Steve Steinman goes to top of iTunes and Amazon rock charts with debut album, Take A Leap Of Faith

While most people have been forced to slow down during lockdown, for showman Steve Steinman it has offered him the chance to branch out.

The result is his debut album, Take A Leap Of Faith, which has gone straight to number one on the iTunes and Amazon rock charts.

The Newark performer is better known for touring the country with his rock stage shows, such as Vampires Rock and Anything For Love, but now he is planning a tour of his original material.

“An album is something I had never done before ­— it’s taken me 30 years to do,” Steve said.

“It never crossed my mind. I have always been too busy with my shows, which was performing other people’s music. Now I’ve got a number one album ­— that’s mental.”

Steve had just started his UK tour of Anything For Love when lockdown struck and the entire live music and theatre scene came to an abrupt halt.

Other than online shows for fans ­— Office Rock Downs ­— there was no performances, leaving Steve with some rare time on his hands.

He said: “We had just done the first show of Anything For Love at Halifax and everything just shut down. We had all the gearing up for the tour and then one show and that was it.

“I didn’t have time to write songs before. I was performing 120-130 shows a year and when I had a break I wanted a break.

“But when Jim Steinman (songwriter and producer) died it got me thinking that this kind of music isn’t done any more. It stopped with Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf, but there is a need for it ­— obviously because the album has done so well.”

Steve said he was astounded at the success of the album, described as classic soft rock. Songs given to him by writers have been arranged by Steve to put his own spin on them.

He is already planning a second album, which will be released next year. Among the tracks is one written by John Parr for Meat Loaf but never recorded so Parr offered it to Steve.

Steve is then planning to tour in September next year.

“With the shows you start singing and the audience claps, which is still a thrill but it’s not your song they are clapping, that’s why getting on stage with my own songs will be amazing,” he said.

But Steve has no intention of leaving behind Vampires Rock and Anything For Love.

The Anything For Love tour finally resumes later this year, including a date at Nottingham Motorpoint Arena on December 16, and Vampires Rock is back next year and will include a stop at Newark Palace Theatre on February 18.

“It is going to be amazing to get back on stage,” Steve said.

“I am touring with Anything For Love with Lorraine Crosby but I will throw in a couple my Steve Steinman songs too because they will fit in and it will be good promotion.

“Then there will be Vampires Rock. I am never planning to stop doing these shows. The album is just another string to my bow.”