Songs in the Key of Life
Encyclopedia
Songs in the Key of Life is the 13th album by American recording artist Stevie Wonder
, released September 28, 1976, on Motown Records
. It was the culmination of his "classic period" albums. An ambitious double LP with a 4-song bonus EP
, Songs in the Key of Life became among the best-selling and most critically acclaimed albums of his career. In 2003, the album was ranked number 56 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
.
but worldwide. Within a short space of time, the albums Talking Book
, Innervisions
and Fulfillingness' First Finale
were all back-to-back top five successes, with the latter two winning Grammy Award for Album of the Year
, in 1974 and 1975 respectively. By the end of 1975, Stevie Wonder
became serious about quitting the music industry and to emigrate to Ghana
working with handicapped children. Wonder had expressed his anger with the way that the United States
Government
was running the country.
A farewell concert was being considered as the best way to bring down the curtain on his career. Wonder changed his decision, when he signed a new contract with Motown on August 5, 1975, thinking he was better off making the most of his career. At the time, rivals such as Arista
and Epic
were also interested in him. The contract was laid out as a seven-year, seven LP, $37 million deal and gave him full artistic control, making this the largest deal ever made with a recording star up to that point. Almost at the beginning Stevie took a year off from the music market, with a project for a double album to be released in 1976. There was huge anticipation for the new album which was initially scheduled for release around October 1975. It was delayed on short notice when Wonder felt that further remixing was essential. According to Stevie Wonder, the marketing campaign at Motown decided to take advantage of the delay by producing "We're almost finished" t-shirts.
Work on the new album continued into early 1976. A name was finally chosen for the album: Songs in the Key of Life. The title would represent the formula of a complex "key of life" and the proposals for indefinite success. The album was finally released on September 28, 1976 after a two year wait as a double LP album with a four track seven-inch EP entitled A Something's Extra ("Saturn", "Ebony Eyes", "All Day Sucker" and "Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)") and a 24-page lyric and credit booklet.
and Sausalito in California
; and The Hit Factory
in New York City
. Sessions on the latter were particularly memorable, as Songs in the Key of Life was the first album to be actually recorded at The Hit Factory, with Stevie Wonder becoming the first main client of Edward Germano, the studio's owner. Wonder initially booked a three-day session with Germano and ended up working there for nine months. As a perfectionist, Wonder spent long hours in the studio for almost every track he recorded. He was "not eating or sleeping, while everyone around him struggled to keep up". According to himself, "If my flow is goin', I keep on until I peak".
A total of 130 people worked on the album, but Wonder's preeminence during the album was evident. Among the people present during the sessions, there were legendary figures of R&B, soul and jazz music – Herbie Hancock
played Fender Rhodes on "As", George Benson
played electric guitar on "Another Star", and Minnie Riperton
and Deniece Williams
added backing vocals on "Ordinary Pain". Mike Sembello was a prominent personality throughout the album, playing guitar in several tracks and also co-writing "Saturn" with Wonder. Some of the most socially-conscious songs of the album were actually written by Wonder with other people – these included "Village Ghetto Land" and "Black Man" (co-written with Gary Byrd) "Pasttime Paradise" were co-written with Ronald Simmons ( He sent Wonder a poem in 1974 entitled "The A-tions of the World") and "Have a Talk With God" (co-written with Calvin Hardaway).
on October 8, 1976, becoming only the third album in history to achieve that feat and the first by an American artist (after British singer/composer Elton John
's Captain Fantastic
and Rock of the Westies
in 1975). In Canada
, the album achieved the same feat, entering at #1 on the RPM
national albums chart on October 16. Songs in the Key of Life spent thirteen consecutive weeks at number one in the U.S., eleven during 1976. It was the album with the most weeks at number one during the year. In those eleven weeks, Songs in the Key of Life managed to block four other albums from reaching the top – in order, Boz Scaggs
's Silk Degrees
, Earth, Wind & Fire
's Spirit
, Led Zeppelin
's soundtrack
for The Song Remains the Same
and Rod Stewart
's A Night on the Town. On January 15, 1977, the album finally dropped to number two behind Eagles' Hotel California
and the following week it fell to number four. On January 29 it returned to the top for a fourteenth and final week. The album then began its final fall. It spent a total of thirty-five weeks inside the Top Ten and eighty weeks on the Billboard albums chart. Songs In the Key of Life also saw longevity at number-one on the Billboard R&B/Black Albums chart, spending twenty nonconsecutive weeks there.
In all, Songs in the Key of Life became the second best-selling album of 1977 in the U.S., only behind Fleetwood Mac
's blockbuster Rumours
, and it was certified as a Diamond album by the RIAA, for sales of ten million copies in the U.S. alone. It was the highest selling R&B/Soul album on the Billboard Year-End
chart that same year.
Songs in the Key of Life was also the most successful Stevie Wonder project in terms of singles. The lead-off, the upbeat "I Wish
" was released in November 1976, over a month after the album was released. On January 15, 1977 it reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart, where it spent five weeks at the top. Seven days after, it also reached the summit of the Billboard Hot 100
, although it spent only one week at number one. The track became an international Top 10 single, and also reached number five in the UK. "I Wish" became one of Stevie Wonder's standards and remained one of his most sampled songs. In 1999, Will Smith
used "I Wish" as the base for his U.S. number one single "Wild Wild West". The song repeated the main melody of "I Wish" as a riff and some lyrics re-formed. The follow-up, the jazzy "Sir Duke
" surpassed the commercial success of "I Wish". It was released on March 1977 and also reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 (spending three weeks at the top starting on May 21) and the R&B Charts (for one week starting on May 28). It also reached number two in the UK, where it was kept off the top spot by the song "Free
" by Deniece Williams
' who had provided backing vocals on the album.
