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Thread started 09/28/16 4:34am

JabarR74

Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life" Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary

Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life" Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary

Image courtesy of Motown Records (via ABC News Radio)

Image courtesy of Motown Records (via ABC News Radio)

One of Stevie Wonder 's most celebrated albums, Songs in the Key of Life , turns 40 years old on Wednesday.

The 18th album from the decorated artist was released by Motown Records in 1976 and features some of Wonder's most memorable tracks, including "I Wish," "Isn't She Lovely" and "Sir Duke."

In October 1976, Songs in the Key of Life shot to number one on the Billboard 200 and spent a total of 82 weeks on the chart.

The album won two Grammy Awards in 1977 -- one for Album of the Year and another for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Songs in the Key of Life was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry in 2005. In 2014 and 2015, Wonder showcased the album during a popular North American tour.

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Reply #1 posted 09/28/16 7:22am

ldmendes

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One of my all time favorites. I must have played it hundreds of times on my turntable..now it's on my iPhone..Love Stevie Wonder!

..Hello, who is it?
Yes, this is a prettyman, Princey!
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Reply #2 posted 09/28/16 8:43am

purplethunder3
121

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JabarR74 said:

Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life" Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary

Image courtesy of Motown Records (via ABC News Radio)

Image courtesy of Motown Records (via ABC News Radio)

One of Stevie Wonder 's most celebrated albums, Songs in the Key of Life , turns 40 years old on Wednesday.

The 18th album from the decorated artist was released by Motown Records in 1976 and features some of Wonder's most memorable tracks, including "I Wish," "Isn't She Lovely" and "Sir Duke."

In October 1976, Songs in the Key of Life shot to number one on the Billboard 200 and spent a total of 82 weeks on the chart.

The album won two Grammy Awards in 1977 -- one for Album of the Year and another for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Songs in the Key of Life was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry in 2005. In 2014 and 2015, Wonder showcased the album during a popular North American tour.

cool love cloud9

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #3 posted 09/28/16 10:57am

namepeace

It's truly an all-time great album, the peak of what is likely the greatest run in the history of rock music.

Good night, sweet Prince | 7 June 1958 - 21 April 2016

Props will be withheld until the showing and proving has commenced. -- Aaron McGruder
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Reply #4 posted 09/28/16 11:47am

luv4u

Moderator

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moderator

sticky cool

canada

Ohh purple joy oh purple bliss oh purple rapture!
REAL MUSIC by REAL MUSICIANS - Prince
"I kind of wish there was a reason for Prince to make the site crash more" ~~ Ben
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Reply #5 posted 09/28/16 1:16pm

purplethunder3
121

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ldmendes said:

One of my all time favorites. I must have played it hundreds of times on my turntable..now it's on my iPhone..Love Stevie Wonder!

It was a real thrill to get to see Stevie perform this album in it's entirety. In my top favorite albums of all time. wink

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #6 posted 09/28/16 3:49pm

214

Please could someone make a review song by song. It's a good album, not his best album, and sure not my favorite from him, that tiles will go to Innervisions. Having said that, i love As, one of his greatest and most beautiful songs.

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Reply #7 posted 09/28/16 6:02pm

ldmendes

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When this came out..you had to listen to the whole album..flip it over and listen to the other side and flip it back. So many favorites. I think it was the first double album I ever bought. When I saw Stevie in concert..people cried..myself included..I'm gonna go listen to it right now music whistle bow

Love in need today

Have a talk with god

Village ghetto land

Contusion

Sir duke

I wish

Knocks me off my feet

Summer soft

Ordinary pain

Isn’t she lovely

Joy inside my tears

Black man

Ngiculela

If its magic

As

Another star

Ebony eyes

All Day Sucker

..Hello, who is it?
Yes, this is a prettyman, Princey!
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Reply #8 posted 09/28/16 6:30pm

purplethunder3
121

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ldmendes said:

When this came out..you had to listen to the whole album..flip it over and listen to the other side and flip it back. So many favorites. I think it was the first double album I ever bought. When I saw Stevie in concert..people cried..myself included..I'm gonna go listen to it right now music whistle bow

Love in need today

Have a talk with god

Village ghetto land

Contusion

Sir duke

I wish

Knocks me off my feet

Summer soft

Ordinary pain

Isn’t she lovely

Joy inside my tears

Black man

Ngiculela

If its magic

As

Another star

Ebony eyes

All Day Sucker

I had it on 8-track. razz lol

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #9 posted 09/28/16 9:25pm

Goddess4Real

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music cloud9 thumbs up! worship

Keep Calm & Listen To Prince
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Reply #10 posted 09/28/16 11:06pm

Superstition

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This album has been amazing me non-stop. My favorite thing about this album is the comparison between two songs: Joy Inside My Tears and Another Star. Joy Inside My Tears sounds like a a sad, melancholy song, but it actually is a very positive song with happy lyrics. Another Star sounds like a happy, Latin-infused song, but it's actually about a sad loner who's lover left him and he doesn't think he'll get over it.

I love the video doc where Stevie said 'As' was originally a country-tinged song like I Ain't Gonna Stand For It.

