I was just relistening to songs in the key of life and noticed that it sounds like there's a female background vocalist in Have A Talk With God yet Stevie is the only credited musician. Is that seemingly female voice in the background actually Stevie

Don't have an answer to your question, but I did find this from Pat Thrall's www.studiopt.com page:

"Stevie and the producers approached me about adding a loop on the end of the song. The problem was that they tracked the song using Stevie's original version from "Songs In The Key Of Life" as their click track. Stevie didn't use a click track back in the day to cut his tracks.

To add a loop (it turned out to be several) to the track, I had to quantize the entire song...this took 2 days. Then the producers had me comp Stevie's vocal...what a blast. Then they wanted to add guitar so I volunteered my services. I added other sweeting like real hand claps to give it that church vibe. Then they asked me to mix it. So I went from programming a loop to co-producing the track. I love it when that happens. The album has was nominated for a Grammy in 2000."


Looks like it's from this release...



...Music in the Air: The 70th Anniversary All-Star Tribute - The Dixie Hummingbirds


Stevie Wonder/Dixie Hummingbirds link:
Have A Talk With God

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

Thanks for the link, tA.

I'm thinking that female vocalist was Syreeta, Stevie's wife and partner in crime during those years. She guested on a lot of his tracks, and he produced her albums.

ThreadBare said:

I was just about 2 say that, and she did appear in numerous background vocals in that LP... Beautiful song. Must listen if I listen 2 that album.

ThreadBare said:

NP.
Let me know what you think of that version.

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

jacktheimprovident said:

Yes. Stevie is the only vocalist on that song.

ThreadBare said:

Not Syreeta, it's Stevie...and he was married to Yolanda when this song was made.

Adisa said:

Whoa , I knew he was a master of multi-tracking his own voice, but dayum

I was thinking Syreeta too. But I checked the liner notes.... Dayum Stevie!
Thanks to this question I just discovered who sang the reply on "Ordinary Pain": Shirley Brewer. Don't know who she is, though.

I also discovered that Frank Zappa is on the Thank You list at the back of the album sleeve

That album had some bizzare liner notes, but hey, they were "Wondermessages".

****NEWS FLASH****

It was neither Stevie nor Syreeta singing the female background part. It was the one and onlySusaye Greene; however, don't sleep on Stevie's falsetto. The man can belt out some high tenor/mezzo-soproano notes that'll make you go (ie. the last phrase in "Outside My Window" when he goes "and I know it's sooooo"). I can also remember growing up and listening to "Power Flower" thinking it was some female other than Stevie singing.

okaypimpn said:

Thanks for the enlightment, but could you cite your source?

Yeah, and Stevie does have an awesome falsetto. His voice is shot these days, but he's near the top of my list as best tenors ever!

okaypimpn said:

Amen!!! Can someone say Summer Soft ?

okaypimpn said:

Susaye Greene huh? Wasn't she stevie's lyricist on "I can't help it" from Off the Wall?

Adisa said:

The 100-page album booklet from the original LP.





I'm gonna act like you didn't just say this. All is forgiven.

Yeah, I remember that big ol' booklet! My vinyl copy doesn't have one, but I remember thumbing through my Mom's booklet when I was a kid. Thanks.

I wonder why she is omitted from the notes in all the re-issues? Does she have beef with Stevie now?

Adisa said:

I own the CD and it's stingy on liner note. I don't remember the "booklet" but I do remember the album came with a 45 of "Contusion". At least mine did. (It's been a long time.)

Adisa said:

I remember getting my LP copy in 1985, and it came with the 2 records, the 24-page booklet, and THE "A Something's Extra" bonus 45. Was the original booklet actually 100 pages because both my LP and remastered CD copy came with 24 pages of liner notes?

silverchild said:

I would like to know more comprehensive liner notes on all stevie's albums. The CD ones I have rarely specify exactly how many and which instruments Stevie plays which is something I'd be interested to know on various songs.

silverchild said:

No,it wasn't really 100 pages.Okaypimpn was just goofing around


But it feels like it's 100 pages...lol...Stevie thanks everybody! It takes a long,long time to read that entire booklet.

UptownDeb said:

Actually,the bonus 45 featured four tracks: "Saturn" and "Ebony Eyes" on Side A,and "All Day Sucker" and Easy Goin Evening (My Mama's Call)" on Side B.The song "Contusion" was actually a part of the regular album (it's track four on Side 1).

DavidEye said:

that EP alone would be a great album

jacktheimprovident said:

Hell yeah! "All Day Sucker" has got to be one of his funkiest jams ever

jacktheimprovident said:

I just wish Innervisions and Songs In The Key Of Life was part of Universal's deluxe edition series.

silverchild said:

No, I was just exaggerating trying to be funny.

silverchild said:

It's particularly aggravating with those two because most of his most awesome songs are in them. Yeah, it's amazing that a single man could have recorded Higher Ground and Knocks Me Off My Feet etc entirely by himself, but I'd still like to know more cuz I'm not that good at picking out every instrumental part by ear