Superstition (song)
| Superstition | |
|---|---|
| Stevie Wonder | |
| publication | October 24, 1972 |
| length | 4:26 (album version)
4:07 (45 version) |
| Genre (s) | Wireless |
| Author (s) | Stevie Wonder |
| album | Talking Book |
Superstition is a piece of music that was produced, written and recorded by the then 22-year-old American musician Stevie Wonder . The track was released by Motown Records in 1972. The song was also the main single for Stevie Wonder's album Talking Book . The track was Wonder's first number one hit in the US since the live version of Fingertips Pt. 2 in 1963. In November 2004, the song reached number 74 on the list of The 500 Best Songs of All Time in the music magazine Rolling Stone .
The lyrics describe the negative consequences of superstition .
The drums at the beginning of the song were recorded by Stevie Wonder in the Record Plant Studio in Hollywood on the drum set of producer Scott Mathews . Wonder used a Hohner Clavinet Model C for the famous Clavinet intro, and a Moog synthesizer for the bass line . Trumpet and tenor saxophone were contributed by Steve Madaio and Trevor Laurence.
Composition and recording
Jeff Beck was a huge fan of Stevie Wonder's music, which he learned about while recording his talking book album. Although Wonder was playing almost all of the instruments for his pieces himself at the time, he always wanted to invite other guitarists to his recordings. So he was excited about the idea of Jeff Beck working on Talking Book . It was agreed that Beck would participate in Wonder's album and, in return, have a piece written for it. During the recording, Beck contributed the drum beat that opened the piece, and both produced the first demo for Superstition . Originally Beck's version of the song was to be released first with his recently formed band Beck, Bogert & Appice . When the release of this album was delayed, Stevie Wonder released Superstition as the first single on the Talking Book LP.
Other recordings of the piece
Stevie Wonder recorded a version of Superstition on Sesame Street in 1973. This version appeared on the album Songs from the Street: 35 Years in Music .
Jeff Beck released his version of the piece with Beck, Bogert & Appice on their first album.
Trivia
- In 1982, John Carpenter used the title in his film The Thing From Another World .
- Prince called Superstition one of 55 songs that inspired him musically.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Superstition: Stevie Wonder . Rolling Stone. December 9, 2004. Retrieved January 16, 2008.
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/song/superstition-mt0029209492
- ↑ http://somethingelsereviews.com/2014/06/24/gimme-five-jeff-becks-happenings-ten-years-time-ago-people-get-ready-others/
- ↑ http://ultimateclassicrock.com/stevie-wonder-jeff-beck-superstition/
- ↑ Stevie Wonder Visits Sesame Street In 1973 . In: Sunday Cinema . JamBase. August 4, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
- ^ Jean-Pierre Hornbach: Whitney Houston: We Love You Forever. February 11, 2012, ISBN 9781471631795 , p. 427.