Truly a brilliant album. I wish (no pun intended) Stevie would release some more stuff. There is a LOT of unreleased demos, complete songs, compositions and maybe full albums out there. Some of his early demos make his later realeses sound like remakes. I heard an early demo of Cryin' Through The Night, and unlike the version that appeared on Characters, this sounds like a Donny Hathaway song.
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Reply #11 posted 09/29/16 12:53pm

214

Superstition said:

This album has been amazing me non-stop. My favorite thing about this album is the comparison between two songs: Joy Inside My Tears and Another Star. Joy Inside My Tears sounds like a a sad, melancholy song, but it actually is a very positive song with happy lyrics. Another Star sounds like a happy, Latin-infused song, but it's actually about a sad loner who's lover left him and he doesn't think he'll get over it. I love the video doc where Stevie said 'As' was originally a country-tinged song like I Ain't Gonna Stand For It. Truly a brilliant album. I wish (no pun intended) Stevie would release some more stuff. There is a LOT of unreleased demos, complete songs, compositions and maybe full albums out there. Some of his early demos make his later realeses sound like remakes. I heard an early demo of Cryin' Through The Night, and unlike the version that appeared on Characters, this sounds like a Donny Hathaway song.

Really a contry song? wow how it would sound, to me that's the masterpiece in the album.

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Reply #12 posted 09/29/16 1:55pm

namepeace

214 said:

Superstition said:

This album has been amazing me non-stop. My favorite thing about this album is the comparison between two songs: Joy Inside My Tears and Another Star. Joy Inside My Tears sounds like a a sad, melancholy song, but it actually is a very positive song with happy lyrics. Another Star sounds like a happy, Latin-infused song, but it's actually about a sad loner who's lover left him and he doesn't think he'll get over it. I love the video doc where Stevie said 'As' was originally a country-tinged song like I Ain't Gonna Stand For It. Truly a brilliant album. I wish (no pun intended) Stevie would release some more stuff. There is a LOT of unreleased demos, complete songs, compositions and maybe full albums out there. Some of his early demos make his later realeses sound like remakes. I heard an early demo of Cryin' Through The Night, and unlike the version that appeared on Characters, this sounds like a Donny Hathaway song.

Really a contry song? wow how it would sound, to me that's the masterpiece in the album.

It actually made it to a subsequent album, Hotter Than July, released around 1980, I think. It would make a perfect country song.

Good night, sweet Prince | 7 June 1958 - 21 April 2016

Props will be withheld until the showing and proving has commenced. -- Aaron McGruder
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Reply #13 posted 09/29/16 2:14pm

214

namepeace said:

214 said:

Really a contry song? wow how it would sound, to me that's the masterpiece in the album.

It actually made it to a subsequent album, Hotter Than July, released around 1980, I think. It would make a perfect country song.

Not, As was in SITKOL actually it was a single.

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Reply #14 posted 09/29/16 3:17pm

JabarR74

Speaking of As, check out this cover of it

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Reply #15 posted 09/29/16 8:30pm

namepeace

214 said:

namepeace said:

It actually made it to a subsequent album, Hotter Than July, released around 1980, I think. It would make a perfect country song.

Not, As was in SITKOL actually it was a single.


Actually, I was talking about "Ain't Gonna Stand For It."

Good night, sweet Prince | 7 June 1958 - 21 April 2016

Props will be withheld until the showing and proving has commenced. -- Aaron McGruder
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Reply #16 posted 09/29/16 10:35pm

TD3

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I remember standing in the ran waiting for the record store to open to buy this album. biggrin

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Reply #17 posted 10/01/16 1:11am

SoulAlive

It's my absolute favorite album of all time music This album is sheer brilliance.40 years later,these songs still sound fresh,vital and truly inspired! I honestly can't even pick a favorite song from this album because there's so many highlights here.

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Reply #18 posted 10/01/16 9:08pm

206Michelle

My husband and I went to the SITKOL show in Philadelphia on October 7, 2015. It was my first time seeing Stevie in concert and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Stevie is my favorite artist of all time. He had a great live band, members of the Philadelphia orchestra performed, and he had several excellent background singers. It was fantastic!

Live 4 Love ~ Love is God, God is love, Girls and boys love God above
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Reply #19 posted 10/02/16 2:33pm

214

It's not a perfect album, but it's a classic, to me his best album is Innervisions or Talkin Book.

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Reply #20 posted 10/04/16 8:00am

alphastreet

I know so many people who went for this tour last year but I couldn't make it. It's full of classics, ones that have been sampled and often imitated but never duplicated.

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Reply #21 posted 10/04/16 6:13pm

DarylB

I still hope a Dvd comes out from the tour and I mean soon!
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Reply #22 posted 10/05/16 12:45pm

214

DarylB said:

I still hope a Dvd comes out from the tour and I mean soon!

It would be great, but why does he commemorate this album's anniversary and not the other albums.

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Reply #23 posted 10/09/16 6:56pm

206Michelle

214 said:

It's not a perfect album, but it's a classic, to me his best album is Innervisions or Talkin Book.

yeahthat

SITKOL is a classic, but I think that Innervisions is probably his greatest album. "Living for the City" is the greatest song he ever made, in my opinion. It's not my personal favorite, although I love it, but it's such a monumental track in every way--lyrics, sound effects, vocals, instruments, and social commentary. "Too High" and "All in Love Is Fair" are also incredible tracks that would be career-defining tracks for most other artists. But Stevie is Stevie, so these are outstanding tracks among an enourmous catalogue that has many outstanding tracks.

--

Personally, Talking Book is my favorite, but Talking Book has very sentimental value to me. I have listened to it since I was a little girl. I can remember playing it in the tape deck of the black stereo in my childhood home. I know the words to all of the songs. I bought a copy of the CD either in high school or early in my college years. I just love the album in every way.

Live 4 Love ~ Love is God, God is love, Girls and boys love God above
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Reply #24 posted 10/12/16 1:27pm

214

Just yesterday i listen the whole Songs and i have to say after a second orthird thought, it really is a great album, i used to despite songs like Joy, Ebony Eyes and All Day but yesterday i realized how great they actually are.

[Edited 10/12/16 15:44pm]

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Forums > Music: Non-Prince > Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life" Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary