Sir Duke
| Sir Duke | |
|---|---|
| Stevie Wonder | |
| publication | 1976 |
| length | 3:54 |
| Genre (s) | soul |
| Author (s) | Stevie Wonder |
| album | Songs in the Key of Life |
Sir Duke is a song written by Stevie Wonder from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life . The single reached the top of the US pop charts in 1977 and the top ten in several European countries.
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The lyrics are about Duke Ellington , a jazz musician who influenced Wonder's style. Ellington died in 1974; the play was a kind of homage by Stevie Wonder to his recently deceased friend. In addition to Ellington, a number of other jazz greats are mentioned in the text: "Satchmo" ( Louis Armstrong ), Ella Fitzgerald , Glenn Miller and Count Basie .
music
The piece has a tempo of 104 bpm and is in the key of B major . Stylistically, it can be classified as soul music, with echoes of the disco music that was currently popular at the time the song was written . However, the frequent use of chromatic harmonies is unusual and influenced more by jazz . Also inspired by jazz is the distinctive, bebop- like riff , which is played in unison by bass and brass after each chorus .
occupation
The artists who recorded the track with Stevie Wonder were Raymond Pounds ( drums ), Nathan Watts ( bass ), Mike Sembello ( lead guitar ), Ben Bridges ( rhythm guitar ), Hank Redd ( alto saxophone ), Raymond Maldonado and Steve Madaio (both Trumpet ) and Trevor Laurence ( tenor saxophone ).
Publications and Success
The single reached the top of the US pop charts and the Black singles charts and number two in the UK in 1977 and was Stevie Wonders' greatest success to date. In Switzerland the piece reached number 4, in Germany and Austria number 10 in the charts.
Sir Duke was re-released on three Stevie Wonders albums: Original Musiquarium , Natural Wonder and At the Close of a Century . Prince called the piece one of 55 songs that inspired him musically.