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Stevie Wonder

Agonum said:
I think it’s from his visit to the Sega headquarters in Tokyo.

MJ-03.jpg


Edit: Yes, that must be it:
MJ-11.jpg


2nd edit: Some information at the following link. Interesting stuff! https://mdshock.com/2022/05/03/michael-jackson-visits-sega-in-japan-december-1996/

3rd edit: As I said, the Hitsville visit ought to be August 5, 1998.
Click to expand...
Cheers for that. Ace bit of detective work. :)
 
How the rage of Stevie Wonder's 'You Haven't Done Nothin' helped shape the politics of hip-hop
By Jeremy Helligar - 19 Feb 2021

"The then-24-year-old Wonder, though, did what few other superstars of the era had been willing – or interested – in doing in a single aimed at the top of the charts. He didn’t just criticize the system in this anti-establishment protest song; he raged against the machine and thoroughly annihilated it. “And we are sick and tired of hearing your song/ Tellin’ how you are gonna change right from wrong/ ‘Cause if you really want to hear our views/ You haven’t done nothin’,” he sang on the year’s most bracing chorus. “Seasons in the Sun,” this was not.

[...] It’s impossible to overstate how revolutionary this was at the time. Wonder wasn’t just painting a portrait of a world on fire, as he had done in 1973’s “Living for the City” or as Marvin Gaye had done in “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler).” He wasn’t selling hope and unity the way Sly and the Family Stone had done in “Everyday People” or the way The O’Jays had done in “Love Train.” He was smashing the system, directly calling out political leaders for screwing things up. Though the song wasn’t overtly racial, it represented Black pride and righteous indignation in a three-and-a-half-minute sermon. It was Wonder’s “Richard Nixon doesn’t care about Black people” moment.

Although Wonder had already made the move to more socially conscious music by 1974, “Nothin’” still represented a sharp departure from his previous work. Straddling rock, soul, funk, pop and even doo-wop, it sounded like nothing else that was riding so high on the charts. Yet despite its explosive themes and music, the political grenade had an undeniable pop sensibility that was enhanced by the presence of The Jackson 5 on backing vocals. (Michael Jackson, who was 15 when it was recorded, brought his tutor to the recording session.)"

variety.com

How the Rage of Stevie Wonder’s ‘You Haven’t Done Nothin’’ Helped Shape the Politics of Hip-Hop

Stevie Wonder’s Nixon-slamming 1974 song “You Haven’t Done Nothin’" was a brutally honest anthem that helped shape the politics of hip-hop.
variety.com variety.com

@Agonum - see that bit at the end? About Michael bringing his tutor to the recording session? I wonder if that was Rose Fine.
 
www.stereogum.com

The Number Ones: Stevie Wonder’s “You Haven’t Done Nothin'”

In The Number Ones, I’m reviewing every single #1 single in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, starting with the chart’s beginning, in 1958, and working my way up into the present. *** Stevie Wonder – “You Haven’t Done Nothin'” HIT #1: November 2, 1974 STAYED AT #1: 1 week Stevie Wonder...
www.stereogum.com www.stereogum.com

"A year before “You Haven’t Done Nothin,'” Stevie Wonder had released Innervisions, one of the many masterpieces that came out during Wonder’s mind-boggling ’70s run. Three days after that album came out, Wonder was touring through the Carolinas when he was almost killed in a car accident. A log-hauling truck had stopped suddenly, and the car that Wonder had been riding in rear-ended it. Logs fell off the truck and smashed through the windshield of Wonder’s car. He was in a coma for nearly a week, and he ended up losing much of his sense of smell. But it didn’t slow Wonder down. Less than a year after Innervisions, Wonder released Fulfillingness’ First Finale, yet another masterpiece. “You Haven’t Done Nothin'” was the first of the album’s two singles.