As sales for the album began to decline during the second half of 1977, the two other singles from Songs in the Key of Life failed to achieve the commercial success of "I Wish" and "Sir Duke". "Another Star
" was released in August and reached only #32 on the Hot 100 (#18 on the R&B charts, and #29 in the UK) and "As
" came out two months later, peaking at #36 on both the Pop and R&B Charts. Though not released as a single (because, even when Motown requested Wonder to release it, Stevie refused to), "Isn't She Lovely
" received wide airplay and became one of Wonder's more popular songs. It was soon released by David Parton
as a single in 1977 and became a Top 10 hit in the UK.
for a press preview of the album. Stevie received everybody, autographed copies of the album and gave interviews. Critical reception was positive. The album was viewed as a guided tour through a wide range of musical styles as well as the life and feelings of the artist. It included recollections of childhood, of first love and lost love. It contained songs about faith and love among all peoples and songs about social justice for the poor and downtrodden.
On February 19, 1977, Wonder was nominated for seven Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year
, an award that he had already won twice, in 1974 and 1975, for Innervisions and Fulfilligness' First Finale. Since 1973, Stevie's presence at the Grammy ceremonies had been consistent – he attended most of the ceremonies and also used to perform on stage. But in 1976, he did not attend as he was not nominated for any awards (as he had not released any new material during the past year). Paul Simon
, who received the Grammy for Album of the Year in that occasion (for Still Crazy After All These Years
) jokingly thanked Stevie "for not releasing an album" that year. A year after, Wonder was nominated for Songs in the Key of Life in that same category, and was widely favored by many critics to take the award. The other nominees were Breezin'
by George Benson
, Chicago X
by Chicago
, Silk Degrees
by Boz Scaggs
, and the other favourite, Peter Frampton
's Frampton Comes Alive!
, which was also a huge critical and commercial success. Wonder was again absent from the ceremony, as he had developed an interest in visiting Africa
. In February he traveled to Nigeria
for two weeks, primarily to explore his musical heritage, as he put it. A satellite hook-up was arranged so that Stevie could be awarded his Grammys from across the sea. Bette Midler
announced the results during the ceremony, and the audience was only able to see Stevie at a phone smiling and giving thanks. The video signal was poor and the audio inaudible. Andy Williams
went on to make a public blunder when he asked, "Stevie, can you see us?" In all, Wonder won four out of seven nominations at the Grammys: Album of the Year, Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Best Male Rhythm and Blues Performer, and Producer of the Year.
history. It was voted as the best album of the year in The Village Voice
s annual Pazz & Jop
critics poll; in 2001 the TV network VH1
named it the seventh greatest album of all time; in 2003, the album was ranked number 56 on Rolling Stone
Magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
.
Many musicians have also remarked on the quality of the album and its influence on their own work. For example, Elton John
said, in his notes for Stevie Wonder on the 2003 Rolling Stones list of "The Immortals - The Greatest Artists of All Time" (in which Wonder was ranked number 15): "Let me put it this way: wherever I go in the world, I always take a copy of Songs in the Key of Life. For me, it's the best album ever made, and I'm always left in awe after I listen to it." In an interview with Ebony
magazine, Michael Jackson
stated Songs in the Key of Life is his favorite Stevie Wonder album. George Michael
cited the album as his favourite of all time and with Mary J. Blige
covered the track As
for a 1999 hit single. R&B singers in particular have praised the album – Mariah Carey
generally names the album as one of her favourites, and Whitney Houston
also remarked on the influence of Songs in the Key of Life on her singing. (During the photoshoot for her Whitney: The Greatest Hits
, as its seen on its respective home video
, the album was played throughout the photo sessions at Houston's request.) The album's tracks have provided numerous samples
for rap and hip-hop artists; for example, "Pastime Paradise," which itself drew on the first eight notes
and four chords
of J.S. Bach's Prelude No. 2 in C minor (BWV 847), was reworked by Coolio
as "Gangsta's Paradise
". In 1995, smooth jazz
artist Najee
recorded a cover album titled Najee Plays Songs from the Key of Life, which is based entirely on Wonder's album.
In September 2008, the album was voted the "Top Album of All Time" by the Yahoo!
Music Playlist Blog, using a formula that combined 4 parameters - "Album Staying Power Value + Sales Value + Critical Rating Value + Grammy Award Value".
Original 1976 vinyl release
Side one
Side two
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, released September 28, 1976, on Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
. It was the culmination of his "classic period" albums. An ambitious double LP with a 4-song bonus EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Songs in the Key of Life became among the best-selling and most critically acclaimed albums of his career. In 2003, the album was ranked number 56 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
.
Background
By 1976, Stevie Wonder had become one of the most popular figures in R&B and pop music, not only in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
but worldwide. Within a short space of time, the albums Talking Book
Talking Book
Talking Book is the fifteenth album by Stevie Wonder, released on October 28, 1972. A signal recording of his "classic period", in this one he "hit his stride"...
, Innervisions
Innervisions
Innervisions is the sixteenth album by American musician Stevie Wonder, released August 3, 1973 on Motown Records; a landmark recording of his "classic period"...
and Fulfillingness' First Finale
Fulfillingness' First Finale
-Side One:#"Smile Please" – 3:28#*Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, Fender Rhodes, drums#*Michael Sembello – electric guitar#*Reggie McBride – electric bass#*Bobbye Hall – congas, bongos#*Jim Gilstrap – background vocals...
were all back-to-back top five successes, with the latter two winning Grammy Award for Album of the Year
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
, in 1974 and 1975 respectively. By the end of 1975, Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
became serious about quitting the music industry and to emigrate to Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
working with handicapped children. Wonder had expressed his anger with the way that the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
was running the country.
A farewell concert was being considered as the best way to bring down the curtain on his career. Wonder changed his decision, when he signed a new contract with Motown on August 5, 1975, thinking he was better off making the most of his career. At the time, rivals such as Arista
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
and Epic
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
were also interested in him. The contract was laid out as a seven-year, seven LP, $37 million deal and gave him full artistic control, making this the largest deal ever made with a recording star up to that point. Almost at the beginning Stevie took a year off from the music market, with a project for a double album to be released in 1976. There was huge anticipation for the new album which was initially scheduled for release around October 1975. It was delayed on short notice when Wonder felt that further remixing was essential. According to Stevie Wonder, the marketing campaign at Motown decided to take advantage of the delay by producing "We're almost finished" t-shirts.
