Steps - Chain Reaction (#Steps20)

Original release date: September 24th 2001
Buy Chain Reaction here (Amazon UK)
Read all my #Gold20 posts here

I have vivid memories of me as a wee child, dancing around the living room with my mum to the joyous strains of Chain Reaction. There was something about the shimmering majesty of the BeeGees penned number that made me want to raise my hands to the heavens in praise that such joyful music existed in the world. Of course, because I am older than Methuselah it was the original Diana Ross version (here - YouTube) that caused such merriment. Heck, even the gorgeous frock she was modelling in the video had me grinning from ear to ear each time I saw it. It was a song I returned to often in the ensuing fifteen years, a regular Saturday night getting-ready-to-go-out jam. Then, in 2001, Steps announced that it was the first single from their upcoming Greatest Hits album, Gold. Normally, a cover version of a song I was so enamoured with would worry me. Steps, however, had already invigorated the BeeGees song, Tragedy, in a way that was both respectful to the original yet in keeping with the contemporary sound of pop at the time of release. I had high hopes that their interpretation of Chain Reaction would be equally as exhilarating. I was not disappointed. That glorious, irrepressible, unforgettable melody was still prevalent throughout as was the soaring, ebullient chorus. Producers Graham Stack and Mark Taylor amped up the energy through prominent percussion and synths that chimed like Christmas bells, added in textured harmonies and made sure that final run through of the chorus was such a glittering explosion of pop euphoria that it sent an endorphin rush of epic proportions to your brain that lasted long after the song had finished.

Steps had pretty much kicked off a new halcyon age of pop - and the week that Chain Reaction was released was a rather brilliant week of new or new-ish songs in the top twenty. Liberty X debuted at five with their single, Thinking It Over whilst Victoria Beckham, Louise, Samantha Mumba and Blue all had songs still bubbling in the top twenty. The top of the chart belonged to the juggernaut that was Kylie's Can't Get You Out Of My Head, but that didn't stop Steps zooming into the number two slot. Of course there were the by now obligatory remixes of the track that extended the happy vibes for as long as you wanted them to - but for me the crowning glory was that cheeky, Carry On-esque video that accompanied the aural extravaganza. Set in a hospital (because, you know, DNA has a chain reaction or something) it saw our intrepid adventurers try to save poor H from some mystery ailment. Because it is my favourite of all the Steps videos (and my fourth favourite Steps song - still; see here), it is well overdue for a frame by frame review...

• As noted, the video is set in a hospital. H is clearly getting preferential treatment because he is accompanied out of the ambulance by Doctor Lee. To quote Lily Tomlin speaking to an orderly in the seminal movie, Nine To Five, "I'm a doctor. What the hell am I speaking to you for? Piss off". Classic.
• This has GOT to be a private hospital. No NHS A&E department is this quiet - and with immediate treatment on tap. Perhaps all A&Es need Physician's Assistant Claire womanning the reception. She has time to have all her filing up to date as well as sing about taking a mystery and making her want it. Bet she gets top marks in her annual appraisal...
• Nurse Faye is giving curls for the Gods. Behind her is future US Vice President and all round bad guy, Mike Pence, probably trying to tell that poor old fella he is treating that his Obamacare is no good here. Ooo political foreshadowing!
• Talking of Nurse Faye, I was and am obsessed with how she makes her final checks just as the chorus starts. Turn, check, pivot, walk. She should be in a recruitment campaign for the NHS...
• Nurse Faye joins Doctor Lee and I am pretty sure that they share a lingering look over listless H. That is a whole back story that could keep Holby City going for months on end.
• Lordy above knows what is wrong with H but it takes FOUR people to wheel him to a private room. Physician's Assistant Claire and Nurse Faye have a bit of a natter about his chart ("ooo, I don't like the look of that", etc) whilst Doctor Lee keeps an eye on where he is steering. And then they are joined by...
• DOCTOR LISA! Giving Carry On Doctor vibes. Somewhere back in 1970, Barbara Windsor is incredibly jealous. You can tell she has had 7 years of training, probably at Grey's Anatomy, because she looks everywhere but where she is going and still manages to avoid falling into a bin like Lindsey Lohan in Mean Girls. TALENT.
• Ah, verse two. We find out what is wrong with H. He is so overcome with The Horn that it has given him the vapours. Or at the very least, the trembles. Someone's hand has moved "lower" and he has gone funny all over. To be fair, that happened to me once when I met The Overtones and accidentally curtsied. For shame.
• Doctor Lisa gives her cure analysis and the only way it could be any more camp is if she flung off her glasses, let her hair down and put on a latex (or allergy free latex alternative) glove. She literally chews the scenery and it could not be more fabulous.
• Blinding lights take us to the dance routine second chorus and everyone is having a good night out in the civvies. What a dance routine. And may I take a moment to appreciate how bloody hard it must have been to effusively bash those drums (not a euphemism) for the entire song. I remember seeing it on Top Of The Pops (YouTube - here) and thinking, phwoar, their guns must be EPIC.
• Off duty Physician's Assistant Claire needs a little rest on a rather exquisite couch - the type that you think will look good in your living room, but in reality is really impractical. Plus there is some classic open mouth, shiny teeth, wrinkle nose Claire to please the fans. DRINK!
• It is then all dry ice, wind machines and dance routines to finish the song off. Plus some pleasing close ups of the band. What a treat. By the way, remember when they sort of recreated the video for Smash Hits Poll Winner's Party (YouTube - here)?! That was a TV performance for the history books :)