Stevie was called the 7th Wonder of the World for a reason. The fact that he was blind from birth made him a musical genius. I played Ribbons In The Sky at my wedding. It is a great Stevie Wonder song.
Stevie Wonder: * My Cherie Amore/ * Living For The City/ * Superstitions/ * Isn't She lovely. /*Signed, Sealed and Delivered/ * Part-time Lover........and many more. Referencing several jazz artists in this recording, check out: Louis Armstrong : *What A Wonderful World ( video live) Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald: * Summertime Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby: *Now you Has Jazz ( video from the movie, High Society) Duke Ellington was a jazz musician ( piano) and had his own band. This is probably Stevie's best album. Every song is a hit! I like how you take the time at the beginning of each reaction to get some info on the artist and song. It's refreshing to know you're not going in completely uninformed.👍
This has to be one of the most joyous songs ever written and recorded. And that slide whistle at the end of the second verse always brings a huge smile to my face.
Definitely on the "music to smile by" list. One song doesn't have anything to do with the other (beyond that they're both on my good mood music list), but also try Van Morrison, "Jackie Wilson said".
Must do, Higher Ground I wish Living for the City( extended version) Stevie has such an extensive catalogue. One of the most iconic performers, songwriters, musicians, humanitarian, of my generation, before and after
I remember when Songs In The Key of Life received multiple Grammy, including album of the year. It is one of the best albums ever. Stevie Wonder never disappoints. He has been performing since he was 11 years old. He really is a national treasure. Thanks for your great reaction. 👏👏🇨🇦
Little Stevie Wonder started young and had his first #1 hit at 12 years old called "Fingertips". It has a Part 1 and Part 2. Both can be found here on RU-vid. Stevie Wonder is a multi-instrumentalist who writes and produces songs for himself and others. He plays the piano, synthesizer, chromatic harmonica, congas, drums, bongos, organ, melodica and Clavinet. He mastered the keyboard, bass, drums and harmonica before he was a teenager. I have been a fan since the 60's!
In 1961 when Stevie Wonder was 11 years old Berry Gordy sign him to Motown Tamla Records and they changed his name to Little Stevie Wonder. His first hit with Motown was Fingertips. The first time he met Smokey Robinson, Smokey introduced himself and welcomed Stevie to Motown. He said to Stevie I hear you're a good singer and Stevie Wonder told him "yeah I'm better than you" in all seriousness. What would you expect from an 11 year old, right? Smokey Robinson just kind of laughed it off realizing that he was a young boy and young people speak their mind. He was probably right though. At that age already he could play several instruments and he had a set of pipes. He was Motown's Golden Boy for many decades
I remember putting this album on, sitting on the floor, reading the lyrics that were inside the cover, and listening to the whole thing at once in amazement.
Stevie has more soul in his little finger than other artists. If you notice almost no one covers Stevies songs because you can't improve on perfection!
Music about loving music. This might be my favorite Stevie song. Another of my favorites is "Living For The City". If you do it, you have to do the longer album version. It's so much better than the radio edit.
Hands down my favorite song from Stevie because it it so upbeat and oh so true. Music is the soul of the universe and I listen to it every day because it makes me so happy.
At the time of this release, synthesizers were being invented & newly used in music, SW was a big part of that. A major music critic complained about the new 'fake electronic trumpets' at the start of this song, ruining a perfectly good song. SW replied: the dozen trumpeters that spent months getting the opening 'just right', have invited the music critic to their baseball game. I'm pretty sure it was baseball. I know they all had bats.
He had a run of four albums in the ;70s, from Talking Book to Songs in the Key of Life, that is one of the most amazing streaks in pop music. Any one of those albums would be a crowning achievement in music, he had four in a row.
I remember watching the Grammy awards back in the mid 70’s when Paul Simon won album of the year. He began his acceptance speech by thanking Stevie Wonder for not releasing an album that year.
GREAT song!!! Always one of my favorites by Stevie. FYI - it's the Count Basie (pronounced Bay-see) Orchestra that's known as 'the greatest band in the land.' With good reason, too. If you ever allow yourself the pleasure of jazz music, it's a group you'll love. To ease you into it, I'd say listen to Frank Sinatra sing Fly Me To The Moon backed by the Basie band. The song is from one of the best LPs in music history - It Might As Well Be Swing - a 1964 studio album by Frank Sinatra, accompanied by Count Basie and his orchestra. The recording of Fly Me to the Moon which appears on this album has become one of Sinatra's most popular. You'll LOVE the song, & as well as the entire LP. I do hope you'll give yourself that chance!!!
He's definitely a world treasure, for me, right up there with Van Morrison and U2. So glad you're following up with him, he has tons of great great music!
Wonderful video for one of my favorite songs! Can’t not smile while listening 😀Perhaps check out some Louie Armstrong, Glen Miller, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and amazing Ella Fitzgerald! All fantastic icons of music honored by Stevie. Keep the music playing!
I was a senior in high school when this came out - it was (and IS) such a happy happy song!! It has that really cool back in the day (as in the 20's, 30's and 40's) dance club sound. Yet, it STILL sounds so fresh and fun!! You can't help but smile when you hear this song.
We call so many artists geniuses but the term really applies to Stevie - he ruled the 70s and has a fantastic legacy . His slow songs are also beautiful
LOVE this song and the best memory of it was when three of us went to Nag's Head, NC to go surfing and one guy, Buddy, caught a fair ride and he sang "You can feel it all O-o-over!!!" We just lost our minds laughing and this has always been a wonderfully joyous piece that paid homage to the greats that came before Stevie Wonder. EXCELLENT!!!
Sir Duke - Isn't that song lovely? You should also check out Stevie Wonder's song "Isn't She Lovely?" - which I think is about a newborn daughter - maybe his own or something like that. Very cheerful and rolling song.
Thanks so much, Salvo -- Stevie is such a genius... I love this, and it's in my "top three" for sure.. they others (if you care to know) are "I wish" and "Superstition".... appreciate your reactions...
Memories of driving around during high school listening to this on the 8-track in my car, The shear variety of styles in this amazing album is something to further explore with future reactions!
There was so much excitement about this album coming out and how great it would be. We had so many great albums in the seventies. This is definitely near or at the top. You’ve played songs from several of these albums.
I learned this on the trumpet in jazz band in high school. And later it became popular for marching bands to play at halftime during football games. But once you learn that riff it is so so so satisfying to just let it rip. So fun. Check out one of his earlier hits that was on the radio constantly when I was in grade school and I loved it from the first time I ever heard it, Boogie on Reggae Woman. It's so funky and also really quirky at the same time and it's just so much fun.
This is one of my favourite tunes, I spin that vinyl single a lot. There is a superb live version with the amazing musicians doin their best for Stevie. Also the message is so needed again now.
I was 15 when a buddy called to say he'd gotten this album (LP, of course--double set!). Rode my bike straight to his house and we listened to it in his basement, three or four times straight through, his mom yelling down the stairs for us to turn it down throughout.
Songs in the key of life is one of the best albums ever produced, full of tracks that you will love reacting to I'm sure, lots of stuff you won't be able to keep still to As, Past Time paradise, I Wish and on a deeper laid back note, Village Ghetto Land is a real tear jerker. Loving your reaction style man.
I remember buying “Songs in the Key of Life” in an M Street record store in Georgetown when it was first released. One of the all-time greatest albums.
