Stevie Wonder

Black Rock Revive "Key"

Stevie Wonder classic comes to life at NYC show

Released in 1976, Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life is one of the greatest albums in pop history. It is also, strangely and sadly, one of the most forgotten, a distant milestone in ecumenical soul and emotional lesson. Little of the black-pop future that Wonder promised in the elegant spirituality of "Love's in Need of Love Today," the magnificent agony of "Ordinary Pain" and the survivalist funk of "I Wish" has survived in the numbing parade of assembly-line thumps and thin circular hooks, brittle diva hysterics and thug-life grunts, that pass for hit records in contemporary R&B and hip-hop.
On August 7th, at Summerstage in New York's Central Park, the Black Rock Coalition rescued the album and the instructive joy of Wonder's music in the first half of the 1970s from nostalgia purgatory with Songs in the Key of Life: Revisiting Stevie Wonder's Masterpiece; a twenty-seven-piece army of BRC singers and players, led by keyboard player and BRC artistic director Gene Williams, performed all twenty-one songs -- including the four on the original double-LP's bonus EP -- with historical faithfulness and the glorious pow of now.

The BRC's tribute shows have been a great fact of New York life since the activist group's founding in 1985; I've seen the BRC interpret and invigorate the works of Sly Stone, John Coltrane and Jimi Hendrix, among others. But in tackling the magnum grandeur and urban-warrior spirit of Songs in the Key of Life, the BRC -- devoted in part, in its own words, to "historical correction" -- also bluntly challenged the value of merely "keeping it real" in current rap and R&B. Will Power's jubilant rap and rubber-legged calisthenics in the color-blind history lesson "Black Man," the therapeutic church of Caron Wheeler's heated vocal counsel in "Have a Talk With God" and Gordon Chambers' resurrection-day delivery in "Joy Inside My Tears" reiterated the elementary lesson in Wonder's music: Reality is only the way things are, not the way they ought to be.

Guitarist Vernon Reid and singer Corey Glover of the BRC flagship band, Living Colour, both turned up to contribute. Glover led the crowd through a lusty singlong of "Sir Duke;" Reid negotiated the furious slalom melody of the instrumental "Contusion" with pinpoint fire. But the BRC has long been rich in underestimated talent -- in studio and road veterans who, in addition to pursuing their own careers, sing and play behind the likes of Freddie Jackson and Me'shell Ndegeocello -- and the show was as much an adventure in discovery as it was a celebration of Wonder. Vocal highlights included Kelli Sae's sultry immersion in "Ordinary Pain," Pierre Andre's immaculate poignance in the tenement-Bach of "Village Ghetto Land" and Tonni Smith's bravura finale, "As," which literally brought the sun out.

Granted, it took more than two-dozen people to interpret music that Wonder wrote, sang and played virtually by himself. Yet the quality and enthusiasm of the performances -- that particularly goes for the backing band's vibrant grip on Songs' wide world of genres -- were a powerful reminder of how Wonder and his prodigious gifts were once a vital, humanizing part of pop life. A quarter century later, Songs in the Key of Life remains his greatest achievement; the BRC showed that the music and messages therein still have a lot of living to do.

Photo: Vernon Reid

Новый альбом A time to love в продаже с 3 мая.

2Flaming Rain:
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Flaming Rain, SergeK

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Stevie Wonder Makes Video For The Blind
6 May 2005

Stevie Wonder has made two videos for his new song 'So What The Fuss'. A second version has been produced for the blind.

Hip hop star Busta Rhymes has recorded a descriptive audio track for the second version for people with low vision.

"Until now music videos have been very one dimensional for those who are blind or with low vision," says Wonder. "Now all music video fans will be able to apply their vision to my video thanks to the descriptive technique and of course, a great narration by Busta Rhymes. For me, the entire concept is indicative of what happens when you go beyond the status quo and open yourself up to what's possible."

Rhymes describes the scenario, set in an apartment and surrounding neighborhood.

"Stevie Wonder is an American icon," says Rhymes. "Without him, most of us never would have picked up a microphone. Only Stevie could come up with a way to let fans that have never seen a video take part in the whole vibe. It was a great project to work on from start to finish."

Wonder's album 'A Time To Love' will be released this month. It will be his first studio album in 10 years.

