Stevie Wonder-- C or D?

One of his more underrated singles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8vMmgeDiKU

Somebody e-mailed me this morning that he is doing a free show at the Verizon Center in Washington DC on May 26th as part of a tribute.

Promotion code is DCPS

http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/150044A3B87C8CA1?artistid=1445022&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=52

Having sold the Washington Wizards and Verizon Center to Ted Leonsis last week, the Pollin family is ready to celebrate its lengthy connection to this area. Irene Pollin, the widow of the franchise patriarch, and her sons, Robert and Jim, will host a free, private concert featuring legendary musician Stevie Wonder on May 26.

The Pollins plan to honor employees of Washington Sports and Entertainment and those of several civic and public service organizations, such as the D.C. Fire Department and police department, public school teachers and hospital workers from George Washington Hospital and Sibley Hospital, where Abe Pollin was treated before his passing last November. They are fittingly dubbing the event, "Living for the city," for Wonder's classic hit single.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizardsinsider/2010/05/pollins-living-for-the-city-wi.html

What is the most embarrassingly sentimental Stevie Wonder song? He has a ton, but which one is the worst?

Inspired by hearing this today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ1-duv_zNk

You almost want to blame Stevie for inspiring that unique Michael Jackson-style of kitsch in pop that's so heavy-handed.

I saw Stevie Wonder for the first time on Sunday night, and man I was not prepared for how overwhelming it would be to see him perform right in front of me. Just, wow. I bawled like a baby. That music's been such a huge part of my life for so long, all woven around my family, as well as my friends...it hit me hard. In a good way! Like I dunno, being at some kind of weird outdoor church. Dancing in the middle of that huge crowd, tears streaming down my face. I had no idea it would be like that.

LA weekly has a great review + setlist: http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2012/08/stevie_wonder_outside_lands_august_12_2012.php

(I read another review in a local rag that said Stevie was 'meandering' and 'indulgent' ... u_u )

http://www.towleroad.com/2012/08/stevie-wonder-some-people-who-think-theyre-gay-are-confused.html

The actual quote isn't really very declarative. Chalking this one up to "from a different generation," but it's still disheartening, even though I've been well aware that Stevie's ideas about the nuts and bolts of relationships have always been pretty reactionary. Doesn't take much effort for me to picture him being bewildered by the dynamics of male-male or female-female relationships.

yeah this is the guy who wrote "Superwoman."

Hah, that's almost exactly what I posted on FB.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45ZSIeSsmwI

man oh man

was just listening to the 70s-era live boot that opens with a 17 minute contusion this morning... wish stevie would put out some of his valt of unreleased 70s stuff at some point.

Supposedly there's a clause in his contract stating that his unreleased material is to be destroyed when he dies. But that might only be studio stuff (which, if there's unreleased 70s material, arrg).

yeah, i'd heard that, and it is a cold comfort!

They say that Stevie Wonder's unreleased songs are 10 zillion light years away.

You've got to I've got to they've got to
We've got to They've got to We've got to

Conversation Peace's "Cold Chill" is excellent!

Loved Treat Myself off that album too.

He's doing a short US tour where he's doing all of Songs in the Key of Life. I think you need a citi card for today's presale

Scoop!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUgngvsWLlE

Not completely blind =/= not blind. Lots of legally blind people have enough sight to watch sports (Stevie has courtside seats), use cameras and otherwise interact visually with the their surroundings.

Retinopathy of prematurity (Stevie's diagnosis, caused by exposure to high oxygen concentrations in an incubator after premature birth) produces a spectrum of visual deficits, many people affected are left with at least some sight.

The fact that Stevie wears sunglasses all the time is itself an indicator that he's not totally blind (or else the ambient light levels wouldn't affect him).

My Dad's blind but not completely so, he wears dark glasses even indoors. His friends who have no sight at all usually don't bother wearing glasses, there's no point.

Wouldn't be a surprise if Berry Gordy and co had decided to market Stevie as "blind" without bothering to explain the details.

Also, you'd be surprised what blind people can do. Ray Charles use to fly his plane, and he swore he could land* it too, though nobody would let him.

*he had a plan where he would bust the glass on the dials with his lighter and read them by touch

Even if stevie wasn't blind he'd still be the eighth wonder of the world.

what i wouldn't do for an LP of stevie's demos of sleeping alone, bring your sweet stuff home to me, his tracks for syreeta and minnie, etc...

"Do I Do" is so fantastical

YES

If there were another 20 minutes of it I would want to hear them all

Do NOT want to see this thread revived this year.

oh give me a break

I got "musical aquarium" on cassette, thing bumps

I love this man

I have some affection for the Jose Feliciano version of "Golden Lady" tbh.

hard 1000% agree with your #1 choice.

Have ben thinking lately how great an album of his demos of songs he gifted to other artists would be, a la the recent Prince posthumous release

like, stevie-sung versions of bad weather, baby bring your sweet stuff home to me, perfect angel... that would be amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TAC7aEegUc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNZRJB952b0

I think I've said this before here, but that modulation from "Perfect Angel" into "Loving You" is breathtaking.

What was the sendspace file Milton Parker linked to above, now long dead? The actual 16 track tapes of Superstition??

Makes me so sad that Stevie doesn't want his unreleased material ever to be heard(seriously, he wants the masters junked after he dies), you only imagine what he must have stashed away in the vaults from his golden seventies period.

I hope Stevie has a Max Brod in his life...

Happy birthday, dude. Let me put the spotlight on this jam:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEK7tMxXRpo

Dud.

Oh, wait, I thought this was about Greta Van Fleet. I meant classic, sorry Stevie.

"A Seed's A Star" is so fantastic I only wish it didn't sound like it was emerging from a transistor radio.

and of course this Wonder-ful creation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGhSJIMHeoo

During lockdown, I took the time to re-evaluate his post-Hotter than July recordings. Robert Christgau's always defended those records, and while I don't think they're very consistent records (much less great ones), Christgau wasn't completely wrong. Barring some health or mental issue, talent doesn't completely dry up overnight for artists like Stevie Wonder, where not a single memorable hook or melody is suddenly beyond their ability. He was completely overshadowed as an innovator thanks to Prince and Michael Jackson, and he still had a weakness for syrupy glop, but he still crafted a few good tunes every now and then.

Yeah, I rediscovered "Never In Your Sun" this last year and cherish it fully.

A Time for Love in particular suffers from post-'90s CD-era bloat, but, damn, it's got jams. And he was still stretching as a balladeer.

This resequenced version of the most approachable material on Plants would've made for a still eccentric listen but still far more agreeable as part of the magnificent 1972-1982 streak.

Side A
"Send One Your Love" – 4:01
"Outside My Window" – 5:29
"The Secret Life of Plants" – 4:17
"Race Babbling" – 8:51

Side B
"Black Orchid" – 3:47
"Same Old Story" – 3:44
"Power Flower" – 5:29
"Come Back as a Flower" – 4:59
"A Seed's a Star/Tree Medley" – 5:53

Side B not quite as seamless with songs coming at you in complementary keys, but hey, I worked with what I had.

Ah thanks, I'll try your version ! Never managed to get into that album although I love all the ones before (and even some after... well, Hotter and parts of Square...).

You could even stick in "Kesse Ye Lolo De Ye" of the latter half of "Voyage to India" as something to give Side A some more space if you wanted.

I'd miss "Ecclesiastes" in that version.