Steed Album Discography
By Mike Callahan and David Edwards
Last update: April 5, 2009







Steed Records was founded in April, 1967, by songwriter-producer Jeff Barry as a division of Jeff Barry Enterprises. Barry made a three-year deal with Randy Wood for Steed to be distributed by Dot Records. The label's director of promotion was Joe Cal Cagno, Jeff's brother-in-law at that time. His songwriting/production staff included brothers Mike and Steve Soles, Ned Albright, Gil Slavin, and Neil Goldberg, all of whom penned tunes for Robin McNamara. Neil Goldberg also wrote songs for the "Archie" cartoon series that Jeff Barry was involved with. Steed was located at 15 West 72nd Street in New York City.

The first single on the label was "And I Don't Want Your Love"/"My Babe" (Steed 701) by the Keepers of the Light. Other early artists included the Rich Kids (Steed 702, 706), Jacqueline Carol and Louis St. Louis (Steed 703), Hank Shifter (Steed 704, 708), and Alzo & Uddin (Steed 705).

Andy Kim Andy Kim was the first hit artist for the label, with his "How'd We Ever Get This Way" (Steed 707), which charted at #21 in the spring of 1968. Kim had ten chart hits altogether for Steed, but the only two to make the top 20 were remakes of old Ronettes' hits, "Baby I Love You" (Steed 716, #9, 1969) and "Be My Baby" (Steed 729, #17, 1970). Ellie Greenwich sang background vocals on most of the Andy Kim releases on Steed. Ron Dante (lead singer of The Archies) appears as backing vocalist on Andy's single "Rainbow Ride." Ronnie Spector is rumored to be the guest vocalist on Andy's final Steed single, "I Been Moved", but she has never acknowledged this.

Kim later complained that to give his voice the young "bubble gum" sound so popular in the 1968-69 era, Barry sped up his records to make his voice sound higher (and younger!). This caused Kim's hits to be out of his vocal range in concert! A listen to Kim's 1974 #1 hit "Rock Me Gently" (Capitol 3895) bears out that his voice is much lower than it appeared to have been on his Steed hits.

The Illusion The second hit act for Steed was a Long Island, NY, quintet, the Illusion. The group was John Vinci (vocals), Richie Cerniglia (guitar), Mike Maniscalo (keyboards), Chuck Alder (bass), and Mike Ricciardella (drums). Barry released an edit of "Did You See Her Eyes" from a longer tape as Steed 712 in late 1968, but nothing happened. Believing that the song was a hit, and certainly one of the best dance numbers of the time, Barry reworked the song a bit and gave it another try a few months later (Steed 718), and this time it made #32 on the national charts. The group managed a couple more songs scraping the bottom of the charts, but was essentially a one-hit act. The album version of "Did You See Her Eyes" clocks in at just under 7 minutes playing time.

Robin McNamara Robin McNamara, who had been putting out singles on Steed since 1968, finally got a hit with "Lay a Little Lovin' on Me" in 1970 (Steed 724, #11). McNamara had been one of the original cast members of the smash Broadway play Hair. La La Brooks (of the Crystals) was in the cast of Hair at the same time as Robin McNamara, using the name Sakinah. Along with other members of the cast, she sang background on both the album and single "Lay A Little Lovin' On Me." McNamara also charted with his followup, "Got to Believe in Love" (Steed 728), making #80. His last two singles didn't chart, leaving him with the dubious distinction of closing out the label with his single "Mary, Janey & Me"/"Beer Drinkin' Man" in 1971.

Of the eight albums issued on Steed, all were by these three artists, all who had chart hits. The first album was issued in both mono and stereo, while the others were stereo only. Steed closed down in 1971. Jeff Barry closed the label in order to move to Los Angeles and take a job with Paramount Pictures' music division (ABC Paramount Records distributed the final Steed product). That job didn't work out, and he ended up as a staff producer at A & M Records. Robin McNamara accompanied Jeff to Los Angeles, and cut a version of "Chapel Of Love" for A & M with Jeff producing.



The Steed label was a rather unattractive brownish yellow-green, with black printing. There was a horse logo above the center hole in a yellow box with "STEED" in red. For the first seven albums (far left), the print around the bottom of the label read, "Steed Records, A Division of Jeff Barry Enterprises. Distributed Nationally by Dot Records, Hollywood, California 90028." The print around the bottom of the last album, STS-37008 (near left), read, "Steed Records - Distributed Nationally by Famous Music, Inc. New York, N.Y."


