Part three of my celebration of Stevie’s 70th birthday will recognize his influence on other artists. His impact is far reaching! It is actually mind blowing to think of the many artists and groups he wrote and/or produced for, songs he wrote and/or produced, and artists that have been inspired by him in one way or another. I will basically section this off the way I did part two. Let’s get it!
The Songwriter
If I started naming every song written by Stevie and performed by other artists, I would never complete this entry. So, I will just highlight a few standouts that are personally special to me:
My favorite Michael Jackson song right here, or at least one of my top favorites. Jazzy, mellow, beautiful. Stevie, along with Susaye Green, really wrote a magical song that is almost dreamy. Those trademark Stevie chords are front and center, and the melody is hypnotizing. Michael’s vocals on it are among my favorites from him also. I especially love his scatting, especially the scatting in falsetto at the end. Whew!
Speaking of the Jacksons, this right here is a cut! As soon as it starts, you can hear Stevie all over it…from the groove, to the horns, to Jermaine’s vocal delivery. During the “S-E-R-I-O-U-S” hook, you really get to hear Stevie. This could have easily been a Stevie song on Hotter Than July (which came out the same year as this: 1980). Classic joint regardless; it is one of those “got to get up and dance” songs.
I learned that Stevie wrote this song when watching the Spinners’ episode of the television show Unsung years ago. I had no idea prior, though it made sense as soon as I listened to the song again after learning that. You can hear elements of Stevie in that time period throughout the song. It is a bonafide classic, and provided the group with one of their most notable hits.
Another funky classic written by Stevie that you can hear him all over. Similar to “It’s A Shame” by The Spinners, it is indicative of Stevie’s “sound” at the time, as it was released the same year as his Fulfillingness’ First Finale album (1974).
This song could also be included in the following section, as it is technically a remake, but I decided to include it here instead. Granted, Stevie was a co-writer on it, but it is still a writing credit! It’s actually a very notable one, in my opinion, because this song is an undisputed classic that has been covered or sampled many times, including by the Queen of Soul herself, which is probably the most well-known version. For Stevie to co-write such a major song at such a young age(he was in his teens at the same time) speaks to his genius.
The Covers
Now this section could really get lengthy! So many artists have covered/remade Stevie’s songs, but as I keep saying, I will try my best to keep it contained.
https://youtu.be/XFe5rWsF2Os
Luther covered Stevie’s “Creepin'” on one of his albums that I love, The Night I Fell In Love. Luther’s version became a quiet storm staple in its own right.
O’Bryan’s cover of Stevie’s “You And I” became a classic on its own, which is not an easy feat, particularly on quiet storm radio.
Perhaps one of the most well-known Stevie covers, at least among ’90s R&B fans, is Jodeci’s rendition of “Lately”.
Another popular Stevie remake is Intro’s version of “Ribbon In The Sky”. The stamp of approval from Stevie himself had to be amazing. Rest in peace, Kenny Greene.
The Connections
If I were to do a “six degrees of Stevie Wonder” family tree, it would be huge. Several artists, musicians, and producers are connected to Stevie in some shape, way, or form. He always used the best of the best to sing backgrounds for him, for example. There were also amazing musicians playing on his albums (when he wasn’t), as well as the plethora of artists that have sampled him over the years, and those who have been inspired by him.
Legendary vocalist Deniece Williams was once a member of Stevie’s “Wonderlove”, and can be seen in this video singing backgrounds for him. Of course, she would go on to release her debut album in 1976 featuring classics like “Free” and “Cause You Love Me Baby” and ultimately forge a successful career in her own right.
The Jackson 5 sang backgrounds on this song(“You Haven’t Done Nothin'”) from Fulfillingness’ First Finale. Made sense, as they were Motown labelmates at the time. This would lead to many collaborations between Stevie and members of the Jackson family, a couple of which are posted above.
Speaking of collaborations, backgrounds, and the Jackson family…”All I Do” from Hotter Than July features background vocals from Michael Jackson, Jamil Raheem, Eddie Levert and Walter Williams of the O’Jays, whom I also absolutely adore, as well as Betty Wright (may she rest in peace; be on the lookout for a tribute post to her in the coming days).The O’Jays posted the bottom picture on Facebook a few weeks ago for a Throwback Thursday post. From left to right: Jamil Raheem, Eddie Levert, Betty Wright, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson. It was really cool to see. I’d literally just been talking not long before they posted this about these people singing backgrounds for Stevie on “All I Do”, but had never seen this photo or any other evidence of it aside from the Hotter Than July album credits(which I also included a picture of above; the only person missing from the photo is Walter Williams).
The Influencer
I’m trying to wrap this post up, so thankfully, this one song showcases Stevie’s influence on both Michael Jackson and Prince. When Stevie starts his “hee hees” as the song progresses, who does it sound like? Also, Prince’s “If I Was Your Girlfriend” reminds me of “Maybe Your Baby” in parts, especially at around the midway point of the song when the beat switches up slightly. Vocally, I can also hear how Stevie impacted Prince on this song especially. When Stevie’s voice seemingly goes up higher, it sounds a lot like Prince’s high vocals on songs like “If I Was Your Girlfriend” and “Erotic City”. Stevie’s inclination towards vocal layering is also something that Michael and Prince put into practice, though the real master of that was Marvin Gaye, in my opinion…but that’s another entry!
A song I love by Janelle Monae entitled “Ghetto Woman” from The Electric Lady album. Tell me you don’t hear Stevie all up and through it, particularly “Black Man”.
One of my favorite artists right now is Snoh Aalegra. I’ve posted about her on Facebook a few times. Here is some of the post I made after watching her NPR Tiny Desk performance: I first got into Snoh last spring/summer(2019), and can honestly say that she is really the only current artists whose voice and lyrics can bring tears to my eyes. I just watched her whole NPR Tiny Desk concert(love those btw!) and I teared up several times. Her music is beautiful and I hear elements of Stevie Wonder musically and Michael Jackson vocally in her. She is clearly a Stevie fan too, as she references some of his songs and albums in hers. In the song posted above, “I Want You Around”, she references Innervisions, “Higher Ground”, and “Rocket Love”. That stuck out to me instantly and just makes me like her even more!
Putting a Bow On This
This entry wraps up my three part celebration of Stevie Wonder’s milestone 70th birthday. What more can I say? I will always love him for his talent, artistry, and humanity. I mean, how many young men in their 20s are writing and producing albums like Music Of My Mind, Talking Book, Innervisions, Fulfillingness’ First Finale, and Songs In The Key Of Life? Also, I just feel that it is extremely important, especially now, to give people their flowers while they are here to receive them. I would absolutely love to share this with him in some manner, but even if I am never blessed to do so, at least this is on record. I think of it as my gift to him, so with that said, here is the bow to top it with: Happy 70th Birthday again to the one and only Stevie Wonder!
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Wow. I enjoyed your commentary. I particularly liked the shared photo with the late Ms. Betty Wright. I absolutely love “Do I Do.” Awesome job!
Thank you so much sis! And yes, that photo was a rare treat to see. <3
*Correction…”All I Do” not Do I Do. 🙏🏾❤🎶
I know what you meant! 🙂