Every Little Step

"Every Little Step" is a 1989 single by American singer Bobby Brown, written by L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and released by MCA Records. Released as the fourth single on his second album Don't Be Cruel it reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100, number one on the Hot Black Singles chart, and number six on the UK Singles Chart in 1989. The song also appears on Brown's remix album Dance!...Ya Know It!. The single garnered Brown's first career Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 32nd Grammy Awards in 1990.

For the 2008 Broadway documentary, see Every Little Step (film).
"Every Little Step"
Single by Bobby Brown
from the album Don't Be Cruel
ReleasedJanuary 31, 1989
Genre
Length3:57
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Babyface
  • L.A. Reid
Bobby Brown singles chronology
"Roni"
(1988)		 "Every Little Step"
(1989)		 "On Our Own"
(1989)
Music video
"Every Little Step" on YouTube

Composition and production

Around the time Don't Be Cruel was in production, Reid was dating singer Pebbles, who later became his wife. Inspired by his relationship with his girlfriend at the time, he wrote and co-produced the song with Edmonds, intending to give it to the group Midnight Star. Bobby Brown, however, heard a demo of the song and liked it instantly, which led to its inclusion on Don't Be Cruel.[2]

Brown popularized the Roger Rabbit dance (aka the "backwards" running man),[3] as performed in the music video for the song,[4] along with the Gumby-style hi-top fade.[5]

In 1995, "Every Little Step" was remixed by British DJ/producer C.J. Mackintosh and was included on Brown's remix album, Two Can Play That Game (1995). This version of the song was released as a single in 1996, reaching number 25 in the UK Singles Chart.[6]

In 2013, former New Edition manager Steven Machat claimed additional vocals on the song were allegedly done by Brown's friend, and fellow New Edition member Ralph Tresvant. Machat alleges that Tresvant was brought in to sing some of Brown's vocals, as he claims Brown had been strung out on drugs.[7] Machat's story contradicts what happened with Brown as far back as 1989, where he was interviewed by Rolling Stone during the filming of the video for "On Our Own". Brown said he left New Edition primarily because of Machat and his business partners, Bill Dern and Rick Smith, whom he named as the managers who ripped him off and started the rumor of him being heavily addicted to drugs at the time. Brown said, "People at MCA thought we was on drugs. That wasn't us. We were a bunch of brats, but we wasn't into drugs, we wasn't into liquor. We was into girls".[8]

Track listing

A-side
  1. "Every Little Step" (Extended Version) – 7:55
  2. "Every Little Step" (Instrumental) – 4:02

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[28] Gold 35,000^
United States (RIAA)[29] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Additional personnel

References
  1. Pini, Gary (September 30, 2011). "Bobby Brown's "Every Little Step" Is Our Music Video of the Day". Paper. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  2. "Every Little Step by Bobby Brown". AllMusic. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  3. "Moves from the 80's". 27 June 2016.
  4. "Bobby Brown's Most Trendsetting Style Moments". 26 May 2022.
  5. "Fade to the '90s".
  6. "BOBBY BROWN | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
  7. Noakes, Tim (20 June 2013). "Bobby Brown's cruel birthday". dazeddi8gital.com. Dazed Magazine. Retrieved 2017-12-27.
  8. Tannennbaum, Rob (7 September 1989). "Bobby Brown's Uneasy Passage". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2017-12-27.
  9. "Bobby Brown – Every Little Step". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  10. "Bobby Brown – Every Little Step" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  11. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6359." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  12. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 6353." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  13. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 22. June 3, 1989. p. 21.
  14. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Every Little Step". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  15. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 26, 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  16. "Bobby Brown – Every Little Step" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  17. "Bobby Brown – Every Little Step". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  18. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  19. "Bobby Brown Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  20. "Bobby Brown Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  21. "Bobby Brown Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  22. "Bobby Brown Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  23. "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – 1989". ARIA. Retrieved January 7, 2020 – via Imgur.
  24. "Top 25 Dance Singles of '89". RPM. Retrieved July 29, 2022 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  25. "End of Year Charts 1989". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  26. "1989 The Year in Music: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 101, no. 51. December 23, 1989. p. Y-22.
  27. "Longbored Surfer – 1989". longboredsurfer.com.
  28. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1990 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  29. "American single certifications – Bobby Brown – Every Little Step". Recording Industry Association of America.
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