Work on the new album continued into early 1976. A name was finally chosen for the album: Songs in the Key of Life. The title would represent the formula of a complex "key of life" and the proposals for indefinite success. The album was finally released on September 28, 1976 after a two year wait as a double LP album with a four track seven-inch EP entitled A Something's Extra ("Saturn", "Ebony Eyes", "All Day Sucker" and "Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)") and a 24-page lyric and credit booklet.
Recording
The working title was Let's see life the way it is. Recording sessions for the album were split between the Crystal Industries in Hollywood; The Record Plant, Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Sausalito in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
; and The Hit Factory
The Hit Factory
The Hit Factory was a recording studio in New York City famous for its clientele. It was officially closed for business April 1, 2005 whereas other Hit Factory studio locations remained open, such as in Miami, Florida.-History:...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Sessions on the latter were particularly memorable, as Songs in the Key of Life was the first album to be actually recorded at The Hit Factory, with Stevie Wonder becoming the first main client of Edward Germano, the studio's owner. Wonder initially booked a three-day session with Germano and ended up working there for nine months. As a perfectionist, Wonder spent long hours in the studio for almost every track he recorded. He was "not eating or sleeping, while everyone around him struggled to keep up". According to himself, "If my flow is goin', I keep on until I peak".
A total of 130 people worked on the album, but Wonder's preeminence during the album was evident. Among the people present during the sessions, there were legendary figures of R&B, soul and jazz music – Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
played Fender Rhodes on "As", George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
played electric guitar on "Another Star", and Minnie Riperton
Minnie Riperton
Minnie Julia Riperton was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You". She was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph from 1972 until her death in the summer of 1979. They had two children - music engineer Marc Rudolph and actress/comedienne Maya...
and Deniece Williams
Deniece Williams
June Deniece Chandler known by her stage name Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s...
added backing vocals on "Ordinary Pain". Mike Sembello was a prominent personality throughout the album, playing guitar in several tracks and also co-writing "Saturn" with Wonder. Some of the most socially-conscious songs of the album were actually written by Wonder with other people – these included "Village Ghetto Land" and "Black Man" (co-written with Gary Byrd) "Pasttime Paradise" were co-written with Ronald Simmons ( He sent Wonder a poem in 1974 entitled "The A-tions of the World") and "Have a Talk With God" (co-written with Calvin Hardaway).
Commercial performance
Highly anticipated, the album surpassed all commercial expectations. Surprisingly, it debuted straight at number one on the Billboard Pop Albums ChartBillboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
on October 8, 1976, becoming only the third album in history to achieve that feat and the first by an American artist (after British singer/composer Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's Captain Fantastic
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is the ninth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1975. It debuted at number 1 on the U.S. Pop Albums chart, the first album ever to do so, and stayed there for seven weeks. It was certified Gold on 5/21/1975 and was...
and Rock of the Westies
Rock of the Westies
Rock of the Westies is the tenth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1975 .Like Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, Rock of the Westies also debuted on the United States Billboard charts at # 1, the only two albums at that time to have done so...
in 1975). In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the album achieved the same feat, entering at #1 on the RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
national albums chart on October 16. Songs in the Key of Life spent thirteen consecutive weeks at number one in the U.S., eleven during 1976. It was the album with the most weeks at number one during the year. In those eleven weeks, Songs in the Key of Life managed to block four other albums from reaching the top – in order, Boz Scaggs
Boz Scaggs
William Royce "Boz" Scaggs is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1970s with several Top 20 hit singles in the United States, along with the #2 album, Silk Degrees. Scaggs continues to write, record music and tour.-Early life and career:Scaggs was born in Canton,...
's Silk Degrees
Silk Degrees
Silk Degrees is the seventh album by Boz Scaggs, released on the Columbia Records label in 1976. The album reached #2 on the U.S. pop albums chart.-Reception:The album marked Scaggs' commercial zenith, mainly spearheaded by the R&B/Soul hit "Lowdown"...
, Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
's Spirit
Spirit (Earth, Wind & Fire album)
Spirit is the seventh studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire, released in 1976 on Columbia Records. The album reached number 2 on the Billboard Pop and R&B Albums Chart and has been certified double platinum...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's soundtrack
The Song Remains the Same (album)
Upon its initial release in 1976, the album received some poor reviews, with some critics considering it to be over-produced and lumbering. Indeed, the band's members themselves have since expressed a lack of fondness for the recording...
for The Song Remains the Same
The Song Remains the Same (film)
The Song Remains the Same is a concert film by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The recording of the film took place during three nights of concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City, during the band's 1973 concert tour of the United States. The film premiered on 20 October 1976, at...
and Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
's A Night on the Town. On January 15, 1977, the album finally dropped to number two behind Eagles' Hotel California
Hotel California
Hotel California is the fifth studio album released by the American rock band the Eagles, in late 1976. It is the first Eagles album without founding member Bernie Leadon and the first album with Joe Walsh. It is also the last album featuring original bass player and singer Randy Meisner...
and the following week it fell to number four. On January 29 it returned to the top for a fourteenth and final week. The album then began its final fall. It spent a total of thirty-five weeks inside the Top Ten and eighty weeks on the Billboard albums chart. Songs In the Key of Life also saw longevity at number-one on the Billboard R&B/Black Albums chart, spending twenty nonconsecutive weeks there.
In all, Songs in the Key of Life became the second best-selling album of 1977 in the U.S., only behind Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
's blockbuster Rumours
Rumours
Rumours is the eleventh studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. Largely recorded in California during 1976, it was produced by the band with Ken Caillat and Richard Dashut and was released on 4 February 1977 by Warner Bros. Records. The record peaked at the top of both the...
