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The
Nineties And Beyond
Stevie's Nineties And Beyond
After
three decades in the spotlight and an output of hundreds of songs - for himself,
for other artists, and some that are unreleased to this day - the 1990s
saw Stevie slow down quite a bit. In the almost two decades since Characters in 1987, only
three studio albums have been released: Music From The Movie Jungle Fever (1991), Conversation Peace (1995) and A Time To Love (2005), along with the widely acclaimed live double-CD,
Natural Wonder (1995).
Similarly, his contributions to other artists
have also decreased in number. Stevie has given one clue as to his reasons for
cutting down on the collaborations. "I enjoy working with people but I think
what happens is that my expectations are too high... I don't want them to be like
me, but I want it to be good and a writer is very protective with his melodies
and stuff so if you don't get it the way you want it..."
Nevertheless, Stevie is still an active artist, performing live regularly.
Also, in addition to the albums mentioned above, he released an album's worth
of new songs on one-off singles and soundtrack albums between 1996 and 2000.
And quite possibly, every now and then he will write songs for other artists
as well...
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Stevie Wonder today.
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| Song title: We
Didn't Know
Artist: Whitney Houston & Stevie
Wonder
Written by: Stevie Wonder
Originally released on: Whitney Houston album: I'm Your
Baby Tonight - Arista 8616
Release date: November
6, 1990
Currently available on CD: I'm Your
Baby Tonight - Arista 8616
Further info: The catchy
Whitney Houston duet 'We Didn't Know' was a good start to the new decade. Unfortunately,
its hit potential was never tested, for the song was never released as a single.
The backing track for 'We Didn't Know' was produced and arranged by Stevie at
Wonderland Studios, while the lead vocals were recorded in New York.
Already back in 1988, Stevie mentioned plans of recording a duet with Whitney
Houston. The song he felt was suitable was entitled 'Running With The Wind', reportedly
a reggae-flavoured tune written by Stevie. However, the song has never been released
in any form. It would take until 'We Didn't Know' before Stevie "made a dream
of mine come true", as Ms Houston phrased it in her album liner notes. | |
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the CD:
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(France)
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(Sweden) |
Song title:
Strong Is Our Love
Artist: Marva Hicks &
Stevie Wonder
Written by: Stevie Wonder
Originally released on: Marva Hicks album: Marva Hicks
- Polydor 847 209-2
Release date: March 5, 1991
Currently available on CD: Not available, was on out-of-print
CD Marva Hicks. Used copies are sometimes available,
try the links.
Further info: Stevie first met
Marva Hicks in London, and she became his tour backing vocalists in the mid-1980s.
Hicks also sang backing vocals on Stevie's Characters album. Her own eponymous
debut album included a duet with Stevie, 'Strong Is Our Love', a mid-tempo number
featuring Wonderesque instrumentation typical of his late 1980s output. Stevie
produced the recording at his Wonderland Studios.
'Strong Is Our Love'
was written no later than 1989, which was the year the song was published. Incidentally,
the phrase "strong is our love" was also prominently featured in the
song 'Everything's Coming Up Roses'', recorded by Eddie Murphy (see Eighties section). | |
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the CD:
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(France)
|
Song
title: The Force Behind The Power
Artist: Diana
Ross
Written by: Stevie Wonder
Originally
released on: The Force Behind The Power - Motown 37463-6316-2
Release date: September 1991
Currently available
on CD: The Force Behind The Power - EMI CDP7971542 (UK
release)
Further info: 26 years after Stevie wrote
'Baby Doll' for The Supremes, it was finally time to write another song to be
graced by Diana Ross' lead vocals. The catchy title track on her The Force Behind
The Power album was arranged and produced by Stevie, who also played all the instruments.
The track was released as a single, reaching the UK Top 30 in February 1992.
In the summer of 1991, Stevie was reportedly working on 'The Force Behind
The Power' in his suite at the Conrad Hotel in London, overdubbing suggestions
onto DAT tapes that were sent to him.
