Songs in the Key off Life

Songs in the Key off Life (1976) is an album of Rhythm and blues - pop - Rock of Stevie Wonder. It is one of the five outstanding albums which it carried out during the Années 1970. It is about the last disc of its “traditional period” which also includes/understands the albums Music off My Mind , Talking Book , Innervisions , and Fulfullingness' First Finale .

The album was diffused initially in the form of a double LP and of a EP of four beaches. As its name indicates it, it treats many aspects of the life: love, relations between people, problems social and racial ( Black Man , Pastime Paradise , Village Ghetto Land ) and spiritual aspects ( Have Talk with God ).

The album contains several musical genres, in addition to Rhythm and blues-Pop-Rock'n'roll which were awaited, it has also a piece of Jazz, Contusion with the participation of Herbie Hancock. Sir Duke is in homage to Duke Ellington.

Songs in the Key off Life had many distinctions and gave place to several hits. Thus, Stevie Wonder received two Grammy Award for its work, of which that of the disc of the year. The magazine Rolling Stone placed the album at the 56^e place of its list of the “500 Best Albums”.

Titles of the album

Disc 1

Love' S in Need off Coils Today (Wonder) - 7:05
Have Talk With God (Hardaway/Wonder) - 2:42
Village Ghetto Land (Byrd/Wonder) - 3:25
Contusion (Wonder) - 6:23
Sir Duke (Wonder) - 3:45
I Wish (Wonder) - 3:54
Knocks Me off My Feet (Wonder) - 4:12
Pastime Paradise (Wonder) - 3:36
Summer Soft (Wonder) - 3:27
Ordinary Pain (Wonder) - 4:14
Saturn * (Sembello/Wonder) - 4:53
Ebony Eyes * (Wonder) - 4:08

Disc 2

Isn' T She Lovely (Wonder) - 6:34
Joy Inside My Tears (Wonder) - 6:29
Black Man (Byrd/Wonder) - 8:29
Ngiculela-Es Una Historia-I Am Singing (Wonder) - 3:48
Yew It' S Magic (Wonder) - 3:12
Ace (Wonder) - 7:08
Another Star (Wonder) - 8:28
All Day Sucker (Wonder) - 5:05
Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama' S Cal) (Wonder) - 3:56

*en no-claims bonus in the special editions of the LP, integrated in the later versions CD.

Musicians

Stevie Wonder - Harmonica, Arrangements, Keyboards, Singer
Greg Brown - Battery
Dorothy Ashby - Toothing-stone
George Benson - Guitar, Song
Ronnie Foster - Organ
Herbie Hancock - Keyboards
Bobbi Humphrey - Flute
Michael Sembello - Guitar
Carol Sticks - Percussion
Bobbye Hall - Percussion
Sneaky Pete Kleinow - Pedal Steel guitar
Nathan Alford, Jr. - Percussion
George Bohannon - Trombone
Charles Brewer - Percussion, Song
Shirley Brewer - Percussion, Song
Ben Bridges - Guitar, Sitar
Eddie " Bongo" Brown - Percussion
Colleen Carleton - Percussion, Song
Howard Buzzy Feiten - Guitar
Glen Ferris - Trombone
John Fischbach - Percussion, Song
Carmelo Garcia - Percussion, Drinking cups
Susaye Greene Brown - Song
Renee Hardaway - Percussion, Song
Nelson Beam - Percussion, Song
Jim Horn - Saxophone
Larry Latimer - Percussion, Song
Trevor Lawrence - Saxophone, Sax (Tenor)
Steve Madaio - Trumpet
Raymond Maldonado - Percussion, Trumpet
Amale Mathews - Percussion, Song
Edna Orso - Percussion, Song
Dean Parks - Guitar
Greg Phillinganes - Keyboard
Raymond Lee Pounds - Battery
Hank Redd - Saxophone, Sax (Viola), Sax (Tenor)
Josette Valentino - Percussion, Song
W.G. Snuffy Walden - Guitar
Marietta Toilets - Percussion, Song
Nathan Lamar Watts - low Guitar, Percussion, Song
Ray Pound - Battery
Nathan Watts - low Guitar, Song
Greg Brown - Battery

With the song: Deniece Williams, Minnie Riperton, George Benson, Gary Byrd, Michael Wycof, Jay Servant boy Adams, Henry America, Linda America, Baradras, Brenda Barnett, Khalif Bobatoon, Starshemah Bobatoon, Sudana Bobatoon, Charles Brewer, Shirley Brewer, Berry Briges, Cecilia Brown, Jean Brown, Rodney Brown, Addie Cox, Agnideva Dasa, Duryodhana Guru Dasa, Jayasacinandana Dasa, Jitamrtyi Dasa, Vedavyasa Dasa, Cinmayi Dasi, Yogamaya Dasi, Carolyn Refusals, Bhakta Eddie, Doe Rani Edwards, Jacqueline F. English, Ethel Enoex, Al Jocko Fan, Barbara Fann, Melani Fan, Shelley Fan, Tracy Fan, Susie Fuzzell, Anthony Givens, Audrey Givens, Givens Derrick, Mildred Givens, Michael Lee Gray, Mimi Green, Susaye Greene Brown, Bhakta Gregory, Jeania Harris, Troy Harris, Terry Hendricks, David Henson, Adrian Janes, Josie James, Calvin Johnson, Carol Johnson, Patricia Johnson, Madelaine Jones, Bhakta Kevin, Phillip Kimble, James Lambert, Lynda Laurence, Linda Lawrence, Irma Leslie, Kim Lewis, Carl Lockhart, Gail Lockhart, Carolyn Massenburg, Artice May, Charity McCrary, Linda McCrary-Campbell, Linda McCrary, Lonnie Morgan, Kim Nixon, LISA Nixon, Larri Nuckens, Gwen Perry, Gregory Rudd, Rukmini, Yolanda Simmons, Keith Slaughter, Rosona Starks, Swindell Refusals, Sundray Tucker, Gary Veney, Sheryl Walker, Mary Lee Whitney, Syreeta Wright, Michael Gray, Susaye Greene, William Moore, Ruben Tibi.

Production

Stevie Wonder - Producer
Larry Scott - special Effects
Tony Warren - Illustrations
Andrew Berliner Mastering
John Fischbach Sound engineer
John Harris - special Effects
John Harris - Programming
Bruce Hensal - Assistant engineer
Gift Hunter - Programming, effects special
Howie Lindeman - Assistant engineer
Gary Olazabal - Sound engineer
Rick Smith - Assistant Engineer
Chris Morris - Assistant engineer
Jeff Sanders - Mastering
Rick Smith - Assistant Engineer
Fountain Jones - Programming

Simple in Hit parades

1976: Another Star (Play Club Individual) - N° 2
1977: Sir Duke (Adult Contemporary) - N° 3
1977: Another Star (Pop Individual) - N° 32
1977: I Wish (Pop Individual) - N° 1
1977: Sir Duke (Pop Individual) - N° 1
1977: Another Star (Black Individual) - N° 18
1977: Ace (Black Individual) - N° 36
1977: I Wish (Black Individual) - N° 1
1977: Sir Duke (Black Individual) - N° 1
1978: Ace (Pop Individual) - N° 36
1978: Knocks Me Off My Feet (Pop Individual) - N° 11
1978: Knocks Me Off My Feet (Black Individual) - N° 4

External bonds

Small pocket and infos by allmusic
Words of the Songs of Stevie Wonder

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