, and it was certified as a Diamond album by the RIAA, for sales of ten million copies in the U.S. alone. It was the highest selling R&B/Soul album on the Billboard Year-End
Billboard Year-End
Billboard Year-End charts are a cumulative measure of a single or album's performance in the United States, based upon the Billboard magazine charts during any given chart year. Billboard's "chart year" runs from the first week of December to the final week in November...
chart that same year.
Songs in the Key of Life was also the most successful Stevie Wonder project in terms of singles. The lead-off, the upbeat "I Wish
I Wish (Stevie Wonder song)
"I Wish" is a hit song by Stevie Wonder. It was released in 1976 as a single and included on the album Songs in the Key of Life. Written and produced by Wonder, the song focuses on his childhood...
" was released in November 1976, over a month after the album was released. On January 15, 1977 it reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart, where it spent five weeks at the top. Seven days after, it also reached the summit of the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, although it spent only one week at number one. The track became an international Top 10 single, and also reached number five in the UK. "I Wish" became one of Stevie Wonder's standards and remained one of his most sampled songs. In 1999, Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
used "I Wish" as the base for his U.S. number one single "Wild Wild West". The song repeated the main melody of "I Wish" as a riff and some lyrics re-formed. The follow-up, the jazzy "Sir Duke
Sir Duke
"Sir Duke" is a song composed and performed by Stevie Wonder, from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. Released as a single in 1977, the track topped the U.S...
" surpassed the commercial success of "I Wish". It was released on March 1977 and also reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 (spending three weeks at the top starting on May 21) and the R&B Charts (for one week starting on May 28). It also reached number two in the UK, where it was kept off the top spot by the song "Free
Free (Deniece Williams song)
"Free" is a popular song by Deniece Williams which was included on her album This Is Niecy. Written by Williams, Hank Redd, Nathan Watts and Susaye Greene and produced by Maurice White and Charles Stepney...
" by Deniece Williams
Deniece Williams
June Deniece Chandler known by her stage name Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s...
' who had provided backing vocals on the album.
As sales for the album began to decline during the second half of 1977, the two other singles from Songs in the Key of Life failed to achieve the commercial success of "I Wish" and "Sir Duke". "Another Star
Another Star
"Another Star" is a song written and performed by Stevie Wonder from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. Released as a single in 1977, it reached #32 on the Billboard Hot 100, #18 on Black Singles chart, and #2 on the Dance/Disco chart...
" was released in August and reached only #32 on the Hot 100 (#18 on the R&B charts, and #29 in the UK) and "As
As (song)
"As" is a song written and performed by Stevie Wonder from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. It reached #36 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Black Singles chart.-Covers:...
" came out two months later, peaking at #36 on both the Pop and R&B Charts. Though not released as a single (because, even when Motown requested Wonder to release it, Stevie refused to), "Isn't She Lovely
Isn't She Lovely
"Isn't She Lovely?" is a song by Stevie Wonder, from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. In it he celebrates the birth of his daughter, Aisha. There are three verses, each ending with the phrase "isn't she lovely, made from love"...
" received wide airplay and became one of Wonder's more popular songs. It was soon released by David Parton
David Parton
David Parton is a singer-songwriter and record producer from Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire, England.He achieved songwriting success writing songs for Sweet Sensation in the mid 1970s, namely "Sad Sweet Dreamer" which was a #1 single in the UK, and "Purely by Coincidence" which also charted...
as a single in 1977 and became a Top 10 hit in the UK.
Critical response
At the time of release, reporters and music critics, and everyone who had worked on the album, traveled to a Longview Farm, a recording studio in MassachusettsMassachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
for a press preview of the album. Stevie received everybody, autographed copies of the album and gave interviews. Critical reception was positive. The album was viewed as a guided tour through a wide range of musical styles as well as the life and feelings of the artist. It included recollections of childhood, of first love and lost love. It contained songs about faith and love among all peoples and songs about social justice for the poor and downtrodden.
On February 19, 1977, Wonder was nominated for seven Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
, an award that he had already won twice, in 1974 and 1975, for Innervisions and Fulfilligness' First Finale. Since 1973, Stevie's presence at the Grammy ceremonies had been consistent – he attended most of the ceremonies and also used to perform on stage. But in 1976, he did not attend as he was not nominated for any awards (as he had not released any new material during the past year). Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
, who received the Grammy for Album of the Year in that occasion (for Still Crazy After All These Years
Still Crazy After All These Years
Still Crazy After All These Years is the fourth studio album by Paul Simon.Recorded in 1975, the album produced four US Top 40 hits, "Gone at Last" , "My Little Town" , "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" and the title track . It won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1976...
) jokingly thanked Stevie "for not releasing an album" that year. A year after, Wonder was nominated for Songs in the Key of Life in that same category, and was widely favored by many critics to take the award. The other nominees were Breezin'
Breezin'
Breezin' is an album by jazz/soul guitarist George Benson.The album marked the beginning of Benson's most successful period commercially. Breezin topped the Pop, Jazz and R&B album charts in Billboard and spun off two hit singles, the title song and "This Masquerade," which was a top ten pop and...
by George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
, Chicago X
Chicago X
Chicago X is the tenth album by American rock band Chicago and was released in 1976. The album is notable for its soulfulness, and it ended up being a turning point in the band's career thanks to one song....
by Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
, Silk Degrees
Silk Degrees
Silk Degrees is the seventh album by Boz Scaggs, released on the Columbia Records label in 1976. The album reached #2 on the U.S. pop albums chart.-Reception:The album marked Scaggs' commercial zenith, mainly spearheaded by the R&B/Soul hit "Lowdown"...
by Boz Scaggs
Boz Scaggs
William Royce "Boz" Scaggs is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1970s with several Top 20 hit singles in the United States, along with the #2 album, Silk Degrees. Scaggs continues to write, record music and tour.-Early life and career:Scaggs was born in Canton,...
, and the other favourite, Peter Frampton
Peter Frampton
Peter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...
's Frampton Comes Alive!
Frampton Comes Alive!