Wonder Unveils Video, New Album Release Date

Stevie Wonder unveiled the first music video to feature video description technology for blind and visually impaired music fans yesterday (May 9) in Los Angeles. As previously reported, the standard and description-enhanced clip (narrated by Busta Rhymes) for "So What the Fuss" will be premiered tomorrow via Yahoo! Music.

"The whole point is that there are 10 million people who are blind or have low-vision and are not able to enjoy the experience of seeing music videos," said Wonder. "Why shouldn't we be able to experience that? I don't want this to be the last video description video; this is far bigger than me. We need to do everything to make the playing field of technology fair."

Joining Wonder were Motown president Sylvia Rhone, "Fuss" video director Paul Hunter and Linda Idoni, West Coast director of operations for the Media Access Group of WGBH. The Boston public television station pioneered the video description technology in 1990 and wrote the "Fuss" narration.

Attendees, who included members of the media and students from the Foundation for the Junior Blind, donned black blindfolds emblazoned with the title of Wonder's forthcoming album, "A Time 2 Love," to fully experience the Rhymes-narrated version. The video is set in an apartment and its surrounding neighborhood.

Talking about his new album, Wonder said the long-awaited/much delayed project is now slated for a June 14 release. The album is comprised of 16 tracks, with two bonus cuts earmarked for release in foreign markets. According to Wonder, these 18 tracks are three shy of the total number of songs on his groundbreaking double-album, "Songs in the Key of Life."

Among the album's additional selections are the title cut (co-written by labelmate India.Arie) "From the Bottom of My Heart" and "Positivity." Wonder also noted that another song he originally wrote a while back for Luther Vandross, "My Love Is on Fire," will appear on "A Time 2 Love" as well as on the Vandross tribute album being assembled by BMG North America chairman/CEO Clive Davis.

Though he declined to reveal the name of the second single, Wonder said the video for it would also feature the video description technology. As for rampant rumors that he will stage a concert this summer in New York, Wonder would say only that he "hopes to be there soon" after he delivers the album to Motown and his wife delivers a new child, due May 13 (Wonder's own birth date).
http://www.billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000913317

WONDER MIXES THE OLD WITH THE NEW

STEVIE WONDER reaped the rewards of modern recording technology for his latest album - but refused to entirely turn his back on popular 1960s methods.

The SUPERSTITION singer performed some of his finest work on the now-redundant reel-to-reel recorders of yesteryear, but he's willingly turned his attention to the computer-based programmes now dominating the recording studio.

And while much of A TIME 2 LOVE - his 28th studio album - was recorded using contemporary technology, he incorporated a series of old "natural" techniques to achieve a similar sound to his past classics.

He says, "I think with this particular project I've had a lot of fun, because I understand both - technology and also the natural place. They all kind of work together. You can't not acknowledge where things are in the world. We're in the time where reel-to-reel tape is basically no more.

"I have fun using the technology and taking advantage of certain things like ProTools. When I did the backgrounds to PLEASE DON'T HURT MY BABY (from his new album) - I had a long vamp ending to the song that went on for a few minutes, and I could have pasted the voices after doing it about two or three times. But I wanted to have the live feel, so we just did it like that."

. . . STEVIE WONDER's upcoming release, A Time to Love, recently re-scheduled for June 14th, has been pushed back again indefinitely. The veteran pop star is back in a Los Angeles studio working on tracks . . .

Wonder Becomes Dad Again

Legendary singer has a new son on his fifty-fifth birthday

Stevie Wonder has become a father for the seventh time. The music legend's spokesperson announced yesterday that Wonder's second wife, fashion designer Karen Millard Morris, gave birth to a boy, Mandla Kadjaly Carl Stevland Morris, on May 13th, Wonder's fifth-fifth birthday.

"It's a perfectly healthy family," said publicist Howard Bragman.

Meanwhile, Wonder is still at work on the much-delayed A Time to Love, his first album in ten years. The self-produced record will feature Alicia Keys on "If Your Love Cannot Be Moved" and a duet with his daughter Aisha on "How Will I Know."

"Love is a wonderful thing," Wonder told Rolling Stone, "and I'm just thankful that I've had some wonderful people in my life."

The multiple Grammy winner will perform both the national anthem and his new single, "What the Fuss," at Game Three of the upcoming NBA Finals, June 14th.

