This song was so revolutionary for this land-locked white boy in 1963, small town Michigan. I had ONE 45 RPM record and it was Fingertips Part 1 and Part 2. I awoke one morning to see 9 yr old brother tossing it like a frisbee in the front yard - death would have been to kind for him
This classic was released summer "63 in LA. And it topped the charts along with other Motown greats. 3 months later Kennedy was blown away. 3 months after that the Beatle appeared on Ed Sullivan Show. What an era.
I was there when this was recorded.. "introducing little stevie wonder" Chicago (Motown Revue) In fact he was first because he was unknown and we (the audience) would not let the following act perform. WE WANT STEVIE! WE WANT STEVIE! ..so they brought him back. That's why he says one more time. We continued to do it all thre performances. It was The Motown Revue which included many famous artists including Smokey Robinson
Wow... I bought the single when I was 16 years old from a record shop in Manchester UK, It's on an American label. I'm now 66, I feel blessed that I found it that day ❤❤❤
My God this is a great track. Brilliant harmonica playing still stands up 50 years later. What a debut. He was kicking some ass right from the start. Love you Stevie!!!
Woah, I really didn't know Stevie Wonder was this young when he broke through, shame on me! He is so brave to just go out there on the stage and perform this awesome on such an age.
Saw the Motown show...today,...at 12 years old. At this concert the audience did'nt want to hear the man playing harmonica but, Barry Gordy says, come on give the boy a break..and so on...the rest was history
@mark montgomery Loved the movie...reminds of how I grew up in New Jersey. Yes,it could of been better in some aspects;but, it hit the spot for a lot of us who were young teens in N.J. and New York.
I've heard it once in someone else at 13: Aretha Franklin. Terry Gross interviewed John Hammond who steered Aretha's career before she went to Atlantic. Hammond brought along a tape of Aretha singing "Today I Sing The Blues" at the age of 13 and it was nothing short of being amazing.
When this came out I was 11 years old and living on Bouvier Street in North Philly. It was the hottest thing happening. when Stevie was on American Bandstand, we all stopped playing, outside and went into our houses to see him. It was the first major media event that I really remember. The block was clear and it was the middle of the summer. Motown was brand new and he was their pop answer to Ray Charles
Is this post from Cleveland, OH10's Johnnie Walker, Marcus Pool Esq's buddy? That said, Fingertips Part 2 was an accidental hit, as Fingertips was a featured instrumental track on Wonder's 1st studio album, The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie recorded in 1962. Another lp Wonder's Tribute to Uncle Ray was recorded first, when Stevie was 11 yrs old. However, neither lp generated a hit single. Stevie did a unrehearsed impromptu, encore at the conclusion of his live Motortown Revue set at Chicago's Regal Theatre a year later (encores became habitual for the performer).Wonder's clever impromptu Nursery Rhyme of Mary Had a Little Lamb to conclude the show continued with Wonder encouraging the audience to join in with hand clapping, while the MC requests an appreciation applause to conclude the performance, Stevie is singing his goodbye exit as an encore. The energy and excitement caught the band, unprepared. The band was playing exit music while some band members exited the stage, replacements for the next act were arriving. The new bass player, Joe Swift, (replacing Larry Moses) hits three notes: 1-2-3 while simultaneously shouting: "What key? What key?" Berry Gordy Jr loved it and since the encore lasted long enough for a single '45' (rpm) release Berry Gordy did so and Fingertips Part 1 and Part 2 became Wonder's first hit single (A & B side) and launched his live album to Bilboard # 1 as well. Footnotes: Fingertips is the 1st live recording to hit #1 in the US. Comedian Bill Murray AKA Winehead Willie is MC of the show. Singer Marvin Gaye plays drums on the jazz album version of Fingertips as well as the famous live performance. Most early Motown acts recorded and or sang live w other featured Motown acts. Motown initially released the last 3 mins of Wonder's live Fingertips performance as Fingertips (Pt 2) as the B side of a different performance. Fingertips Pt 2 became the hit and the single was quickly reissued w part 2 as the A side. Stevie Wonder continues to perform his live Fingertips just as he did during his Regal Theatre performance.I know 'cause I was part of the 'young' audience of Motown "The Sound of Young America." Chuck (Charles) Willis, Music Ambassador and Pioneer Music Journalist ('72-'76) Cleveland, OH10's 'Scene' entertainment weekly magazine
@gotch09 BERRY GORDY MADE SURE THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN TO THE PEOPLE AT HITSVILLE, HE WAS VERY SERIOUS ABOUT HIS CRAFT, AND HAD EVERY SAY SO IN EVERY CORNER OF THE BUSINESS, FROM THE COLOR OF THE SHOES THE PERFORMERS WORE TO WHAT LUNCH WAS GOING TO BE IN THE KITCHEN AT HITSVITLLE USA..
if you think this is good.. should check out Charlie McCoy's version of this song.. about 3 times faster.. Took me 3 month of listeningf to work out what he was playing.. and another 3 months to play it.. Steve is an inspirational player.. venturing where few harp players will go.. into Chromatic blues
Wow, I've never heard this version before, only Part 2. It's hard to believe he's only 12 here, he's amazing! Does anyone know where this is live from?
Part 1 is Jazz/ blues and Fingertips Part 2 is SOUL..early R&B...you must remember that Rock N Roll Comes from R&B...so part two sounds like Rock it's because Rock came from R&B...Be bop was in the 1940's..This is not Be-bop...LOL!
@@UglyBarnical58 But that’s why back at the haywood ranch as the only black owned horse trainers in hollywood, we like to say since the moments pictures could move. we had skin in the game. 😏
I remember driving along Central Park West in '63 when I first this song. I stopped the car on the spot and jiggled the tuner handle to get the signal to come in clearer. Couldn't believe how good this was - and I was into Ray Charles' "Mess Around" and Marvin Gaye's "Need A Witness" and thought they were the best. Then, Stevie came along.. and I kept checking stations all the time to catch "Fingertips" again. Those three at that time...what a trinity.
Too bad you could not just Google it and and stream it to your car radio! :) There's no one like these guys today... OK some come close but this music moves you when you dont wanna move! of corse there were others back then who compared but not today!
Thanks for sharing your memories. I'm a big fan of soul music and I'm moved of hearing someone sharing first hand impressions of when these incredible classics were first released
I first heard this on a juke box in Anchorage, Alaska in 1963. I had to jump up to see who we were listening to. I came back to the booth and told my friends, "Remember this name: 'Little Stevie Wonder!' We'll be hearding that name for a long time to come!" For once, I was RIGHT! LOL!
Absolutely the very first Motown record I ever bought in the summer of 1963 when I was 9 (and "Heat Wave" was right on its heels). I still love it every bit as much today and it hasn't lost any freshness, fun or energy. I feel like I owe the entire talented Motown family my perpetual thanks for nothing less than a happy childhood. They supplied plenty of that happiness. And if old age brings deafness, I'll be just as happy to read about the musical miracle Detroit gave all America.
Motown was certainly giving notice that they were a musical force to reckon with from that point on. Berry Gordy, Jr. and his people planned these acts and their hits like a General would plan a military offensive, and they took no prisoners.
I HAVE BEEN READING STEVIE WONDER'S MOTHER'S BOOK "BLIND FAITH", BY LULA HARDWAY, SHE MADE SOME SERIOUS SACRIFICES FOR STEVIE, IT IS AN AWESOME BOOK, YOU WILL NOT PUT IT DOWN.