[...] As he did on so many songs from this era, Wonder played most of the instruments on “You Haven’t Done Nothin’.” Wonder plays drums, and he also weaves a full quilt of clavinet sounds, creating a gurgling, shifting landscape that feels a whole lot bigger than a simple riff. And he does some mad studio science, doing everything possible to make the song into something weird and futuristic.

A lot of the weird experiments that Wonder did on “You Haven’t Done Nothin'” would, years later, become standard things in pop music. Wonder uses a rickety drum machine, an invention that had only appeared on a few #1 singles before that. He also embraces the synthesizer. It’s not just the clavinet; Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil also play synths on the song. And the song features something else that’s pretty regular now: The guest-superstar cameo. The Jackson 5 did the background vocals on “You Haven’t Done Nothin’,” and Wonder introduces them with panache: “Jackson 5, join along with me!”
 
Stevie Wonder / I Can Only Be Me

Written by Stevie, it was originally featured on the soundtrack of School Daze (1988), with Keith John on lead vocals; Stevie on all instruments.
 
zinniabooklover said:
How the rage of Stevie Wonder's 'You Haven't Done Nothin' helped shape the politics of hip-hop
By Jeremy Helligar - 19 Feb 2021

"The then-24-year-old Wonder, though, did what few other superstars of the era had been willing – or interested – in doing in a single aimed at the top of the charts. He didn’t just criticize the system in this anti-establishment protest song; he raged against the machine and thoroughly annihilated it. “And we are sick and tired of hearing your song/ Tellin’ how you are gonna change right from wrong/ ‘Cause if you really want to hear our views/ You haven’t done nothin’,” he sang on the year’s most bracing chorus. “Seasons in the Sun,” this was not.

[...] It’s impossible to overstate how revolutionary this was at the time. Wonder wasn’t just painting a portrait of a world on fire, as he had done in 1973’s “Living for the City” or as Marvin Gaye had done in “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler).” He wasn’t selling hope and unity the way Sly and the Family Stone had done in “Everyday People” or the way The O’Jays had done in “Love Train.” He was smashing the system, directly calling out political leaders for screwing things up. Though the song wasn’t overtly racial, it represented Black pride and righteous indignation in a three-and-a-half-minute sermon. It was Wonder’s “Richard Nixon doesn’t care about Black people” moment.

Although Wonder had already made the move to more socially conscious music by 1974, “Nothin’” still represented a sharp departure from his previous work. Straddling rock, soul, funk, pop and even doo-wop, it sounded like nothing else that was riding so high on the charts. Yet despite its explosive themes and music, the political grenade had an undeniable pop sensibility that was enhanced by the presence of The Jackson 5 on backing vocals. (Michael Jackson, who was 15 when it was recorded, brought his tutor to the recording session.)"

variety.com

How the Rage of Stevie Wonder’s ‘You Haven’t Done Nothin’’ Helped Shape the Politics of Hip-Hop

Stevie Wonder’s Nixon-slamming 1974 song “You Haven’t Done Nothin’" was a brutally honest anthem that helped shape the politics of hip-hop.
variety.com variety.com

@Agonum - see that bit at the end? About Michael bringing his tutor to the recording session? I wonder if that was Rose Fine.
Click to expand...
Wow. I wonder if that could have been Rose! I tried my best to Google for more information on the recording sessions, but couldn’t find anything. Just think how cool it would be if there were photos from it!
 
zinniabooklover said:
Yeah. That one you used is 'disguised face'. I figured you did that bc I mentioned your ace detective work, lol.
Click to expand...
Oops… I better stop using them without second thought, then!

The reason I picked that particular one as a response to you above, was because I felt it looked like a vintage detective kind of guy! 😅
 
Agonum said:
Wow. I wonder if that could have been Rose!
Click to expand...
Exactly my thought! I can imagine him asking her along and I'm sure she would have been interested to be there but I'd love to know for sure.

Agonum said:
I tried my best to Google for more information on the recording sessions, but couldn’t find anything.
Click to expand...
I didn't even think of doing that.

