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Stevie Wonder

Mister_Jay_Tee

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Seems downright criminal that there isn't a devoted thread to this man. He's a complete and utter genius and anyone who says they love music should study everything he does.

Just a song like Living for the City, is so powerful. The strength and vulnerability of the song is just really hitting me lately. You can just imagine how MJ would listen to a song like this and be entirely inspired; even the way Stevie modulated his voice, MJ adapted that completely to great success.

The man is a musical prophect, he needs to recognized.
 
oh god, now I'm confused, lol. DuranDuran seems to have found one. Actually, there are loads but usually for one particular thing. Like, there's one for Michael's enthusiasm for Stevie. I've dropped several of his songs across different threads. Let's have some over here.

Living For The City

7m 23s

 
zinniabooklover said:
oh god, now I'm confused, lol. DuranDuran seems to have found one. Actually, there are loads but usually for one particular thing. Like, there's one for Michael's enthusiasm for Stevie. I've dropped several of his songs across different threads. Let's have some over here.

Living For The City

7m 23s

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Maybe I'm a bit misspoken then, I just hadn't seen any. But I would love to talk more about Stevie, is my point. He deserves the flowers.
 
Mister_Jay_Tee said:
Maybe I'm a bit misspoken then, I just hadn't seen any. But I would love to talk more about Stevie, is my point. He deserves the flowers.
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He really does. He was Little Stevie in the 60's and then in the 70's he just became our voice. Well, that's how it was for me. I don't even know what to say about him. I'm always so lost in admiration.

Anyway, this video is on another thread but there's only about 5 or 6 posts on it so it's not worth bumping. So I'm bringing the video over here. At 3m 28s you can see Michael in the audience, grooving to Stevie.

Part Time Lover

4m

 
Interesting story about Stevie writing a song for Jeff Beck.

"Wonder wrote Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers for his wife Syreeta, but gave it to Jeff after Motown Records insisted Stevie record Superstition himself, a track he’d actually composed for Beck. Wonder had penned it as a thank-you to Jeff for playing on his 1972 album Talking Book."

www.musicradar.com

Jeff Beck: “Stevie gave me Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers as an apology for releasing Superstition first"

The story of Beck's masterful guitar performance, and his collaborations with Stevie Wonder
www.musicradar.com www.musicradar.com
 
Sorry, @Mister_Jay_Tee I'm on a roll. :D

Audio clip of Michael talking about Stevie Wonder (1983) - 1m 45s

42s - Michael imitating Stevie when he's improvising a song.

1m 4s - Michael getting very excited ('Woo') about Stevie's song, 'I Can't Help It'.

 
@DuranDuran posted this one ages ago.

Stevie in Brazil, 1970


DuranDuran said:
Well, his wasn't in the variety show format. It was a music only performance filmed for a channel in Brazil called TV Record in the early 1970s and is in black & white. It wasn't broadcast in the USA. But Stevie has performed on the variety shows of Johnny Cash, Tom Jones, & others. Stevie was also on a TV show in Italy and performed some songs in Italian.
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@zinniabooklover

You have a fave Stevie Wonder tracks or tracks/albums?
Mine is ”overjoyed” which is a ballad of course, as Michael would say 😁

EDIT: everyone may answer my question, it is not specifically for zinnia!
 
filmandmusic said:
@zinniabooklover

You have a fave Stevie Wonder tracks or tracks
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Don't have one fave but there are some songs that are non-negotiable.

1960's
1) I Was Made To Love Her / 1967 - the scream at 1m 40s!
2) Uptight (Everything's Alright) / 1965

1970's
1) Living For The City / 1973 - the handclaps!
2) You Haven't Done Nothing / 1974
3) Superstition / 1972
4) Sir Duke / 1977
5) We Can Work It Out / 1971

1980's
1) Master Blaster (Jammin') / 1980 - the 6m 12s version bc of Dennis Davis on drums; those lyrics
"Though the world's full of problems They couldn't touch us even if they tried"

You'll notice I've stuck to singles. Makes it easier for me to choose but it's also bc of how those songs sounded coming out of the radio. They pinned you to the wall.

filmandmusic said:
/albums?
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I'm taking 5 of Stevie's albums. Posting a couple of quotes and an interview (March 2022) looking at Stevie's achievement with those five records. I literally have nothing to add to this.


"It's been called "The Greatest Creative Run in the History of Popular Music" – and it started 50 years ago this week. Stevie Wonder released five brilliant albums in the span of five years, between 1972 and '76: Music of My Mind; Talking Book; Innervisions; Fulfillingness' First Finale and Songs In The Key Of Life. Three of them won Grammys for Album of the Year."

"Music of My Mind was the first stand-out album from this period. He then went on a run not rivaled in almost any field of life and work that anyone has ever seen.

