Can u believe it? Stevie Wonder can get a Grammy nomination without even releasing a album, let alone a single!!!

Read this!!

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Stevie's Target Track Is a Grammy Wonder
By Phil Gallo

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Executives at Target Corp. thought they were nailing a few firsts when they hired Stevie Wonder to record "The Christmas Song" for the retailer's seasonal TV ads. But the notion that a Grammy nomination would come out of it was the furthest thing from their corporate minds.



Minneapolis-based Target was keen on promoting the fact that it had become the first company to license the "chestnuts roasting on an open fire" classic penned by Robert Wells and Mel Torme. It also turns out it's the first time a recording financed for a commercial has been nominated for a Grammy.


The recording is competing in the pop collaboration with vocals category, where it will go up against Christina Aguilera (news) and Redman, Tony Bennett (news) and k.d. lang, Natalie Cole (news) and Diana Krall (news), and Sheryl Crow (news) and Don Henley (news).


Target's commercial featuring Wonder and India.Arie aired from mid-November up to Christmas, making television the one medium where the song was heard.


Work on it, however, began early in the year when Target struck a deal with the publishers. Wonder was brought on board, and he worked on an arrangement in the early summer, recording the song on the last day in July. The ad, designed by Peterson Milla Hooks, was shot at that time.


Arie added her vocals in August. Target struck a deal with Motown to include the tune and a song called "Butterfly" as bonus tracks on her "Voyage to India" album, released in late September. About 100,000 copies of "Voyage to India" with the bonus track were pressed for Target, the same number as had been done the year before on a Columbia Barbra Streisand (news) disc. Contracting bonus tracks to be sold exclusively at a retailer is nothing new -- Target will announce a special Bon Jovi Target-only recording later this month.


Motown, which also handles Wonder, submitted all of its eligible tracks to the Grammy nominating committees en masse; there was no special push for the track.


Researchers at the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences said no other song recorded for a commercial has ever been nominated for a Grammy. Of course, many songs come to prominence once placed in a commercial, such as this year's nominee "Days Go By" by Dirty Vegas.


One other crazy caveat: once Target sells all its copies, no more with "The Christmas Song" will be printed. Should it take home the trophy Feb. 23, it could be the only recording among the winners that is already out of print -- another first in Grammy lore.

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Amazing!!!

Did you know that,in the 70s,Stevie won the Grammy for Album Of The Year FOUR TIMES?

***1972 for 'Talking Book'
***1973 for 'Innervisions'
***1974 for 'Fulfillingness' First Finale'
***1976 for 'Songs In The Key Of Life'


The only reason he didn't win for 1975 is becaus he didn't release a new album that year...lol...Paul Simon won that year,and in his acceptance speech,he actually THANKED Stevie for not releasing an album that year!

DavidEye said:

Yeah, and after that, everyone has abused that line!!! Nobody could do it like Stevie!!!

June7 said:

Exactly.I remember watching some Awards show in the mid-80s( can't remember which one),and The Pointer Sisters won some Award,and said something like "Thank God Michael Jackson didn't put out an album this year".

DavidEye said:

Stevie didn't win Album Of The Year for Talking Bookalthough the album was certainly worthy.

Stevie is great, but this just goes to show how ridiculous the Grammys have become. I don't pay any attention to them anymore and haven't for years.

DavidEye said:

yep I Remember seeing that one.Stevie had the Albums on Lock for a long while.I still say Stevie had the Best Run of Albums IMHO.

June7 said:

they sure have.

Brother915 said:

Oops,my bad! Stevie didn't win for 'Talking Book',but that's probably because it was released too late for Grammy consideration.It was released on October 27,1972.

Anyone know when the new Stevie album is out??? I've been waiting for gazillion years now...