Songs in the Key of Life

Songs in the Key of Life
Songs in the Key of Life
Studio album by Stevie Wonder
Released	September 28, 1976
Recorded	1974–76
Genre	R&B; soul; funk;
Length	85:21
Label	Tamla
Producer	Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder chronology
Singles from Songs in the Key of Life
	"I Wish"; Released: December 1976; "Sir Duke"; Released: March 1977; "Another Star"; Released: August 1977; "As"; Released: October 1977;

Songs in the Key of Life is the eighteenth studio album by American recording artist Stevie Wonder. It was released on September 28, 1976, by Tamla.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Christgau's Record Guide	A^[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	^[3]
The Great Rock Discography	8/10^[3]
MusicHound	5/5^[3]
Rolling Stone	^[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[5]
Sputnikmusic	4.5/5^[6]

Songs in the Key of Life received widespread acclaim from critics.

Track listing

Original vinyl release

Side one

"Love's in Need of Love Today" (Stevie Wonder) – 7:06
- Stevie Wonder – Fender Rhodes, Clavinet, Yamaha GX-1 synthesizer, bass synth, drums
- Eddie "Bongo" Brown – kalimba
"Have a Talk with God" (Calvin Hardaway, Wonder) – 2:42
- Stevie Wonder - all instruments synthesizer
"Village Ghetto Land" (Gary Byrd, Wonder) – 3:25
- Stevie Wonder - Yamaha GX-1 synthesizer
"Contusion" (Wonder) – 3:46
- Mike Sembello – lead guitar
- Raymond Pounds – drums
- Nathan Watts – bass
- Ben Bridges – rhythm guitar
- Greg Phillinganes – keyboard
- Stevie Wonder – all other instruments
- Michael Gray, Josie James, Shirley Brewer, Artece May – vocals
"Sir Duke" (Wonder) – 3:52
- Raymond Pounds – drums
- Nathan Watts – bass
- Mike Sembello – lead guitar
- Ben Bridges – rhythm guitar
- Hank Redd – alto saxophone
- Raymond Maldonado – trumpet
- Trevor Laurence – tenor saxophone
- Steve Madaio – trumpet
- Stevie Wonder – all other instruments

Side two

"I Wish" (Wonder) – 4:12
- Stevie Wonder – vocals, Fender Rhodes, ARP 2600 synthesizer, vocoder, drums
- Nathan Watts – bass
- Hank Redd – alto saxophone
- Trevor Laurence – tenor saxophone
- Raymond Maldonado – trumpet
- Steve Madaio – trumpet
- Renee Hardaway - vocals ("you nasty boy!")
"Knocks Me Off My Feet" (Wonder) – 3:36
- Stevie Wonder – vocals, acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, drums, synth bass
"Pastime Paradise" (Wonder) – 3:27
- Stevie Wonder – Yamaha GX-1 synthesizer, percussions
- Raymond Maldonado, Bobbye Hall – percussions
- Hare Krishna, West Angeles Church Choir – background vocals
"Summer Soft" (Wonder) – 4:14
- Ben Bridges – rhythm guitar
- Ronnie Foster – organ
- Larry "Nastyee" Latimer – percussion
- Stevie Wonder – vocals, piano, bass synthesizer, drums
"Ordinary Pain" (Wonder) – 6:16
- Mike Sembello – lead guitar
- Hank Redd – alto saxophone
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocals, Fender Rhodes, bass synthesizer, drums
- Minnie Riperton, Mary Lee Whitney, Deniece Williams, Syreeta Wright – background vocals
- Shirley Brewer – reply
- Linda Lawrence, Terri Hendricks, Sundray Tucker, Charity McCrary, Madelaine Jones – reply's background vocals

Side three

"Isn't She Lovely" (Wonder) – 6:34
- Greg Phillinganes – keyboard
- Stevie Wonder – Fender Rhodes, RMI Electra Piano, bass synthesizer, harmonica, drums
"Joy Inside My Tears" (Wonder) – 6:30
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocals, background vocals, piano, bass synthesizer, drums
- Greg Phillinganes – keyboard
- Susaye Green – background vocals
"Black Man"(Byrd/Wonder) – 8:27
- Stevie Wonder – Fender Rhodes, bass synthesizer, synthesizer, talk box, drums, percussion
- Hank Redd – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
- Steve Madaio – trumpet
- George Bohanon – trombone
- Glen Ferris – trombone

Side four

"Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing" (Wonder) – 3:48
- Charles Brewer, Shirley Brewer, Renee Hardaway, Nelson Hayes, Marietta Waters, Nathan Watts, John Fischbach, Amale Mathews, Josette Valentino – background percussion
- Stevie Wonder – vocals, Koto synthesizer, bass synthesizer, drums
- Zulu translation by Thoko Mdalose Hall, Spanish translation by Raymond Maldonado

"If It's Magic" (Wonder) – 3:12
- Dorothy Ashby – harp
- Stevie Wonder – vocal, harmonica

