Songoftheday 7/24/20 - I'm gonna keep it real how you make me feel, boy you give me chills baby...

"Steelo" - 702 with Missy Elliott

from the album No Doubt (1996)

Billboard Hot 100 peak: #32 (two weeks)

Weeks in the Top-40: 6

Today's song of the day comes from the female R&B vocal group 702, who came together in that number's area code location of Las Vegas, Nevada in the early 1990s. Originally consisting of sisters Irish, LeMisha, and Orish Grinstead, along with Amelia Childs, the quartet were guided by New Edition member Michael Bivins, and their first job was a feature on soul group Subway's single "This Lil' Game We Play", which made the top-20 on the pop chart/top-5 on the R&B chart in 1994. However, both Orish and Childs were booted before their first album, replaced by Kameelah Williams. The new trio released their debut album No Doubt in 1996, preceded by the single "Steelo". Written by Missy Elliot, who appears on the single, as well as Chad Elliott and George Pearson, and laid over a sample of the rock band the Police's "Voices In My Head" (which gave writing credit to Sting), the song became their first lead hit...

"Steelo" became 702's second top-40 pop hit, and first as a lead artist, in December of 1996. The song also climbed to #12 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart. Internationally.the single was a top-40 hit in New Zealand at #23, while just missing the British Top-40 at #41. The No Doubt album reached #24 on Billboard's R&B Albums sales chart, and #82 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

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Here's 702 appearing live on Showtime At The Apollo in 1996...

Up tomorrow: One of the biggest radio hits of the 1990s, but never hit the Hot 100.