Superstition by Stevie Wonder

Amazingly, Stevie Wonder was signed up by Motown when he was only eleven. Born in 1950 and named Steveland Judkins he wasn’t actually born blind, this being attributed to being given too much oxygen when in the hospital incubator. The name ‘Wonder’ stems from Berry Gordy’s sister Esther apparently who referred to him as ‘a wonder’.

“Superstition” was written, produced and arranged by him in 1972, when he was twenty-two years old. It reached number one in the US and number eleven in the UK in 1973.

Sample “Superstition” on Motown 50 here:

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Light My Fire by Stevie Wonder

“Light my Fire” was a cover version by Stevie Wonder of the Doors original. It appeared on his “My Cherie Amour” album in 1969.

Sample “Light My Fire” on Motown 50 here:

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Master Blaster by Stevie Wonder

Taken from his “Hotter than July” album of 1981, Motown released “Master Blaster” by Stevie Wonder and it was an immediate hit, spending seven weeks at number one in the US. Wonder had penned the track as an ode to Bob Marley and it consequently had a distinctive reggae feel.

Sample “Master Blaster” on Motown 50 here:

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Stevie Wonder Signed, Sealed, Delivered.

“Signed, Sealed Delivered, I’m Yours” was a six-week, number one hit in the US R&B chart in 1970 for Stevie Wonder. It was the first production of his own and also the first single that featured his female backing group of Lynda Laurence, Syreeta Wright (who co-wrote it) and Vanetta Fields. Stevie and Syreeta married shortly afterwards, but the pressures of Stevie’s professional life contributed to their divorce after only eighteen months.

Sample “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” on Motown 50 here:

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Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder

Written and performed by Stevie Wonder in 1976, ‘Sir Duke’ became a number one in the US and number two in the UK. Apparently, the song was written as a tribute to Duke Ellington. Only 26 when ‘Sir Duke’ hit the big time, Stevie remains with Motown to this day, having been responsible for a massive 30 top ten hits as a single artist.

Sample “Sir Duke” on Motown 50 here:

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