"Just a Step from Heaven" is a song by British girl group

Eternal Eternal(s) or The Eternal may refer to: * Eternity, an infinite amount of time, or a timeless state * Immortality or eternal life * God, the supreme being, creator deity, and principal object of faith in monotheism Comics, film and television * ...

, released as the third single from their debut album, '' Always & Forever'' (1993). Released on 18 April 1994 by

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

and 1st Avenue, the single entered at number 12 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

on 24 April and climbed to its peak of number eight three weeks later. The single spent 11 weeks on the UK Singles Chart. It also reached the top 30 in Ireland and New Zealand and experienced minimal success in North America. The music video for "Just a Step from Heaven" was directed by

Matthew Rolston Matthew Russell Rolston is an American artist, photographer, Music video director, director and creative director, known for his lighting techniques and detailed approach to art direction and design. Rolston has been identified throughout his care ...

Critical reception

Jon O'Brien from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

complimented the song as an example of "perfect R&B-infused pop".

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

from ''

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'' magazine wrote, "A glowing moment from the noteworthy '' Always & Forever'' album, this midtempo jam chugs along with rich harmonies, a diva-driven lead vocal, and an arrangement that pads a hip-hop foundation with sweet

retro-soul Retro soul, sometimes written as retro-soul, is a post-modern and contemporary popular music genre that emerged years after the golden era of soul music. In style of singing, arrangement and recording techniques, this music attempts to offer new ...

nuances and a killer chorus. Juicy." Mark Frith from ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand fo ...

'' gave it five out of five and named it Best New Sngle, commenting, "At first I wasn't very sure about this. Not as sultry and soully as "

Stay Stay may refer to: Places * Stay, Kentucky, an unincorporated community in the US Law * Stay of execution, a ruling to temporarily suspend the enforcement of a court judgment * Stay of proceedings, a ruling halting further legal process in a tri ...

", missing the great infectious pop energy of " Save Our Love". After listen number five it strikes you — this has the best of both and is the pick of the bunch. Sassy, well-sung and a little bit funky, "Just a Step from Heaven" is another big hit. And the video, directed by the person behind the

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En Vogue En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single "Hol ...

Whatta Man "What a Man" is a song written by Dave Crawford, and originally recorded for Stax Records' Volt imprint by Linda Lyndell, whose recording reached number 50 on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart in 1968. The song was sampled and reinterpreted as "Whatt ...

" promo, is meant to be a little special too. We've probably lost them to America but Eternal are a jewel well worth keeping."

Track listings

* UK and Australian CD single # "Just a Step from Heaven" (radio mix) # "

" (

Teddy Riley Edward Theodore Riley (born October 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer credited with the creation of the New Jack Swing genre. Riley credits Barry Michael Cooper with giving the genre its name.Hogan, Paul. " Tedd ...

remix) # "I've Got to Be with You" # "Fantasy" * UK 7-inch and cassette single # "Just a Step from Heaven" (remix) # "I've Got to Be with You" # "Stay" (Teddy Riley "Eternal" remix) * UK 12-inch single :A1. "Just a Step from Heaven" (West End Wild & Groovy mix) :A2. "Just a Step from Heaven" (West End RnB Rub mix) :B1. "Just a Step from Heaven" (Frankie Foncett mix) :B2. "Stay" (Teddy Riley remix) * US cassette single :A1. "Just a Step from Heaven" :B1. "I've Got to Be with You" :B2. "Stay" (extended mix) * Japanese mini-CD single # "Just a Step from Heaven" (radio mix) # "Stay" (Teddy Riley remix)

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the ''Always & Forever'' album booklet. Studios * Recorded at Roundhouse Studios (London, England) * Mixed at RG Jones Studios (London, England) Personnel * Wayne Cohen – writing *

Sheppard Solomon Sheppard J. "Shep" Solomon (born December 12, 1969 in New York City, New York, United States) is an American songwriter. Biography Solomon attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City. Up ...

– writing * Dennis Charles – production * Ronnie Wilson – production * Johnny Douglas – additional production and remix

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

{{Authority control Eternal (band) songs 1993 songs 1994 singles EMI Records singles First Avenue Records singles Music videos directed by Matthew Rolston Songs written by Sheppard Solomon