Continuing the Steve Wonder thread, we'll start with a genuinely moving clip from a somber occasion, the Michael Jackson memorial service. Something I would have loved to have seen that didn't happen (thanks, the many conspiracy theories about Michael's death being a grand hoax notwithstanding, to The King Of Pop's abuse of some awfully heavy-duty prescription drugs): a CD of splendid songs and performances from Michael and Stevie hanging out in the studio informally, having fun, singing each other's tunes, contributing creative arrangements, making music for the pure joy of it.
And, on a lighter note. . . I have sought out clips of Stevie playing live during his inspired early to mid-1970's stretch that produced the great albums Talking Book, Innervisions and Fulfillingness' First Finale. Found one of him performing "Superstition" in 1973, unfortunately sans Jeff Beck's brilliant guitar work but wonderful nonetheless.
3 comments:
Extremely moving - I hadn't seen the memorial performance before.
Re: Superstition: I guess you had to be there. I am frequently left cold by films of live performances. However, the recorded version is one of my fave recordings of anyone's ever. I got it on a single when I was 11 or 12 (flip side was Signed Sealed Delivered, my true fave) - must have driven my parents crazy listening to it six times a day for three years.
Believe I still have a bunch of late 60's - early 70's Stevie Wonder singles, appropriately, stored inside a (cleaned-up) fruitcake container! The funny thing is, I swear one of them was "Signed, Sealed & Delivered", but that it had something else on the B-side.
My parents usually had not come home from work yet when I played Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On", the James Brown "Sex Machine" album, or the Otis Redding side of the Redding/Hendrix Live At The Monterey Pop Festival album six to eight times a day.
And, guitar geek that I am, I contend that Jeff Beck's guitar and the fact that horns instead of the backup vocalist handle the backing riff make the single of "Superstition."
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