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<v Speaker 1>Weds Up music heads, Welcome back to Crash Course Spot.

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<v Speaker 1>I hope you didn't think I was gonna leave you hanging,

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<v Speaker 1>of course not. Quick tip. Maybe when there's two episodes

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<v Speaker 1>released back to back in a single day, then just

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<v Speaker 1>know that it's two weeks that I will be in Maya.

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<v Speaker 1>So I try to do that. I try to give

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<v Speaker 1>you two episodes when I know I'm gonna miss a week.

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<v Speaker 1>That way you can pace yourselves and eat even when

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not serving. Anyways, welcome back. I've missed you guys.

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<v Speaker 1>But let's get into this week. We aren't just taking

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<v Speaker 1>on a legend. We're diving into a literal musical universe. Today.

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<v Speaker 1>We're celebrating the unparalleled talent, the ground breaking innovation, and

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<v Speaker 1>the enduring spirit of mister Stevie Wonder. Yes, in case

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<v Speaker 1>you miss that, we are talking about Stevie Wonder today

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<v Speaker 1>and we're going deep from the child prodigy years to

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<v Speaker 1>the classic period where he basically invented the future of sound.

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<v Speaker 1>So grab your snacks and let's get into the journey.

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<v Speaker 1>To understand the genius, you have to go back to Saginaw, Michigan,

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<v Speaker 1>Yorn Steveland, Hardaway, Morris Morris, Why did I add a tea?

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<v Speaker 1>Morris blind from birth? Despite that, the universe gave him

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<v Speaker 1>a different kind of vision. By age eleven, he was

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<v Speaker 1>mastering the piano, harmonica, and drums. So let's take a

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<v Speaker 1>trip down memory lane. On The Ed Sullivan Show in

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<v Speaker 1>nineteen sixty three, it's amazing thirteen year old sing star

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<v Speaker 1>Steedee wonders, Let's have a time now. How would Juta

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<v Speaker 1>clap your hands? Stop doing anything that you want to do? It? Okay,

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<v Speaker 1>So what you guys just heard was Fingertips Part two,

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<v Speaker 1>recorded live. It was Motown's first live single to hit

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<v Speaker 1>number one. But as Stevie grew up, the structured Motown

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<v Speaker 1>sound started to feel like a cage. Before he was famous,

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<v Speaker 1>or before his famous contract battle, he actually released an

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<v Speaker 1>album called where I'm Coming From in nineteen seventy one.

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<v Speaker 1>It was his first real attempt at total creative control.

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<v Speaker 1>It didn't have the hits, but it was the blueprint

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<v Speaker 1>for everything that followed. Then came the power move. At

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<v Speaker 1>twenty one, Stevie Wonder let his contract expire. He had

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<v Speaker 1>a million dollars in a childhood trust fund and used

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<v Speaker 1>it as leverage to and away force Barry Gordy into

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<v Speaker 1>a deal that gave Stevie Wonder total artistic and financial

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<v Speaker 1>independence and most importantly, his own publishing. That move changed

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<v Speaker 1>the industry forever. So now we're going to move into

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<v Speaker 1>the Classic period, a symphony of innovation, and this is

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<v Speaker 1>where things get revolutionary, and the classic period actually begins.

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<v Speaker 1>Between nineteen seventy two and nineteen seventy six, Stevie Wonder

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<v Speaker 1>went on a creative run that hasn't been matched in history,

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<v Speaker 1>if I'm completely honest. Let's talk tech first. Stevie was

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<v Speaker 1>a pioneer of the synthesizer. He met Malcolm Cecil and

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<v Speaker 1>Robert Margolif Margolyph, the geniuses behind Tonto. If you're not familiar,

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<v Speaker 1>Tonto is the original new tembrel orchestra. We're talking massive

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<v Speaker 1>mogues and arps. It was a massive, semi circular wall

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<v Speaker 1>of modules that Robert Magolph and Malcolm Cecil built, which

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<v Speaker 1>gave Stevie those living sounds on Music of My Mind

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<v Speaker 1>and talking book. Speaking of Music of my Mind, he

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<v Speaker 1>didn't just use since as a gimmick. He made them organic.