"As" (Wonder) – 7:08
- Nathan Watts – bass, handclaps
- Dean Parks – guitar
- Herbie Hancock – Fender Rhodes, handclaps
- Greg Brown – drums
- Stevie Wonder – lead and background vocal, Fender Rhodes
- Mary Lee Whitney – background vocals
- Dave Hanson, Yolanda Simon, Josette Valentino – handclaps

"Another Star" (Wonder) – 8:08
- Bobbi Humphrey – flute
- George Benson – guitar and background vocals
- Hank Redd – alto saxophone
- Raymond Maldonado – trumpet
- Trevor Laurence – tenor saxophone
- Steve Madaio – trumpet
- Nathan Alford, Jr. – percussion
- Carmello Hungria Garcia – timbales
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocal and background vocals, piano, drums
- Nathan Watts – bass
- Josie James – background vocals

A Something's Extra

The "A Something's Extra" 7" extended play was included with the special-edition version of the original LP. These tracks are also on most CD versions of the album, as well as the Blu-ray Audio.^[7] They were either split between both discs or added to the end of the second disc.

Side one

"Saturn" (Michael Sembello, Wonder) – 4:54
- Mike Sembello – lead guitar
- Ben Bridges – rhythm guitar
- Gregory Phillinganes – keyboard
- Stevie Wonder – all other instruments
"Ebony Eyes" (Wonder) – 4:11
- Nathan Watts – bass
- Jim Horn – saxophone
- Peter "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow – steel guitar
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocals, tack piano, talkbox, drums

Side two

"All Day Sucker" (Wonder) – 5:06
- Ben Bridges – rhythm guitar
- Mike Sembello – rhythm guitar
- W. G. "Snuffy" Walden – lead guitar
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocals, background vocals, bass synthesizer, Clavinet, drums
- Carolyn Denis – background vocals
"Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)" (Wonder) – 3:55
- Nathan Watts – bass
- Stevie Wonder – Fender Rhodes, harmonica, drums

CD release

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Love's in Need of Love Today"	Stevie Wonder	7:06
2.	"Have a Talk with God"	Wonder, Calvin Hardaway	2:42
3.	"Village Ghetto Land"	Wonder, Gary Byrd	3:25
4.	"Contusion"	Wonder	3:46
5.	"Sir Duke"	Wonder	3:54
6.	"I Wish"	Wonder	4:12
7.	"Knocks Me Off My Feet"	Wonder	3:36
8.	"Pastime Paradise"	Wonder	3:28
9.	"Summer Soft"	Wonder	4:14
10.	"Ordinary Pain"	Wonder	6:23
11.	"Isn't She Lovely"	Wonder	6:34
12.	"Joy Inside My Tears"	Wonder	6:30
13.	"Black Man"	Wonder, Byrd	8:30
14.	"Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing"	Wonder	3:49
15.	"If It's Magic"	Wonder	3:12
16.	"As"	Wonder	7:08
17.	"Another Star"	Wonder	8:28

A Something's Extra
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
18.	"Saturn"	Wonder, Michael Sembello	4:54
19.	"Ebony Eyes"	Wonder	4:09
20.	"All Day Sucker"	Wonder	5:06
21.	"Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)"	Wonder	3:57
Total length:			1:44:54

Personnel

Stevie Wonder – harmonica, arranger, keyboards, programming, vocals, drums
Michael Sembello – guitar
Sneaky Pete Kleinow – pedal steel
George Benson – guitar, vocals
Ronnie Foster – organ
Herbie Hancock – keyboards, handclapping
Dean Parks – guitar
Greg Phillinganes – keyboards
W.G. "Snuffy" Walden – guitar
Nathan Watts – bass guitar, vocals, handclapping
Greg Brown – drums
Raymond Lee Pounds – drums
Hank Redd – alto and tenor saxophone
George Bohannon – trombone
Ben Bridges – guitar, sitar
Dorothy Ashby – harp
Bobbi Humphrey – flute
Howard "Buzzy" Feiten – guitar
Steve Madaio – trumpet
Trevor Lawrence – tenor saxophone
Glen Ferris – trombone
Jim Horn – saxophone
Deniece Williams – vocals
Minnie Riperton – vocals
Gary Byrd – vocals
Michael Wycoff – vocals
Larry Scott – sound effects
Carol Cole – percussion
Bobbye Hall – percussion
Jay Boy Adams – vocals
Nathan Alford, Jr. – percussion
Henry America – vocals
Linda America – vocals
Baradras – vocals
Brenda Barnett – vocals
Khalif Bobatoon – vocals
Starshemah Bobatoon – vocals
Sudana Bobatoon – vocals
Charles Brewer – percussion, programming, vocals
Shirley Brewer – percussion, vocals, speaking part
Berry Briges – vocals
Cecilia Brown – vocals
Eddie "Bongo" Brown – percussion
Jean Brown – vocals
Rodney Brown – vocals
Colleen Carleton – percussion, vocals
Addie Cox – vocals
Agnideva Dasa – vocals
Duryodhana Guru Dasa – vocals
Jayasacinandana Dasa – vocals
Jitamrtyi Dasa – vocals
Vedavyasa Dasa – vocals
Cinmayi Dasi – vocals
Yogamaya Dasi – vocals
Carolyn Dennis – vocals
Bhakta Eddie – vocals
Doe Rani Edwards – vocals
Jacqueline F. English – vocals
Ethel Enoex – vocals
Al Jocko Fann – vocals
Barbara Fann – vocals
Melani Fann – vocals
Shelley Fann – vocals
Tracy Fann – vocals
John Fischbach – percussion, programming, vocals, engineer

