Holy crap! It's like you were talking to me. The first song I remember writing was in Am, and started Am-G-F, though I ended it with Em (instead of E major or going up to G.) Spooky!
@@AimeeNolte Cool. I just checked it out. Pretty neat. Incidentally, I grew up with (and still have) a Hallet, Davis and Sons spinet piano and the only time I’ve ever seen another piano by that manufacturer is your videos.
Wait a second... I'm forgetting... My first tune (8 bars) was literally in a FMaj blues scale. I was 7. Back then, I had no idea what a blues scale was. I just liked the notes I was playing! And it sounded like the songs I listened to. My second (also at 7) was C but contained a borrowed AMaj chord. My 3rd (age 10) was in C, employed sevenths and had five sections. Probably my fourth was in Am.
Love Joe! Loved him since I first saw this video on MTV. My dad had the album also. I was 8 years old in '82. I see him every time he comes to Boise, ID. He has so much good music and he is a complete original. That's what I love about him.
What are the chances you know the name of the actress who played the maid in the video? I know of several sites that have active and dedicated groups that have been trying to figure it out. Some of them are the same people that tracked down 'Q Lazzarus' after she disappeared for decades.
I read an interview with Joe when the album came out and he said during the writing process he would walk around NYC with a cassette recorder and just record the sounds of the city. At the end of the day he would sit at the piano place the recorder on top of the Steinway play the tape back and he would write to it. He said it was so interesting when listening back he would hear things he hadn’t heard while he was in the moment on the street. He found the whole thing inspiring and it became the backdrop to the entire Night and Day album. I was so inspired by this I began doing it as well. It’s a fascinating way to bring the world in to your music. Thanks for this breakdown of a wonderful song from a wonderful record and artist.
Thanks for sharing this I live in NYC and when I walk around the city listening to this song it feels so perfect ESPECIALLY at night Now it makes sense why
Only thing that bugged me is that he’d do interviews and talk about what a great singer he was..He wasn’t IMO..He write nice harmonic textures and good melodies..I even read where he said he was the best singer in pop lol ..I think he was insecure about it..BTW love YOUR singing, Aimee
@stgodards, you stole my comment!!! Stepping Out and Breaking Us In Two are what I feel are the seminal tracks on an already superb album. Both songs do what they are meant to do… take us to another place for a short time, like no other I’ve heard! (Well, perhaps maybe Fire At Midnight from the Songs from the Wood album, Jethro Tull)
Joe Jackson is brilliant. His lyrics tell full stories. He really should have written for Broadway. Also, he can write in any style. Never repeats himself. Thanks for breaking out this gem from his catalog.
That was absolutely beautiful. As a Californian who landed in NYC for grad school and finding my beautiful wife there 40 years ago, this song has resonated with me: the yellow taxis, the rain slicked streets, jumping out and into bars where live music was shaking at 1am. A long time ago, but Angela and I sat with tears in our eyes and smiles on our faces watching this. Thanks, Aimee.
I was 5 in 1982. My dad had this album on vinyl. He also had the tape and we would listen to it in the car. Wow, I have a memory of us pulling up in the driveway and at the end of this song, waiting for the glockenspiel and my dad being so happy and we were pretending to play air glockenspiel. Thanks for the really cool analysis. I’m going to have to play along and let it sink in.
It was one of those that we knew was a classic as released. I rmember a buddy proclaiming "Don't Dream It's Over" as such a couple of weeks of it's release.
I am a songwriter and my superpower is not knowing what chords I'm hitting vs what I'm feeling when those chord combinations are hit & come together. I form a melody on top and let the universe do the rest. I always loved this song, and you did a great job explaining what's happening in it. I call it magic when you find the song amongst chords that have been played 1000s of times. Only a small percentage of songwriters ever tap into that. It's a gift and lots of hard work. I wrote 1000 bad songs before I ever wrote one I was proud of. Believe in yourself, and let the journey take you there.
I remember when the song became popular. I was 13 and went to the record store every week, where I spent most of my allowance on 45 rpm singles (I could only afford to buy just one a week, and Joe Jackson's Steppin' Out was one of them). I still love that song, but I'd never really thought about why. Thank you, Aimee, for explaining how complex and unusual the chord progression is.
I was seven when this came out and it was my favorite song at the time. These chords have always given me chills and it remains one of my favorite tunes of my lifetime.
As a 15 year old heavy rock fan, in 1981, Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive album was my gateway drug to jazz. I don't know how well known it is in the US, but it's well worth checking out. He covers Cab Calloway and Louis Jordan songs, even some Glen Miller. I still remember the sleeve notes: "When my Dad was my age, jazz was not respectable. It played in whorehouses, not Carnegie Hall..."
Saw him on that tour @ Malibu on Long Island. Graham Maby was on bass from his regular band, but everyone else was a jazz cat swingin’ hard, Louis Jordan-style!
For me, Joe Jackson, Vince Guaraldi and Don Costa (who was music director on "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood") were the early influences that primed me for jazz. They made it such beautiful fun.
This was a college song for me..."Is She Really Going Out With Him" was everywhere when I was in junior high (or so), but the first one of his that really grabbed my ears was "Different For Girls".
YES thank you! These chords were absolute magic to me, even as a little kid who was years away from playing an instrument in 1982. So many 80’s songs have the kind of chord changes that tickle the brain
As a Philly DJ on 94 WYSP, I played that track on the air. A lot! It was one of those iconic 80's songs that was the foundation of early MTV, too. Joe is another one of the many reasons I am learning piano now.
I grew up on YSP and MMR in the late 70s and early 80s (ok and a little Q while they were still prog plus trips to Power 99). Not to sound like an old f4rt but music was so much better - by which I mean so much by more well-executed variety. You could hear something sophisticated like Stepping Out followed by Who do you Love (basically a one chord song) then hop over to Power 99 for early Run DMC or mind-blowing jams by The Time. We didn’t know how good whad it. And thank you for spinning great music on the radio!
