The Five Stairsteps were five teenage brothers and sisters nicknamed The First Family Of Soul – a title that would soon be passed on to The Jackson 5.

I’m not sure how I remember this 1970 song. It was never a hit – and the name of the band doesn’t ring any bells at all. Perhaps it was featured in an ad, or a TV show that I’ve since forgotten about.

They were the five children of a Chicago police detective and his wife, Clarence and Betty Burke. Eldest brother Clarence Jr, was lead singer, choreographer and guitarist, backed by his little sister Alohe and younger brothers James, Dennis and Kenneth, known as Keni.

Betty came up with the band name because when she lined her kids up according to age she thought they looked like steps on a staircase. Clarence, when he wasn’t catching criminals, managed them, co-wrote their songs and even used to back them on bass guitar.

They came to fame after winning a talent contest at a Chicago theatre in 1965, earning them multiple offers of a record deal. Through the family’s friendship with a neighbour, Fred Cash of The Impressions, they signed to Curtis Mayfield’s label, Windy C and often toured with The Impressions.

Curtis wrote their first single himself but this became the best known hit from their five-year run in the US charts. O-o-h Child, written by Stan Vincent, reached no.8 in the US singles chart and sold more than a million copies (the B-side was a Beatles cover, Dear Prudence).

In 1972 Alohe left the group to embark on “a spiritual journey,” buggering up their chance of carrying on with the name, so they changed it to The Stairsteps – and became protégés of The Beatles.

They were signed to George Harrison’s label, Dark Horse, and recorded an album produced by Billy Preston, who had introduced them to one another.