*“If you haven’t gotten your ticket yet, get your ticket,” shouts Stevie Wonder over the music following a rousing Earth Wind and Fire concert last weekend in Los Angeles. The legendary artist is speaking about his annual “House Full of Toys” all-star benefit concert, taking place Saturday at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, CA.


As previously reported, Dave Chappelle will host the roughly three-hour event, with performances from Alicia Keys, Angela Winbush, Angie Stone, Doug E Fresh, George Duke, Joss Stone, Kim Burrell, L. D. Miller, Raphael Saadiq and Ziggy Marley.


“This is about the children,” Wonder tells EUR’s Lee Bailey. “This is about raising funds and getting unwrapped toys for those children that are not gonna have a celebration of Christmas or Kwanzaa.”


Currently in its ninth year, the idea for the annual celebrity-studded fund-raiser was born many years ago in Detroit in the 50s, when little Steveland Morris was actually living out the opening lines of his classic hit, “I Wish.”


“There were times when I would listen to the radio and they would have different live broadcasts from the homes of different jocks – celebrating Christmas morning,” remembers Stevie. “You’d hear their kids unwrapping toys. And it was like, I wish I could’ve done that. I said, ‘I hope someday I could have a house full of toys.’ So when God blessed me, I just said you know what I wanna do? I wanna make the dream that I had fulfilled by having those children who are less fortunate have a house full of toys.”


While concertgoers are being asked to bring an unwrapped gift to the concert this year, the artist plans in 2005 to expand “House Full of Toys” into “House Full of Joy,” bringing holiday cheer to folks over the age of 18 as well as kids.


“People that need clothing and food, they need to pay their bills,” says Wonder, 54. “So it’s about us giving to those less fortunate. It’s about using the gift of love that God has given us all to share.”


Meanwhile, Wonder is still in his studio working on a new album that was supposed to be ready last July – but the recording process kept getting interrupted by life.


“It’s been an amazing year, obviously. We’ve lost some very significant people,” he said. “Most closest to me obviously was my first wife Syreeta [Wright]. It’s been an experience emotionally for me to lose Syreeta, and some of my very special friends, such as Ray Charles, Carl Anderson and some other people. It’s a time of emotion, it’s a time of reflection, it’s a time of praise, it’s a time of thanks and a time of tears and sorrow; a time of respect and honor. All those things mixed together, along with just doing life, you know - I hope I can do life for as long as I can.”


Perhaps it was fate that the album release kept getting been pushed back, says Stevie.


“What’s a few months if you’re gonna make it better?” he says. “If it would’ve come out in July, we wouldn’t have had Doug E. Fresh on it, or Q-Tip to do a little something on there, or Snoop Dogg, just different things.”


When asked why he chose May to release the album, Wonder said: “My birthday’s in May. And I thought it was better to wait. We were talking about [releasing it in] February, but I think it’s better to wait. I think that to match the songs, we wanna drop it when it’s hot. Drop it when it hohhhttttt, drop it when it’s hohhhhttttt,” he says, in his best Snoop voice.

the album pushed a back till may? didnt we just get the feb. announcement last week?

I hope it's finished, otherwise it looks like he's pulling a Michael Jackson.

steeeeevieeeee, we can't hold on much longer...

as for the concert/benefit, i seen a blurb about it on teevee the other day. sounds awesome.

Stevie Wonder Makes "Time"
Icon returns with first album in a decade

After a decade-long absence from the recording world, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and multiple Grammy-winner Stevie Wonder will return in April with A Time 2 Love.

It's been a decade of personal change for the Michigan native, who first burst onto the scene more than forty years ago as "Little" Stevie Wonder, with the track "Fingertips Pt. 2." Since 1995's Conversation Peace, Wonder has gotten married, had a young son, now 3, and lost his first wife and his brother. As evident by the lyrics Wonder read aloud from Braille on his tour bus after a surprise appearance at a recent Los Angeles radio festival, A Time reflects on all these transitions. The title track, written with India.Arie, is particularly charged, addressing 9/11 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Wonder promises to give fans a preview of the new record on December 18th, when he hosts his ninth annual Christmas benefit concert, House Full of Toys, at the Los Angeles Forum.

Where are you in the recording of the new record?

Right now there are fourteen songs on it. I produced it. It was at some awards show where I was talking with Snoop and I think he's gonna do something on another song. It's called "Keep Fooling Yourself," and it's a song that will have an appeal to a cross-section of audiences. His voice will just work perfectly.

