Music of My Mind

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Music of My Mind
Studio album by Stevie Wonder
Released March 3, 1972
Recorded Media Sound, Electric Lady
(New York, New York)
Crystal Industries
(Los Angeles, California)
Genre Soul, funk
Length 47:53
Label Tamla
T-314
Producer Stevie Wonder
Robert Margouleff
Malcolm Cecil
Professional reviews
Stevie Wonder chronology
Where I'm Coming From
(1971)
Music of My Mind
(1972)
Talking Book
(1972)

Music of My Mind is a landmark album by Stevie Wonder, released on March 3, 1972 (see 1972 in music). It was the first of five consecutive albums widely hailed as his "classic period", along with Talking Book, Innervisions, Fulfillingness' First Finale, and Songs in the Key of Life. Music of My Mind showcases Wonder's earlier experiments with the synthesizer, and is a more assured recording than Where I'm Coming From (his first effort while holding the majority of artistic control). Also on display were his increasing musical ambitions, with him leveraging different genres of music and utilizing longer song forms. Stevie used synthesizers for many musical parts on this album.[1] He also played drums as he frequently does on all of his albums.

The texture of the album was different from anything he had released on the Motown label to that point. Standout tracks include "Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)", "Happier Than The Morning Sun" and "I Love Everything About You". This is one of the earliest works in black music to include the use of synthesizers, and was the first of a set of collaborations between Stevie and his co-producers Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 284 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Side One

  1. "Love Having You Around" (Wonder, Syreeta Wright) – 7:23
  2. "Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)" (Wonder) – 8:07
  3. "I Love Every Little Thing About You" (Wonder) – 3:55
  4. "Sweet Little Girl" (Wonder) – 4:59

[edit] Side Two

  1. "Happier Than the Morning Sun" (Wonder) – 5:18
  2. "Girl Blue" (Wonder, Yvonne Wright) – 3:36
  3. "Seems So Long" (Wonder) – 4:22
  4. "Keep on Running" (Wonder) – 6:40
  5. "Evil" (Wonder, Y. Wright) – 3:33

[edit] Personnel

  • Stevie Wonder - Vocals and all additional instrumentation (including talk box). Guitar solo on "Superwoman" by Buzz Feiten. Trombone solo on "Love Having You Around" by Art Baron.

[edit] Cover versions

[edit] Charting singles

  • 1972: "Keep On Running" (Black Singles) - No. 36
  • 1972: "Keep On Running" (Pop Singles) - No. 90
  • 1972: "Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)" (Black Singles) - No. 13
  • 1972: "Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)" (Pop Singles) - No. 33

[edit] Album charts

  • 1972: Black Albums Chart - No. 6
  • 1972: Pop Albums Chart - No. 21

Chart information by Billboard ©VNU eMedia

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hogan, Ed. "Hogan, Ed at". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:8261mech9f8o. Retrieved 2009-08-21.