Frampton Comes Alive! is a double live album by English rock musician Peter Frampton released in 1976, and one of the best-selling live albums in the United States. Following four solo albums with little commercial success, Frampton Comes Alive! was a breakthrough for the artist.Released on January...
, which was also a huge critical and commercial success. Wonder was again absent from the ceremony, as he had developed an interest in visiting Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. In February he traveled to Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
for two weeks, primarily to explore his musical heritage, as he put it. A satellite hook-up was arranged so that Stevie could be awarded his Grammys from across the sea. Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
announced the results during the ceremony, and the audience was only able to see Stevie at a phone smiling and giving thanks. The video signal was poor and the audio inaudible. Andy Williams
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
went on to make a public blunder when he asked, "Stevie, can you see us?" In all, Wonder won four out of seven nominations at the Grammys: Album of the Year, Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Best Male Rhythm and Blues Performer, and Producer of the Year.
Legacy and influence
With time, the album became a standard, and it is considered Stevie Wonder's signature album. Songs in the Key of Life is often cited as one of the greatest albums in popular musicPopular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
history. It was voted as the best album of the year in The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
s annual Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop
The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper. It is compiled every year from the top ten lists of hundreds of music critics...
critics poll; in 2001 the TV network VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
named it the seventh greatest album of all time; in 2003, the album was ranked number 56 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
Magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
.
Many musicians have also remarked on the quality of the album and its influence on their own work. For example, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
said, in his notes for Stevie Wonder on the 2003 Rolling Stones list of "The Immortals - The Greatest Artists of All Time" (in which Wonder was ranked number 15): "Let me put it this way: wherever I go in the world, I always take a copy of Songs in the Key of Life. For me, it's the best album ever made, and I'm always left in awe after I listen to it." In an interview with Ebony
Ebony (magazine)
Ebony, a monthly magazine for the African-American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945...
magazine, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
stated Songs in the Key of Life is his favorite Stevie Wonder album. George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
cited the album as his favourite of all time and with Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
covered the track As
As (song)
"As" is a song written and performed by Stevie Wonder from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. It reached #36 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Black Singles chart.-Covers:...
for a 1999 hit single. R&B singers in particular have praised the album – Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
generally names the album as one of her favourites, and Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
also remarked on the influence of Songs in the Key of Life on her singing. (During the photoshoot for her Whitney: The Greatest Hits
Whitney: The Greatest Hits
-International edition:-Whitney: The Unreleased Mixes:Whitney: The Unreleased Mixes is a limited-edition four-record vinyl set, containing eight full club versions of selected remixes found on the American release...
, as its seen on its respective home video
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
, the album was played throughout the photo sessions at Houston's request.) The album's tracks have provided numerous samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
for rap and hip-hop artists; for example, "Pastime Paradise," which itself drew on the first eight notes
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
and four chords
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
of J.S. Bach's Prelude No. 2 in C minor (BWV 847), was reworked by Coolio
Coolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"...
as "Gangsta's Paradise
Gangsta's Paradise (song)
"Gangsta's Paradise" is a rap song by Coolio featuring L.V.. The song was released on the Coolio album Gangsta's Paradise, as well as the Dangerous Minds soundtrack in 1995. Coolio was awarded a Grammy for the song/album...
". In 1995, smooth jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
artist Najee
Najee
Jerome Najee Rasheed , known professionally as Najee, is an urban jazz saxophonist and flautist.He attended New England Conservatory of Music in Boston where he studied with George Russell and Jaki Byard....
recorded a cover album titled Najee Plays Songs from the Key of Life, which is based entirely on Wonder's album.
In September 2008, the album was voted the "Top Album of All Time" by the Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
Music Playlist Blog, using a formula that combined 4 parameters - "Album Staying Power Value + Sales Value + Critical Rating Value + Grammy Award Value".
Track listing
CD releaseOriginal 1976 vinyl release
Side one
- "Love's in Need of Love Today" (Wonder) – 7:06
- Eddie "Bongo" Brown—collinga
- All other instruments—Stevie Wonder
- "Have a Talk with God" (Calvin Hardaway, Wonder) – 2:42
- All instruments—Stevie Wonder
- "Village Ghetto Land" (Gary Byrd, Wonder) – 3:25
- All instruments—Stevie Wonder
- "Contusion" (Wonder) – 3:46
- Mike Sembello—lead guitar
- Raymond Pounds—drums
- Nathan WattsNathan WattsNathan Lamar Watts, born 1954 in Detroit, Michigan is an American session bass guitar player, best known for his work with Stevie Wonder from the 1970s to the present...
—bass - Ben Bridges—rhythm guitar
- Greg PhillinganesGreg PhillinganesGreg Phillinganes is an active session keyboardist in Los Angeles, California. He is a graduate of Cass Technical High School, Detroit Michigan....
—keyboard - All other instruments—Stevie Wonder
- Michael Gray, Josie James, Shirley Brewer, Artece May—Vocals
- "Sir DukeSir Duke"Sir Duke" is a song composed and performed by Stevie Wonder, from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. Released as a single in 1977, the track topped the U.S...
" (Wonder) – 3:52- Raymond Pounds—drums
- Nathan WattsNathan WattsNathan Lamar Watts, born 1954 in Detroit, Michigan is an American session bass guitar player, best known for his work with Stevie Wonder from the 1970s to the present...
—bass - Mike Sembello—lead guitar
- Ben Bridges—rhythm guitar
- Hank Redd—alto saxophone
- Raymond Maldonado—trumpet
- Trevor Laurence—tenor saxophone
- Steve Madaio—trumpet
- All other instruments—Stevie Wonder
Side two
- "I WishI Wish (Stevie Wonder song)"I Wish" is a hit song by Stevie Wonder. It was released in 1976 as a single and included on the album Songs in the Key of Life. Written and produced by Wonder, the song focuses on his childhood...