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/7378087/steviewonder...361875&has-player=false

Paul McCartney is helping out Stevie Wonder on his forthcoming new album.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8186569/site/newsweek/

STEVIE WONDER'S LONG-DELAYED 'A TIME 2 LOVE' DUE OUT SEPTEMBER 27th

Stevie Wonder told the crowd at the Apollo Theatre last Thursday night (August 11th) that his long-delayed new CD A Time 2 Love will finally be released on September 27th. Wonder was performing the second benefit show at the legendary Harlem venue that week to raise public awareness and legislative support to ensure the renewal of the Voting Rights Act. Wonder, whose new album has been delayed several times since June 2004, is releasing the disc just in time for it to be eligible for this year's Grammy Award deadline on October 1st.

Many of the key section of the Voting Rights Act are set to expire in 2007 -- including Section 203 -- which mandates that certain voting materials be translated into the language of minorities in certain jurisdictions.

Foxnews.com reported that Wonder joked to the crowd about the new CD saying, "I know! I know! But it's really coming out. They say they want it out for September 20th, I say the 27th."

A Time 2 Love will be Wonder's first new album in over a decade and feature an all-star line-up of guests, including Prince, En Vogue and India.Arie.

Wonder performed a rousing set at the Apollo, including his hits "My Cherie Amour," "Uptight Alright," "I Wish," "Sir Duke," "Superstition," "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," "Higher Ground," "If You Really Love Me" and "Isn't She Lovely?"

1. If the Creek Don't Rise
2. Time To Love
3. Forever Is How Long
4. What The Fuss
5. I Can't Imagine Love Without You
6. How Will I Know [duet with Aisha]
7. If Your Love Cannot Be Moved
8. Moon Blue
9. The Future
10. Giant Steps
11. Sunshine
12. Tears
13. The Well
14. Songs of My Father

2Primal Scream:

>Stevie Wonder told the crowd at the Apollo Theatre
>last Thursday night (August 11th) that his long-delayed
>new CD A Time 2 Love will finally be released
>on September 27th

Блин, раз четвёртый уже релиз переносят, наверное перетрахивает трэки, як Батька свой парламент...Не к добру...Время любить откладываеца да откладываеца...

2john lee hooker:

>Блин, раз четвёртый уже релиз переносят, наверное
>перетрахивает трэки, як Батька свой парламент...Не
>к добру...Время любить откладываеца да откладываеца...

Хорошее дело быстро не делается!

Кстати 20 лет назад он также еле-еле выпускал In square circle. Пять раз переносили выход.

Stevie Wonder: Stevie Wonder Live In '72
Due for release on 03/10/2005

Special Features
Preview clip of Al Green live in '72
Interview with Stevie Wonder
Interactive menus
Scene selection

Review
The first in a new series of classic live performances from history's greatest soul legends, Soul Revelation: Stevie Wonder is an iconic performance from one of the most celebrated artists of all time at the height of his talents and career.

This release is a UK premiere, never before released for home entertainment or aired on television. The performance is a rare 60 minute live special originally shot on 35mm film, now with restored picture and audio for superb audio and visual quality.

Tracklisting:
1. For Once In My Life
2. If You Really Love Me
3. Superwoman
4. You And I - We Can Conquer The World
5. What's Going On (instrumental version)
6. My Cherie Amour
7. Blowin' In The Wind
8. With A Child's Heart
9. Love Having You Around
10. Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours
11. Papa Was A Rollin' Stone
12. Superstition
13. Maybe Your Baby
14. Uptight (Everything's Alright)
15. Keep On Running (band)

<--- Singer Stevie Wonder poses as he arrives at the 10th annual Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards in Pasadena, California September 7, 2005. After several well-publicized delays, Stevie Wonder's first studio album in 10 years, 'A Time to Love,' is due in stores October 18.

Stevie Wonder ends 10-year absence just in 'Time'
Sun Oct 2

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - After several well-publicized delays, Stevie Wonder's first studio album in 10 years, "A Time to Love," is due in stores October 18.

Wonder says the album's delay had nothing to do with any fear factor: "I was never afraid to put this out. That was never the issue -- ever. I wanted it to sound contemporary but still be me. It was just a matter of getting it right."

The artist adds, "Everyone worked very hard on this. I'm very comfortable with everything."

The 15 original tracks, not surprisingly, revolve around the theme of love. Musically, the set reflects Wonder's embrace of all genres, from hip-hop to gospel to world music, with some arrangements using strings. These musical and lyrical components spark memories of signature songs from Wonder's 45-year career.

His duets with daughter Aisha Morris ("How Will I Know," "Positivity") recall her contribution as an infant on "Isn't She Lovely," as does young son Kailand's impromptu assist at the end of "Sweetest Somebody I Know."

