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]]