Songs in the Key of Life
Occupation
- Stevie Wonder: harmonica, keyboards, programming, vocals, drums
- Michael Sembello: Guitar
- Sneaky Pete Kleinow: steel guitar
- George Benson: guitar, vocals
- Ronnie Foster: Organ
- Herbie Hancock: Keyboards, Handclapping
- Dean Parks: Guitar
- Greg Phillinganes: Keyboards
- G. W. Snuffy Walden: Guitar
- Nathan Watts: bass, vocals, Handclapping
- Greg Brown: Drums
- Raymond Lee Pounds: Drums
- Hank Redd: Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone
- George Bohanon: Trombone
- Ben Bridges: Guitar
- Dorothy Ashby: Harp
- Bobbi Humphrey: Flute
- Buzzy Feiten Howard: guitar
- Steve Madaio: trumpet
- Trevor Lawrence: tenor saxophone
- Glenn Ferris: trombone
- Jim Horn: Saxophone
- Deniece Williams: Vocals
- Minnie Riperton: Voice
Songs in the Key of Life is an album by Stevie Wonder, which was published by Motown on September 28, 1976.
Genesis
It was the last album in a series of five albums that are considered the " classic period" of Wonder, along with Music of My Mind, Talking Book, Innervisions and Fulfillingness ' First Finale. It is a very ambitious album, which brings together 130 musicians participated and the best-selling in the career of Wonder. Wonder wrote all the pieces themselves, musically he was supported by renowned artists such as Mike Sembello, the then only 19 -year-old Gregory Phillinganes, George Benson and Herbie Hancock. The recording of the album took two years to complete.
Achievements
Songs in the Key of Life each won a Grammy for " Best Male Voice" and " Album of the Year ". The album was the first album in history in the first week of sales to the number 1 on the Billboard charts, setting a new record on the fact that it stayed 44 weeks in the Top 40.
Songs in the Key of Life is one of the best albums in pop history; it has been selected by The Village Voice as the best album of the year; 2001, the television station VH1 chose it to number 7 of the "best albums of all time "; Rolling Stone magazine chose it at number 57 of the top 500 albums. The People magazine called the double album as a final confirmation of his overwhelming talent, Melody Maker called it one of the absolutely indispensable albums of the year, a critic of the Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote in 2010 of a definition of black ( n ) music of today ... that one of a black magnum opus can speak, as it especially since Duke Ellington no second are in the popular music of the 20th century.
Album pieces
The original album was released as a double LP, which was still included a bonus disc in the CD- Edition CD1 contains pages 1 and 2 and page 1 of the bonus disk, and CD2 pages 3 and 4 and the page 2 of the bonus disk. With the CD edition from 2000: CD 1 with pages 1 and 2 of the original album, CD 2 album pages 3 and 4 as well as bonus disk side 1 and 2
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Bonus disk page 1
Bonus disk page 2
Other contributing musicians
- Song:
Gary Byrd - Michael Wycoff - Jay Boy Adams - Henry America - Linda America - Baradras - Brenda Barnett - Khalif Bobatoon - Starshemah Bobatoon - Sudana Bobatoon - Rest of Berry - Cecilia Brown - Jean Brown - Rodney Brown - Addie Cox - Agnideva Dasa - Duryodhana Guru Dasa - Dasa Jayasacinandana - Jitamrtyi Dasa - Dasa Vedavyasa - Cinmayi Dasi - Dasi Yogamaya - Carolyn Dennis - Bhakta Eddie - Doe Rani Edwards - Jacqueline F. English - Ethel Enoex - Jocko Al Fann - Barbara Fann - Melani Fann - Shelley Fann - Tracy Fann - Susie Fuzzell - Anthony Givens - Audrey Givens - Derrick Givens - Mildred Givens - Michael Lee Gray - Mimi Green - Susaye Greene Brown - Bhakta Gregory - Jeania Harris - Troy Harris - Terry Hendricks - Adrian Janes - Josie James - Calvin Johnson - Carol Johnson - Patricia Johnson - Madelaine Jones - Bhakta Kevin - Phillip Kimble - James Lambert - Irma Leslie - Kim Lewis - Carl Lockhart - Gail Lockhart - Carolyn Massenburg - Artice May - Charity McCrary - Linda McCrary -Campbell - Lonnie Morgan - Kim Nixon - Lisa Nixon - Larri Nuckens - Gwen Perry - Gregory Rudd - Rukmini - Keith Slaughter - Rosona Starks - Dennis Swindell - Sundray Tucker - Gary Veney - Sheryl Walker - Mary Lee Whitney - Syreeta Wright - Michael Gray - Susaye Greene - William Moore - Linda Lawrence - Yolanda Simmons
- Percussion:
Carol Cole - Bobbye Hall - Nathan Alford, Jr. - Eddie " Bongo " Brown - Colleen Carleton - Renee Hardaway - Larry Latimer - Marietta Waters - Josette Valentino - Amale Mathews - Edna Orso - Shirley Brewer - Charles Brewer - John Fischbach - Nelson Hayes - Carmelo Garcia - Raymond Maldonado
- Programming, Sound Effects:
John Harris - Don Hunter - Larry Scott - John Harris
Cover versions
Several songs from " Songs in the Key of Life" have been covered