On this day in music history: May 19, 1973 - “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” by Stevie Wonder hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 1 week, topping the Adult Contemporary chart for 2 weeks on April 28, 1973, also peaking at #3 on the R&B singles chart on May 5, 1973. Written and produced by Stevie Wonder, it is the third pop chart topper for the Motown superstar. Issued as the follow up to the chart topping “Superstition”, it is the second single from the album “Talking Book”. The track features singers Jim Gilstrap and Gloria Barley singing the songs first chorus before Stevie sings the first verse. The original LP and hit single mixes of the song differ, as the single version adds a horn section that not present on the original album version. Entering the Hot 100 at #76 on March 17, 1973, it climbs to the top of the chart nine weeks later. The song quickly becomes a pop standard, being covered by numerous artists over the years including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Tom Jones, and Johnny Mathis to name a few. “Sunshine” also wins Stevie a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, one of four Grammy Awards he picks up in 1974. When accepting his award for the single, Wonder thanks the audience by saying “I would like to thank all of you for making this night the sunshine of my life!” Stevie Wonder’s version of “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” is inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 2002.
portrait of this blog's author - by Stephen Blackman 2008
Sunday, May 20, 2018
Another for Sunday . . . . . . . . and you know it we have said before this a triumvirate or quadrophonic blast of classic Wonder years (sic) I don't know anyone who DIDN'T buy these!? As near perfect as pop is able to get . . . . . . .
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