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Fulfillingness' First Finale

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Fulfillingness' First Finale is a landmark album by Stevie Wonder, released on July 22, 1974. It was the fourth of five consecutive albums widely hailed as his "classic period", along with Music of My Mind, Talking Book, Innervisions, and Songs in the Key of Life. Subsequent to the epic sweep and social consciousness of Innervisions, this set projected a reflective, decidedly somber tone. The musical arrangements used in several songs while masterful could be considered sparse in comparison to others among his 70s masterworks, evident especially in the bleak "They Won't Go When I Go" and understated "Creepin'". While largely a stripped down, more personal sounding record, Wonder had not completely foregone commentary on the world around him. The No. 1 hit "You Haven't Done Nothin'" launched a pointed criticism of the Nixon administration bolstered by a crunching funk rhythm (and Jackson 5 cameo).

Fulfillingess' First Finale won Grammy Awards for Best Male Pop Vocal, Best Male Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance (for "Boogie On Reggae Woman"), and Album of the Year in 1975. When Wonder took two years to record his follow-up album (Songs), this broke his consecutive Grammy streak and led to Paul Simon's famous quote thanking him for not releasing an album in 1975 (when Simon won the Album of the Year award for Still Crazy After All These Years).

Interestingly enough, this album from Stevie Wonder's classic period is the only one not included in Rolling Stone's Top 500 albums of all time list from November 2003.

Track listing

All songs written by Stevie Wonder except where noted.

  1. "Smile Please" – 3:28
  2. "Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away" – 5:02
  3. "Too Shy to Say" – 3:29
  4. "Boogie on Reggae Woman" – 4:56
  5. "Creepin'" – 4:22
  6. "You Haven't Done Nothin'" – 3:22
  7. "It Ain't No Use" – 4:01
  8. "They Won't Go When I Go" (Wonder, Yvonne Wright) – 5:58
  9. "Bird of Beauty" – 3:48
  10. "Please Don't Go" – 4:07

Personnel

  • Paul Anka - Background Vocals ("Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away")
  • Shirley Brewer- Background Vocals ("Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away", "Bird of Beauty", "Please Don't Go")
  • Jim Gilstrap - Backgrond Vocals ("Smile Please")
  • Lani Groves - Background Vocals ("It Ain't No Use", "Bird of Beauty")
  • Bobbye Hall - Congas, Bongas ("Smile Please"), Quica ("Bird of Beauty")
  • Jackson 5 - Background Vocals ("You Haven't Done Nothin'")
  • James Jamerson - Acoustic Bass ("Too Shy to Say")
  • "Sneakey Pete" Kleinow - Pedal Steel Guitar ("Too Shy to Say")
  • Larry "Nastyee" Latimer- Background Vocals ("Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away")
  • Reggie McBride - Bass ("Smile Please", "You Haven't Done Nothin'")
  • The Persuasions - Background Vocals ("Please Don't Go")
  • Minnie Riperton - Background Vocals ("Creepin'", "It Ain't No Use")
  • Rocky - Congas ("Boogie on Reggae Woman")
  • Michael Sembello - Guitar ("Smile Please", "Please Don't Go")
  • Deneice Williams - Background Vocals ("Smile Please", "It Ain't No Use", "Bird of Beauty", "Please Don't Go")
  • Syreeta Wright - Background Vocals ("Heaven Is 10 Zillion Years Away")

Cover versions

Chart positions

Billboard Chart information by Billboard ©VNU eMedia

Album

Year Chart Position
1974 Black Albums 1
Pop Albums 1

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1974 "You Haven't Done Nothin'" Pop Singles 1
"Boogie on Reggae Woman" 3
"You Haven't Done Nothin'" Black Singles 1
"Boogie on Reggae Woman" 1
Preceded by Billboard 200 number-one album
September 14 - September 27 1974 		Succeeded by

Template:Grammy Award Album of the Year (1971-1990)

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