The Force Behind The Power (the
album) also features a cover of Stevie's 'Blame It On The Sun'. | |
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the CD:
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(UK)
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(Germany)
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(France)
CDOn
(Sweden) |
Song title: Chan's
Song (Never Said)
Artist: Dianne Reeves
Written by: Herbie Hancock/Stevie Wonder
Originally
released on: Dianne Reeves - Blue Note BLJ 46906
Release date: December 9, 1991
Currently available
on CD: Not available, was on out-of-print CD Dianne Reeves.
Used copies are sometimes available, try the links.
Further info: This composition appears twice in this
list: here and in the Eighties section. The reason is that the first recording,
on the soundtrack album to the 1986 movie Round Midnight, does not feature Stevie's
words for the song. The first version of 'Chan's Song (Never Said)' with lyrics
was released five years later, on this album by jazz singer Dianne Reeves . | |
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the CD:
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(France) |
Song title: Go
On And On
Artist: Elton John & Gladys Knight
Written by: Stevie Wonder
Originally released
on: Elton John album: Duets - Rocket Record Company 518
478-2
Release date: November 23, 1993
Currently available on CD: Duets - MCA 10926
Further
info: Eight years after their
global mega-hit with 'That's What Friends Are For', this track reunites three
quarters of the line-up: Stevie, Elton John and Gladys Knight. Stevie wrote the song, contributed the entire backing
track - including backing vocals - and also produced the recording. |
|
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the CD:
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(UK)
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(France)
CDOn
(Sweden) |
| Song title:
Why I Feel This Way
Artist: Take 6 & Stevie
Wonder
Written by: Mark Kibble/Stevie Wonder
Originally released on: Take 6 album: Join The Band - Reprise
45497
Release date: June 1994
Currently
available on CD: Join The Band - Reprise 45497
Further info: Stevie's admiration for vocal group Take 6
began in the late 1980s, at which time he praised their eponymous 1988 debut album
profusely. A few years later, he collaborated with them for the first time, when
they performed 'O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion' on the 1992 various
artists album Handel's Messiah - A Soulful Celebration.
Next up was
the recording of the track 'I'm New' on Stevie's Conversation Peace album, to
which the group contributed beautiful backing vocals. Although the album wasn't
released until 1995, the song was actually recorded in 1993. Then, in 1994, came
'Why I Feel This Way', featuring keyboards and lead vocal by Stevie, issued on
Take 6's Join The Band album. The vocal and rhythm arrangement for the song was
made by Stevie and Take 6 member Mark Kibble. | |
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the CD:
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(UK)
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(Germany)
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(France) |
Song title:
Gates Groove
Artist: Lionel Hampton
Written by: Stevie Wonder
Originally released
on: For The Love Of Music - MoJazz 314530554-2
Release date: July 18, 1995
Currently available
on CD: Not available, was on out-of-print CD For The Love
Of Music. Used copies are sometimes available, try
the links.
Further info: The
instrumental 'Gates Groove' was written for the late vibraphonist Lionel Hampton.
A true jazz legend, Hampton was 86 years old at the time of the recording (he
passed away in 2002). The track was produced by Stevie, who also contributed harmonica.
The other featured musicians on the recording were the equally well-respected
Joshua Redman (saxophone), Patrice Rushen (piano & keyboards) and Ndugu Chancler
(Drums).
| |
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the CD:
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(Germany)
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(France) |
Song title: How
Come, How Long
Artist: Babyface & Stevie
Wonder
Written by: Stevie Wonder/Babyface
Originally released on: Babyface album: The Day - Epic
485386 2
Release date: October 29, 1996
Currently available on CD: The Day - Sony 66089
Further info: 'How Come, How Long' was a duet between Stevie
and Babyface. Babyface has commented that he would never have dared tackling the
song on his own, feeling that it required an artist of Stevie's stature - he has
even referred to him as his "musical guru". Although 'How Come, How
Long' was only an album cut and actually never issued as a single, the song still
managed to reach the Top 50 on the US singles chart (presumably through airplay).
