The last Stevie Wonder post I did went over rather like a lead balloon, so I thought I’d try again. I asked our friend Ali for her favourite, and while she named several, this one seemed to stand out for her, and it has the added advantage of not having been featured here on Filosofa’s Word since May 2020!
This was intended for Jeff Beck, who was brought in to play some guitar parts on the album in exchange for a song. At one of the sessions, Stevie came up with the riff and wrote some lyrics, and they recorded a rough version of the song that day for Beck. It took Beck a while to record the song, and by the time he released it, Wonder’s version had been out for a month and was a huge hit. Beck felt shortchanged, and made some statements in the press that Wonder didn’t appreciate. In 1975, Beck released an instrumental version of Wonder’s “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers” on his album Blow By Blow. The album was a hit and helped solidify Beck’s reputation as an elite guitarist.
When Wonder turned 21, he was no longer obligated to Motown Records, and used his clout to sign a deal with the label giving him unprecedented control of his music. He got a large share of royalties and publishing rights, and Motown was not allowed to alter the albums once they were delivered. One thing Motown did control, however, were what songs they released as singles. Knowing Jeff Beck was about to record his version, Motown head Berry Gordy made sure this was the first single and released it before Beck could get his out. A bit of dirty pool there, it seems.
Several artists besides Jeff Beck have covered this. None made much of an impact until Stevie Ray Vaughan released a live version as a single in 1986 on his album Live Alive. His version is still played on Classic Rock radio, and has grown even more popular since Vaughan’s death in 1990.
Wonder performed this song on Sesame Street in 1973 during the show’s fourth season. It was recorded at the show’s New York studios at a time when Wonder and his band were playing lots of gigs, and they treated the Sesame Street performance just like any other, extending it to nearly 7 minutes, complete with intricate musical shifts directed by Wonder. Video of the performance shows kids and puppets having a blast on the set, but the band remained focused, since getting distracted by a monster would not be a valid excuse for missing a change.
The song made #1 in the U.S., #6 in Canada, and #11 in the UK
Superstition
Stevie Wonder
Very superstitious
Writing’s on the wall
Very superstitious
Ladder’s ’bout to fall
13-month-old baby
Broke the looking glass
Seven years of bad luck
The good things in your past
When you believe in things
That you don’t understand
Then you suffer
Superstition ain’t the way, yeah
Ooh, very superstitious
Wash your face and hands
Rid me of the problem
Do all that you can
Keep me in a daydream
Keep me going strong
You don’t want to save me
Sad is my song
When you believe in things
You don’t understand
Then you suffer
Superstition ain’t the way, yeah
Very superstitious
Nothing more to say
Very superstitious
The devil’s on his way
13-month-old baby
Broke the looking glass
Seven years of bad luck
Good things in your past
When you believe in things
That you don’t understand
Then you suffer
Superstition ain’t the way
No, no, no
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Stevie Wonder
Superstition lyrics © Black Bull Music, Jobete Music Co Inc, Jobete Music Co., Inc.
Folks, I’ve done it again!!! Last year, I missed Stevie Wonder’s birthday by a day … his birthday is the 13th, and after I didn’t play a Stevie Wonder song on that date, my dear friend Ellen took me to task, so I wished Mr. Wonder a ‘Happy Birthday’ on the 14th. This year, though … I’ve missed it by five days!!! Ellen … this is your fault, y’know! Anyway, better late than never, they say, and since Stevie is in my top five favourites of all time, I cannot let his birthday go unnoticed.
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