Ooh Child

The original 1970 single

I've always loved this record by The 5 Stairsteps. It was the only visit to the Top 40 for them, but with its positive, encouraging lyric and lightly funky groove, it was a winner, reaching #8 on the national Billboard chart in the spring of 1970. This is just a great single, top to bottom. Every part is perfectly written & played. Nicely produced & engineered too. The song has also been sampled often and used in many TV series and movies, including a crucial scene in 1991's "Boyz N The Hood".

Here's the 5 Stairsteps original. This is from an excellent master, so you can really hear what the individual instruments are playing. The rhythm section is just smokin'! They didn't need (or have) any stinkin' ProTools.

I've heard quite a few cover versions of this song over the years. Most of them try so hard to duplicate the original feel that they forget to relax, so it often sounds forced. Some of the better recent attempts by The Posies and The Wondermints were great, but even they fell short by not really doing anything too different with the arrangement. It is possible for a cover to fail by loving the original too much.

Beth Orton

It wasn't until a friend reminded me of the 2003 version by Beth Orton, an award winning British singer-songwriter known for her blend of folk & electronica, that some new ground was broken. Her album, "The Other Side Of Daybreak", opens with a sparse, acoustic take of "Ooh Child" and for once, I was able to hear the song differently.

Where as the original had a sunny feel and a soothing yet smiley vocal performance of a lyric intended to console a young child, Orton's performance is a bracing reminder that adults with adult feelings need encouragement too, but not in a overly chipper way that is off-putting to a person going through something unpleasant. Orton's vocal sounds like someone who has crawled into a dark space with someone to meet them where they are and help them regroup. Same lyric, just a very different delivery and it makes all the difference. Now, turn the lights down a bit, take a deep breath and listen to Beth Orton sing your troubles away.

You can check out all of Beth Orton's albums at Amazon. "The Other Side Of Daybreak" is available used for as little as one lousy cent.

The original "Ooh Child" by The 5 Stairsteps can be found in many places and formats in wildly varying quality. The version you heard here is from the excellent 20+ disc reissue series, "Soul Hits of the 70's: Didn't It Blow Your Mind!", issued by Rhino in the early 90's. Bet you can't get just one!

And, just in case you really want a big box of bubblegum, check out the 3 CD label comp, The Buddah Box, available used for a reasonable fee.