JSngry Posted May 5, 2005 Report Share Posted May 5, 2005 Is it true that at present there is no readily available CD edition of "Where I'm Coming From"? The bastards had a Japanese copy for 20 bucks, but it seems to have come and gone in about a week. Leave your request here: http://www.dustygroove.com/cgi-sys/cgiwrap...22&issearch=yes They'll get more. They always do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted May 5, 2005 Report Share Posted May 5, 2005 I am also amazed at how many arguments in the world (including in academia) are over definitions: in this case, what (or who) is genius? A definition is a definition. It can't be right or wrong. To muddy the waters even further, can we safely say that people who are not geniuses per se can nevertheless have moments, or even periods, of genius? Maybe we can refer to that as a "stroke of genius." And like many strokes, it often leaves its recipients crippled for life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest akanalog Posted May 5, 2005 Report Share Posted May 5, 2005 actually, why doesn't someone release some of that syreeta stuff? i also enjoy that infinitely more than stevie wonder's work. the early syreeta is from the TONTO period and has some cool synth on it. that song "i'm turning left" is killer. as is that song which i don't remember the title but goes like "i'm here to say, i love you more each day". maybe it has been reissued and i just haven't looked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noj Posted May 5, 2005 Report Share Posted May 5, 2005 A few scattered Syreeta tracks can be found on compilations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danasgoodstuff Posted May 5, 2005 Report Share Posted May 5, 2005 "A definition is a definition. It can't be right or wrong." This is the most lame-brained thing I've seen on this board in a while. A definition most certainly can be wrong in all kinds of ways. It can be dishosnest, misleading, inaccurate, half-baked, self-serving, conclusionary bullshit just like any other form of bogus argumentation. Plenty of evidence of that on both sides of this debate. On the whole I find the argument on the con side better reasoned, but I still think SW is a genius by any even-handed definition: In the peiod in question he matured from a mere child prodigy to an artist of startly originallity whose work just flowed out of him and changed the contest of, at least, American popular music (in the broadest sense) so that the meaning of everything that came after was affected whether it was directly influenced by or not. (In many ways the direct influence was pernicious, most mortals have no business trying to do it all themselves). for what it's worth I think there has been much grade inflation, so no I don't think that Steely Dan or my homie Joni are geniuses, just people who did some very nice, interesting, distinctive work that influenced some and not others. So, now that I've pissed everyone off (not that you don't deserve it), to ansewer the original Q: I's love to hear me some unissed Stevie, whether on deluxe editions or otherwise, 'cause despite thinking he's a genius I don't think he's the best judge of the quality of his own work... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danasgoodstuff Posted May 5, 2005 Report Share Posted May 5, 2005 I'd be particularly interested to here some stuffs from outside the acknowledged classic period just to see if that perception was based just on what he chose to issue... And I agree that non-geniuses can do genius-level work, Big Pink & The Band anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degiorgio Posted May 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 actually, why doesn't someone release some of that syreeta stuff? both the 2 Stevie produced Syreeta albums (Syreeta & Stevie Wonder presents Syreeta) are available on a single disc on hip-oselect: http://www.hip-oselect.com/catalogue_syreeta.asp for me they are both equally as good as the 4 classic Stevie albums of the period. The first features TONTO again - to stunning effect on Black Maybe especially... but Side Two of the 2nd album is perhaps the highlight - a suite of 5 tracks that just knock me out. How you can dig these albums and Tonto's Expanding Headband but not care for Stevie's own albums of the period is pretty baffling. They are almost identical in concept and are sonically consistant with each other. that song which i don't remember the title but goes like "i'm here to say, i love you more each day". That's "I Love Every Little Thing About You" - Stevie performs it on Music Of My Mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degiorgio Posted May 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 I know it sold big (and produced two big hit singles) Oh -maybe I got that wrong.. I thought it didn't sell as well (certainly not as well as Innvervisions)... was Boogie On Reggae Woman one of the hits? Can't think what the other hit would be... (my fave is 'Creepin'') I agree regarding 'Where I'm Coming From'. Stevie really expands the song structure on Sunshine In Their Eyes - definitely up there in complexity with the TONTO songs... and Do Yourself A Favor & Look Around are like proto-versions of Superstition & They Won't Go When I go - but yes, it does get overlooked - maybe cos sonically most of it is still in the late 60's Stevie mould and Margouleff & Cecil aren't yet on board. There are also earlier tracks which hint at the TONTO style to come - 'I Don't Know Why' and 'Ain't No Lovin' from For Once In My Life and 'Angie Girl' from My Cherie Amour. There is also an extremely hard to find early example of Stevie trying out a Moog bassline and string lines on Smokey Robinson & The Miracles 1972 album Flying High Together - track's called 'We Had A Love So Strong' and its pure Stevie magic... The TONTO era didn't come out of a vacuum - Stevie mentions in Down Beat that he was writing these kind of complex compositions from a very young age, but in his words 'never gave them to the company cos I felt they weren't ready... I felt when I was younger it was not the time nor the place'. A proper box-set or expanded set of CD's of this period should include his compositions exclusively written for other artists up to 1974 - like the rare Smokey track... there's also songs for The Supremes (Bad Weather), The Spinners, David Ruffin (unreleased I believe), GC Cameron (who is on the Syreeta suite I mentioned earlier), The Main Ingredient, Ramsey Lewis, Rotary Connection, Rufus & Chaka Khan (Tell Me Something Good), Roberta Flack (I Can See the Sun...), Minnie Riperton, Pointer Sisters..... etc! None of these songs were commercially performed by Stevie himself... despite thinking he's a genius I don't think he's the best judge of the quality of his own work... good point... