“Dear Prudence” (1970) – The 5 Stairsteps and Cubie * Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney * 45: “O-o-h Child” / “Dear Prudence” * LP: Stairsteps * Produced by Stan Vincent * Label: Buddah
This rendition of the whimisical Beatles song appears as the B-side to the Chicago family group’s now classic “O-o-h Child.” With their spiraling chord patterns and lyrics evoking childhood, both sides of the 45 can still reach into hearts and minds with rare potency. “Dear Prudence,” which reached #66 in Billboard while the A-side reached #8, also hearkens back to its era’s “soul rock” genre experiments. The single credits the group as “The 5 Stairsteps & Cubie,” even though their album, released later in 1970, presented them as “Stairsteps.”