Another Step

Another Step is the fifth studio album by Kim Wilde, released in November 1986.
Boasting 12 tracks (13 on the CD and cassette) and a varied team of songwriters, Another Step was an artistic but not necessarily a commercial triumph for Kim. She had co-written more than half of the tracks herself. The first half ('Side A' in the days of vinyl) was uptempo, whereas 'Side B' consisted of ballads. Most of the tracks were produced by Ricky Wilde, but there were also production duties fulfilled by Rod Temperton and Bruce Swedien known for working with Michael Jackson and there were also Reinhold Heil, Richard James Burgess and Dick Rudolph.
The album's first single was "Schoolgirl", which was released only in Australia and several European countries (although not the UK). This single was the first Kim had co-written herself. The first single released globally was a cover of the Supremes hit "You Keep Me Hangin' On". In the United States it became Wilde's first number one on Billboard Hot 100 chart, in the summer of 1987. It also reached No. 1 in Canada and Australia, and was almost equally successful in the UK, where it peaked at no. 2.
The next single was "Another Step (Closer to You)", a duet with British soul singer Junior Giscombe, which went to top 10 in the UK. The third globally and final single off the album was "Say You Really Want Me", which caused a minor controversy when the video was banned from children's programming because it showed Kim writhing on a bed having fun with a pearl necklace. Despite the raunchy image and publicity which accompanied the specially-remixed song, it didn't set the charts alight and the album saw no further single releases. The album reached US #40, her only album to do better in America than in the UK, where it only hit #88 on the first release. On the other hand, the album was a massive success in Norway, where it hit #2, and in Canada, where it hit #11, and selling Gold. The album sold one million copies worldwide, becoming Wilde's best selling album since Select in 1982.
All of the tracks on Another Step were a departure from the synth sound of the previous albums. There were more guitars than before: "The Thrill Of It" and "I've Got So Much Love" had a distinctive 'rock' feel. The ballads were touching and well produced, the most noteworthy being Kim's self-penned and produced "Don't Say Nothing's Changed" which closed the album. The sound of Kim Wilde had obviously matured.
A re-package of this album was released a few months after the initial launch, with a new sleeve design and the addition of bonus tracks, and this time the album made it to #73 on the UK album chart. Although this failed to reignite interest, it has since become a collectors item for fans.
Kim cemented her reputation as a singles artist with this album, as again overall sales were disappointing despite the huge success of the songs released from it. Kim Wilde has since voiced her regret that she did not put more effort into cracking the U.S. market after she had scored her first number one hit.