HUGE Joe Jackson fan. Genius and consummate pianist, but also one of the greatest rock voices period. Punky swagger with otherworldly sophistication. Love that Aimee analyzes this ❤ Long time Aimee fan too
I lived in NYC in 83/84 and this album - and especially this tune - was in my Walkman literally 2/3 of the time while I walked the town and rode the subway. Literally a soundtrack made for that city. I love pretty much everything Joe has done and he's still going! This album and Get Sharp still hold up as hyper cool, modern, and thoughtful, even today! I love your point about the C#- sounding like the minor 3. It's such a subtle and beguiling change. I've always thought Joe was kind of a modern Cole Porter - great at little surprises!
@@djdksf1 I know what you mean And I live in NYC now and I go around town with my iPhone and this song still works as a perfect soundtrack to the vibrancy of the city
For sure, one of the most complex pop songs of the last century chord wise, with a heartbreakingly beautiful melody that an average person could hum, never realizing how complex it is. A masterpiece.
I wasn't born in that era because I'm 25 years old, but after discovering it, it has become my favorite song, so much so that I have taken the time to listen to ALL of Joe Jackson's songs, including the soundtracks, and I have rescued too many of his great songs, I love the piano chords and the way he interprets the song too much. I think there will be no other song that will take it from my top 1 of favorite songs.
OK, so I was 25 when this came out, so shoot me. I'm old. I bought the album then and there. I just saw the video again like 2 days ago, and was even more amazed at the harmonic complexity of this song. Back in those days songs were written by people with chops. Joe Jackson, Sting, Steely Dan. . . People with jazz training. What happened? All we have now is 4 chord, pitch corrected, quantized crap. I'm glad this music exists, though, to give us a reference point.
And yet at the time this was released, it caused a bit of a stir because the song used a drum machine instead of a real drummer. Drummers and studio musicians weren't happy that sequenced synthesizers and drum machines could be used instead of real musicians, and they quite correctly saw this as a threat to their ability to make money. Of course, the threat didn't stop there, eh? Now all of this could be done on a laptop or even an iPad...and that's ignoring AI produced music. Didn't matter to me much...I liked the song back then, and I like the song now, just as much or more.
"... I was 25 when this came out, so shoot me." Not gonna pull *THAT* trigger; I was 34. "And I should have told him, 'No, you're not old,' and I should have let him go on . . . smiling . . . teeth-wide." - _Lather,_ Jefferson Airplane Fred
@@jennifer792 In the same way that pitch correction takes all notes and drags them to the nearest A-440 tuned pitch, making every note perfectly in-tune (and removing any personal touches, glissandi, etc.), "Quantizing" takes every beat and drags it to the nearest metronome perfect beat. So instead of the variations that normally exist in, say, a drummer's performance - the minute accelerations and decelerations that a human would, consciously or unconsciously create in performance - the beat is executed with mechanical precision. Almost all popular music is now run through these two meat grinders and turned into identical musical sausages - robbed of all humanity and nuance. Even "live" concert performances are processed through a pitch correction algorithm (if they're not completely prerecorded and lip-sync'd) and made "perfect" for the audience. I don't know about you, but I want to hear music created by imperfect humans, not software. This software was created in the 90's. That's one reason music recorded before then sounds "better".
I was one of those fortunate to be an eighties kid! This IS definitely part of the soundtrack of my life. I love this song sooo much. Great video and breakdown. Thank you! 😅
Thanks so much for doing this video. This is one of those songs that you never think of until it randomly pops up somewhere, and it takes you right back to your youth and reminds you why you fell in love with music. This was a special song and always affects me when I hear it. Your analysis shed light on why that is.
Old guy here (hair challenged too! ;)) , graduated in 1982 and was dating my future wife, so this song was definitely on heavy rotation. A great song that charted with no guitars in the 80's! Joe in fact has had a few iterations of his band where he wanted no guitarist. I have seen him live quite a few times and even with slight tweaks this song gets me every time. Loved your breakdown of this. Thanks!
AMIE!!! I was 15 not 5, and I was playing drums and guitar, didn't play my keyboard chords until the early 2000s, but this song MOVED ME, made me FEEL the moments, the times of our lives. Since I was 9, I heard every maj7, maj9, all the open, airy, happy chords, and I guess, musically, I have been clinging to them ever since.
Thanks for taking us through Steppin' Out. I never really understood the chords - but I felt the magic every time I heard this song. This is a great track from a truly great album....and, yes, more people need to spend time with Joe's music. Love from England x
Thanks for this. I have all Joe Jackson recorded. I recommend you get a copy of the original vinyl from the day. Look Sharp 10" Vinyl release from 1979 was amazing. Your breakdown of Steppin Out has been inspiring. Joe Jackson is a brilliant song writer. Labelled as POP but really a mix of rock, melodic jazz, and new wave, A real innovator of the time.
In 1982 I was an airman stationed in Japan, ‘stepping out’ into the night scene and the dance clubs in Okinawa. This song IS the soundtrack for my early 20s. It evokes so many emotions in me, but i thought it was just me! I didn’t understand that there is music theory behind it. I so appreciate your detailed explanation. TY!
The album Night and Day is likely the finest album of the 1980s. I was spoiled by the 1960s and 70s but of the handful of high quality 1980 albums, this one really is amazing. By the way, it is one of those elusive "perfect" albums that few of even groups achieve. BTW, MY favorite is probably Cancer. Insane musical rhythm.
I'm so glad you brought attention to this song. I was 12 in 82 and this is the song that still gives me all the feelings you described. It reminds me of rainy days after school lying on the couch with MTV on in the background. This song takes me right there every time.
