International Anthem unearths recordings from late legendary producer Charles Stepney

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International Anthem unearths recordings from late legendary producer Charles Stepney

In what has certainly been one of the most anticipated releases of the year, Chicago’s International Anthem has unearthed and released the eponymous debut album, titled Step On Step, by the late great producer, arranger, and composer Charles Stepney (1931-1976), featuring never-heard-before 4-track tape demo recordings. During the 60s and 70s, Stepney was a essential contributor to some of the greatest recordings of that time by Earth, Wind & Fire, Terry Callier, Ramsey Lewis, The Dells, The Rotary Connection, Deniece Williams, Minnie Riperton, Marlena Shaw, Muddy Waters, and so many others.

Known for his use of expansive orchestral horn and string arrangements on classic songs like Minnie Riperton’s “Les Fleurs,” Marlena Shaw’s “California Soul,” or Terry Callier’s “What Color Is Love,” this brilliant 23-track record features a more stripped-down minimalistic approach, with Stepney playing, alone, performing all the instruments, including using beat machines for drum rhythms. That being said, this lo-fi approach does not take away at all from the pure genius of what is essentially, in some instances, the earliest versions of classic songs including Earth, Wind & Fire’s “That’s The Way of The World,” “Imagination,” and “On Your Face,” as well as the original version of “Black Gold,” which would eventually be recorded by Phil Upchurch and later adapted by Rotary Connection (as “I Am The Black Gold of The Sun”).

Many of the other tracks on the recording seem to be blue prints for songs that Stepney would have most definitely seen blossom into fully realized productions, if it wasn’t for his untimely passing in 1976. Some of the incredible tracks that stand on their own simply in their demo format are “Daddy’s Diddies,” “Gimme Some Sugar,” “Look B4U Leap,” “Gotta Dig It To Dig It,” and “Funky Sci Fi” to name a few. The unrecorded, previously unnamed original compositions contained on album were given their titles by Stepney’s daughters Eibur, Charlene, and Chanté Stepney, whose voices are also heard throughout the recording, telling personal stories and sharing memories about their father.

According to his daughters, Stepney was planning on releasing an album under his own, and calling it Step On Step. Now over 40 years since his passing, thanks to International Anthem and his daughters, this dream is now a reality, with a collection of music that celebrates the pure brilliance of one the greatest producers, arrangers, and composers of the last century. Highly recommended!