Hanif Abdurraqib: For me, the Stevie classic run is fascinating not only because of the quality of the work or the fact that, for me, the albums get progressively better – from Music of My Mind to Talking Book to Innervisions to Fulfillingness' First Finale to Songs in the Key of Life, which I think is really the the mountaintop – but the small window of time in which these projects were released. From Music of My Mind to Songs in the Key of Life, from '72 to '76, the corners that he was able to turn as an artist are pretty fascinating to look back on."

filmandmusic said:
Mine is ”overjoyed” which is a ballad of course, as Michael would say 😁
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It is lovely, isn't it?

'Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer' is another one. For obvious reasons. :cry:
 
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Yes much has been written about Stevie Wonder's big 5. It is quite remarkable to create such timeless albums in such a short timespan. I think of those 5 my preference would go towards "Innervisions". But still overall he doesn't not come close to Marvin Gaye in my opinion. Not one of those albums are as inspiring and dense as "What's Going On". I think the main difference for me is that Marvin is such an extra ordinary vocalist.

I have heard the entire discography of Stevie Wonder, his early Motown albums are quite good as well, I even like his albums post SITKOL.
 
I also love I just called to say I love you. It has a bad reputation in Belgium and Holland by the so called “serious“ music critics and fans. I just call them stuck up and arrogant, it is a lovely song. I have fond memories of this song since I was a kid.
 
filmandmusic said:
I also love I just called to say I love you. It has a bad reputation in Belgium and Holland by the so called “serious“ music critics and fans. I just call them stuck up and arrogant, it is a lovely song. I have fond memories of this song since I was a kid.
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No.1 in the UK for 6 weeks. :)
 
Live performance of I Just Called to Say I Love You - 1995

"Stevie gives a rare studio concert at London's Teddington Studios following the release of his 'Conversation Peace' album. A sensual ride for an intimate audience of less than 200 fans."

4m 52s

 
Stevie, Michael and Esther Gordy Williams outside Tamla Motown


FzuYkGeXsAAKA58
 
filmandmusic said:
I also love I just called to say I love you. It has a bad reputation in Belgium and Holland by the so called “serious“ music critics and fans. I just call them stuck up and arrogant, it is a lovely song. I have fond memories of this song since I was a kid.
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Pff… “critics”… what do they say about Herbie Hancock’s version, I wonder?

It’s a simple but lovely song.
 
Agonum said:
Love that!

Here’s another one:
230406-mj-swonder-motown.jpg


Edit: August 5, 1998. Is that right? Seems right.
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I posted this one just recently. Can't remember if I had a date for it. Hang on ...

OK, no, I didn't have a date for it. I found the photo on Twitter with this caption:

"Michael and Stevie Wonder visiting Motown Records with the late Esther Gordy Williams, sister of label chief Berry Gordy Jr. Michael says that Motown was the best school!"

I just checked her on Wiki - she was born in 1920. She's looking good in this photo. :)

Agonum said:
2nd edit: A few more!:
CLjIZoDWgAAUT2O.jpg
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Love to see Stevie smile. Michael, the shining star, as usual. ❤️ Esther's style is to die for!

Agonum said:
CLjIZoRWIAA88e-.jpg
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Fabulous!

Agonum said:
d896f98f4f4d2fe21fea2bdfc10cc2d0.jpg
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oh, I think this is the one for me. Michael and Stevie holding hands. I mean, sure, it's a practical thing but it's also lovely. Stevie wearing blue. Michael wearing turquoise. oh my!
 
zinniabooklover said:
I posted this one just recently. Can't remember if I had a date for it. Hang on ...

OK, no, I didn't have a date for it. I found the photo on Twitter with this caption:

"Michael and Stevie Wonder visiting Motown Records with the late Esther Gordy Williams, sister of label chief Berry Gordy Jr. Michael says that Motown was the best school!"

I just checked her on Wiki - she was born in 1920. She's looking good in this photo. :)


Love to see Stevie smile. Michael, the shining star, as usual. ❤️ Esther's style is to die for!


Fabulous!


oh, I think this is the one for me. Michael and Stevie holding hands. I mean, sure, it's a practical thing but it's also lovely. Stevie wearing blue. Michael wearing turquoise. oh my!
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Yes. Truly lovely. My favourite photo is the last one, too.

Esther… remarkable lady. And she does indeed look very good in these photos.
 
Agonum said:
Yes. Truly lovely. My favourite photo is the last one, too.

Esther… remarkable lady. And she does indeed look very good in these photos.
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I just posted an obituary for her. I'm sorry to say I knew nothing about her. There's always so much more to learn. I wouldn't have gone looking if you hadn't posted these photos. When I posted that first photo of Michael and Stevie I was a bit fixated on Michael's boots.
 
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