''One Step Closer'' is an album by renowned R&B/ Hip hop singer-songwriter/keyboardist/record producer

Gavin Christopher Gavin Christopher (May 1, 1949 – March 3, 2016) was an American R&B singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. Early life and career Born in Chicago, Illinois, he started out playing music at a very early age. Having been schooled by the li ...

. Released in 1986, this album contained Christopher's biggest solo hit, with the title track, "

One Step Closer to You "One Step Closer to You" is a 1986 hit written by the then-budding songwriting/production team of Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers, along with singer/musician – and later noted soundtrack songwriter – Jeff Pescetto and former Linx frontman David ...

" reaching number 22 on the pop charts, number 25 on the

R&B chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

, and number 9 on the Dance chart. The follow-up single, "Back in Your Arms" could not duplicate this success, and the album fell off the charts. The album also includes Christopher's own version of "

Once You Get Started "Once You Get Started" is a horn-driven funk number written by musician Gavin Christopher, and recorded and released by the band Rufus featuring Chaka Khan in late 1974. The song is led mostly by Khan, though fellow group member Tony Maiden cont ...

," a tune he had originally written for

Rufus and Chaka Khan Rufus is an American funk band from Chicago, Illinois, best known for launching the career of lead singer Chaka Khan. They had several hits throughout their career, including "Tell Me Something Good", " Sweet Thing", "Do You Love What You Feel" ...

that became a top-ten Pop, R&B, and Dance hit for the group in the 1970s. Rufus guitarist Tony Maiden, who had shared lead vocals with Chaka Khan on the group's original recording (and had been Christopher's bandmate in the pre-Rufus group, High Voltage), provides backing vocals in addition to guitar on Christopher's version. ''One Step Closer'' remains Gavin Christopher's most successful solo album to date, having peaked at number 74 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and number 36 on the

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...

chart on August 9, 1986. Gavin Christopher- ''One Step Closer'' chart placement on album charts @Billboard.comRetrieved December 17, 2011. The album is also notable for being the first successful project for the then-fledgling

production team A production team is the group of technical staff who produce a play, television show, recording, or film. Generally the term refers to all individuals responsible for the technical aspects of creating of a particular product, regardless of where ...

Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers are New York–based songwriters and record producers. They have produced hits for Ruben Studdard, Wild Orchid, Christina Aguilera and Evelyn Champagne King and helped build the career of Rihanna. In addition to ...

Track listing

# "

" ( Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken,

Jeff Pescetto Jeffrey "Jeff" Pescetto (born November 21, 1954) is an American musical artist who is most notable for collaborating with David Foster on the 1990 recreation of John Farnham's Australian single, "You're the Voice". Pescetto lent the vocals to Fo ...

, David Grant)Gavin Christopher- ''One Step Closer'' @Discogs.com
Retrieved December 17, 2011. (5:10) # "Are We Running From Love" (

Paul Pesco Paul Pesco (born May 13, 1959) is an American session guitarist, singer-songwriter, film score composer and record producer. Biography Pesco was born in Canandaigua, New York, to a Sicilian father (an opera singer and voice instructor) and Kore ...

) (4:46) # "In the Heat of Passion" (Rogers, Sturken) (5:07) # "Back in Your Arms" (Rogers, Sturken, Christopher) (5:36) # "

" (Christopher) (4:18) # "Love is Knocking at Your Door" (Rogers, Sturken, Nick Mundy, Christopher) (5:09) # "Sparks Turn Into Fire" (Rogers, Sturken) (4:30) # "Could This Be the Night" (Christopher) (4:29) # "That's the Kind of Guy I Am" (Christopher, Pesco) (4:10)

Personnel

- lead vocals on all tracks, additional instruments as noted below *

drum programming Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices and computer software, such as sequencers and workstations or hardware synthesizers, sampler and sequencers, to generate sounds of musical instruments. These mus ...

Additional track-by-track personnel

"One Step Closer to You"

* Carl Sturken - keyboards, guitar * Tom Mandell (sic) - additional keyboards * Evan Rogers -

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...

"Are We Running From Love"

* Robbie Kilgore - keyboards * Tony Maiden - guitar * Evan Rogers, Bunny Hill, Clydene Jackson - backing vocals

"In the Heat of Passion"

* Carl Sturken - keyboards * John Nevin - bass * Evan Rogers, Audrey Wheeler - backing vocals

"Back in Your Arms"

* Carl Sturken - keyboards, guitar * Evan Rogers,

Siedah Garrett Deborah Christine "Siedah" Garrett (born June 24, 1960) is an American singer and songwriter who has written songs and performed backing vocals for many recording artists in the music industry, such as Michael Jackson, the Pointer Sisters, Brand N ...

- backing vocals

"Once You Get Started"

* Carl Sturken - keyboards, guitar * Tony Maiden - guitar, backing vocals * Roger Byam - saxophone solo * Evan Rogers, Toni Smith - backing vocals

"Love is Knocking at Your Door"

* Carl Sturken - keyboards *

- guitar, backing vocals * Evan Rogers, Gavin Christopher - backing vocals

"Sparks Turn Into Fire"

* Carl Sturken - keyboards, guitar * Paul Pesco - guitar solo, backing vocals * Evan Rogers - backing vocals

"Could This Be the Night"

* Gavin Christopher - keyboards, synthesizer soloing * Carl Sturken - keyboards * Keith Andès - keyboards, backing vocals * Evan Rogers - backing vocals

"That's the Kind of Guy I Am"

* Paul Pesco - keyboards, guitar * Carl Sturken - keyboards * Robbie Kilgore - keyboards * Gary Wallace - drum programming * Evan Rogers, Gavin Christopher - backing vocals

References

{{Authority control 1986 albums Albums produced by Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers Manhattan Records albums