If you're in the UK you'll probably be more familiar with Bananarama's cover version. If you're a tween you might recognise this from 'Goodbye' by Kristinia DeBarge (who, being the niece of El DeBarge, is related to another Guilty Pleasure here). However, this is the original version and, yes you've guessed it, originally started out as yet another session recording by a fake band.
The story goes that the songwriters and musicians were in the studio recording a bunch of 'good' songs. Mercury Records agreed to release one and, not wanting to waste any of the already recorded tracks as B-sides, turned to a fragment of a song that they has written about 8 years previously. Needing to make the track longer, they created a chorus by basically throwing in a few Na-Na's and Hey's where they didn't have lyrics and that was that.
Embarrassed by the result, they attributed the track to the fictitious band 'Steam'.
Of course, what happened next was that DJs flipped over the record, making what had been intended to be the B-side a hit and thus ensuring that the throwaway chorus became the only part of the song anyone remembers! A touring band was quickly put together as the creators wanted no part in it (and judging by the stellar lip-syncing job in this performance, it was probably just as well). A couple of follow-up singles and an album flopped and Steam dissipated (geddit?!) Now beloved by baseball fans around the US who would probably be surprised to know that there are verses too...
Bonus Clip: Here's Bananarama's version.
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