I was a freshman in college at Mizzou…MTV was cool. Flock of Seagulls laying next to Adam Ant next to ABC next the greatJoe Jackson…..I remember the part stopping for the premier of Thriller…..while I love is first hit (Is She Really Going Out with Him?”) and his music continued to get better….listen to Right and Wrong, turn it up! Thanks for the wonderful video Aimee! Footnote: Years later while living in Switzerland, (2002 or 2003), I had a chance to see Joe Jackson at the Montreaux Jazz festival in a small ball room. It was one of highlights of my musical life. Joe if you are reading this, thank you for the memories and your music,
I play and sing this song and was so pleased to see this video. It’s so worthy. One of the best of the 80s. Everything you said about the way it makes you feel was speaking right to me! Thank you
i have no idea why this video wound up in my feed, but i'm so glad it did. i love this song and you did a great job of explaining the theory behind it - and what a set of pipes!
I LOVE your approach here. I have been playing since I was 6 and I ALWAYS learn something new these days. and yes, I am old enough such that this WAS my high school soundtrack. Another hit of his that was awesome was "Breakin' Us In Two". Loved it! I see you have a video on Steely Dan's Peg. Bravo! Bravo I say! Keep up the great work!
This song came out when i was 7 years old. It really struck me as a child. I remember listening to it in the car and being happy. It really recreates a vivid scene of childhood for me. Thank you for this!❤
I was a rural kid who never went to the city growing up- the F#maj7 chord always sounded like neon lights to me (I was 14 when this song came out). Maybe the parallel major/minor thing is to get a light/dark effect. Another famous "Mario Bros" progression is "Billy Shears..." (C D E) on Sgt. Pepper. And as a bald man, "the late great Phil Collins" really cracked me up!
I've listened to this song my whole life since it came out when I was about 11 years old, and it's wonderful to have someone appreciate it enough to really take it apart like this and to bring new insights to it.
Wow-wee! Thank you for this! It transported me back, both to my 20s, when Steppin Out came out, and back earlier to the time I had piano lessons and had to learn the basics of music theory. I love your analysis and thoughts on the key- and chord progressions. Both memories bring tears to my eyes...it's beautiful, thank you.
Great choice, Aimee! I was a teenager when this was a radio smash and I immediately fell in love with this chord progression. Joe is so cool (yes..despite the hairline). Is She Really Going Out With Him? You Can't Get What You Want, Breaking Us in Two and the underrated It's Different For Girls were on heavy rotation at my house, so I appreciate your enthusiasm for this artist. Great vid, as always. Thank you for breaking it down!
This song makes my tear up every time I hear it But I didn’t know it was specifically because of these chords so this whole video had me wiping my eyes like crazy Wonderful video thank you so much for this breakdown
Saw Joe in Boulder CO with my son when we were up in Denver recording our own album. It was freezing outside but we loved the show in this intimate theatre. Right out front of the venue his tour bus was already running (and keeping it warm). I cracked up at the bumper sticker on a side window, "Bald guys never have a bad hair day." However, the show I saw with a good friend of mine in Berkeley CA was the best concert I've ever seen.
I have a list going of perfect pop songs. They have to be free of any weakness whatever in lyric, melody, message, performance and production. Steppin Out is definitely on there..
This song brings back so many memories of growing up in the 80's! Thanks for the breakdown and trip down memory lane...also, like Baker Street, I think song would make a great cover for the Foo Fighters...it already sounds like one of their songs basically, if it had distorted guitars, real drums, etc...anyone else agree???
I was 19 when this came out. I liked it. But the more I learned about harmony/melody, the more I recognized JJ was a monster! Since then, I own several albums and have seen him twice live. Thanks for sharing 🇨🇦
I forgot what a great song this was. Takes me back to a simpler time. The 80s were such a great decade for music. I've never written in Am but I might give it a go. Thanks Aimee.
Playing this bass line in the left hand at tempo while singing was one of the greatest (i mean that in every sense of the word) musical challenges. Learning the harmony by ear was also a huge lift, but it paid off last year when I made a $200 tip by a huge Joe Jackson fan! That guy is out there, so learn that song and make it rain!
Thanks for this video! This song came out when I was 15, and thus just beginning to have grown-up-ish evening adventures, and you're right about it perfectly capturing that buzz of excitement and endless possibility. One of my favorite things about this track is the glockenspiel. Those high, pure, staccato notes contribute a lot to the feeling of soaring energy. I had no idea that Jackson played this himself. What amazing talent!
That Maj7 reminds me of an early eighties/late seventies TV show intro ‘Boomer’s here’ which is full of these lush maj7 chords, I love it. And your video on JJ’s song as well, thanks! 🙏🏻
Wonderful! I especially agree with the simple major converted to minor. There is perhaps another flavor too: B melodic minor. In that, there actually is a natural sequence from DMaj7 (b5) to E7 (b5) resolving on Fmaj. I find this scale can actually be used over the entire change for all kinds of harmonic content. All my best. Your channel is so refreshing.
I'm about your age, so I've heard this song, more or less, my whole life. I didn't really notice it until I heard it walking around a public square some years ago and realized how great a song it was. I made it a point to listen to more Joe Jackson then. What a genius!
I love you Amy! From a bald guy!😂😂 I love your playing, teaching, singing, scatting, and vocal drum sounds! I’m a guitar player, not a good pianist. Thanks for your videos!
I saw Joe Jackson in March, 2023 in Minneapolis and it was fantastic. So entertaining. And totally different from the show I saw in 1982 in New York when this album came out. So many underrated songs, One More Time, The Band Wore Blue Shirts, It's Different for Girls, Real Men, and on and on. Thanks.
Not a piano player but I've always loved this song. That 42 year old vinyl will get played here today. And you totally had me at 8:01 "Check that out" Thank you for this!