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<v Speaker 1>He programmed beats and textures way before MIDI, mi idi

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<v Speaker 1>or pro tools existed. It on Talking Book, he gave

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<v Speaker 1>us Superstition. Now here's a music head fact for you.

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<v Speaker 1>Stevie Wonder actually wrote that song with Jeff Beck. Beck

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<v Speaker 1>actually came up with that opening drum beat while y'all

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<v Speaker 1>like during a jam session. Stevie originally intended for Beck

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<v Speaker 1>to record it, but Barry Gordy heard the hit potential

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<v Speaker 1>and insisted Stevie release his version first. And as you know,

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<v Speaker 1>with a song Superstition, the rest is history. Then came

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<v Speaker 1>Inner Visions and Fulfillingness first finale. Stevie was literal was

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<v Speaker 1>a literal one man band. Here on tracks like Living

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<v Speaker 1>for the City, that's Stevie on the drums, the moge,

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<v Speaker 1>bass and the keys. He was blending heavy social commentary

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<v Speaker 1>with funky, intricate grooves that he programmed himself way before.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm gonna keep saying it. This is way before pro

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<v Speaker 1>tools existed. And then in nineteen seventy six we have

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<v Speaker 1>Songs in the Key of Life, a double platinum not platinum.

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<v Speaker 1>Sorry I'm jumping ahead of myself, but it was a

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<v Speaker 1>double album plus an EP. It's the everest of R

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<v Speaker 1>and B. Sir Duke, I wish isn't she lovely? It's

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<v Speaker 1>a masterclass in jazz, funk and pure pop perfection. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>trying to sing. What do we want to talk about next?

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<v Speaker 1>Let's talk about his legacy. Stevie's legacy isn't just about

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<v Speaker 1>the twenty five Grammys or the Golden Records. It's about

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<v Speaker 1>his heart and we absolutely have to talk about his

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<v Speaker 1>tireless effort to establish Martin Luther King Junior Day as

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<v Speaker 1>a national holiday. He didn't just support it, he was

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<v Speaker 1>the engine behind it. Shall I say? His song Happy

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<v Speaker 1>Birthday was the anthem for that movement, leading to the

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<v Speaker 1>nineteen eighty one Rally for Peace that finally made the

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<v Speaker 1>holiday a reality in nineteen eighty three. So from like

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<v Speaker 1>the seventies to the eighties and beyond, Stevie adapted his

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<v Speaker 1>sound while keeping his soul intact. Would you agree? I

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<v Speaker 1>would agree. I don't feel like he sold his soul

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<v Speaker 1>to the music industry. You can hear his fingerprints on

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<v Speaker 1>everyone from Kanye West and Erica Badou to Jacob Caller.

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<v Speaker 1>He didn't just play music, he shifted the frequency of

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<v Speaker 1>the planet. So let's check out some Stevie essentials. Well first,

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<v Speaker 1>before we do that, Before we get into the Stevie

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<v Speaker 1>wonder essentials, the songs you need to have on your playlist,

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<v Speaker 1>that you need to write down, let's talk about how

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<v Speaker 1>he's the ultimate musicians musician. Here are some of the

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<v Speaker 1>most notable artists he has worked with. We have the

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<v Speaker 1>heavy hitters Michael Jackson. Stevie co wrote and performed on

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<v Speaker 1>Just Good Friends for MJ's bad album. They also famously

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<v Speaker 1>work together on the charity anthem Way Are the World,

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<v Speaker 1>Way Are the I Don't Know the Rest. Paul McCartney

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<v Speaker 1>was another one that he's teamed up with. They teamed

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<v Speaker 1>up with for the massive number one hit Ebony and Ivory.

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<v Speaker 1>They also have other tracks What's that You're Doing from

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<v Speaker 1>McCartney's Tug of War album. That song is a lot

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<v Speaker 1>more funkier than Ebony and Ivory. Then, in nineteen seventy two,

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<v Speaker 1>Stevie was the opening act for The Rolling Stones in

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<v Speaker 1>their North American tour. This was a pivotal moment that

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<v Speaker 1>introduced his music to a massive rock audience. More recently,

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<v Speaker 1>he played keyboards on Sweet Sounds of Heaven from their

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<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty three album Hackney Diamonds. Also Elton John Stevie

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<v Speaker 1>played the iconic harmonica solo on Elton's nineteen eighty three

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<v Speaker 1>hit I guess that's why they call it the Blues.

