In a revealing interview on The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X, Happy Mondays icons Shaun Ryder and Bez dropped a bombshell regarding their seminal 1990 album, Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches. According to the duo, their most recognizable hit, "Step On," was never intended to be part of the record’s tracklist.
A Reluctant Cover Version
Speaking to Moyles, Ryder explained that the song was born out of a contractual obligation for their American label, Elektra. The label had requested their new signings to record cover versions of older catalog artists for a compilation project.
"We didn't even want to do it, because we don't do cover versions," Ryder admitted. After being handed a C90 cassette of potential tracks, the band settled on John Kongos’ 1971 song "He's Gonna Step On You Again" simply because it seemed "dead easy."
"You’re Twisting My Melon, Man"
The creation of the track was as chaotic and instinctive as the band’s reputation suggests. Ryder recalled adding the now-legendary catchphrases almost by accident. The iconic line "You’re twisting my melon, man" was lifted from a Steve McQueen documentary Ryder had seen on television, while the "Call the cops!" shout-out was a tribute to a regular at the Haçienda nightclub who used to wander around shouting the phrase.
"We just went, 'We’ll do that one... Put a bass line to it, guitar on it, send it off to Oakey [producer Paul Oakenfold],'" Ryder said.
A Fast-Track to Success
The band’s move toward a more polished "pop" sound for Pills 'n' Thrills was a calculated effort to move beyond the indie charts and stay viable for the record company. Working with Oakenfold provided a revolutionary production style that allowed the band to jam over beats—a process so efficient that Ryder often wrote the lyrics in just 15 minutes.
Despite its accidental inclusion, "Step On" became the defining anthem of the Madchester era. As Bez noted during the interview, the production techniques they pioneered with that track have now become a "common way of doing things" in the industry.