As a 15 yr old in NYC this song perfectly captured the vibe of the city at night. Still a great song, and an awesome job by you on the breakdown. Always love when it's right from the piano too!
Really nice analysis, thanks. The minor sections recreate the darkness, the mist, the tears. And then bursting through it all, made even brighter by the contrast, the glow of color and neon, dashboards and taillights, the lights of love, as we return to the major.
That's awesome Aimee. It's a beautiful emotional blend chord progression that really captures the feeling of venturing out from family homes and childhood into city lights and young adulthood. Especially during the early 1980's (I was in my 20's) when we didn't have the internet and TH-cam to show us what was going on everywhere in detail almost in 'real time' and no cell phones to immediately call family or friends if we needed advice or to assure them of where we were and that we were ok, or to call the police for help if we needed it. It's amazing how all that chordal well-tempered tonality and diatonic logical interplay between borrowed chords contains within it those emotions of mild apprehension, anticipation of adventure, optimism, and fascination for the bright lights of the big city (for me, Seattle - big enough at the time).
thank you so much for this. your 80's vibes took me soo back to those days, and I loved this song back then. I recently re-started my piano craft after abandoning it for guitar 20 years ago (the 80'/90's metal/jazz/blues sucked me in) and now I'm rediscovering all the piano based song I grew up with.
I saw him in Munich when I was 18, I was totally in his music then, thanks si much Aimee for this video, I will go and play to remember this cool times.
Great explanation. So right that it's easier to think in C. It's almost like I absorb nothing when it's in F# maj. You still made it as accessible as possible for us mere mortals
Wow- I'm just about to look at the video but got lost in the comments! YES - it's a really good move to explain everything that departs for the norm as if it's in C because it give the ear an idea of what to expect - plus it's easier to remember. Then all the more complex naming when you're in a key like F#major or Ab will make much more sense - and the effect likely be much better retained long term. I remember once trying to play Good Vibrations from a sheet that had it written out in Ebmin. Shoulda been called 'How to totally sabotage a guitarist 101!'
OMG, we’re the same age! I’m 47 and I remember my sister playing the 45 single all the time in our house growing up. We lived in the pre-gentrification NYC of the early ‘80s. Crazy times, but this song takes me back.
As someone never blessed with music industry sufficient hair, I thank you. I'd never thought about the harmonic structure of that song before, so great job in clearly explaining it all. I saw Joe live in Edinburgh in 1979, in a venue called Tiffany's, and he and some of his band (I assume) ended up sitting in the booth next to us in the nearby excellent pub "The Bailie". I only mention that last bit because you brought it all back.
made me laugh when you talked about James Taylor being bald when he had a hit, it’s like he was never young 😂. Love Joe Jackson and his music! Great to see a resurgence of interest for his talent
What a career. From the punk screams of 'Beat Crazy' to the sophisticated jazz of 'Jumpin' Jive' and beyond. Thanks for analyzing this perfect pop song. Oh, and it's not the Mario cadence, it's the Lola cadence. (Not aging myself at all, there.)
Thanks for sharing this, Joe Jackson has been a big part of the soundtrack of my life. He had a string of hits worldwide, but sadly in the US, like A-Ha, he is only known for one hit.
Holy crap! It's like you were talking to me. The first song I remember writing was in Am, and started Am-G-F, though I ended it with Em (instead of E major or going up to G.) Spooky!
Check out my video “I Already Know How Your First Composition Sounded” 😂
@@AimeeNolte Cool. I just checked it out. Pretty neat. Incidentally, I grew up with (and still have) a Hallet, Davis and Sons spinet piano and the only time I’ve ever seen another piano by that manufacturer is your videos.
Actually my first was CM
My second was Am
Easiest keys
Wait a second... I'm forgetting... My first tune (8 bars) was literally in a FMaj blues scale.
I was 7.
Back then, I had no idea what a blues scale was. I just liked the notes I was playing! And it sounded like the songs I listened to.
My second (also at 7) was C but contained a borrowed AMaj chord.
My 3rd (age 10) was in C, employed sevenths and had five sections.
Probably my fourth was in Am.
Love Joe! Loved him since I first saw this video on MTV. My dad had the album also. I was 8 years old in '82. I see him every time he comes to Boise, ID. He has so much good music and he is a complete original. That's what I love about him.
Great work there. As Joe's guitarist, I appreciate your detail.
So cool, Teddy! Thanks for stopping by! 🙌🏼🙌🏼
Teddy - Really enjoyed your playing on the UK tour. Long time appreciator of JJ. Thanks for the shows.
What are the chances you know the name of the actress who played the maid in the video? I know of several sites that have active and dedicated groups that have been trying to figure it out. Some of them are the same people that tracked down 'Q Lazzarus' after she disappeared for decades.
Wow, thank you Teddy for the music!!
@@JeffCogswell thanks for the thanks!
This is one of the most sophisticated pop tunes of the 80s. Love that someone else feels the same.
Well said.
This song feels like the satisfying resolution to a conversation.
I read an interview with Joe when the album came out and he said during the writing process he would walk around NYC with a cassette recorder and just record the sounds of the city. At the end of the day he would sit at the piano place the recorder on top of the Steinway play the tape back and he would write to it. He said it was so interesting when listening back he would hear things he hadn’t heard while he was in the moment on the street. He found the whole thing inspiring and it became the backdrop to the entire Night and Day album. I was so inspired by this I began doing it as well. It’s a fascinating way to bring the world in to your music. Thanks for this breakdown of a wonderful song from a wonderful record and artist.
Remember when songwriting was like that? Seeking inspiration. What a great era!
Thanks for sharing this
I live in NYC and when I walk around the city listening to this song it feels so perfect
ESPECIALLY at night
Now it makes sense why
The whole album was great. At the time I was disappointed because he'd gone jazzy but it holds up as a great record. I especially like Chinatown!