Wonder gets down to man-and-his-piano basics on the jazzy "Moon Blue" (co-written by "The Color Purple" actress Akosua Busia) and the atmospheric "True Love." The inspirational "Shelter in the Rain" is being promoted to gospel and Christian stations. It is available as a single online October 4 and in stores October 18, with proceeds going to the Wonder Foundation to benefit Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

Guest vocalists include gospel artist Kim Burrell on the anthemic "If Your Love Cannot Be Moved" (with choir vocals produced by Kirk Franklin) and India Arie on the title track. Other guests include flutist Hubert Laws, guitarist Doc Powell, Paul McCartney, drummer Narada Michael Walden and Brazilian guitarist Oscar Castro Neves. A planned collaboration with John Mayer did not pan out because of scheduling problems.

Fans -- who could download the full album beginning September 27 at all major online music sites -- will find more than just the new studio recording awaiting them.

A week before the album's in-store date, a new boxed set of Wonder material will be available exclusively from iTunes. According to Motown president Sylvia Rhone, the boxed set will contain more than 570 tracks, including remixes, rarities and previously unreleased material. Wonder also appears on J Records' "So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross," dueting with Beyonce on the title cut.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051002/music_nm/wonder_dc;_ylt=Apr4uhYeKl0Pt2J44h1IVM2VEhk...

STEVIE WONDER TO GET HIS SIGHT?

Blind soul legend STEVIE WONDER could get his sight back - thanks to new microchip technology.

The 55-year-old singer has been blind since infancy, but is in negotiations to become a guinea-pig for pioneering sight surgery.

He says, "I've been tested and there was some possibility that I could maybe be a candidate."

05/10/2005

http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/stevie%20wonder%20to%20get%20hi...

Неоднократно отсроченный первый альбом Stevie Wonder'а за последние десять лет "A Time 2 Love" наконец-то отправляется в магазины! Релиз пластинки запланирован на 18 октября. В последний раз пластинку планировалось выпустить 14 июня; Первый сингл "So What the Fuss", записанный при участии Prince, ротируется на радио с мая, как и второй, "From the Bottom of My Heart".

Среди пятнадцати треков альбома следует отметить заглавный, в записи которого приняли участие India.Arie и Paul McCartney, "Tell Your Heart I Love You", партию на гитаре в котором исполнил Bonnie Raitt; Kim Burrell и рэппер Doug E. Fresh участвовали в записи первого трека "If Your Love Cannot Be Moved", а голос дочери Wonder'а Aish'ы вы услышите в песнях "How Will I Know" и "Positivity."

"Как артиста меня переполняет беспокойство и восхищение: очень хочется показать, на что я способен," – сказал Wonder в интервью Billboard в конце прошлого года: "Но мне пришлось принять тяжелое решение не торопиться. Я не ощущал, что время подходит. Многое в моей работе сопряжено со временем."

"A Time 2 Love" следует за пластинкой 1995 года "Conversation Peace."

Треклист "A Time 2 Love" следующий:
"If Your Love Cannot Be Moved"
"Sweetest Somebody I Know"
"Moon Blue"
"From the Bottom of My Heart"
"Please Don't Hurt My Baby"
"How Will I Know"
"My Love Is on Fire"
"Passionate Raindrops"
"Tell Your Heart I Love You"
"True Love"
"Shelter in the Rain"
"So What the Fuss"
"Can't Imagine Love Without You"
"Positivity"
"A Time To Love"

http://www.nestor.minsk.by/mg/news/2005/10/1005.html

Paul McCartney is among the guests on Stevie Wonder's new album, A Time To Love, playing guitar and singing on the title track. McCartney, who had a Number One hit with Wonder in 1982 with "Ebony And Ivory," told us that he was happy to be part of Wonder's project. "Stevie just said, I talked to him and we were talking about things like Live 8 and stuff. But he just was interested in me doing this track on his album, so he sent it over and I played, and did some stuff on it. So that was nice 'cause, you know, I admire him. He's such a great guy, and it's an honor for me to do something on his album."

ХОРОШАЯ ПЛАСТИНКА!
СТИВИ ВСЕ ЕЩЕ В СЕДЛЕ!!!

И что САМОЕ главное... гитары Маккартни там и не слышно, в отличии от ПРИНЦА, например!!! :)))))))))))))))