Superstition (song)

For other uses, see Superstition (disambiguation).

"Superstition"
Single by Stevie Wonder
from the album Talking Book
B-side	"You've Got It Bad Girl"
Released	November 1972
Format	7" 45 RPM
Recorded	1972, New York
Genre	Funk
Length	4:26
Label	Motown
Writer(s)	Stevie Wonder
Producer	Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder singles chronology
"Keep On Running" (1972) "Superstition" (1972) "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (1973)
Music sample "Superstition"

"Superstition" is a popular song written, produced, arranged, and performed by Stevie Wonder for Motown Records in 1972, when Wonder was 22 years old. It was the lead single for Wonder's Talking Book album, and released in many countries. It reached number one in the USA, and number one on the soul singles chart. Overseas, it peaked number eleven in the UK during February 1973. In November 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the song at #74 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song deals with superstitions, and mentions several popular superstitious fables in its lyrics.

History

Jeff Beck created the original drum beat while in the studio with Wonder. After writing the song Wonder offered it to Beck to record, but at the insistence of Berry Gordy Wonder himself recorded it first. Beck was instead offered "Cause We've Ended As Lovers," which he recorded on Blow by Blow in 1975. Jeff Beck played guitar on Talking Book and later recorded his own version of "Superstition" as a part of Beck, Bogert & Appice.

Wonder's music had been undergoing a marked change from his earlier fit with the Motown Sound to a more personal style. This shift had been evident on his two prior albums, Where I'm Coming From and Music of My Mind, but it was Talking Book and "Superstition" that brought the new style to the awareness of the public in general.

"Superstition" is immediately recognizable for its opening drum beat, which was performed by Wonder, complete with a noticeable bass-drum pedal squeak throughout the track. Its iconic funky clavinet riff and Moog bass synthesizer were performed by Wonder. The song also features trumpet and saxophone, played respectively by Steve Madaio and Trevor Laurence.

Cover versions

Notable covers of the song include:

• Beck, Bogert & Appice covered the song on their self-titled album. Jeff Beck has also performed the song on various live albums.
• Stevie Ray Vaughan performs a cover of the song. Vaughan and Wonder had mutual admiration for one another; Wonder would later write the song "Stevie Ray Blues" in honor of Vaughan. Vaughan produced a humorous music video for his cover version in which Vaughan performs several acts that, according to superstitious lore, should bring him bad luck – breaking a mirror, stepping on a sidewalk crack, walking under a ladder, performing on Friday the 13th, and having a black cat cross his path. The cat is ignored by members of Double Trouble, which leads to their demise one by one. Only Vaughan remains standing at the end of the video, whereupon the cat returns to the arms of its "owner" – who turns out to be Wonder himself.

• Wonder, Bill Withers and Billy Preston performed "Superstition" on Quincy Jones' 1973 album You've Got It Bad, Girl.
• Fred Bongusto recorded his version, included on the album Malizia... un po', using an English version of his real name: Fred Goodtaste.
• Melvin Van Peebles performed the song on his 1974 album What the....You Mean I Can't Sing?!
• Widespread Panic performed the song, with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, on Panic's 2000 release Another Joyous Occasion.
• Alicia Keys performed a remixed version in the song "Karma (Karmastition Remix)".
• It was remade by Raven-Symone for the 2003 Disney movie The Haunted Mansion starring Eddie Murphy.
• The Jonas Brothers performed the song at a surprise post-AMA's concert with Jordin Sparks, and at the 51st Grammy Awards with Stevie Wonder.
• Taufik Batisah, the winner of the first season of Singapore Idol, covered the song for his 2005 debut album, Blessings.
• The a cappella group Straight No Chaser do an all-vocal arrangement on their 1998 video, Live At the Musical Art Center.
• In 2005 UK soul singer Jaki Graham released a cover of the song in the UK.
• In 1997, keyboardist Paul Hardcastle covered the song from his album "Cover to Cover."
• The french house group Justice have remixed this song.
• Florida industrial metal band Crossbreed released a cover of the song on their album KE 101.
• Siobhan Magnus performed this song during the Top 11 performances on American Idol.
• Olly Murs performed the song in his audition and in the final episode of the sixth season from The X Factor.
• Rock band The Hoax covered the tune on their 1998 release Humdinger.
• George Michael covered the song during certain shows during his 1991 Cover To Cover tour.
• Japanese Rock group Kobukuro covered the song on their cover album "ALL COVERS BEST".
• Spanish rock band M Clan covered "Superstition" in Pasado imperfecto.
• AC/DC jammed on Superstition during the 1996 VH1 "Uncut Rehearsals"
• Marcus Collins performed the song in the fourth live show of the eighth season of The X Factor.

Uses in other media

• Wonder performed "Superstition" on the children's television show Sesame Street in 1973 (episode 514) and on WNET's Soul, both of which featured Steven Madaio on trumpet, as well as on Soul Train.
• In John Carpenter's The Thing. T.K. Carter's character, Nauls, listens to it on a boom box in the kitchen, defiantly turning up the volume when he is asked to turn it down.
• In the end credits of Wes Craven's Vampire In Brooklyn.
• In the beginning of the science-fiction thriller, I, Robot the protagonist, played by Will Smith, plays it during in his morning routine .
• In Bernardo Bertolucci's movie Stealing Beauty during a party in a Tuscan villa.
• It was played in the Kenan & Kel movie Two Heads Are Better Than None when a chimpanzee can play it on the piano.
• It is a playable song in Guitar Hero 5 and was made available as downloadable content for Rock Band 3 in November 2011.
• It is the first song played by Tesla coil in the 2010 film The Sorcerer's Apprentice.
• Kevin and Bean use an instrumental version of the song when they play messages from the show's voice mail service, known as the "Afro Line".
• It is also featured the movie The 6th Man in the beginning of the movie, and one other time during the movie.

See also

• Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1973 (USA)

External links

• Tim Hughes, "Superstition," Groove and Flow: Six Analytical Essays on the Music of Stevie Wonder, University of Washington PhD dissertation (2003), pp. 140–177, which can be downloaded here: http://www.surrey.ac.uk/Music/NewsGenInfo/AcademicStaff/Hughes/GrooveAndFlow.pdf

Preceded by "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon	Billboard Hot 100 number one single January 27, 1973	Succeeded by "Crocodile Rock" by Elton John
Preceded by "Me and Mrs. Jones" by Billy Paul	Billboard's Best Selling Soul Singles number-one single January 6–27, 1973	Succeeded by "Why Can't We Live Together" by Timmy Thomas