Joe wrote some really complex stuff. Breaking Us In Two is stunning too; very jazzy.
And those rhythms. Try Cancer and Cha Cha Loco, among many.
Only thing that bugged me is that he’d do interviews and talk about what a great singer he was..He wasn’t IMO..He write nice harmonic textures and good melodies..I even read where he said he was the best singer in pop lol ..I think he was insecure about it..BTW love YOUR singing, Aimee
Breaking Us in Two owes a debt to Day After Day by Badfinger. Love Joe tho
Joe opened my ears to jazz. Nice to circle back to my source.
@stgodards, you stole my comment!!! Stepping Out and Breaking Us In Two are what I feel are the seminal tracks on an already superb album. Both songs do what they are meant to do… take us to another place for a short time, like no other I’ve heard! (Well, perhaps maybe Fire At Midnight from the Songs from the Wood album, Jethro Tull)
Joe Jackson is brilliant. His lyrics tell full stories. He really should have written for Broadway. Also, he can write in any style. Never repeats himself. Thanks for breaking out this gem from his catalog.
That was absolutely beautiful. As a Californian who landed in NYC for grad school and finding my beautiful wife there 40 years ago, this song has resonated with me: the yellow taxis, the rain slicked streets, jumping out and into bars where live music was shaking at 1am. A long time ago, but Angela and I sat with tears in our eyes and smiles on our faces watching this. Thanks, Aimee.
So beautiful. Thank you for that.
But we can talk about that......later!
I was 5 in 1982. My dad had this album on vinyl. He also had the tape and we would listen to it in the car. Wow, I have a memory of us pulling up in the driveway and at the end of this song, waiting for the glockenspiel and my dad being so happy and we were pretending to play air glockenspiel. Thanks for the really cool analysis. I’m going to have to play along and let it sink in.
This is amazing
It was one of those that we knew was a classic as released. I rmember a buddy proclaiming "Don't Dream It's Over" as such a couple of weeks of it's release.
Damn that’s an awesome memory
The entire album is a masterpiece. And he was just getting started, so much came after it.
I am a songwriter and my superpower is not knowing what chords I'm hitting vs what I'm feeling when those chord combinations are hit & come together. I form a melody on top and let the universe do the rest. I always loved this song, and you did a great job explaining what's happening in it. I call it magic when you find the song amongst chords that have been played 1000s of times. Only a small percentage of songwriters ever tap into that. It's a gift and lots of hard work. I wrote 1000 bad songs before I ever wrote one I was proud of. Believe in yourself, and let the journey take you there.
This song was always one of my "driving" songs. Perfect for long road trips flying down the highway.
I remember when the song became popular. I was 13 and went to the record store every week, where I spent most of my allowance on 45 rpm singles (I could only afford to buy just one a week, and Joe Jackson's Steppin' Out was one of them). I still love that song, but I'd never really thought about why.
Thank you, Aimee, for explaining how complex and unusual the chord progression is.
I was seven when this came out and it was my favorite song at the time. These chords have always given me chills and it remains one of my favorite tunes of my lifetime.
As a 15 year old heavy rock fan, in 1981, Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive album was my gateway drug to jazz.
I don't know how well known it is in the US, but it's well worth checking out.
He covers Cab Calloway and Louis Jordan songs, even some Glen Miller.
I still remember the sleeve notes:
"When my Dad was my age, jazz was not respectable. It played in whorehouses, not Carnegie Hall..."
i used to dj the jazz show on my college radio station in 1989 and played the *hell* out of this album
Yes! I own it! So good.
I was blasting Jumpin Jive at work today! Awesome album
Saw him on that tour @ Malibu on Long Island. Graham Maby was on bass from his regular band, but everyone else was a jazz cat swingin’ hard, Louis Jordan-style!
For me, Joe Jackson, Vince Guaraldi and Don Costa (who was music director on "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood") were the early influences that primed me for jazz. They made it such beautiful fun.
This was a college song for me..."Is She Really Going Out With Him" was everywhere when I was in junior high (or so), but the first one of his that really grabbed my ears was "Different For Girls".
YES thank you! These chords were absolute magic to me, even as a little kid who was years away from playing an instrument in 1982. So many 80’s songs have the kind of chord changes that tickle the brain
As a Philly DJ on 94 WYSP, I played that track on the air. A lot! It was one of those iconic 80's songs that was the foundation of early MTV, too. Joe is another one of the many reasons I am learning piano now.
Yo Philly!
It was like a different Joe Jackson compared to the first 2 records.
I grew up on YSP and MMR in the late 70s and early 80s (ok and a little Q while they were still prog plus trips to Power 99). Not to sound like an old f4rt but music was so much better - by which I mean so much by more well-executed variety. You could hear something sophisticated like Stepping Out followed by Who do you Love (basically a one chord song) then hop over to Power 99 for early Run DMC or mind-blowing jams by The Time. We didn’t know how good whad it. And thank you for spinning great music on the radio!
HUGE Joe Jackson fan. Genius and consummate pianist, but also one of the greatest rock voices period. Punky swagger with otherworldly sophistication. Love that Aimee analyzes this ❤
Long time Aimee fan too
I lived in NYC in 83/84 and this album - and especially this tune - was in my Walkman literally 2/3 of the time while I walked the town and rode the subway. Literally a soundtrack made for that city. I love pretty much everything Joe has done and he's still going! This album and Get Sharp still hold up as hyper cool, modern, and thoughtful, even today! I love your point about the C#- sounding like the minor 3. It's such a subtle and beguiling change. I've always thought Joe was kind of a modern Cole Porter - great at little surprises!
@@djdksf1 I know what you mean
And I live in NYC now and I go around town with my iPhone and this song still works as a perfect soundtrack to the vibrancy of the city
For sure, one of the most complex pop songs of the last century chord wise, with a heartbreakingly beautiful melody that an average person could hum, never realizing how complex it is. A masterpiece.
