Kelly's Historical 'Steps'

12/05/2003 10:24 PM, Reuters
Gail Mitchell

R. Kelly's "Step in the Name of Love" personifies staying power.

After a 44-week trek, the title completed its ascent to No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart last week.

In the process, the tune claimed honors for the longest trip to the top of that chart during the Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems/SoundScan era.

The song's saga began in October 2002, when the track first entered the chart after radio picked up on it from Kelly's bootlegged "LoveLand" album.

After 20 weeks, the tune shifted to recurrent status. But with its inclusion on the bonus disc accompanying Kelly's March 2003 release, "Chocolate Factory," the song re-entered the chart at No. 40.

The hitmaking popularity of "Step in the Name of Love" mirrors that of several R&B dance-oriented predecessors.

In the '60s, Chubby Checker , Little Eva and the Capitols scored crossover hits with such titles as "The Twist," "The Loco-Motion" and "Cool Jerk," respectively. In 1970, Rufus Thomas persuaded folks to "Do the Funky Chicken" and "(Do the) Push and Pull." The disco-raging portion of the '70s produced Van McCoy's "The Hustle" and Chic's "Le Freak." A decade later, E.U. shook Washington, D.C., onto the dance map with the R&B hit "Da'Butt."

Though not tied to a particular dance, C+C Music Factory promised it was "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" in 1991, while during that same year Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam implored "Let the Beat Hit 'Em." The following year, Kelly and Public Announcement partnered on "Slow Dance (Hey Mr. DJ)."

Like these songs, "Step in the Name of Love" taps into the R&B audience's long-term love affair with dancing. As noted on streetswing.com, stepping -- or steppin' -- originated in Kelly's birthplace, Chicago.

Rooted in African-American culture, steppin' was known in the 1940s as the "Offtime Dance," a slowed-down jitterbug. During the bop-influenced 1950s, it was tagged "the Walk" to symbolize partners' slow walking in time to the music around the dancefloor.

Then in the 1960s, the term "steppin"' was introduced. Popular with African-American fraternities and sororities on college campuses, steppin' routines consist of a variety of influences: from contemporary hip-hop to the "gum boot" dances of South African miners to the smooth, precision moves of such Motown groups as the Temptations.

To underscore the dance's cool vibe back in the day, dancers were fashionably attired in wide brim hats, baggy slacks, ties, short skirts, long dresses and stiletto heels. That is exactly how the dancers -- dressed all in white -- are portrayed in the video for "Step in the Name of Love."

"It's just a feel-good song that represents what we've been doing in Chicago for years," George Daniels says. The owner/operator of Chicago retail outlet George's Music Room is not only name-checked by Kelly in the song but also appears in the video as one of the dancers.

"It's about grace and how you dress -- the look," he continues. "Years ago we called it 'the bop.' In D.C., it's 'hand dancing.' I'd rather call it 'black ballroom dancing' -- young people want to dance together again."

Reuters/Billboard