Talking Book
585706
224381358
2008-07-08T16:33:29Z
J Milburn Bot
7423137
All Music Guide has now been rebranded to Allmusic
{{dablink|This article is about the Stevie Wonder album. For a more general article about "talking books" see: [[Audio book]].}}
{{Infobox Album | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums -->
Name = Talking Book |
Type = [[Album]] |
Artist = [[Stevie Wonder]] |
Cover = Talking Book.jpg |
Released = [[October 28]], [[1972]] |
Recorded = 1972 |
Genre = [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] |
Length = 43:31 |
Label = [[Motown]] |
Producer = [[Stevie Wonder]], [[Robert Margouleff]] and [[Malcolm Cecil]] |
Reviews =
* [[Allmusic]] {{rating-5|5}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:2jbsa9ugb23k link]
* [[Rolling Stone magazine|Rolling Stone]] {{rating-5|5}} [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album?id=117344 link] |
Last album = ''[[Music of My Mind]]''<br />(1972) |
This album = ''Talking Book'' <br /> (1972) |
Next album = ''[[Innervisions]]''<br />(1973) |
}}
'''''Talking Book''''', an album by [[Stevie Wonder]] released on [[October 27]], [[1972]], is regarded by some fans as one of the best [[crossover (music)|crossover]] records of all time. It was the second of five consecutive albums widely hailed as his "classic period", along with ''[[Music of My Mind]]'', ''[[Innervisions]]'', ''[[Fulfillingness' First Finale]]'', and ''[[Songs in the Key of Life]]''. Released after Wonder toured with the [[Rolling Stones]] in 1972, ''Talking Book'' became an immediate hit. The popular appeal of the recording helped destroy the myth that [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] artists were incapable of creating music that could be appreciated by rock audiences, and marked a unique period for R&B artists (especially [[Motown]] artists). Its cover depicts Wonder with corn rows, Indian [[jewelry]] and a velvet [[Afghan blanket|afghan]].
Sandwiched between the release of ''[[Music of My Mind]]'' and ''[[Innervisions]]'', ''Talking Book'' saw Wonder enjoying more artistic freedom from Motown, taking over the production reins and playing most of the [[musical instrument|instruments]]. Featured guest appearances include guitar hero [[Jeff Beck]], [[Ray Parker Jr.|Ray Parker, Jr.]] and Buzzy Feton (Howard "Buzz" Feiten). The sound of the album is sharply defined by Wonder's [[Keyboard instrument|keyboard]] work, especially with the [[synthesizer]]s he incorporated, giving a [[funk|funky]] edge to tracks like "Maybe Your Baby". His use of the [[Hohner]] [[clavinet]] model C on "Superstition" is widely regarded as one of the definitive tracks featuring the instrument. His swinging clavinet and [[harmonica]] embellishments on "Big Brother", though, defy categorization.
Wonder won three awards for ''Talking Book'' at the [[Grammy Awards of 1974|1974 Grammys]]: [[Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance|Best Male Pop Vocal Performance]] for "You Are the Sunshine of My Life", and both [[Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance|Best Male R&B Vocal Performance]] and [[Grammy Award for Best R&B Song|Best R&B Song]] for "Superstition". Incidentally, in the same ceremony, Wonder's next album, ''[[Innervisions]]'', won [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]] and <i>Talking Book</i>'s producers [[Malcolm Cecil]] and [[Robert Margouleff]] won the [[Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical|Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical]] award for their work on that album. Cecil and Margouleff produced four of Wonder's "classic" albums in all: ''[[Music of My Mind]]'', ''Talking Book'', ''[[Innervisions]]'' and ''[[Fulfillingness' First Finale]]'', as well as several albums by the [[Isley Brothers]] and others. They employed an unusual [[Record producer|production]] technique using multiple layers of instruments such as the clavinet, [[rhodes piano|Fender Rhodes]] electric pianos, and [[ARP Instruments, Inc.|Arp]] & [[Moog synthesizer]]s in place of the [[string orchestra]]s used in [[Convention (norm)|convention]]al production techniques. This combination is what gives ''Talking Book'' and these other three albums their distinctive sound.
{{RS500|90}}
==Track listing==
All songs produced and arranged by Stevie Wonder
# "[[You Are the Sunshine of My Life]]" <small>(Wonder)</small> - 2:58
# "Maybe Your Baby" <small>(Wonder)</small> - 6:51
# "You and I (We Can Conquer the World)" <small>(Wonder)</small> - 4:39
# "Tuesday Heartbreak" <small>(Wonder)</small> - 3:02
# "You've Got It Bad Girl" <small>(Wonder, Y. Wright)</small> - 4:56
# "[[Superstition (song)|Superstition]]" <small>(Wonder)</small> - 4:26
# "Big Brother" <small>(Wonder)</small> - 3:34
# "[[Blame It on the Sun]]" <small>(Wonder, S. Wright)</small> - 3:26
# "Lookin' for Another Pure Love" <small>(Wonder, S. Wright)</small> - 4:44
# "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)" <small>(Wonder, Y. Wright)</small> - 4:51
[http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Stevie-Wonder-Talking-Book-Album/20BE08050BC26A8648256912000A38E1 Album Lyrics]
==Personnel==
(Where name appears twice, the first is the name of the artist as credited on the original album).
* Gloria Barley - Vocals
* [[Jeff Beck]] - Guitar
* Shirley Brewer - Vocals
* Malcolm Cecil - Programming, [[synthesizers]], Producer, Engineer, Associate Producer
* Scott Edwards - [[Bass Guitar]]
* Buzzy Feton ([[Buzz Feiten|Howard "Buzz" Feiten]]) - Guitar
* [[Jim Gilstrap]] - Vocals
* Lani Groves - Vocals
* Loris Harvin (Delores Harvin) - Vocals
* [[Trevor Laurence]] - [[Saxophone]]
* Steve Madaio - [[Trumpet]]
* Robert Margouleff - [[synthesizers]], Producer, Engineer, Associate Producer, Photography
* [[Ray Parker Jr.|Ray Parker, Jr.]] - Guitar
* [[David Sanborn]] - Saxophone, Vocals
* [[Denise Williams]] - Vocals
* Debra Wilson - Vocals
* Stevie Wonder - [[Moog synthesizer]], [[Harmonica]], [[Clavinet]], [[Rhodes Piano]], [[Vocals]], [[Drums]], Producer, [[ARP Instruments, Inc.|ARP Synthesizer]]
* Daniel Ben Zebulon - Percussion, Conga
* Austin Godsey - Engineer, Recording
* Joan Decola - Recording
* George Marino - Mastering
Produced by Stevie Wonder.
==External links==
* [http://viddigger.blogspot.com/2007/05/stevie-wonder-superstition.html "Superstition" music video with lyrics]
{{Stevie Wonder}}
[[Category:Stevie Wonder albums]]
[[Category:1972 albums]]
[[Category:Crossover (music)]]
[[Category:Motown Records albums]]
[[fr:Talking Book]]
[[id:Talking Book]]
[[hu:Talking Book]]
[[ja:トーキング・ブック]]
[[fi:Talking Book]]
[[sv:Talking Book]]