I wasn't born in that era because I'm 25 years old, but after discovering it, it has become my favorite song, so much so that I have taken the time to listen to ALL of Joe Jackson's songs, including the soundtracks, and I have rescued too many of his great songs, I love the piano chords and the way he interprets the song too much. I think there will be no other song that will take it from my top 1 of favorite songs.
OK, so I was 25 when this came out, so shoot me. I'm old. I bought the album then and there. I just saw the video again like 2 days ago, and was even more amazed at the harmonic complexity of this song. Back in those days songs were written by people with chops. Joe Jackson, Sting, Steely Dan. . . People with jazz training. What happened? All we have now is 4 chord, pitch corrected, quantized crap. I'm glad this music exists, though, to give us a reference point.
And yet at the time this was released, it caused a bit of a stir because the song used a drum machine instead of a real drummer. Drummers and studio musicians weren't happy that sequenced synthesizers and drum machines could be used instead of real musicians, and they quite correctly saw this as a threat to their ability to make money. Of course, the threat didn't stop there, eh? Now all of this could be done on a laptop or even an iPad...and that's ignoring AI produced music.
Didn't matter to me much...I liked the song back then, and I like the song now, just as much or more.
"... I was 25 when this came out, so shoot me."
Not gonna pull *THAT* trigger; I was 34.
"And I should have told him, 'No, you're not old,' and I should have let him go on . . . smiling . . . teeth-wide."
- _Lather,_ Jefferson Airplane
Fred
Dont forget Stevie Wonder
What's quantized?
@@jennifer792 In the same way that pitch correction takes all notes and drags them to the nearest A-440 tuned pitch, making every note perfectly in-tune (and removing any personal touches, glissandi, etc.), "Quantizing" takes every beat and drags it to the nearest metronome perfect beat. So instead of the variations that normally exist in, say, a drummer's performance - the minute accelerations and decelerations that a human would, consciously or unconsciously create in performance - the beat is executed with mechanical precision. Almost all popular music is now run through these two meat grinders and turned into identical musical sausages - robbed of all humanity and nuance. Even "live" concert performances are processed through a pitch correction algorithm (if they're not completely prerecorded and lip-sync'd) and made "perfect" for the audience. I don't know about you, but I want to hear music created by imperfect humans, not software. This software was created in the 90's. That's one reason music recorded before then sounds "better".
I was one of those fortunate to be an eighties kid!
This IS definitely part of the soundtrack of my life.
I love this song sooo much.
Great video and breakdown.
Thank you! 😅
Thanks so much for doing this video. This is one of those songs that you never think of until it randomly pops up somewhere, and it takes you right back to your youth and reminds you why you fell in love with music. This was a special song and always affects me when I hear it. Your analysis shed light on why that is.
Old guy here (hair challenged too! ;)) , graduated in 1982 and was dating my future wife, so this song was definitely on heavy rotation. A great song that charted with no guitars in the 80's! Joe in fact has had a few iterations of his band where he wanted no guitarist. I have seen him live quite a few times and even with slight tweaks this song gets me every time. Loved your breakdown of this. Thanks!
Brilliant song. Joe Jackson is a major talent ❤
AMIE!!! I was 15 not 5, and I was playing drums and guitar, didn't play my keyboard chords until the early 2000s, but this song MOVED ME, made me FEEL the moments, the times of our lives. Since I was 9, I heard every maj7, maj9, all the open, airy, happy chords, and I guess, musically, I have been clinging to them ever since.
Thanks for taking us through Steppin' Out. I never really understood the chords - but I felt the magic every time I heard this song. This is a great track from a truly great album....and, yes, more people need to spend time with Joe's music.
Love from England
x
Thanks for this. I have all Joe Jackson recorded. I recommend you get a copy of the original vinyl from the day. Look Sharp 10" Vinyl release from 1979 was amazing.
Your breakdown of Steppin Out has been inspiring. Joe Jackson is a brilliant song writer. Labelled as POP but really a mix of rock, melodic jazz, and new wave, A real innovator of the time.
Of course it’s beautiful! He’s criminally underrated.
In 1982 I was an airman stationed in Japan, ‘stepping out’ into the night scene and the dance clubs in Okinawa. This song IS the soundtrack for my early 20s. It evokes so many emotions in me, but i thought it was just me! I didn’t understand that there is music theory behind it. I so appreciate your detailed explanation. TY!
Steppin out is a VERY GOOD song that will never go away and the chords are so uplifting. It is indeed one of the greatest songs of the 80s!!
The album Night and Day is likely the finest album of the 1980s. I was spoiled by the 1960s and 70s but of the handful of high quality 1980 albums, this one really is amazing. By the way, it is one of those elusive "perfect" albums that few of even groups achieve. BTW, MY favorite is probably Cancer. Insane musical rhythm.
I'm so glad you brought attention to this song. I was 12 in 82 and this is the song that still gives me all the feelings you described. It reminds me of rainy days after school lying on the couch with MTV on in the background. This song takes me right there every time.
I was a freshman in college at Mizzou…MTV was cool. Flock of Seagulls laying next to Adam Ant next to ABC next the greatJoe Jackson…..I remember the part stopping for the premier of Thriller…..while I love is first hit (Is She Really Going Out with Him?”) and his music continued to get better….listen to Right and Wrong, turn it up! Thanks for the wonderful video Aimee! Footnote: Years later while living in Switzerland, (2002 or 2003), I had a chance to see Joe Jackson at the Montreaux Jazz festival in a small ball room. It was one of highlights of my musical life. Joe if you are reading this, thank you for the memories and your music,
I really enjoy how you present the music theory geekery in such a friendly neighborly way. To your success.
And I meant that in contrast to an arrogant, look what I know that you don’t kind of attitude that some might fall victim to.
