Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Stevie Wonder Live is an important document of an artist in transition, performing as an interpreter rather than the songwriting genius that would eventually blossom with material like "Superwoman," "Superstition," and revolutionary albums such as Songs in the Key of Life. The distinctive harmonica adds Wonder's personality to the big-band rendition of Bobby Hebb's eternal "Sunny"; the modulation and Wonder's vocals make for another perspective on this song that has caught the fancy of Sinatra and the Duke, Ella Fitzgerald, Pat Martino, and labelmate Marvin Gaye. The "innervision" the artist gives to "Sunny" and the harmonica-driven instrumental version of "Alfie" are somewhat expected gems from this artist, but the "Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet is something for the day and foreign to the future live shows of the eventual multi-Grammy award winner. "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" (mistitled "Shee-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" on the album jacket) is a glimpse into the future. This is how Wonder sounded when opening for the Rolling Stones in Boston of 1972, that historic night when Mick and the boys were arrested in Rhode Island. The funky keyboards became an ever-present staple and audience favorite. The expansion of this 16-song single disc is mandatory, for historic as well as entertainment purposes. This is not Nilsson singing "Everybody's Talking"; the soulful rendition should've been a tremendous radio hit, had radio programmers jumped on it. It's a fusion of his Vegas-style accompaniment, the earthy keyboards, and his tremendous translation of the lyric. "My Cherie Amour" really displays his movement from pop artist to pop star -- the instrumentation is decidedly different from "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday"'s orchestrated parameters. That the singer/songwriter broke through the limitations of fronting a show group, the Motown Band, makes this document so much more valuable. "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" was the 16th Top 40 hit he had up to this point in time, but he performs only six of those hits in this 17-song selection. At 59 minutes and 26 seconds, this album is half an hour per side, and that is squeezing a lot of sound onto vinyl in 1970. It really is like a double vinyl album, but should be expanded with additional concerts from the day, and the inclusion of some of his other hits. He teases the audience with his huge rendition of "For Once in My Life" at the beginning of the show, and makes good on the promise at the program's conclusion. But the harmonica version of "Alfie" working against the big band is really remarkable stuff, his mastery of that one instrument alone simply amazing. Yes, it's a show band backing up the legend, and the uniqueness of it -- when considering how dramatically his sound would change -- makes it all the more special.
© Joe Viglione /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From £10.83/month
Henry Cosby, Producer - Antonio Adolfo, ComposerLyricist - Tibério Gaspar, ComposerLyricist - Stevie Wonder, MainArtist - Marilyn Bergman, ComposerLyricist - Alan Bergman, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1970 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Henry Cosby, Producer - Stevie Wonder, MainArtist - Bobby Hebb, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1970 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Henry Cosby, Producer - Nino Rota, ComposerLyricist - Stevie Wonder, MainArtist
℗ 1970 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Henry Cosby, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Sylvia Moy, ComposerLyricist - Stevie Wonder, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1970 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Fred Neil, ComposerLyricist - Henry Cosby, Producer - Stevie Wonder, MainArtist
℗ 1970 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Henry Cosby, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Sylvia Rose Moy, ComposerLyricist - Stevie Wonder, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1970 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Ronald Miller, ComposerLyricist - Bryan Wells, ComposerLyricist - Johnny Bristol, Producer - Stevie Wonder, MainArtist - HARVEY FUQUA, Producer
℗ 1970 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Walter Marks, ComposerLyricist - Henry Cosby, Producer - Anthony Newley, ComposerLyricist - Leslie Bricusse, ComposerLyricist - Stevie Wonder, MainArtist
℗ 1970 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Ronald Miller, ComposerLyricist - Bryan Wells, ComposerLyricist - Stevie Wonder, MainArtist - Clarence Paul, Producer
℗ 1970 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Stevie Wonder, MainArtist - Clarence Paul, Producer - Hank Cosby, Producer - Ron Miller, ComposerLyricist - William O'Malley, ComposerLyricist - Avery Vandenberg, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1970 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Bob Dylan, ComposerLyricist - Stevie Wonder, MainArtist - Clarence Paul, Producer
℗ 1970 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Henry Cosby, Producer - Jimmy Webb, ComposerLyricist - Stevie Wonder, MainArtist
℗ 1970 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Henry Cosby, Producer - Stevie Wonder, MainArtist - Mussapere, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1970 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Henry Cosby, Producer - Burt Bacharach, ComposerLyricist - Hal David, ComposerLyricist - Stevie Wonder, MainArtist
℗ 1970 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Orlando Murden, ComposerLyricist - Henry Cosby, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Sylvia Rose Moy, ComposerLyricist - Stevie Wonder, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Ron Miller, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1970 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
Stevie Wonder Live is an important document of an artist in transition, performing as an interpreter rather than the songwriting genius that would eventually blossom with material like "Superwoman," "Superstition," and revolutionary albums such as Songs in the Key of Life. The distinctive harmonica adds Wonder's personality to the big-band rendition of Bobby Hebb's eternal "Sunny"; the modulation and Wonder's vocals make for another perspective on this song that has caught the fancy of Sinatra and the Duke, Ella Fitzgerald, Pat Martino, and labelmate Marvin Gaye. The "innervision" the artist gives to "Sunny" and the harmonica-driven instrumental version of "Alfie" are somewhat expected gems from this artist, but the "Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet is something for the day and foreign to the future live shows of the eventual multi-Grammy award winner. "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" (mistitled "Shee-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" on the album jacket) is a glimpse into the future. This is how Wonder sounded when opening for the Rolling Stones in Boston of 1972, that historic night when Mick and the boys were arrested in Rhode Island. The funky keyboards became an ever-present staple and audience favorite. The expansion of this 16-song single disc is mandatory, for historic as well as entertainment purposes. This is not Nilsson singing "Everybody's Talking"; the soulful rendition should've been a tremendous radio hit, had radio programmers jumped on it. It's a fusion of his Vegas-style accompaniment, the earthy keyboards, and his tremendous translation of the lyric. "My Cherie Amour" really displays his movement from pop artist to pop star -- the instrumentation is decidedly different from "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday"'s orchestrated parameters. That the singer/songwriter broke through the limitations of fronting a show group, the Motown Band, makes this document so much more valuable. "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" was the 16th Top 40 hit he had up to this point in time, but he performs only six of those hits in this 17-song selection. At 59 minutes and 26 seconds, this album is half an hour per side, and that is squeezing a lot of sound onto vinyl in 1970. It really is like a double vinyl album, but should be expanded with additional concerts from the day, and the inclusion of some of his other hits. He teases the audience with his huge rendition of "For Once in My Life" at the beginning of the show, and makes good on the promise at the program's conclusion. But the harmonica version of "Alfie" working against the big band is really remarkable stuff, his mastery of that one instrument alone simply amazing. Yes, it's a show band backing up the legend, and the uniqueness of it -- when considering how dramatically his sound would change -- makes it all the more special.
© Joe Viglione /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 15 track(s)
- Total length: 01:00:39
- Main artists: Stevie Wonder
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: UNI - MOTOWN
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B R&B
© 1970 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. ℗ 1970 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.