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<v Speaker 1>Then if we switch over to soul and R and

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<v Speaker 1>B legends, we have Shaka Khan. That's Stevie playing the

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<v Speaker 1>harmonica on her nineteen eighty four smash I Feel for You.

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<v Speaker 1>He actually wrote the song originally for himself fun Fact.

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<v Speaker 1>Then Aretha Franklin he wrote until You Come back to Me,

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<v Speaker 1>That's what I'm gonna do, specifically for Miss Aretha Franklin.

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<v Speaker 1>He wrote that song. I don't know if you guys

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<v Speaker 1>know Minnie Ripperton, but Stevie Stevie Wonder produced her legendary

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<v Speaker 1>Perfect Angel album under the pseudonym El Toro Negro for

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<v Speaker 1>legal reasons, and played multiple instruments on her hit Loving You.

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<v Speaker 1>Is that what you call pseudonym pseudonym basically alter ego.

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<v Speaker 1>Then we have Serita Wright, his first wife and a

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<v Speaker 1>brilliant artist in her own right. He produced her early albums,

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<v Speaker 1>which are essential listening for any seventy soul fan. Our

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<v Speaker 1>modern collaborations, we have Travis Scott. Stevie played the harmonica

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<v Speaker 1>on the track Stop Trying to Be God from the

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<v Speaker 1>Astro World album. We also have Beyonce. They performed a

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<v Speaker 1>stunning tribute to Luther van Dross together covering So Amazing.

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<v Speaker 1>That was actually really good, that tribute between Stevie Wonder

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<v Speaker 1>and Beyonce. He also contributed a beautiful harmonica solo to

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<v Speaker 1>the track doing It Wrong on the Take Care album

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<v Speaker 1>fun Fact, as we mentioned in the script with Superstition

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<v Speaker 1>and Jeff Beck. He also wrote because We've ended as

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<v Speaker 1>lovers for Beck's semi guitar album blow by Blow. So

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<v Speaker 1>that's a couple of heavy hitter and soul and R

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<v Speaker 1>and B and modern collaborations that Stevie Wonder has worked

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<v Speaker 1>on over the span of his career. That's actually very,

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<v Speaker 1>very impressive. So now let's get in. Let's get into

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<v Speaker 1>the essentials. If you have not heard a single Stevie

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<v Speaker 1>Wonder song, I'm going to quickly name a couple, So

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<v Speaker 1>get your pen. This is the time to write these

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<v Speaker 1>songs down. Coming up, first, Superstition, We've talked about it.

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<v Speaker 1>You need to listen to Superstition. Then we have Sir Duke.

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<v Speaker 1>Then we have Isn't She Lovely? I love that song.

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<v Speaker 1>Isn't she lovely, isn't she one? Oh? And that Harmonica

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<v Speaker 1>solo Chef's Kiss you also have. You are the Sunshine

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<v Speaker 1>of my life. Oh I just lost the melody for

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<v Speaker 1>that one, but anyways, you need to hear you are

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<v Speaker 1>the sunshine of my life. Higher Ground. You need to

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<v Speaker 1>listen to Higher Ground. Living for the City. Living for

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<v Speaker 1>the City is a great I want to say pro

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<v Speaker 1>black song, but if listen to it, I like it.

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<v Speaker 1>You also need to listen to Signed, Sealed Delivered, I'm Yours.

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<v Speaker 1>You need to listen to I Wish, also Master Blaster

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<v Speaker 1>Jammin And we cannot end this episode without mentioning there's

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<v Speaker 1>a ribbon in the sky, ribbon in the sky, A

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<v Speaker 1>ribbon in the sky, ribbon in the sky. You need

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<v Speaker 1>to listen to those. So those are all the songs

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<v Speaker 1>you need to listen to by Stevie Wonder. That's gonna

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<v Speaker 1>do it for this episode. Guys, thank you for hanging

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<v Speaker 1>with us on Crash Course Pot. Keep your ears open

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<v Speaker 1>and your soul fed, and we will catch you next week. Bye.