Stevie Wonder turns 70 today
May 13, 2020 3:53 PM   Subscribe

As Stevie Wonder turns 70, a look at how he wrote the soundtrack for a fragile America: "Signed to Motown’s Tamla imprint at the age of 11, the artist then known as 'Little Stevie Wonder' landed his first Billboard Hot 100 hit at 13 with 'Fingertips – Pt. 2.' By the time that original Motown contract ended in 1971, the 21-year-old Wonder had already amassed 13 studio albums (15 total). But over the next five years, Wonder unleashed five albums in a peerless display of both musical excellence and social conscience. It started with Music of My Mind and Talking Book in 1972, Innervisions in 1973, and climaxed with Fulfillingness’ First Finale in 1974 and Songs in the Key of Life in 1976." posted by mandolin conspiracy (26 comments total) 50 users marked this as a favorite
 
The world needs a new Stevie Wonder album. Are you listening Stevie?
posted by DJZouke at 3:55 PM on May 13, 2020


Well, he did have a kidney transplant not too long ago.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 3:56 PM on May 13, 2020




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posted by nikoniko at 4:34 PM on May 13, 2020 [3 favorites]


Stevie and friends performing "Superstition" on Sesame Street in 1973. Just think, the kids rocking out on set in the video are now in their 50s! (I was 11 at the time, surely far too MATURE for such things.)

Stevie and Ray Charles performing "Living for the City" live. Stevie's second album, released when he was just 12 years old, was Tribute to Uncle Ray so a long history of admiration there.

Oh, and "Another Star" from Songs in the Key of Life because y'all need a bit of awesome in your life right here right now.
posted by hangashore at 4:35 PM on May 13, 2020 [13 favorites]


Also, who's been to a Wonderfull Party? Those are the best. Damn, I haven't been out dancing in months!!!
posted by nikoniko at 4:37 PM on May 13, 2020


And what better time for "Happy Birthday"? Stevie dedicated his Hotter than July album to the effort to recognize the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday - see the dedication as part of the album's inside cover art.
posted by hangashore at 4:59 PM on May 13, 2020 [5 favorites]


In the hands of another artist this would be cloyingly saccharine but somehow coming from Stevie it works. Still very relevant in these times..
The force of evil plans
To make you its possession
And it will if we let it
Destroy everybody
We all must take
Precautionary measures
If love and peace you treasure
Then you'll hear me when I say
Oh that Love's in need of love today..
Love's in Need of Love Today
from Songs in the Key of Life
posted by Nerd of the North at 5:36 PM on May 13, 2020 [5 favorites]


Thank you, Stevie Wonder, for "Tell Me Something Good"! (Chaka Khan and Rufus.)
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:47 PM on May 13, 2020 [3 favorites]


That run of albums in the early 70s is as high-quality a run of releases as anyone's had in the history of popular music. Just bambambambambam hi here's another amazingly personal, universal, funky, soulful, lovely album for you to enjoy.

Thanks for this.
posted by mediareport at 5:53 PM on May 13, 2020 [8 favorites]


Just think, the kids rocking out on set in the video are now in their 50s!

I wasn't on the set, but I was rocking out at home, and still think that it's a superlative song.

Also, contemplate this chain of genius and inspiration:

Pastime Paradise

Gangsta's Paradise

Amish Paradise
posted by Halloween Jack at 6:37 PM on May 13, 2020 [8 favorites]


Stevie is astonishing. I was lucky: my Dad introduced me to his music. Later on, when Dad remarried, I sang For Once In My Life at his wedding (link is to Stevie, not me). I never found that kind of love in my life, but I'm glad Dad did.

Previously on MeFi: This visualisation of the bass line, in which James Jamerson hardly ever repeats himself.
posted by Pallas Athena at 6:48 PM on May 13, 2020 [9 favorites]


Hotter Than July is one of my all time favourite albums. I’m always surprised it doesn’t get the kind of mentions that Songs in the Key of Life gets.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 7:24 PM on May 13, 2020 [4 favorites]


James Jamerson
....who told Stevie Wonder he wasn't shit until he could play "Giant Steps" and the blues in 12 keys.