Susie Fuzzell – vocals
Carmelo Garcia – percussion, timbales
Anthony Givens – vocals
Audrey Givens – vocals
Derrick Givens – vocals
Mildred Givens – vocals
Michael Lee Gray – vocals
Mimi Green – vocals
Susaye Greene Brown – vocals
Bhakta Gregory – vocals
Renee Hardaway – percussion, vocals
John Harris – sound effects
Jeania Harris – vocals
John Harris – programming
Troy Harris – vocals
Nelson Hayes – percussion, sound effects, vocals
Terry Hendricks – vocals
H. David Henson – assistant engineer
Don Hunter – programming, sound effects
Adrian Janes – vocals
Josie James – vocals
Calvin Johnson – vocals
Carol Johnson – vocals
Patricia Johnson – vocals
Madelaine Jones – vocals
Bhakta Kevin – vocals
Phillip Kimble – vocals
James Lambert – vocals
Linda Lawrence – vocals
Irma Leslie – vocals
Kim Lewis – vocals
Carl Lockhart – vocals
Gail Lockhart – vocals
Raymond Maldonado – percussion, trumpet
Carolyn Massenburg – vocals
Article May – vocals
Charity McCrary – vocals
Linda McCrary-Campbell – vocals
Lonnie Morgan – vocals
Kim Nixon – vocals
Lisa Nixon – vocals
Larri Nuckens – vocals
Larry Latimer – percussion, vocals
Amale Mathews – percussion, vocals
Gary Olazabal – engineer, bass sound
Edna Orso – percussion, vocals
Marietta Waters – percussion, vocals
Josette Valentino – percussion, vocals, handclapping
Gwen Perry – vocals
Gregory Rudd – vocals
Rukmini – vocals
Yolanda Simmons – vocals, handclapping
Keith Slaughter – vocals
Rosona Starks – vocals
Dennis Swindell – vocals
Sundray Tucker – vocals
Gary Veney – vocals
Sheryl Walker – vocals
Mary Lee Whitney – vocals
Syreeta Wright – vocals
Michael Gray – vocals
Susaye Greene – vocals
William Moore – vocals
Fountain Jones – programming
Aisha Morris – crying on "Isn't She Lovely"

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1976	"Another Star"	Club Play Singles	2
1977		Pop Singles	32
		Black Singles	18
		Adult Contemporary	29
	"I Wish"	Pop Singles	1
		Black Singles	1
		Adult Contemporary	23
	"Sir Duke"	Pop Singles	1
		Black Singles	1
		Adult Contemporary	3
	"Isn't She Lovely"	Adult Contemporary	23
	"As"	Adult Contemporary	24
		Black Singles	36
1978		Pop Singles	36

References

↑ Bush, John. Review: Songs in the Key of Life. AllMusic.
↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Stevie Wonder". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 0899190251.
1 2 3 "Songs in the Key of Life". Acclaimed Music. Archived from the original on 2010-04-22. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
↑ Walters, Barry (June 2, 2005). "none". Rolling Stone. New York.
↑ Considine, J. D. (2004). "Stevie Wonder". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. pp. 885–87. ISBN 0743201698.
↑ Arp, Louis. Review: Songs in the Key of Life. Sputnikmusic.
↑ Sinclair, Paul. "Stevie Wonder Songs In The Key Of Life blu-ray audio". Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2015.

[Bush-1] Bush, John. Review: Songs in the Key of Life. AllMusic.

[Christgau81-2] Christgau, Robert (1981). "Stevie Wonder". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 0899190251.

[AM-3] 1 2 3 "Songs in the Key of Life". Acclaimed Music. Archived from the original on 2010-04-22. Retrieved 2015-11-23.

[4] Walters, Barry (June 2, 2005). "none". Rolling Stone. New York.

[Considine-5] Considine, J. D. (2004). "Stevie Wonder". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. pp. 885–87. ISBN 0743201698.

[Arp-6] Arp, Louis. Review: Songs in the Key of Life. Sputnikmusic.

[7] Sinclair, Paul. "Stevie Wonder Songs In The Key Of Life blu-ray audio". Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2015.

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