Steppin' Out (James Bracken song)
Encyclopedia
"Steppin' Out" is a blues
instrumental
written by James Bracken
. It opens with a guitar riff
based on the blues-scale, and continues with improvisation
. It is an up-tempo 12-bar blues in the key of G.
Eric Clapton
's covers provided most of the popularity owed to the song. In 1966, he covered "Steppin' Out" together with John Mayall
and his Bluesbreakers. The three minute guitar extravaganza appeared on the album Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton.
In his next band, Cream
, it became his signature piece performed at nearly every concert, with improvisations often going for 13 minutes or more. Often Jack Bruce
, the group's bassist, would drop out of the song a few minutes in, leaving Ginger Baker
, the group's drummer, and Clapton to take the song in entirely new, non-blues oriented directions. Upon ending the song, it would segue into the signature pieces of Jack and Ginger, respectively. The most accessible recording can be found on the live album Live Cream Volume II
(1972).
The song was also used popularly in the climax to the classic Scorsese
film Mean Streets
(1973).
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
written by James Bracken
James Bracken
James C. Bracken was an African American songwriter and the co-founder and co-owner of Vee-Jay Records with his wife Vivian and her brother, Calvin Carter.-Life:...
. It opens with a guitar riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
based on the blues-scale, and continues with improvisation
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
. It is an up-tempo 12-bar blues in the key of G.
Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
's covers provided most of the popularity owed to the song. In 1966, he covered "Steppin' Out" together with John Mayall
John Mayall
John Mayall, OBE is an English blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, whose musical career spans over fifty years...
and his Bluesbreakers. The three minute guitar extravaganza appeared on the album Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton.
In his next band, Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
, it became his signature piece performed at nearly every concert, with improvisations often going for 13 minutes or more. Often Jack Bruce
Jack Bruce
John Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce is a Scottish musician and songwriter, respected as a founding member of the British psychedelic rock power trio, Cream, for a solo career that spans several decades, and for his participation in several well-known musical ensembles...
, the group's bassist, would drop out of the song a few minutes in, leaving Ginger Baker
Ginger Baker
Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker is an English drummer, best known for his work with Cream and Blind Faith. He is also known for his numerous associations with World music, mainly the use of African influences...
, the group's drummer, and Clapton to take the song in entirely new, non-blues oriented directions. Upon ending the song, it would segue into the signature pieces of Jack and Ginger, respectively. The most accessible recording can be found on the live album Live Cream Volume II
Live Cream Volume II
Live Cream Volume II is the second live compilation album British supergroup Cream released in March 1972 by Polydor Records. This album contains six tracks recorded at various performances from March 9 to October 4, 1968.-Reception:...
(1972).
The song was also used popularly in the climax to the classic Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
film Mean Streets
Mean Streets
Mean Streets is a 1973 drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Scorsese and Mardik Martin. The film stars Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro. It was released by Warner Bros. on October 2, 1973...
(1973).