Stevie songs
Stevie Wonder is a musical genius, and even people who aren’t necessarily interested in all of his music would probably agree. Despite being blind almost since birth, he has always had an almost superhuman ability to play and write music, always doing both at the highest level of craftsmanship imaginable.
His songwriting in particular served him well, and artists who recorded songs written or co-written by him often went on to have the biggest hits of their careers. We highlight these examples of songs written by Wonder that were performed by other artists and were so strongly identified with them that you may not know Stevie was the man behind the curtain.
“Tears of a Clown” by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles (1967)
Written by Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and Henry Cosby
When Stevie Wonder first played the music to “Tears of a Clown” for Smokey Robinson at a Motown Records Christmas party, Robinson thought the opening theme sounded like circus music. The duo took that idea and put it into practice, writing lyrics with clowns as the focus, which they sang over the bittersweet background music. Although Smokey Robinson and the Miracles had many hits of their own that remain popular today, such as “Ooo Baby Baby” and “The Tracks of My Tears,” “Tears of a Clown” remained their only number one hit.
“It’s a Shame” by The Spinners (1970)
Written by Stevie Wonder, Syreeta Wright and Lee Garrett
Stevie Wonder co-wrote “It’s a Shame” with his first wife Syreeta Wright and Lee Garrett, who also co-wrote Wonder’s 1969 hit “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.” Like Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Spinners had their own hits like “Working My Way Back to You,” but “It’s a Shame,” which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart, remains a staple of the group’s catalog.
“Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)” by Aretha Franklin (1973)
Written by Stevie Wonder, Morris Broadnax and Clarence Paul
Stevie Wonder recorded this song in 1967, but it remained unreleased for a decade, so it was first released in 1973 by none other than the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. The song topped the R&B charts and reached number three on the Hot 100 chart, where it eventually went gold. And you can’t blame her for only reaching number three with this song – making her the first artist in Hot 100 history to top all ten spots ten times.
“Bad Weather” by The Supremes (1973)
Written by Stevie Wonder and Ira Tucker Jr.
By 1973, the Supremes’ popularity had been declining since their heyday in the teased 1960s. Diana Ross had already left the group and been replaced by Jean Terrell, a great singer who unfortunately didn’t have the star status of her predecessor. Stevie Wonder wrote and produced “Bad Weather” for the beleaguered group, adding some pre-disco funk to suit changing tastes. The song only reached number 74 on the R&B singles chart and Terrell left the group shortly afterward, but it’s a great song, more than worthy of both the man who co-wrote it and the group that recorded it.
“Tell Me Something Good” by Rufus (1974)
Written by Stevie Wonder
Chaka Khan is no stranger to the Billboard Charts, but her first trip to the most dizzying heights came in 1974 when she was a member of the funk group Rufus. Wonder loved her singing and wrote “Tell Me Something Good” especially for her voice, and that gave the band their first hit, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. It is still her best known song and laid the groundwork for another collaboration between Wonder and Khan when he played harmonica on her 1984 hit “I Feel For You,” which was written by Prince and also samples Wonder’s 1963 song “Fingertips.”
“Perfect Angel” by Minnie Riperton (1974)
Written by Stevie Wonder
The world lost a great talent in 1979 when singer Minnie Riperton succumbed to cancer at the far too young age of 31. We can, however, find some solace in the great works she left behind, such as “Lovin’ You” and “Perfect Angel,” the title track from her 1974 album. Stevie Wonder wrote and performed on the latter song, billing himself under the pseudonym “El Toro Negro” and contributing harmonica, drums, and piano. Yes, the guy can play drums among his other talents while the rest of us try mightily to be good at just one thing.
“Because we are apart as lovers” by Jeff Beck (1975)
Written by Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder wanted to give rock guitarist Jeff Beck a song he had written called “Superstition,” but Wonder’s label, Motown Records, would have none of it and insisted he record it himself. Wonder relented, but still wanted to write something for the guitar virtuoso and ended up giving him the instrumental “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers.” It was produced by George Martin, former producer of the Beatles, and ended up on Beck’s 1975 album “Blow by Blow,” which many of his fans consider to be one of his best.
“I can see the sun in late December” by Roberta Flack (1975)
Written by Stevie Wonder
Roberta Flack followed up 1973’s hugely successful Killing Me Softly two years later with Feel Like Makin’ Love, which she produced herself under the pseudonym Rubina Flake. Upon its release, many critics dismissed it as boring, but they saved their strongest vitriol for the Wonder-penned I Can See The Sun In Late December, which, at nearly 13 minutes, has been described as self-indulgent and interminable. Listening to the song today, you might agree that it’s a little dated, but you might also feel that it’s a dreamy piece of music that shows both Wonder and Flack wanting to experiment and push the boundaries of the pop charts.
“I Can’t Help It” by Michael Jackson (1979)
Written by Stevie Wonder and Susaye Green
Michael Jackson’s most successful album remains 1982’s Thriller, but a significant number of his fans swear by his 1979 album Off the Wall instead. Along with hits like “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” “Rock with You,” and “She’s Out of My Life,” the album also includes “I Can’t Help It,” co-written by Stevie Wonder with Susaye Greene of the Supremes. As a laid-back song midway through the second side, it didn’t get as much attention as it deserved, but that doesn’t take away from the song, which some have called a precursor to “neo soul,” a style of R&B that would emerge in later decades thanks to artists like Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill.
“Let’s Get Serious” by Jermaine Jackson (1980)
Written by Stevie Wonder and Lee Garrett
“Let’s Get Serious” is the title track from Jermaine Jackson’s 1980 album and was his first song to top the R&B charts upon its release. Stevie Wonder co-wrote and produced the song and sang background vocals on the song. The song was so popular that it pushed Michael Jackson’s “Rock with You” into second place on the charts. Billboard‘s soul chart for 1980, taking the number one spot, making Jermaine Jackson one of the few people in the history of recorded music to dethrone the “Gloved One,” if only temporarily.
