Any Thoughts on Stevie Wonder?

I'm a longtime Stevie fan.

How 'bout you?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-05-30 19:00 by bv.

Me too.........................PLAY IT LOUD..........................

[www.youtube.com]

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Yep, Songs in the Key of Life still takes a spin on the turntable on occasion.

I went and saw him recently in Detroit for his Songs in the Key of Life tour. It blew me away! A 22 piece band and him center stage tearing it up on keyboard, harmonica, and vocals. He's lost nothing (gained some weight!). It was literally one of the best shows I have have seen.

A great artist, songwriter. All In Love Is Fair and Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away are two of my all time fave songs, followed closely by Boogie On Reggae Woman and You Haven't Done Nothin' (which could be about today).

He was good...but what's he produced in the last 30 years or so of any significance?

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jlowe
He was good...but what's he produced in the last 30 years or so of any significance?

Nothing, but that's not unusual. Most artists have a relatively brief period of peak creativity. Stevie peaked a little earlier than most because he got started earlier than most. He was only 15 when he did "Uptight (Everything's Alright)." That song defines the mid-60s as much if not more than "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." It would have been considered the zenith of almost anyone else's career, but Little Stevie was only getting started.

Here's that ragged old clip, but an incredibly hot concert experience!
Stevie w Stones in '72. lots of horns, lots of excitement. Unforgettable. probably MSG. I think Stevie's 21 years old at this time, about 6 years younger than Mick.
Stevie's awesome career can't be summed up in any one clip or performance from any era but I love this.
[www.youtube.com]
Here's the same performance with no footage but pretty excellent audio!!
[www.youtube.com]
My thoughts on Stevie generally? A truly great writer/musician/spirit since he was performing Fingertips at age 12 (circa 63) and onward to this day.
drums, harmonica, keys, vocals that are pure and soulful. A true Great.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-12-08 01:17 by hopkins.

No, not until you mentioned his name.

He made me dance a few times come to think of it. That was fun.

Edit: Uptight/Satisfaction 1972 was fantastic!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-05-29 03:18 by RipThisBone.

I saw him at MSG as the Stones opening act in 1972. Great! For some reason I remember the Stones calling him a prick when he was on that tour. Not sure why, they had issues with each other?

There was a certain amount of disorganization behind the scenes on that tour,
their biggest tour to date in the US.

Stevie and his band had a pre-booked one night show and the Stones' people knew
about it but...forgot. Lotta forgotten stuff when you're...high.

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stonesrule
Lotta forgotten stuff when you're...high.

Heck stonesrule, I forget stuff all the time and I'm never high, unless you count the occasional glass of wine...or two or three.

Hope you're well these days and enjoying a glass or two yourself.

4-26-73 Rolling Stone Magazine Interview (excerpt)

Q: After The Stones tour, there was a story in a magazine where the Stones — Keith Richards — was yelling about you, calling you a "@#$%&" when you couldn't make a gig because of your drummer. There were claims that you'd been partying instead of working.

SW: If Keith did say that, he's just childish, because I love people too much to just want to @#$%& up and miss a show. And it's crazy, the things he said, if they were said — and if he did not say them, he should clarify them, because I will always hold this against him; I can't really face him, I'd feel funny in his presence.

Q: Was Keith pretty friendly throughout the tour?

SW: I had mixed emotions about where he was comin' from, you know, so I wouldn't be surprised if he said it, but I'm really not too surprised about anybody saying anything about anything. What really bugged me about the whole thing was that our drummer was in a very bad situation, mentally and spiritually, and that's why he left. What climaxed the whole thing was, we got into an argument. I told him he was rushing the tempo — this was in Fort Worth, Texas — and he said, "I tell you what: You know how to play harmonica, you take the mike, you sing, and play drums and all that shit at the same time, 'cause I quit," and he split. I called up the Stones and said, "Look, man, our drummer left, and we might not be able to make the gig, so we'll try to make the second one but we won't be able to make the first show." And they said "OK, that'll be cool." The next thing, I saw the Stones and they heard the new drummer and said, "Oh, out of sight!" Then the next thing was I read all this shit.

I truly love Stevie.
But lately his live performances have been a little chatty.

[www.sfgate.com]

I've recently seen a picture of a smiling Keith with his arm around Stevie in December of '79, so I guess that squabble was over by then. It was taken in NYC's Xenon Club. I Tried to post the pic here but couldn't do it. Keith is smiling and it doesn't look like Stevie is...but who can guess what Stevie was feeling at the time with any authority?

AND....This is Mick mentioning Stevie in '75:

"If we went to Russia, I'd like to go with Stevie Wonder, you know, and a whole bunch of people, not just the Rolling Stones. We'd like a week in Moscow, and we'd take everything: all the techniques we've learned, all the lights, everything we've learned about different types of music. And we'd just show them what we've done and if they don't like it, too bad... Those countries I'm not just thinking about for the Stones but for the whole... music of now, which in some sense we can help... It's very difficult. You get into politics as soon as you start wanting to go to, say, Indonesia. It's a problem because the governments are so volatile and they can change. They relate to us much more as a part of American culture, we might as well be Americans. They don't see the difference, we're just white Anglo-Saxons in Brazil or Peru."

quoted from timeisonourside

Brilliant, just Brilliant.