" (Wonder) – 4:12- Nathan Watts—bass
- Hank Redd—alto saxophone
- Raymond Maldonado—trumpet
- Trevor Laurence—tenor saxophone
- Steve Madaio—trumpet
- Stevie Wonder—vocals, Fender Rhodes, ARP 2600 Synthesizer, Drums
- "Knocks Me Off My Feet" (Wonder) – 3:36
- Stevie Wonder—acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, drums, vocals, synth bass
- "Pastime Paradise" (Wonder) – 3:27
- Raymond Maldonado, Bobbye HallBobbye HallBobbye Jean Hall Porter is an American percussionist who has recorded with a variety of rock, soul, blues and jazz artists, and has appeared on 22 songs that reached the top ten in the Billboard Hot 100, six of those reaching #1.-Early career:...
—percussion - All other instruments—Stevie Wonder
- Hare Krishna, West Angeles Church Choir—background vocals
- Raymond Maldonado, Bobbye Hall
- "Summer Soft" (Wonder) – 4:14
- Ben Bridges—rhythm guitar
- Ronnie Foster—organ
- Larry "Nastyee" Latimer—percussion
- Stevie Wonder—vocals, acoustic piano, drums, hi-hat, synth bass
- "Ordinary Pain" (Wonder) – 6:16
- Mike Sembello—lead guitar
- Hank Redd—alto saxophone
- All other instruments—Stevie Wonder
- Minnie RipertonMinnie RipertonMinnie Julia Riperton was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You". She was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph from 1972 until her death in the summer of 1979. They had two children - music engineer Marc Rudolph and actress/comedienne Maya...
, Mary Lee Whitney, Deniece WilliamsDeniece WilliamsJune Deniece Chandler known by her stage name Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s...
, Syreeta WrightSyreeta WrightSyreeta Wright , who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was a Grammy-nominated American singer-songwriter most notably known for her work with Stevie Wonder and Billy Preston.-Early life and career:...
—background vocals - Shirley Brewer—reply
- Linda Lawrence, Terri Hendricks, Sundray Tucker, Charity McCrary, Madelaine Jones—reply's background vocals
Side three
- "Isn't She Lovely?" (Wonder) – 6:34
- Greg PhillinganesGreg PhillinganesGreg Phillinganes is an active session keyboardist in Los Angeles, California. He is a graduate of Cass Technical High School, Detroit Michigan....
—keyboard - Stevie Wonder-Fender Rhodes, RMI Electra piano, Bass Synthesizer, harmonica, drums
- Greg Phillinganes
- "Joy Inside My Tears" (Wonder) – 6:30
- Stevie Wonder-Lead Vocals, Background Vocals, Piano, Bass Synthesizer, Drums
- Greg PhillinganesGreg PhillinganesGreg Phillinganes is an active session keyboardist in Los Angeles, California. He is a graduate of Cass Technical High School, Detroit Michigan....
—keyboard - Susaye Green—background vocals
- "Black Man"(Byrd/Wonder) – 8:27
- Stevie Wonder-Fender Rhodes, bass synthesizer, synthesizer, talk box, drums, percussion
- Hank Redd—alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
- Steve Madaio—trumpet
- George Bohanon—trombone
- Glen Ferris—trombone
Side four
- "Ngiculela - Es Una Historia - I Am Singing" (Wonder) – 3:48
- Charles Brewer, Shirley Brewer, Renee Hardaway, Nelson Hayes, Marietta Waters, Nathan Watts, John Fischbach, Amale Mathews, Josette Valentino—background percussion
- Stevie Wonder-vocals, synthesizer, bass synthesizer, drums
- "If It's Magic" (Wonder) – 3:12
- Dorothy AshbyDorothy AshbyDorothy Ashby was an American jazz harpist and composer.Along with Alice Coltrane, Ashby extended the popularization of jazz harp past a novelty, showing how the instrument can be utilized seamlessly as much a bebop instrument as the saxophone...
—harp - Stevie Wonder—vocal, harmonica
- Dorothy Ashby
- "AsAs (song)"As" is a song written and performed by Stevie Wonder from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. It reached #36 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Black Singles chart.-Covers:...
" (Wonder) – 7:08- Nathan Watts—bass, handclaps
- Dean ParksDean ParksDean Parks is an American session guitarist and record producer from Ft. Worth, TX.-Albums:Dean was member of The North Texas State One O'clock Lab Band before moving to Los Angeles to work with Sonny and Cher in 1970. Dean is best-known through his many contributions to albums by Steely Dan...
—guitar - Herbie HancockHerbie HancockHerbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
—Fender Rhodes, handclaps - Greg Brown—drums
- Stevie Wonder—lead and background vocal, Fender Rhodes
- Mary Lee Whitney—background vocals
- Dave Hanson, Yolanda Simon, Josette Valentino—handclaps
- "Another StarAnother Star"Another Star" is a song written and performed by Stevie Wonder from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. Released as a single in 1977, it reached #32 on the Billboard Hot 100, #18 on Black Singles chart, and #2 on the Dance/Disco chart...
" (Wonder) – 8:08- Bobbi Humphrey—flute
- George BensonGeorge BensonGeorge Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
—guitar and background vocals - Hank Redd—alto saxophone
- Raymond Maldonado—trumpet
- Trevor Laurence—tenor saxophone
- Steve Madaio—trumpet
- Nathan Alford, Jr.—percussion
- Carmello Hungria Garcia—timbales
- Stevie Wonder—lead vocal, piano, bass synthesizer, drums
- Josie James—background vocals
A Something's Extra
The "A Something's Extra" 7" EP was included with the special-edition version of the original LP. These tracks are also on most CD versions of the album, either split between both discs or appended to the end of the second disc.Side one
- "Saturn" (Michael SembelloMichael SembelloMichael Sembello is an American musician and songwriter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Career:Sembello was born and raised in Philadelphia. He studied with jazz great Pat Martino and began his career as a professional musician by becoming a session musician, working increasingly with...
