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Stevie Wonder/ Superstition studio session


d  halfnote

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SWEET!!!

 

That looks like a young Steve Jordan on drums!

 

Amazing, even with that close up, it's still almost impossible to figure out how he plays that riff.

Ian Benhamou

Keyboards/Guitar/Vocals

 

[url:https://www.facebook.com/OfficialTheMusicalBox/]The Musical Box[/url]

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Naw, I'm pretty sure that's Ollie Brown on traps (I think SW himself did the original track)...& as has been discussed, the re are multiple (& varying) keyboard parts.

 

BTW, here's what they may've been rehearsing for...

Superstitious Sesame (& catch the vocal ad libs)

d=halfnote
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Amazing, even with that close up, it's still almost impossible to figure out how he plays that riff.

 

Don't say I never gave you nothin'...

 

http://www.jqpaxton.com/superclav.jpg

 

 

That's based on extensive analysis of the original, many live audio/video clips, and most significantly, the multitrack masters that surfaced a while back. Enjoy!

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Naw, I'm pretty sure that's Ollie Brown on traps (I think SW himself did the original track)...& as has been discussed, the re are multiple (& varying) keyboard parts.

 

Stevie Wonder did indeed play pretty much all the drum parts on Music of My Mind, Talking Book, Innervisions, and Fulfilingness' First Finale. On Songs in the Key of Life his Wonderlove orchestra starts to take more part in the recording duties.

 

So,if it's Ollie Brown, when did Steve Jordan play with Stevie? Cause I know for fact that that was one of his first higher profile gigs. Not doubting you, just curious.

 

BTW, I've heard those master tracks, but only over a badly recorded youtube video. If anyone knows where I could find the real thing, please let me know. Stevie is one of my biggest influences, and although I've played Superstition for years very convincingly, I know it ain't exactly right. Then again, I've never heard or seen anybody do it like him either.

Ian Benhamou

Keyboards/Guitar/Vocals

 

[url:https://www.facebook.com/OfficialTheMusicalBox/]The Musical Box[/url]

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As impressed as I am by Stevie's playing, it's always his voice that just totally slays me. That dude's vocal instrument is just astonishingly great.

 

Noah

+1 :thu:

 

To me, as a former president once said, they are interlinked. :laugh:

 

Stevie Wonder's KB playing is not a chops-fest. It contains whatever the song needs. His voice and vocal range is simply bananas.

 

The combination of his playing style and singing is perfectly complimentary and a beautiful thing.

 

The proof lies in the fact that Stevie has influenced many singers and musicians over the past 40 plus years.

 

Just to think, not only did I get a chance to hear Stevie in concert last year. A few years ago, I heard him play and sing live in a local music store.

 

In fact, I was told Stevie was at the same music store playing and singing a month or so ago. :cool:

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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In the 90's, I was in The Four Tops back up band, and we once did a show in DC that featured several Motown acts (new/old) - including Stevie Wonder. It was quite an honor to be there - - a dinner for the Black Congressional Caucus. President Clinton gave a major speech on health care at this event.

 

Our rhythm section got to back everyone up - also Boyz II Men, who I think were just 2/3 hits into their career then.

 

At rehearsal/soundcheck, Stevie showed up, sat down at the grand piano, and everyone just kind of stopped - - he started noodling, then he started playing, then really really started playing. He was weaving in and out of his songs with heavy classical stuff - - he started doing Overjoyed, then morphed it into Clair de Lune - - then was doing a kind of New Orleans thing on Superstition - - then called out "Tatum" - - and did a stride thing on it. Unbelieveable. He went for about 15 minutes, and I was 5 feet away from him.

 

I'll never forget it.

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In the 90's, I was in The Four Tops back up band, and we once did a show in DC that featured several Motown acts (new/old) - including Stevie Wonder. It was quite an honor to be there - - a dinner for the Black Congressional Caucus. President Clinton gave a major speech on health care at this event.

 

Our rhythm section got to back everyone up - also Boyz II Men, who I think were just 2/3 hits into their career then.

 

At rehearsal/soundcheck, Stevie showed up, sat down at the grand piano, and everyone just kind of stopped - - he started noodling, then he started playing, then really really started playing. He was weaving in and out of his songs with heavy classical stuff - - he started doing Overjoyed, then morphed it into Clair de Lune - - then was doing a kind of New Orleans thing on Superstition - - then called out "Tatum" - - and did a stride thing on it. Unbelieveable. He went for about 15 minutes, and I was 5 feet away from him.

 

I'll never forget it.

 

:freak::freak:

 

You could never forget something like that. Man you must have been calling everyone that night telling them what had just happened. What an experience.

 

I heard from a couple of people out here in L.A. that went to see Chick a month or two ago at the Hollywood Bowl, that Chick brought out Stevie W. as a special walk on guest, and that Stevie sat down and utterly tore it up on Spain, in a chick like style too. I guess I'm not surprised, especially after hearing your account of him weaving in and out of heavy classical stuff.

Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37

 

My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section

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There is a great finger-style guitarist names Pete Huttlinger... he was John Denver's guitarist. And he tells a great story in his live show about how he was teaching a seminar on finger-style, and showing some Stevie Wonder songs, and someone asked if he did "Superstition". Pete proceeds to explain that it would be impossible to play the song solo finger-style, because of all the parts. He continues, illustrating his point by playing each of the parts individually. THEN he plays "Superstition", solo finger-style. I don't know if it is on youtube or not, but it is a treat to watch. And his version of "Superstition" is on one of his CDs. When I watch guys like this, or Ed Gerhard or Lawrence Juber, Muriel Anderson and so many others, I have to ask myself, "Do I -really- want to claim to be a guitar player????"

"I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."

 

Steve Martin

 

Show business: we're all here because we're not all there.

 

 

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At rehearsal/soundcheck, Stevie showed up, sat down at the grand piano, and everyone just kind of stopped - ...

I'll never forget it.

 

was Danny Leake there? Long time Wonder engineer, great guy.

"I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."

 

Steve Martin

 

Show business: we're all here because we're not all there.

 

 

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I heard from a couple of people out here in L.A. that went to see Chick a month or two ago at the Hollywood Bowl, that Chick brought out Stevie W. as a special walk on guest, and that Stevie sat down and utterly tore it up on Spain, in a chick like style too. I guess I'm not surprised, especially after hearing your account of him weaving in and out of heavy classical stuff.

I'm not surprised either. I saw Stevie last summer and he used Spain as his band introduction instrumental feature. Oh yeah - he played the melody on harmonica!

Instrumentation is meaningless - a song either stands on its own merit, or it requires bells and whistles to cover its lack of adequacy, much less quality. - kanker
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I'm listening to mix 1, and I'm struck by the timing of the clav parts. Because of the way they're timed and the way clav sounds like guitar anyway, combined they sound like someone strumming rhythm guitar. No wonder it translates to guitar so well. I wonder if that was his intent.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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Hey, thanks for all the associated links, everyone !

 

So,if it's Ollie Brown, when did Steve Jordan play with Stevie? Cause I know for fact that that was one of his first higher profile gigs. Not doubting you, just curious.

 

I can't answer that.

I just think the cat in the vid looks like Ollie Brown, who was in SW's touring band around that time. I could be wrong.

FWIW, here's a link to a site that cues us in on OB's current career & includes a photo.

http://www.olliewoodestates.com/about_ollie.html

d=halfnote
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