His decline in the 80's is as spectacular as the genius he displayed in the 60's and 70's.
"Part Time Lover" from someone who gave us "Superstition".., WTF?

And you know an artist is in trouble when his best effort is on someone's else record ; the best thing Wonder did in the 80's is the harmonica solo on "There Must Be An Angel" by Eurythmics...

Stevie grew up and took on a lot of responsibility for his family, his children. But NEVER count him out. Music means so much to him.

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tatters

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jlowe
He was good...but what's he produced in the last 30 years or so of any significance?

He was only 15 when he did "Uptight (Everything's Alright)." That song defines the mid-60s as much if not more than "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." .

Complete hyperbole.

I got 'Songs in the key of life' when everyone was talking about it, but don't remember liking it much.

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dcba
His decline in the 80's is as spectacular as the genius he displayed in the 60's and 70's.
"Part Time Lover" from someone who gave us "Superstition".., WTF?

And you know an artist is in trouble when his best effort is on someone's else record ; the best thing Wonder did in the 80's is the harmonica solo on "There Must Be An Angel" by Eurythmics...

The first sentence could also be said for Mick Jagger and/or the Stones - "Let's Work" or "Mixed Emotions" from someone who gave us "Satisfaction" and "Gimme Shelter"?!!!
As for the second part, I believe Stevie also played harmonica on Sting's Brand New Day. Generally speaking I don't like Sting , but that song is ok.
And The Jungle Fever soundtrack from 1991 was not too bad imo, but for the most part he kind of lost his way as far as memorable studio recordings are concerned.

*I remember my Grandmother used to really like "I Just Called to Say I Love you" in '84.

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-05-29 18:48 by Hairball.

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spikenyc
I truly love Stevie.
But lately his live performances have been a little chatty.

[www.sfgate.com]

Lately? The guy could never shut up, and usually about race issues.

When the creativity dries up, I can't see any problem in taking on songs, either standards or new compositions by newer writers.He can put his own interpretation on them. Who cares if Tony Bennett, Elvis, Frank Sinatra etc didnt write their own material,its the performance that counts.
Heck, Stevie is a great vocalist..that talent didn't suddenly go 30 years ago.

One of the best shows I have seen. Nothing could beat seeing Stevie in Detroit at Joe Louis Arena. A massive snowstorm was walloping Michigan. Yet, thousands gathered to see this Motown legend lay down some the heaviest funk the city has seen since the 70s. He played over three hours. Yes, he had an interlude where he became the House DJ. But, it worked! Detroit was dancing in the streets. He was playing classics, snippets and got the entire house rocking. It was interesting to see a concert become a DJ party. But then after about 10 minutes, he sat down and blasted out Superstitious, a full on funk epic. And the man has a conscience and will speak truth and shine the light on racism in our country. He earned that right to preach what his music has for so long. A fantastic show full of passion, beauty, and love. See him while you can. I have some friends who just saw the Bottlerock show and said it was fantastic.

Quote
tatters

Quote
jlowe
He was good...but what's he produced in the last 30 years or so of any significance?

Nothing, but that's not unusual. Most artists have a relatively brief period of peak creativity. Stevie peaked a little earlier than most because he got started earlier than most. He was only 15 when he did "Uptight (Everything's Alright)." That song defines the mid-60s as much if not more than "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." It would have been considered the zenith of almost anyone else's career, but Little Stevie was only getting started.

Some would say that about the Stones post 81.... Aretha post that 67-72 peak, same thing.
The man is one of the greats. You can chart his creative growth so distinctly - the begnnings as a phenom, then great pop like Place in the Sun, finding his groove in songs like Uptight and I Was Made To Love Her, great pure pop-soul songs like My Cherie Amour and like If Your Really Love Me, and those more experimental, jazzy-spacey-electronic sounds in Superwoman, and then BOOM....the iconic soul in Talking Book, and the emerging political consciousness of Innervisions and Fullingness etc....then he went and did Songs in the Key of Life and Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants....that's not a bad trajectory. Every step of the way, he pushed the boundaries of instrumentation and sounds. While I Just Called TO Say I Love You is one of my least favorite songs of the 80s, so what?
He's one of what I call The Gods.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-05-30 05:55 by stupidguy2.

Legend.

Mick in Musician complained how Stevie had taken five years to do his—then— last album and Mick thought, "Couldn't he do this every year?" I wish Mick would now take his own advice with the Stones!

Can't stick him.

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Title5Take1
Mick in Musician complained how Stevie had taken five years to do his—then— last album and Mick thought, "Couldn't he do this every year?" I wish Mick would now take his own advice with the Stones!

Do what?

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