, Wonder) – 4:54- Mike Sembello—lead guitar
- Ben Bridges—rhythm guitar
- Gregory Phillinganes—keyboard
- All other instruments—Stevie Wonder
- "Ebony Eyes" (Wonder) – 4:11
- Nathan Watts—bass
- Jim HornJim HornJim Horn is an American saxophonist and woodwind player. He was born in Los Angeles, and after replacing saxophonist Steve Douglas in 1959, he toured with member Duane Eddy for five years, playing sax and flute on the road, and in the recording studio...
—saxophone - Peter "Sneaky Pete" KleinowSneaky Pete KleinowPeter E. "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow was an American country-rock musician, songwriter, and a motion picture special effects artist...
—steel guitar - Stevie Wonder-lead vocals, piano, talkbox, drums
Side two
- "All Day Sucker" (Wonder) – 5:06
- Ben Bridges—rhythm guitar
- Mike Sembello—rhythm guitar
- W. G. "Snuffy" Walden—lead guitar
- Stevie Wonder—lead vocals,background vocals, bass synthesizer, clavinet, drums
- Carolyn Denis—background vocals
- "Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)" (Wonder) – 3:55
- Nathan Watts—bass
- All other instruments—Stevie Wonder
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
| 1976 | UK | 2 |
| 1976 | Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
6 |
| 1976 | Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
9 |
| 1976 | Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
15 |
| 1976 | Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
1 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Another Star | Club Play Singles | 2 |
| 1977 | Sir Duke | Adult Contemporary | 3 |
| 1977 | I Wish | Adult Contemporary | 23 |
| 1977 | Isn't She Lovely | Adult Contemporary | 23 |
| 1977 | Another Star | Pop Singles | 32 |
| 1977 | I Wish | Pop Singles | 1 |
| 1977 | Sir Duke | Pop Singles | 1 |
| 1977 | Another Star | Black Singles | 18 |
| 1977 | Another Star | Adult Contemporary | 29 |
| 1977 | As | Black Singles | 36 |
| 1977 | I Wish | Black Singles | 1 |
| 1977 | Sir Duke | Black Singles | 1 |
| 1977 | As | Adult Contemporary | 24 |
| 1978 | As | Pop Singles | 36 |
Chart procession and succession
Personnel
- Stevie Wonder - Harmonica, Arranger, Keyboards, Programming, Vocals, Drums
- Michael SembelloMichael SembelloMichael Sembello is an American musician and songwriter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Career:Sembello was born and raised in Philadelphia. He studied with jazz great Pat Martino and began his career as a professional musician by becoming a session musician, working increasingly with...
- Guitar - Sneaky Pete KleinowSneaky Pete KleinowPeter E. "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow was an American country-rock musician, songwriter, and a motion picture special effects artist...
- Pedal Steel - George BensonGeorge BensonGeorge Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
- Guitar, Vocals - Ronnie FosterRonnie FosterRonnie Foster is an American funk and soul-jazz organist, and record producer. His albums recorded for Blue Note Records in the 1970s has obtained a cult following after the emergence of acid-jazz.-Biography:...
- Organ - Herbie HancockHerbie HancockHerbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
- Keyboards, Handclapping - Dean ParksDean ParksDean Parks is an American session guitarist and record producer from Ft. Worth, TX.-Albums:Dean was member of The North Texas State One O'clock Lab Band before moving to Los Angeles to work with Sonny and Cher in 1970. Dean is best-known through his many contributions to albums by Steely Dan...
- Guitar - Greg PhillinganesGreg PhillinganesGreg Phillinganes is an active session keyboardist in Los Angeles, California. He is a graduate of Cass Technical High School, Detroit Michigan....
- Keyboards - W.G. "Snuffy" Walden - Guitar
- Nathan WattsNathan WattsNathan Lamar Watts, born 1954 in Detroit, Michigan is an American session bass guitar player, best known for his work with Stevie Wonder from the 1970s to the present...
- Bass, Vocals, Handclapping - Greg Brown - Drums
- Raymond Lee Pounds - Drums
- Hank Redd - Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor)
- George Bohannon - Trombone
- Ben Bridges - Guitar, Sitar
- Dorothy AshbyDorothy AshbyDorothy Ashby was an American jazz harpist and composer.Along with Alice Coltrane, Ashby extended the popularization of jazz harp past a novelty, showing how the instrument can be utilized seamlessly as much a bebop instrument as the saxophone...
- Harp - Bobbi HumphreyBobbi HumphreyBarbara Ann Humphrey is an American jazz flautist and singer who plays fusion, jazz-funk and soul-jazz styles. Bobbi Humphrey has performed for audiences around the world....
- Flute - Howard "Buzzy" FeitenBuzz FeitenHoward "Buzz" Feiten is a North American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and session musician.He is best known as a lead and rhythm electric guitarist, and for having patented a unique, scientifically designed tuning system which re-configures its stringboard / neck for more accurate tonality...
- Guitar - Steve Madaio - Trumpet
- Trevor Lawrence - Sax (Tenor)
- Glen Ferris - Trombone
- Jim HornJim HornJim Horn is an American saxophonist and woodwind player. He was born in Los Angeles, and after replacing saxophonist Steve Douglas in 1959, he toured with member Duane Eddy for five years, playing sax and flute on the road, and in the recording studio...
- Saxophone - Deniece WilliamsDeniece WilliamsJune Deniece Chandler known by her stage name Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s...
- Vocals - Minnie RipertonMinnie RipertonMinnie Julia Riperton was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You". She was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph from 1972 until her death in the summer of 1979. They had two children - music engineer Marc Rudolph and actress/comedienne Maya...
- Vocals - Gary Byrd - Vocals
- Michael WycoffMichael WycoffMichael Wycoff was an American R&B singer. Wycoff attended Wilmington Jr High and Phineas Banning High Schools in Wilmington, CA. Wycoff played keyboards and sang in the school's talent shows solo where his fan base was born as he was always a top performing act.Wycoff sang backup on Stevie...