I was 25 in 1982. It captured the feel of those times. Well, for me anyway. I love the changes in this tune.
I remember when this came out, I was fan of his before this and I loved this song it's brilliant! Thanks for breaking it down.
I play and sing this song and was so pleased to see this video. It’s so worthy. One of the best of the 80s. Everything you said about the way it makes you feel was speaking right to me! Thank you
On behalf of all follicly challenged musicians, we thank you, Amy!
I went to school with Joe and he was losing his hair before he left!
i have no idea why this video wound up in my feed, but i'm so glad it did. i love this song and you did a great job of explaining the theory behind it - and what a set of pipes!
I just Graduated High school in 82. This is soo well done.
YES! Those chords are magic.
It sounds like night.
I LOVE your approach here. I have been playing since I was 6 and I ALWAYS learn something new these days.
and yes, I am old enough such that this WAS my high school soundtrack.
Another hit of his that was awesome was "Breakin' Us In Two". Loved it!
I see you have a video on Steely Dan's Peg. Bravo! Bravo I say!
Keep up the great work!
Wow, great video Aimee and when you first played and sung Stepping out it gave me goosebumps 🤗
This song came out when i was 7 years old. It really struck me as a child. I remember listening to it in the car and being happy. It really recreates a vivid scene of childhood for me. Thank you for this!❤
I was a rural kid who never went to the city growing up- the F#maj7 chord always sounded like neon lights to me (I was 14 when this song came out). Maybe the parallel major/minor thing is to get a light/dark effect.
Another famous "Mario Bros" progression is "Billy Shears..." (C D E) on Sgt. Pepper.
And as a bald man, "the late great Phil Collins" really cracked me up!
I've listened to this song my whole life since it came out when I was about 11 years old, and it's wonderful to have someone appreciate it enough to really take it apart like this and to bring new insights to it.
I was, and still is a great song. Yeah, that tempo, gets your heart going. Good show.
Wow-wee! Thank you for this! It transported me back, both to my 20s, when Steppin Out came out, and back earlier to the time I had piano lessons and had to learn the basics of music theory. I love your analysis and thoughts on the key- and chord progressions. Both memories bring tears to my eyes...it's beautiful, thank you.
Great choice, Aimee! I was a teenager when this was a radio smash and I immediately fell in love with this chord progression. Joe is so cool (yes..despite the hairline). Is She Really Going Out With Him? You Can't Get What You Want, Breaking Us in Two and the underrated It's Different For Girls were on heavy rotation at my house, so I appreciate your enthusiasm for this artist. Great vid, as always. Thank you for breaking it down!
This song makes my tear up every time I hear it
But I didn’t know it was specifically because of these chords so this whole video had me wiping my eyes like crazy
Wonderful video thank you so much for this breakdown
This song has made me feel incredible since I first ever heard it back when I was eight years old! Still does the trick.
Saw Joe in Boulder CO with my son when we were up in Denver recording our own album. It was freezing outside but we loved the show in this intimate theatre. Right out front of the venue his tour bus was already running (and keeping it warm). I cracked up at the bumper sticker on a side window, "Bald guys never have a bad hair day." However, the show I saw with a good friend of mine in Berkeley CA was the best concert I've ever seen.
I have a list going of perfect pop songs. They have to be free of any weakness whatever in lyric, melody, message, performance and production. Steppin Out is definitely on there..
Sir Duke.
'Waterloo Sunset' by the Kinks has to be on that list.
This song brings back so many memories of growing up in the 80's! Thanks for the breakdown and trip down memory lane...also, like Baker Street, I think song would make a great cover for the Foo Fighters...it already sounds like one of their songs basically, if it had distorted guitars, real drums, etc...anyone else agree???
I was 19 when this came out. I liked it.
But the more I learned about harmony/melody, the more I recognized JJ was a monster!
Since then, I own several albums and have seen him twice live.
Thanks for sharing
🇨🇦
This is excellent! Joe is a very sophisticated composer, and you could do breakdowns all over his catalog and find plenty of surprises. 😎🎹
I forgot what a great song this was. Takes me back to a simpler time. The 80s were such a great decade for music. I've never written in Am but I might give it a go. Thanks Aimee.
I love this song for all the things you mentioned AND for the awesome bassline that never stopped!
This was favorite song of that time. Always sounded like a breathe of fresh air 😎
Playing this bass line in the left hand at tempo while singing was one of the greatest (i mean that in every sense of the word) musical challenges. Learning the harmony by ear was also a huge lift, but it paid off last year when I made a $200 tip by a huge Joe Jackson fan! That guy is out there, so learn that song and make it rain!
Thanks for this video! This song came out when I was 15, and thus just beginning to have grown-up-ish evening adventures, and you're right about it perfectly capturing that buzz of excitement and endless possibility.
One of my favorite things about this track is the glockenspiel. Those high, pure, staccato notes contribute a lot to the feeling of soaring energy. I had no idea that Jackson played this himself. What amazing talent!
That Maj7 reminds me of an early eighties/late seventies TV show intro ‘Boomer’s here’ which is full of these lush maj7 chords, I love it. And your video on JJ’s song as well, thanks! 🙏🏻
Love this song, could never get tired of it, after all these decades. It sounded so beautiful played on the acoustic piano here. Thank you!
Wonderful! I especially agree with the simple major converted to minor. There is perhaps another flavor too: B melodic minor. In that, there actually is a natural sequence from DMaj7 (b5) to E7 (b5) resolving on Fmaj. I find this scale can actually be used over the entire change for all kinds of harmonic content. All my best. Your channel is so refreshing.
I'm about your age, so I've heard this song, more or less, my whole life. I didn't really notice it until I heard it walking around a public square some years ago and realized how great a song it was. I made it a point to listen to more Joe Jackson then. What a genius!
