Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life

Label:

Tamla, Tamla

Catalog#:

T13-340C2, T340 EP

Format:

2 x Vinyl, LP
Vinyl, 7"

Country:

Released:

1976

Genre:

Funk / Soul

Style:

Soul, Disco

Tracklist

A1	Love's In Need Of Love Today	7:05	X
	Percussion [Collinga] - Eddie "Bongo" Brown
A2	Have A Talk With God	2:42	X
	Written-By - Calvin Hardaway , Stevie Wonder
A3	Village Ghetto Land	3:25	X
	Written-By - Shatema Byrd , Stevie Wonder
A4	Contusion	3:45	X
	Backing Vocals - Artece May , Josie James , Michael Gray (2) , Shirley Brewer Vocals - Wonderlove
A5	Sir Duke	3:52	X
	Saxophone [Alto] - Hank Redd Saxophone [Tenor] - Trevor Lawrence Trumpet - Raymond Maldonado* , Steve Madaio
B1	I Wish	4:12	X
	Backing Vocals - Renee Hardaway Saxophone [Alto] - Hank Redd Saxophone [Tenor] - Trevor Lawrence Trumpet - Raymond Maldonado* , Steve Madaio
B2	Knocks Me Off My Feet	3:35	X
B3	Pastime Paradise	3:20	X
	Percussion - Bobbye Hall , Raymond Maldonado*
B4	Summer Soft	4:16	X
	Organ - Ronnie Foster Percussion - Nastee Latimer*
B5	Ordinary Pain	6:22	X
	Backing Vocals - Charity McCrary , Deniece Williams , Linda McCrary , Lynda Laurence , Madelaine 'Gypsy' Jones , Mary Lee Whitney , Minnie Riperton , Sundray Tucker , Syreeta Wright* , Terry Hendricks Saxophone [Alto] - Hank Redd Vocals - Shirley Brewer
C1	Isn't She Lovely	6:33	X
C2	Joy Inside My Tears	6:29	X
	Backing Vocals - Susaye Green*
C3	Black Man	8:29	X
	Saxophone [Alto, Tenor] - Hank Redd Trombone - George Bohanon , Glen Ferris* Trumpet - Steve Madaio
D1	Ngiculela - Es Una Historia - I Am Singing	3:48	X
	Percussion - Amale Mathews , Charles Brewer , John Fischbach , Josette Valentino , Marietta Waters , Nathan Watts , Nelson Hayes , Renee Hardaway , Shirley Brewer
D2	If It's Magic	3:11	X
	Harp - Dorothy Ashby
D3	As	7:07	X
	Backing Vocals - Mary Lee Whitney Drums - Greg Brown Guitar - Dean Parks Keyboards - Herbie Hancock
D4	Another Star	8:19	X
	Backing Vocals - George Benson , Josie James Flute - Bobbi Humphrey Guitar - George Benson Percussion - Nathan Alford, Jr. Saxophone [Alto] - Hank Redd Saxophone [Tenor] - Trevor Lawrence Timbales - Carmello Hungria Garcia* Trumpet - Raymond Maldonado* , Steve Madaio
E1	Saturn	4:54	X
E2	Ebony Eyes	4:10	X
	Guitar [Steel] - Sneaky Pete Kleinow Saxophone - Jim Horn
F1	All Day Sucker	5:06	X
	Backing Vocals - Carolyn Dennis Guitar [Lead] - WG "Snuffy" Walden
F2	Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)	3:58	X

Credits

Bass - Nathan Watts (tracks: A4 to B1, D3, D4, E2, F2)
Drums - Raymond Pounds (tracks: A4 to B1)
Guitar [Lead] - Michael Sembello (tracks: A4, A5, B5, E1, F1)
Guitar [Rhythm] - Ben Bridges (tracks: A4, A5, B4, E1, F1)
Keyboards - Greg Phillinganes (tracks: A4, C1, C2, E1)
Producer, Arranged By, Composed By, Written-By - Stevie Wonder

Notes

Collector's album includes two records (2 x LP), a something extra (7", titled 'A Something Extra for "Songs In The Key Of Life"') and 24-page lyric booklet. All records pressed on black vinyl.

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Reviews & Discussion

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Rated 5/5

Review by jussumen Aug 16, 2004 (edited over 5 years ago)

Probably the best album in the history of popular music !
This classic masterpiece reminds me of the Bible. You may not touch it often, maybe not even once in years, but it's always good to know it's there.
Often i think of a certain melody, phrase or song, that i want to hear again, that sparks the intention to look for the album and put it on my turnatble.I always end up playing the whole album (although the 7" got lost somehow) at least once , if not more than twice...
Whenever i listened to 'Songs In The Key Of Life' during the past 5 years, since i got this very album from a flea-market, there's always another song that's my favorite. It used to be 'Pastime Paradise' (long before Coolio changed it to "Gangsta's Paradise") . Today it seems to be "JOY INSIDE MY TEARS" once again = touching, perfect, complete. What a wonderful melody, up-building and ever increasing with this typical Stevie Wonder lyrics, that often leaves just a tiny light of hope. But i only heard LP 2 (Side 2+3) as yet! Sides 1+4 are on LP 1 (old-school style for the automatic record-changers). There are more than half a dozen of great songs on LP 1 as well.'Love's In Need Of Love Today','Have A Talk With God', Sir Duke' (Side 1) 'Isn't She Lovely' and 'As' (Side 4) are among my ever changing favourites.