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 I know it sold big (and produced two big hit singles) Oh -maybe I got that wrong.. I thought it didn't sell as well (certainly not as well as Innvervisions)... was Boogie On Reggae Woman one of the hits? Can't think what the other hit would be... Yes. The other was "You Haven't Done Nothin'", fall of 1974. A perfectly timed anthem. "Creepin'" is one of my favorites as well (as well as a lot of my cohorts who bought the album at the time, and remains a "jazz favorite" amongst those of us who cover Wonder's songs from time to time). but was never, to my knowledge released as a single. Luther Vandross, of course did have a huge hit R&B single with it, although I don;t know if it "crossed over" into the pop charts or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted May 9, 2005 Report Share Posted May 9, 2005 What I would say really sets Stevie Wonder apart are his compositions and arrangements. My thoughts exactly - when I take a look at my collection for the names of "pop" artists whose tunes were covered the most often by "jazz" artists since 1970, Stevie Wonder always tops the list - I even considered a blindfold test disc made up eexclusively of these! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted May 9, 2005 Report Share Posted May 9, 2005 .... and if the term "genius" is getting in the way of appreciation of any music, scrap it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alon Marcus Posted May 9, 2005 Report Share Posted May 9, 2005 Previous poll on a related subject.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l p Posted May 9, 2005 Report Share Posted May 9, 2005 (edited) when I take a look at my collection for the names of "pop" artists whose tunes were covered the most often by "jazz" artists since 1970, Stevie Wonder always tops the list in the above sentence, i think you meant to say the beatles. Burt Bacharach would probably also beat stevie in that category. Edited May 9, 2005 by l p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degiorgio Posted May 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2005 in the above sentence, i think you meant to say the beatles. Burt Bacharach would probably also beat stevie in that category. based upon my own collection I would say Stevie's compositions prove a more popular choice for jazz artists than The Beatles... anybody have any particular favorites?? for starters I'll put forward: Ahmad Jamal: 'Superstition' (from 73) Freddie Hubbard: 'Black Maybe' (from High Energy) Marion Brown: 'Visions' (from Vista) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l p Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 the only jazz covers of stevie wonder songs that i have are kirk's My Cherie Amour, and houston person 'you are the sunshine of my life' on 'the real thing' lp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fent99 Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 Didn't Stanley Turrentine do a whole album? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 when I take a look at my collection for the names of "pop" artists whose tunes were covered the most often by "jazz" artists since 1970, Stevie Wonder always tops the list in the above sentence, i think you meant to say the beatles. Burt Bacharach would probably also beat stevie in that category. I was talking about my collection - as far as the whole scene is concerned, I dunno, but you may be right. Larry Goldings did some great greezy Stevie Wonder covers, and yes, Stanley Tuurentine did a whole CD for Blue Note, Wonderland, but I've never heard it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man with the Golden Arm Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 this new comp too. l p might want to pull this out if only for the Najee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degiorgio Posted May 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 TONTO era Stevie covers on Blue Note: Bobbi Humphrey: I Love Every Little Thing About You (Dig This! - 1972) Ronnie Foster: Superwoman (Sweet Revival - 1972) Marlena Shaw: You Are the Sunshine of My Life (Live At Montreux - 1973) Ronnie Foster: Golden Lady (On the Avenue - 1974) Bobbi Humphrey: You Are the Sunshine of My Life (Satin Doll - 1974) Ronnie Foster: Tuesday Heartbreak (Cheshire Cat - 1975) Ronnie Laws: Tell Me Something Good (Pressure Sensitive - 1975) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alankin Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 Stevie explains that Fulfillingness' First Finale is part 1 of a double album. The second part to be released some time later - then he wanted to take a long break before working again. (He had just survived a near-fatal car crash in the midst of recording these sessions so its not surprising if he wanted to chill for a while). All that I know is that you don't have to be a genius to know that you shouldn't let Ray Charles drive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 Tasteless in this context, I know, but has anyone else seen David Letterman's "Blind Justice" (the TV show) parodies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz Kat Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 when I take a look at my collection for the names of "pop" artists whose tunes were covered the most often by "jazz" artists since 1970, Stevie Wonder always tops the list in the above sentence, i think you meant to say the beatles. Burt Bacharach would probably also beat stevie in that category. One other artist, that wouldn't really top it, but be included in, would be Paul Simon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.