In 1997, 'How Come, How Long' was performed live by Stevie and Babyface on
the television show MTV Unplugged. The concert was subsequently released on the
Babyface album MTV Unplugged NYC 1997 (Epic 68779). That album also included a
second Wonder/Babyface duet, 'Gone Too Soon', originally recorded by Michael Jackson. | |
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the CD:
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(UK)
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(Germany)
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(France)
CDOn
(Sweden) |
Song title: Peace
Wanted Just To Be Free
Artist: Luciano Pavarotti
& Stevie Wonder
Written by: Stevie Wonder/Michele
Centonze /Jovanotti
Originally released on: Pavarotti
& Friends album: For The Children Of Liberia - Decca 460 600-2
Release date: November 1998
Currently available
on CD: Pavarotti & Friends For The Children Of Liberia
- Decca 460 600-2
Further info: 'Peace Wanted
Just To Be Free' was written especially for this charity concert for the benefit
of the children of Liberia, one in a series of similar charity events arranged
by Luciano Pavarotti since the early 1990s.
'Peace Wanted Just To Be
Free' was a bilingual duet between Stevie and Pavarotti, with the famous opera
singer performing his parts in Italian. The live recording took place in Modena,
Italy on June 9, 1998. During the concert Stevie also performed a version of 'Higher
Ground', which was included on this album. | |
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the CD:
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(UK)
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(Germany)
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(France)
CDOn
(Sweden) |
Song title: I
Love You
Artist: Raven-Symoné
Written by: Stevie Wonder
Originally released
on: Undeniable - Crash 417087
Release date:
May 4, 1999
Currently available on CD: Not
available, was on out-of-print CD Undeniable. Used
copies are sometimes available, try the links.
Further info: Raven-Symoné
is mostly known for her roles in television shows such as The Cosby Show and Hangin'
With Mr Cooper. She recorded the song 'I Love You' for inclusion on her Undeniable
album.
Stevie arranged and produced the track and plays all the instruments.
Kimberley Brewer (see 'I Love You More' below) contributed backing vocals, while
some programming was done by Stevie's son, Keita Morris.
| |
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the CD:
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(France) |
Song title: A
Song For Children
Artist: Masashi Sada
Written by: Stevie Wonder/Masashi Sada
Originally
released on: CD single release: Imperial Records/Teichiku
Entertainment TEDN-352 (Japanese release)
Release date: April
26, 2000
Currently available on CD: No
Comments: The medium-paced 'A Song For Children' was first
performed in Japanese on a Japanese television show entitled Kouhaku Uta Gassen,
broadcast on December 31, 1999. The performers were a group of artists, featuring
lyricist Masashi Sada as lead vocalist. The theme of the lyrics for 'A Song For
Children' is Life, Earth and Future.
The instrumental
backing for the performance was recorded and produced by Stevie. In 2000, the
song was released on a CD single by Masashi Sada.
Around the time of
the original television performance Stevie also made a studio-recorded English
language version of this song, entitled Lead Of The Sun. However, this version
remains unreleased. | | 
|
Song title: Finally
Artist: Diane Schuur & Stevie Wonder
Written by: Stevie Wonder/Stephanie Andrews
Originally released on: Friends For Schuur - Concord Jazz
4898
Release date: September 26, 2000
Currently available on CD: Friends For Schuur - Concord
Jazz 4898
Further info: Acclaimed
jazz singer Diane Schuur had long expressed her desire to have a song written
for her by Stevie. In the year 2000, her wish came true with this jazzy duet.
As Ms Schuur herself so appropriately commented: "Finally!"
At the end of the last century, Stevie often talked about his ambition to record
a jazz album. With this collaboration, he accomplished at least part of this goal.
| |
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the CD:
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(UK)
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(France)
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| Song title:
I Love You More
Artist: Kimberly Brewer &
Stevie Wonder
Written by: Stevie Wonder
Originally released on: Music Of Love - For Tomorrow Children
- Polydor UICE-1002 (Japanese CD)
Release date: November
8, 2000
Currently available on CD: A Very Special
Christmas, Vol. 5 - A&M 493 138-2
Further info:
Kimberley Brewer has been contributing backing vocals for Stevie Wonder since
the early 1990s, on albums such as Jungle Fever and Conversation Peace. This romantic
duet with Stevie was originally released on the Japanese album Music For Love
- For Tomorrow Children. In 2001, it was included on the album A Very Special
Christmas 5. This CD also features Stevie's duet with Wyclef Jean on 'Merry Christmas
Baby'. | |
Order
the CD:
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(US)
Amazon.co.uk
(UK)
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(Germany)
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(France) |
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