My 7 Favorite Stevie Wonder Songs For His 70th Birthday

Let's face it. There hasn't been a lot of good things to write about over the past two months or so.

I'll try to break that pattern by writing in praise of Stevie Wonder on his 70th birthday. Here is a child prodigy who wrote songs, played instruments and recorded music beyond his years and perhaps beyond time itself. The following are my 7 favorite Stevie Wonder songs in reverse order.

7. Fingertips (Part 2)

This song introduced Stevie Wonder to the world. Released just over a week after his 13th birthday in those days he was known as "Little" Stevie Wonder. But there is nothing little about "Fingertips". The song has a tremendous intensity driven by Wonder's harmonica playing. Listening to it you would have thought it was a grown man who had spent years on the road. Of course, at that time, his voice was that of a child but would soon mature. Let's put it this way. "Fingertips" could have been one hit wonder for anyone twice his age. But for Stevie the best was still to come.

6. I Was Made to Love Her

Co-written by Wonder's mother Lula Mae Hardaway, the song begins with an electric sitar by Eddie Willis of The Funk Brothers followed by a harmonica solo from Wonder. That intro would be often used as bumper music between innings of Detroit Tigers game that aired on WDIV in the 1980's and 1990's. It motivated me to buy a greatest hits collection of Wonder on cassette.

5. Living for the City

Although Wonder's 1973 album Innervisions is probably best remembered for "Higher Ground" which became a hit for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the late 1980's, the standout track for me is "Living for the City". I am drawn to its dark, foreboding mood of a man trying to escape racism in the South only to find it in New York City. Wonder plays all the instruments and supplies the ambient noises on this seven minute plus track.

4. You Are The Sunshine of My Life

This song is unique for having two backup singers (Jim Gilstrap and Lani Groves) sing the first two verses before Wonder takes the reigns. I first remember this song from an episode of the sitcom Taxi during which the estranged father of Reverend Jim Ignatowski (played by Christopher Lloyd) dies and leaves him a recording of "You Are The Sunshine of My Life" which ends the episode. I wish I could find a clip of it, but if you ever see it you won't forget it.

3. My Cherie Amour

This was the opening song and title track of his 1969 album although the song was first recorded in late 1967. Did you know Wonder also recorded versions of this song in both Italian and Spanish? Wonder's "la la la la la la la" can be appreciated in any language.

2. Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday

What happened to the world we knew? Wonder poses this question at the very beginning of the song and I'm sure he and the rest of humanity is asking this very question now. The string arrangements are exquisite. "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" was co-written by the tandem of Ron Miller and Bryan Wells who also co-wrote "A Place in The Sun" and "Someday at Christmas" while Miller wrote "Heaven Help Us All" and co-wrote "For Once in My Life" with Orlando Murden. Miller had the distinction of being Motown's only Jewish songwriter and did his best work with Wonder.

1. Village Ghetto Land/Contusion/Sir Duke

OK, these are three songs. But I've always associated them as a group as they close out side one of Wonder's landmark 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. "Village Ghetto Land" with Wonder on synthesizer represents a lament for the American inner city while the instrumental "Contusion" represents its chaos with "Sir Duke", Wonder's tribute to Duke Ellington, represents the joy of life in spite of it's surroundings of lament and chaos. This could be described as the wonder of music.

Let me know what you think. If there are other Stevie Wonder songs you like please pass them along. We need all the joy that can be found.