Will there be other collaborations?

There's a song called "Shelter in the Rain," and I might do that with Yolanda Adams. "If Your Love Cannot Be Moved" will probably be the first song on the album, and I let Alicia [Keys] hear that, so she might do something on it. We have another track with Doug E. Fresh doing beatbox.

You've never been shy about expressing yourself, and this album appears to be no different.

People have to express themselves. When people cannot express themselves without being called "Jesus haters," "God haters" or "anti-American," you're leaning in that direction. To my understanding, the greatness of being a melting pot of so many different people is people are able to express themselves. If everyone had to be and feel the same way, I think it'd be kind of boring. I wouldn't want to be here.

There's some romance on this album as well. What's your favorite love song?

At different times I've had different love songs. As a little boy, my favorite song was the Smokey Robinson and the Miracles song "I'll Try Something New." That's when I was, like, eleven or twelve years old. I had this little girlfriend named Francine, and ooh, I wanted to go to the bottom of the sea and get her flowers that she'd wear in her hair and all that kind of crazy stuff. But then at another time, it was [Barbara Lewis'] "Baby, I'm Yours" -- that was a great song. Then maybe a song that was just kind of a place of reflection was [the Beatles'] "Yesterday," because it's like love of life and things that have happened. Then there was [the Four Tops'] "I Can't Help Myself"; and, even though I was young and didn't all the way understand it, [Lenny Welch's] "Since I Fell For You"; and then [Etta James'] "At Last."

What about right now?

My favorite song right now is "Lose My Breath" by Destiny's Child. I'm a major fan of Beyonce -- she has a great voice. And I was a major fan of Aaliyah's voice. My heart was so broke, I said, "You know what? In the next life she's got to be my wife." I also think Babyface has written some great stuff, and I think John Mayer is a great writer. I like his honesty a lot, and I like India's honesty a lot, too.

There's a lot of poetry in "Passionate Raindrops." Do you have a favorite poet?

I can't say a favorite poet, because I listen to different poems for different reasons. I remember the first poem I read: "My love is like a red, red rose that's newly sprung in June." I was around twelve, and I would do it with a British accent or sort of an African-American cultural accent, like, "My love is like a red, red rose, baby." I like being silly. When I was trying to talk to the little girls back in the day, they'd say, "Oh, you're so funny."

Sounds like you were a little ladies man.

No doubt. You gotta feel it. But love is a wonderful thing, and I'm just thankful that I've some wonderful people in my life. And, obviously, from knowing love and sharing love, you can write songs of love.

Harlepolis said:

Several things worry me here:

1. He likes "Lose My Breath".
2. SNOOP is on the record. WTF?

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

yeah Stevie. hurry up and sto tweaking that snare drum sound and release the sucka already!

VoicesCarry said:

1. I'm not a fan of destin'y child either but Prince has said similar things about Beyonce too
2. AAAAAHHHHH. Snoop and Stevie shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence. If he needs a guest rapper why not Chuck D or Gift of Gab or KRS-One or someone who's not a complete joke, sellout phony mobster. WHY STEVIE WHY? WWAAAAAH. Then again, maybe he just likes Snoop's voice, which is funny you have to admitt and might serve a purpose.

OH, also, when is this toys concert going to broadcast, and on what channel?

jacktheimprovident said:

Yes, but Prince never liked a turd like "Lose My Breath". Beyonce does have a good voice, but as Prince said, no fucking clue about musicianship.

I think ppl evolve and like to try new things. Stevie isn't going to sound like Stevie of 1977.


And I liked Lose My Breathe damn it...

well,we can now make a partial tracklist....

"If Your Love Cannot Be Moved"
"Shelter In The Rain"
"What The Fuss" (featuring the reunited EnVogue on backing vocals)
"If The Creek Don't Rise"
"A Time 2 Love" (let's assume there will be a title track)
"untitled ballad" (the song Stevie performed on 'Oprah' with his daughter)



does anyone know of any other song titles?

DavidEye said:

"Moon Blue"
"True Love"
"I Can't Imagine Love Without You"
"Positivity"
"Tears"
"Keep Fooling Yourself"

manray10 said:

Positivity eh? I wonder how that'll compare to prince's song of the same name.

manray10 said:

thanks!