lows in the spotlight.
    After the group's record deal was cancelled, Brian had a rough time coming to terms with how things had changed. He says handling fame wasn't so much a problem when he was with East 17, but it was after the group had split up.
    "Not at the time I didn't. It has its repercussions now though every now and then. It's not too bad, there's certain things that come with the territory, that come with the job.
    Everyone knows who you are, People you don't know come up and talk to you on the street. But it's all part of it really so you get used to it."
    East 17 were amongst the original boy bands having enormous chart success. Lately, new boy bands seem to be popping up every minute. What does Brian think about that? "There always has been, I mean when we came out, there was us and Take That and there was a couple of others about.
    Bands like that are always marketed at kids so as long as there's gonna be kids there's always gonna be boy bands.
    That's why there's so many: Westlife, A1, they just sort of re-invent every couple of years and they come out by the dozen. Kids like it."
    Says Jonny "But the thing with us is we do it all ourselves. From start to end, the record gets done, we don't get pushed around and the music is real, it's nice that there are still real bands around today.
    Well, the True Steppers are around and they are hoping to export UK garage abroad.
    "I reckon The States yeah. I think Craig David will be the first probably but there's no reason why not, because the state of the sound is so R'N B for garage so ... BRIAN "It would break in that way wouldn't it. It'll take the R 'N B route to let them get used to the garage...It's a good sound."
    "True Step Tonight" is released in the UK this week.
    --ENDS--
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