I love you Amy! From a bald guy!😂😂
I love your playing, teaching, singing, scatting, and vocal drum sounds!
I’m a guitar player, not a good pianist.
Thanks for your videos!
I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful this analysis is! Thank you so much!
'HAIRLESS HITS' sounds like a lost K-Tel album from the 80's
A must have album 😂
I saw Joe Jackson in March, 2023 in Minneapolis and it was fantastic. So entertaining. And totally different from the show I saw in 1982 in New York when this album came out.
So many underrated songs, One More Time, The Band Wore Blue Shirts, It's Different for Girls, Real Men, and on and on. Thanks.
This is really well done. Simple explanation for advanced theory made more interesting with a classic song.
Not a piano player but I've always loved this song. That 42 year old vinyl will get played here today. And you totally had me at 8:01 "Check that out" Thank you for this!
As a 15 yr old in NYC this song perfectly captured the vibe of the city at night. Still a great song, and an awesome job by you on the breakdown. Always love when it's right from the piano too!
Really nice analysis, thanks. The minor sections recreate the darkness, the mist, the tears. And then bursting through it all, made even brighter by the contrast, the glow of color and neon, dashboards and taillights, the lights of love, as we return to the major.
Great song! I used to sing and play keys on this song in a cover band theough the 80's and early 90's. Thank you, Miss Nolte!
That's awesome Aimee. It's a beautiful emotional blend chord progression that really captures the feeling of venturing out from family homes and childhood into city lights and young adulthood. Especially during the early 1980's (I was in my 20's) when we didn't have the internet and TH-cam to show us what was going on everywhere in detail almost in 'real time' and no cell phones to immediately call family or friends if we needed advice or to assure them of where we were and that we were ok, or to call the police for help if we needed it. It's amazing how all that chordal well-tempered tonality and diatonic logical interplay between borrowed chords contains within it those emotions of mild apprehension, anticipation of adventure, optimism, and fascination for the bright lights of the big city (for me, Seattle - big enough at the time).
The Mario cadence. I'm sure Joe will appreciate that. Great job.
Great video! One of my favorite songs since I was 10! You got me choked up a bit. Thanks, Aimee!
Funny, I actually asked you to play this on one of your "Taking Requests" stream a few years ago. Such a cool song!
thank you so much for this. your 80's vibes took me soo back to those days, and I loved this song back then. I recently re-started my piano craft after abandoning it for guitar 20 years ago (the 80'/90's metal/jazz/blues sucked me in) and now I'm rediscovering all the piano based song I grew up with.
I saw him in Munich when I was 18, I was totally in his music then, thanks si much Aimee for this video, I will go and play to remember this cool times.
Fascinating analysis! I wish I knew more about music theory but I love this song, this musician, and your breakdown!
Thank you for showing such respect for this music.
Love this video. You totally nailed what the song was about and more importantly, how it felt. Those chords make the hairs on my neck stand up.
Your theory discussions are the BEST. Thank you so much!
I am now a fan! Thanks so much for a lovely run through and walk down memory lane. ❤
Thanks for breaking down the tricky chord progression of this wonderful song. "Steppin' Out" has always been one of my favorites,
Loved this analysis. Thanks for all you do!
Such a great song. Takes me back to my college days in 80s. What an era. Thanks for the musical exposition. Such a beautiful chord progression.
Great explanation. So right that it's easier to think in C. It's almost like I absorb nothing when it's in F# maj. You still made it as accessible as possible for us mere mortals
Rite? And of course Aimee makes the immediate transposition look effortless..
Wow- I'm just about to look at the video but got lost in the comments! YES - it's a really good move to explain everything that departs for the norm as if it's in C because it give the ear an idea of what to expect - plus it's easier to remember. Then all the more complex naming when you're in a key like F#major or Ab will make much more sense - and the effect likely be much better retained long term.
I remember once trying to play Good Vibrations from a sheet that had it written out in Ebmin. Shoulda been called 'How to totally sabotage a guitarist 101!'
OMG, we’re the same age! I’m 47 and I remember my sister playing the 45 single all the time in our house growing up. We lived in the pre-gentrification NYC of the early ‘80s. Crazy times, but this song takes me back.
Nice! I spent two years in uptown (pre-gentrification) as well! Inwood and W Heights. Love that town
Nice song analysis! I remember this song from when I was very young in the eighties! I love to learn! Thank you!
As someone never blessed with music industry sufficient hair, I thank you. I'd never thought about the harmonic structure of that song before, so great job in clearly explaining it all. I saw Joe live in Edinburgh in 1979, in a venue called Tiffany's, and he and some of his band (I assume) ended up sitting in the booth next to us in the nearby excellent pub "The Bailie". I only mention that last bit because you brought it all back.
made me laugh when you talked about James Taylor being bald when he had a hit, it’s like he was never young 😂. Love Joe Jackson and his music! Great to see a resurgence of interest for his talent
I'm a crappy guitar player. I had one JJ album in the 80s, but not a huge fan but you have rekindled my interest. I love your enthusiasm! Great vibe!
Loved this. ❤ This song always sounded other worldly to me 🙏🏽✨
Very cool song,joe Jackson had some great tunes.
I love when she sings
Bald dude salutes you🫡
Also saw Joe Jackson live in relatively intimate theater in Boston many years ago. Blaze of Glory tour
What a career. From the punk screams of 'Beat Crazy' to the sophisticated jazz of 'Jumpin' Jive' and beyond.
Thanks for analyzing this perfect pop song.
Oh, and it's not the Mario cadence, it's the Lola cadence. (Not aging myself at all, there.)
Might even be the 'Hello Goodbye' cadence....
Thanks for sharing this, Joe Jackson has been a big part of the soundtrack of my life. He had a string of hits worldwide, but sadly in the US, like A-Ha, he is only known for one hit.