Jean: That was "I Wish" from "Songs In The Key Of Life" by Stevie Wonder. This is Jean from Moxy Fruvous and my all-time favorite summer pick album "Songs In The Key Of Life". I actually do have an embarassing little tale about my first real awakening to Stevie Wonder. Ironically, I didn't really have a clue about "Songs In The Key Of Life" volumes 1 and 2 when it first came out. I mean, I was 9 years old and though I'd probably heard a couple of hits on the radio, I think I remember being transfixed by the fledgeling Andy Gibb phenomenon at the time. It wasn't until five years later, in the summer of 1982 that I first clued in, albeit straying from my British new wave music that dominated my record collection at the time. At the end of my grade 9 year I was selected from my high school vocal choir to sing in a duet at the Summertime Toronto Harbourfront Concert Stage, by far the biggest gig I had ever been involved in. And funnily, the song I was to sing half of and that would lead me to a lifelong love of Stevie Wonder I think in retrospect was argueably Stevie's WORST musical effort, that being the irritable hit song he shared with Paul McCartney called "Ebony and Ivory". And there were some pathetic and comic elements to what transpired at Harbourfront. First, the person selected to sing the duet with me was my friend and schoolmate Kim Richardson, who would of course go on to become another famous member of Toronto's singing Richardson family and win a couple of Juno Awards for her vocals. So here I was on stage with someone who should have been singing both parts and winning the standing ovation she deserved rather than being dragged down by me and my post-pubescent voice. But secondly, Kim is black, and therefore was deemed the appropriate choice for the "Ebony" Stevie Wonder part, by our music teacher. So in the ultimate assimilationist juxtaposition you had me, this little brown Persian kid, singing Paul McCartney's "Ivory" part. And while I resented the quote on quote "ivory" I remember the worst part was that [shouting] I really wanted to sing the Stevie Wonder part! I realized then and I've said ever since that if I could wave a magic wand and be given any one singing voice in the whole world, I would pick Stevie Wonder's. I think what I like best about "Songs In The Key Of Life" 1 and 2 is that it's a one-package testament to the magnitude of Stevie Wonder's musical talent, prolific songwriting, and undeniable influence upon contemporary pop, R & B, soul, rap, and folk music. The 21 songs on this 2-disc album are like a greatest hits package; it amazes me that Stevie wrote all of these songs in such in such a short peroid, after his 1970s classic albums like "Fulfilliingess' First Finale". Musically, "Songs In The Key Of Life" is a masterpiece, and it's a songwriter's dream: infectious melodies, brilliant grooves and jams, sophisticated arrangements, and of course, Stevie's trademark unparalelled vocals. Sonically, much of the album sounds as though it could have been produced in the 1990s rather than 20 years ago. And the songs, almost all of the songs, are truly classics. Whether you think you know this Stevie Wonder album or not, unless you're 6 years old or you've been stuck in an elevator with no music for the last 2 decades, it will sound familiar to you. Not withstanding some of its huge hits like "Sir Duke" or [singing] "Isn't She Lovely" or "I Wish" or "Love Is In Need Of Love Today", you may realize that you recognize this record for tunes that you don't exactly know, but that have so often been copied, emulated, and downright directly lifted by other artists, in the periods since its release. By way of example, if there's anyone who actually believes that there's anything original about the 1995 mega-hit "Gangsta's Paradise" that rocketed Dangerous Mind rapper Coolio to fame, the song becomes noteable as simply an inferior cover version once you've heard Stevie Wonder's original "Pasttime Paradise", which is the second song I want to play from "Songs In The Key Of Life" volumes 1 and 2. For Definitely Not The Opera, I'm Jean Ghomeshi, from Moxy Fruvous.
Sigh, pant pant pant. Y'know how long that took me? ["how long, Sharilyn?"]
Almost 2 hours. See, being as dim-witted as I have been lately, I didn't
realize when I promised a transcript that this segment would be done by GIVING
JEAN A MIC AND LETTING HIM SPEAK UNINTERUPTED! Geez, that boy loves to talk.
I can't type no more....
AFTAB,
Sharilyn fruchick@mts.net
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