We would appreciate any additions or corrections to this discography. Just send them to us via e-mail. Both Sides Now Publications is an information web page. We are not a catalog, nor can we provide the records listed below. We have no association with Steed Records, which is currently inactive. Should you be interested in acquiring albums listed in this discography (which are all out of print), we suggest you see our Frequently Asked Questions page and follow the instructions found there. This story and discography are copyright 1999, 2001, 2009 by Mike Callahan.



STEED ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY

Cover


Number - Title - Artist - [Release Date] (Chart) Contents

ST 7001/ST 37001 - How'd We Ever Get This Way? - Andy Kim [1968] How'd We Ever Get This Way (S)/Shoot'Em Up Baby (S)/Sunday Thunder (S)/Ordinary Kind Of Girl (S)/Just Like Your Shadow (S)/Pretty Thing (S)//Love That Little Woman (S)/Do You Feel It Too? (S)/You Got Style (S)/You Girl (S)/Circus (S)/Resurrection (S)



From this point, all albums were issued in stereo only.

ST 37002 - Rainbow Ride - Andy Kim [1969] Rainbow Ride (S)/Please Be True (S)/Nobody's Ever Going Anywhere (S)/Baby While You're Young (S)/I Found Her (S)/I Want You (S)//Mr. Music Man (S)/Foundation Of My Soul (S)/I Wonder If I Care As Much (S)/Wonderful You (S)/Gee Girl (S)/To Be Continued (S)

ST 37003 - The Illusion - Illusion [1969] (5-69, #69) Did You See Her Eyes (S, 6:55 unedited LP length)/Talkin' Sweet Talkin' Soul (S)/Just Imagine (S)/Medley: Run Run Run-Willy Gee (Miss Holy Lady) (S)//I Love You Yes I Do (S)/Alone (S)/Charlena (S)/Medley: Why Tell Me Why-The Real Thing (S)/You Made Me What I Am (S)

ST 37004 - Baby, I Love You - Andy Kim [1969] (8-69, #82) Baby I Love You/By The Time I Get To Phoenix/I Got To Know/Didn't Have To Tell Her/I'll Be Loving You/If I Were A Carpenter/So Good Together/Let's Get Married/This Is The Girl/This Guy's In Love With You/Walkin' My La De Da

ST 37005 - Illusion Together (As a Way of Life) - Illusion [1969] How Does It Feel/Happy Days/Bright Eyes/Don't Push It/Once In A Lifetime/Love Me Girl//Lila/Angel/Peace Pipe/Naked Blues/Little Boy/Together

ST 37006 - If It's So - Illusion [1970] Man, Let's Make Each Other Happy/When I Metcha Babe//Collection/If It's So/Life Cycle Theme/Dr. Stone/Excerpt From Recuver'das De Alhambra

ST 37007 - Lay a Little Lovin' on Me - Robin McNamara [1970] Hang In There Baby (S)/Now Is The Time (S)/Together Forever (S)/Beer Drinkin' Man (S)/Got To Be In Love (S)/Lost In Boston (S)//Glory Glory (S)/You Don't Love Me Anymore (S)/I Got A Feelin' (S)/Aren't You Thinking Of Me (S)/Lay A Little Lovin' On Me (S)

STS-37008 - Andy Kim's Greatest Hits - Andy Kim [1971] Be My Baby (S)/Baby, I Love You (S)/How'd We Ever Get This Way (S)/Shoot'Em Up Baby (S)/Rainbow Ride (S)/A Friend In The City (S)//I Been Moved (S)/So Good Together (S)/I Wish I Were (S)/It's Your Life (S)/Tricia Tell Your Daddy (S)



RELATED COMPACT DISC:

EMI/Capitol (UK)
7243 8 38258 2 0 - Baby I Love You: Greatest Hits - Andy Kim [1996] A few Steed tracks (*) along with mostly Capitol material. *Baby I Love You (S)/Rock Me Gently (S)/*Shoot 'Em Up Baby (S)/*Be My Baby (S)/Mary Ann (S)/Oh Pretty Woman (S)/Baby You're All I've Got (S)/Good Good Morning (S)/Hang Up Those Rock And Roll Shoes (S)/Songs I Can Sing Ya (S)/And I Will Sing You To Sleep (S)/Fire Baby I'm On Fire (S)/Here Comes The Mornin' (S)/You Are My Everything (S)/Sunshine (S)/Rock Me Gently, Part II (instrumental) (S)




Thanks to Li, Skip Campbell, Ernie Mabrey, and Dennis Folger.



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