- Vocals - Larry Scott - Sound Effects
- Carol Cole - Percussion
- Bobbye HallBobbye HallBobbye Jean Hall Porter is an American percussionist who has recorded with a variety of rock, soul, blues and jazz artists, and has appeared on 22 songs that reached the top ten in the Billboard Hot 100, six of those reaching #1.-Early career:...
- Percussion - Jay Boy Adams - Vocals
- Nathan Alford, Jr. - Percussion
- Henry America - Vocals
- Linda America - Vocals
- Baradras - Vocals
- Brenda Barnett - Vocals
- Khalif Bobatoon - Vocals
- Starshemah Bobatoon - Vocals
- Sudana Bobatoon - Vocals
- Charles Brewer - Percussion, Programming, Vocals
- Shirley Brewer - Percussion, Vocals, Speaking Part
- Berry Briges - Vocals
- Cecilia Brown - Vocals
- Eddie "Bongo" Brown - Percussion
- Jean Brown - Vocals
- Rodney Brown - Vocals
- Colleen Carleton - Percussion, Vocals
- Addie Cox - Vocals
- Agnideva Dasa - Vocals
- Duryodhana Guru Dasa - Vocals
- Jayasacinandana Dasa - Vocals
- Jitamrtyi Dasa - Vocals
- Vedavyasa Dasa - Vocals
- Cinmayi Dasi - Vocals
- Yogamaya Dasi - Vocals
- Carolyn DennisCarolyn DennisCarolyn Dennis , sometimes known professionally as Carol Dennis or Carol Dennis-Dylan, is an American singer and actor best known for her work with and marriage to Bob Dylan.-Early life:...
- Vocals - Bhakta Eddie - Vocals
- Doe Rani Edwards - Vocals
- Jacqueline F. English - Vocals
- Ethel Enoex - Vocals
- Al Jocko Fann - Vocals
- Barbara Fann - Vocals
- Melani Fann - Vocals
- Shelley Fann - Vocals
- Tracy Fann - Vocals
- John Fischbach - Percussion, Programming, Vocals, Engineer
- Susie Fuzzell - Vocals
- Carmelo Garcia - Percussion, Timbales
- Anthony Givens - Vocals
- Audrey Givens - Vocals
- Derrick Givens - Vocals
- Mildred Givens - Vocals
- Michael Lee Gray - Vocals
- Mimi Green - Vocals
- Susaye Greene BrownSusaye GreeneSusaye Greene , is an African-American singer, best known for being the last official member to join Motown girl group The Supremes, remaining in the group during its final years of existence from 1976 to 1977.-Early life and career:...
- Vocals - Bhakta Gregory - Vocals
- Renee Hardaway - Percussion, Vocals
- John Harris - Sound Effects
- Jeania Harris - Vocals
- John Harris - Programming
- Troy Harris - Vocals
- Nelson Hayes - Percussion, Sound Effects, Vocals
- Terry Hendricks - Vocals
- H. David Henson - Assistant Engineer
- Don Hunter - Programming, Sound Effects
- Adrian Janes - Vocals
- Josie James - Vocals
- Calvin Johnson - Vocals
- Carol Johnson - Vocals
- Patricia Johnson - Vocals
- Madelaine Jones - Vocals
- Bhakta Kevin - Vocals
- Phillip Kimble - Vocals
- James Lambert - Vocals
- Linda Lawrence - Vocals,
- Irma Leslie - Vocals
- Kim Lewis - Vocals
- Carl Lockhart - Vocals
- Gail Lockhart - Vocals
- Raymond Maldonado - Percussion, Trumpet
- Carolyn Massenburg - Vocals May - Vocals
- Charity McCraryThe McCrarysThe McCrarys was an American family Gospel and R&B group best known for the songs "You" , "Lost in Loving You," "Love on a Summer Night" and "Any Ol' Sunday .-History:...
- Vocals - Linda McCrary-CampbellThe McCrarysThe McCrarys was an American family Gospel and R&B group best known for the songs "You" , "Lost in Loving You," "Love on a Summer Night" and "Any Ol' Sunday .-History:...
- Vocals - Lonnie Morgan - Vocals
- Kim Nixon - Vocals
- Lisa Nixon - Vocals
- Larri Nuckens - Vocals
- Larry Latimer - Percussion, Vocals
- Amale Mathews - Percussion, Vocals
- Gary Olazabal - Engineer, Bass Sound
- Edna Orso - Percussion, Vocals
- Marietta Waters - Percussion, Vocals
- Josette Valentino - Percussion, Vocals, Handclapping
- Gwen Perry - Vocals
- Gregory Rudd - Vocals
- Rukmini - Vocals
- Yolanda Simmons - Vocals, Handclapping
- Keith Slaughter - Vocals
- Rosona Starks - Vocals
- Dennis Swindell - Vocals
- Sundray Tucker - Vocals
- Gary Veney - Vocals
- Sheryl Walker - Vocals
- Mary Lee Whitney - Vocals
- Syreeta WrightSyreeta WrightSyreeta Wright , who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was a Grammy-nominated American singer-songwriter most notably known for her work with Stevie Wonder and Billy Preston.-Early life and career:...
- Vocals - Michael Gray - Vocals
- Susaye Greene - Vocals
- William Moore - Vocals
- Fountain Jones - Programming
- Aisha Morris - Crying (on "Isn't She Lovely")
See also
- List of number-one albums of 1976 (U.S.)
- List of number-one albums of 1977 (U.S.)
- List of number-one R&B albums of 1976 (U.S.)
- List of number-one R&B albums of 1977 (U.S.)
- Billboard Year-EndBillboard Year-EndBillboard Year-End charts are a cumulative measure of a single or album's performance in the United States, based upon the Billboard magazine charts during any given chart year. Billboard's "chart year" runs from the first week of December to the final week in November...
External links
- Songs in the Key of Life at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Jumping Jamboree at TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
- Album Review at BBC Music
- Reviews at SuperSeventies
- Accolades: Songs in the Keys of Life at Acclaimed Music
- Audio streams: WBEZ program 'Extensions' broadcast a 3 hour special commemorating the album's 30th anniversary