Agonum said:
Just think how cool it would be if there were photos from it!
Click to expand...
I KNOW!!! I want those photos. I bet there are some. I wanna see them!
 
Agonum said:
Oops… I better stop using them without second thought, then!

The reason I picked that particular one as a response to you above, was because I felt it looked like a vintage detective kind of guy! 😅
Click to expand...
If I'm looking for something in particular I'll hold the cursor over the image to see what it's supposed to be. Not always useful but sometimes it works.

😣 Just a random example. This is supposed to be a 'persevering' face. 🤷‍♀️
 
zinniabooklover said:
If I'm looking for something in particular I'll hold the cursor over the image to see what it's supposed to be. Not always useful but sometimes it works.

😣 Just a random example. This is supposed to be a 'persevering' face. 🤷‍♀️
Click to expand...
That face is despondent!

Good idea with the hovering.
 
Absolutely - I love me some Stevie.

The 70s answer to Prince, reinvented himself with every album, complete musician, composer, performer and svengali.
Songs in the Key of Life is a Top 20 album for me, its amongst the best made, plus he was pretty close with MJ. I really like "Just Good Friends" - "Get It" not so good though. And like all geniuses, Stevie had a few stinkers too.

The gems outweigh that though, Sunshine of my life, As, Lately, Happy Birthday, isn't she lovely, Overjoyed, I ain't gonna stand for it, Send one your love, the list goes on.

One of his best songs was a duet with Syreeta called "Harmour love" it was off a 1974 album of hers, which features Stevie doing the harmony vocals and the organs - wow - its like musical sex! I heard of it through an old ass set of CDs called Hitsville vol 1 and 2 which was a Motown collection on 8cds - probably the best one made!
 
mjprince1976 said:
Absolutely - I love me some Stevie.

The 70s answer to Prince, reinvented himself with every album, complete musician, composer, performer and svengali.
Songs in the Key of Life is a Top 20 album for me, its amongst the best made, plus he was pretty close with MJ. I really like "Just Good Friends" - "Get It" not so good though. And like all geniuses, Stevie had a few stinkers too.

The gems outweigh that though, Sunshine of my life, As, Lately, Happy Birthday, isn't she lovely, Overjoyed, I ain't gonna stand for it, Send one your love, the list goes on.

One of his best songs was a duet with Syreeta called "Harmour love" it was off a 1974 album of hers, which features Stevie doing the harmony vocals and the organs - wow - its like musical sex! I heard of it through an old ass set of CDs called Hitsville vol 1 and 2 which was a Motown collection on 8cds - probably the best one made!
Click to expand...
Yes, Harmour Love is ace!
 
Wasn't a new album planned? It has been a long time since the last one in 2005.
Can't Put It in the Hands of Fate and Where Is Our Love are from 2020. I had hope, they were the first singles.
 
Coming up on BBC Radio 4 - Saturday 23 December 2023

Stevie's Inner Visions​

"Fifty years ago, Stevie Wonder released his finest masterpiece in a career full of them. Innervisions is regularly voted as one of the top ten LPs of all time, of any genre. Three days after its release, Stevie - still just 23 years old - was on the promo tour in California. He sat in the passenger seat of a rental car listening to his new record on headphones when he drifted asleep. Suddenly the automobile collided with a truck, plunging Stevie into a coma for several days.

This is the story of the day we almost lost Stevie, just at the moment when America – and the world - needed him most. It's also the account of how that iconic body of work, Innervisions, bridged Stevie’s transition from young star to voice of the people, cementing his place as one the greatest musicians of all time.

This Archive On 4 is told through Stevie’s own words from the BBC vaults. It also features new interviews with musicians Corinne Bailey Rae, Jacob Collier, and Fred Hersch, as well as members of Stevie’s Wonderlove band and crew, including Ira Tucker Jr, who spent days trying to bring his close friend back to consciousness."



www.bbc.co.uk

BBC Radio 4 - Archive on 4, Stevie's Inner Visions

How a car crash nearly made Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions his last creative breath.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
 
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