Previously on MeFi: This visualisation of the bass line, in which James Jamerson hardly ever repeats himself.
I'd like to apologize to whoever it was who wasted half a day obsessively refuting me, after I off-hand said that I thought there were some repeated figures in that part.
posted by thelonius at 7:29 PM on May 13, 2020 [3 favorites]


It's astonishing to me that he's only ten years older than I am, because he was already so established as a star when I was really getting into music (or rather, my parents were letting me get into popular music). Innervisions was a staple of so many of the slumber parties I attended back then.

Such a singular talent.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 7:54 PM on May 13, 2020


When I was a young teenager, my mother fell in love with a widower named Ed. He was just the greatest guy I’d ever met. They had both had less-than-happy first marriages, and it was the sweetest thing to watch them having fun together like a couple of kids. Holding hands in public, cracking each other up with a look, the whole nine yards. They had tentatively talked about moving in together or even getting married eventually , but they were taking it slowly because his adult daughters were still struggling with the death of their mother. My sister and I spent more quality time with Ed in the time they were together than we had with our own father before he took off, never to be heard from again.

They both loved Stevie’s song “I Just Called to Say I Love You.” That’s how they’d greet each other on the phone. Ed was really shy about a lot of things, including his singing voice. But whenever that song came on the radio, he’d call Mom and sing along to it on the answering machine (one of those old-school ones with the mini-cassette).

One night, he was waiting for Mom at her night job at a restaurant. He had just gotten a brand-new sportscar and wanted to show it off to her by going for a late-night drive. When he found out she had to work late, he offered to give a ride home to a friend who’d been drinking at the bar. You can probably guess the rest - something went wrong, the car went off the road and crashed head-on into a house. The house was knocked off its foundation, and Ed was killed instantly.

Things were really bad for a while, but one little bright spark turned up a few days later. We were about to erase the answering machine tape, but something made us double-check it first. There was one last “I Just Called to Say I Love You” musical message on the tape. We bought a new tape instead; Mom still has it in her memory box. I can’t ever hear the song without getting misty.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:22 PM on May 13, 2020 [29 favorites]


Hotter Than July is one of my all time favourite albums. I’m always surprised it doesn’t get the kind of mentions that Songs in the Key of Life gets.

Same. It is just a fantastic, unbelievably catchy, emotional and daring record. Also, it's the record that showed me just how funny Stevie Wonder can be. Nearly every album has some little line or verbal exchange that catches you off guard, especially this album, and "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It" is priceless.
posted by vverse23 at 9:36 PM on May 13, 2020 [2 favorites]


as I put it elsewhere
posted by philip-random at 10:48 PM on May 13, 2020 [1 favorite]


I can't even THINK about "Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away" without wanting to cry.
posted by Dokterrock at 10:49 PM on May 13, 2020 [1 favorite]


I also came here to represent for Hotter than July. Master Blaster (Jammin') is one of the biggest bangers of all time.
posted by terretu at 1:28 AM on May 14, 2020 [2 favorites]


Rick Beato has a great episode of 'What makes this song great' on Superstition. It's fascinating to see and hear it deconstructed into the parts and the complex ways they fit together.
posted by drnick at 5:32 AM on May 14, 2020 [4 favorites]


That Questlove video was the best. The opening for "I Wish" on repeat as he's talking to Stevie was a delicious earworm for me. Stevie Wonder is one of my national treasures. Thanks for posting this!
posted by sundrop at 6:26 AM on May 14, 2020 [1 favorite]


Stevie Wonder drum solo
posted by Kosmob0t at 9:44 AM on May 14, 2020


Hotter Than July is one of my all time favourite albums. I’m always surprised it doesn’t get the kind of mentions that Songs in the Key of Life gets.

The big differentiator for me about Songs in the Key of Life is I Wish which just absolutely slaps on another level. A top 10 pop songs of all time for me.
posted by dis_integration at 10:33 AM on May 14, 2020


That Ray and Stevie rendition is hot!

Because reasons, I've been listening to "Songs in the Key of Life" a lot these days. What a work of unadulterated genius.
posted by slkinsey at 10:39 AM on May 14, 2020


I love Stevie Wonder soooo much. That string of albums in the '70s is one of the best things in the history of human achievements. And then, just a few years later, he inspired a generation of hip-hop beatmakers with a three-minute cameo on The Cosby Show.

(I mostly just popped in to drop off 'The Wonder of Stevie' and 'Wonder Wrote It.')
posted by box at 2:22 PM on May 14, 2020 [4 favorites]


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