Song of the Day 10/4: Happy Mondays, “Step On”

I think Jason requested some Happy Mondays, so here’s the band’s biggest hit, from 1990’s “Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches,” considered one of the landmark albums of the Madchester scene of the late ’80s/early ’90s.

For those who’ve forgotten, those were the days of rave culture, which began in Chicago but quickly spread, establishing its British beachhead in the northern industrial city of Manchester, where techno’s electronic dance beats merged with the area’s fascination with jangle pop and American R&B of the ’60s to produce dance music that featured actual melodies. The Happy Mondays, along with the Stone Roses, were the most successful bands to emerge from the scene, which also included Inspiral Carpets, Charlatans UK and James.

“Step On” isn’t an original tune — it’s based on a 1972 British hit by a South African-born singer named John Kongos called “He’s Gonna Step on You Again.” Kongos’ version, which has definite T. Rex vibe, actually charted one spot higher, reaching No. 4, than the Happy Mondays version did.

Here’s a Happy Mondays original. “Loose Fit” is about the “baggy” fashion trend, a throwback to flared jeans and psychedelic patterns of the ’60s that accompanied and eventually transcended the Madchester movement, leading directly into the Britpop of Oasis, another Manchester band. Frivolous, yes, but the records weren’t about a message, they were about keeping the E-fueled masses moving.