When you’ve written about Stevie Wonder at 60 and at 65, featuring songs he wrote for other people, then what?
I suppose I could note his Carpool Karaoke with James Corden from 2015. Or point out a YouTube page called RareWonderMusic. It features Stevie singing I Can See the Sun in Late December, a song he gave to Roberta Flack, plus I Think I’m On The Right Track, Spread The Love, and Good Light.
But I’ll just list 25 songs. I could have listed 25 other songs. The last two are my top two, but the rest of the list is fluid.
Do I Do. For a 1982 greatest hits double LP called Original Musiquarium I, he added four new songs. Dizzy Gillespie and a stoned ending. “Do you want some candy?”
Do Yourself a Favor – from the transitional Where I’m Coming From album
Another Star – first of the songs from Songs in the Key of Life
You Haven’t Done Nothin’ – from Fulfillingness’ First Finale. Features the Jackson Five.
He’s Misstra Know-It-All – from Innervisions
Blame It On the Sun – from Talking Book, the first of those great 1970s albums
You Are the Sunshine of My Life. I love the fact that Stevie’s vocal doesn’t appear until the verse after the chorus.
Nothing’s Too Good for My Baby
That was a hit?
Fingertips, Part 2, and for a bonus, Fingertips. An article from WNYC: That Was A Hit?!?: Little Stevie Wonder, ‘Fingertips’
Sir Duke. If you’re going to namecheck, this song is exemplary.
We Can Work It Out. One of my all-time favorite Beatles’ covers. A live version.
Living for the City – album version and single version. The former has the better storyline -“Skyscrapers and everything!” but the latter is more danceable.
Boogie on Reggae Woman
I Wish
Higher Ground
For Once In My Life – a ballad turned into an uptempo song
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours. “I’ve done a lot of foolish things..”
Pastime Paradise. My daughter discovered, in order, Amish Paradise by Weird Al, Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio, then the original
I Was Made To Love Her
Master Blaster (Jammin’)
Superstition
Love’s in Need of Love Today. After 9/11, he sang this song on a television benefit.
Uptight (Everything’s Alright). Sonically, for me, the demarcation from post-Little Stevie Wonder
As – until the day that 8 times 8 times 8 is 4
I keep hearing stories about Wonder from people who have known him that he’s not blind. Have you heard of that? Like, he says something about someone that he couldn’t possibly know unless he saw them. Shaq is one of them, but there’s been a few others. Have you ever heard of them?
Some people find that a sightless person (or a person with certain disabilities) can’t possibly do something, such as being one of the finest keyboard players in pop music. Their doubts only show how extraordinary he is. He’s been blind since six weeks after his birth.
It’s so weird, because it’s just been recently that I’ve heard these things, and everyone seems to want to not come right out and question it because I imagine they don’t want to be rude. I never thought about it because I don’t see any reason why a person who can’t see wouldn’t be able to play the keyboard as well as he does. I wish I could remember the actual anecdotes, but I can’t. I do think it has something to do with what you’re saying – it’s fairly astonishing what he can do, but I can’t understand why some people would think he’s incapable of doing it!