Songs in the Key of Life

Songs in the Key of Life is the eighteenth studio album by American recording artist Stevie Wonder. It was released on September 28, 1976, by Tamla.

Songs in the Key of Life
Studio album by Stevie Wonder
Released	September 28, 1976 (1976-09-28)
Recorded	1974–76
Genre	R&B soul funk
Length	85:21
Label	Tamla
Producer	Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder chronology
Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974) Songs in the Key of Life Looking Back – Anthology (1977)
Singles from Songs in the Key of Life
"I Wish" Released: December 1976 "Sir Duke" Released: March 1977 "Another Star" Released: August 1977 "As" Released: October 1977

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Christgau's Record Guide	A
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
The Great Rock Discography	8/10
MusicHound	5/5
Rolling Stone
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Sputnikmusic	4.5/5

Songs in the Key of Life received generally positive reviews from critics.

Original vinyl release

Side one "Love's in Need of Love Today" (Stevie Wonder) – 7:06 Stevie Wonder – Fender Rhodes, Clavinet, Yamaha GX-1 synthesizer, bass synth, drums Eddie "Bongo" Brown – kalimba "Have a Talk with God" (Calvin Hardaway, Wonder) – 2:42 Stevie Wonder - all instruments synthesizer "Village Ghetto Land" (Gary Byrd, Wonder) – 3:25 Stevie Wonder - Yamaha GX-1 synthesizer "Contusion" (Wonder) – 3:46 Mike Sembello – lead guitar Raymond Pounds – drums Nathan Watts – bass Ben Bridges – rhythm guitar Greg Phillinganes – keyboard Stevie Wonder – all other instruments Michael Gray, Josie James, Shirley Brewer, Artece May – vocals "Sir Duke" (Wonder) – 3:52 Raymond Pounds – drums Nathan Watts – bass Mike Sembello – lead guitar Ben Bridges – rhythm guitar Hank Redd – alto saxophone Raymond Maldonado – trumpet Trevor Laurence – tenor saxophone Steve Madaio – trumpet Stevie Wonder – all other instruments

Side two "I Wish" (Wonder) – 4:12 Stevie Wonder – vocals, Fender Rhodes, ARP 2600 synthesizer, vocoder, drums Nathan Watts – bass Hank Redd – alto saxophone Trevor Laurence – tenor saxophone Raymond Maldonado – trumpet Steve Madaio – trumpet Renee Hardaway - vocals ("you nasty boy!") "Knocks Me Off My Feet" (Wonder) – 3:36 Stevie Wonder – vocals, acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, drums, synth bass "Pastime Paradise" (Wonder) – 3:27 Stevie Wonder – Yamaha GX-1 synthesizer, percussions Raymond Maldonado, Bobbye Hall – percussions Hare Krishna, West Angeles Church Choir – background vocals "Summer Soft" (Wonder) – 4:14 Ben Bridges – rhythm guitar Ronnie Foster – organ Larry "Nastyee" Latimer – percussion Stevie Wonder – vocals, piano, bass synthesizer, drums "Ordinary Pain" (Wonder) – 6:16 Mike Sembello – lead guitar Hank Redd – alto saxophone Stevie Wonder – lead vocals, Fender Rhodes, bass synthesizer, drums Minnie Riperton, Mary Lee Whitney, Deniece Williams, Syreeta Wright – background vocals Shirley Brewer – reply Linda Lawrence, Terri Hendricks, Sundray Tucker, Charity McCrary, Madelaine Jones – reply's background vocals

Side three "Isn't She Lovely" (Wonder) – 6:34 Greg Phillinganes – keyboard Stevie Wonder – Fender Rhodes, RMI Electra Piano, bass synthesizer, harmonica, drums "Joy Inside My Tears" (Wonder) – 6:30 Stevie Wonder – lead vocals, background vocals, piano, bass synthesizer, drums Greg Phillinganes – keyboard Susaye Green – background vocals "Black Man"(Byrd/Wonder) – 8:27 Stevie Wonder – Fender Rhodes, bass synthesizer, synthesizer, talk box, drums, percussion Hank Redd – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone Steve Madaio – trumpet George Bohanon – trombone Glen Ferris – trombone

Side four "Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing" (Wonder) – 3:48 Charles Brewer, Shirley Brewer, Renee Hardaway, Nelson Hayes, Marietta Waters, Nathan Watts, John Fischbach, Amale Mathews, Josette Valentino – background percussion Stevie Wonder – vocals, Koto synthesizer, bass synthesizer, drums Zulu translation by Thoko Mdalose Hall, Spanish translation by Raymond Maldonado "If It's Magic" (Wonder) – 3:12 Dorothy Ashby – harp Stevie Wonder – vocal, harmonica "As" (Wonder) – 7:08 Nathan Watts – bass, handclaps Dean Parks – guitar Herbie Hancock – Fender Rhodes, handclaps Greg Brown – drums Stevie Wonder – lead and background vocal, Fender Rhodes Mary Lee Whitney – background vocals Dave Hanson, Yolanda Simon, Josette Valentino – handclaps "Another Star" (Wonder) – 8:08 Bobbi Humphrey – flute George Benson – guitar and background vocals Hank Redd – alto saxophone Raymond Maldonado – trumpet Trevor Laurence – tenor saxophone Steve Madaio – trumpet Nathan Alford, Jr. – percussion Carmello Hungria Garcia – timbales Stevie Wonder – lead vocal and background vocals, piano, drums Nathan Watts – bass Josie James – background vocals

A Something's Extra

The "A Something's Extra" 7" extended play was included with the special-edition version of the original LP. These tracks are also on most CD versions of the album, as well as the Blu-ray Audio. They were either split between both discs or added to the end of the second disc.

Side one "Saturn" (Michael Sembello, Wonder) – 4:54 Mike Sembello – lead guitar Ben Bridges – rhythm guitar Gregory Phillinganes – keyboard Stevie Wonder – all other instruments "Ebony Eyes" (Wonder) – 4:11 Nathan Watts – bass Jim Horn – saxophone Peter "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow – steel guitar Stevie Wonder – lead vocals, tack piano, talkbox, drums

Side two "All Day Sucker" (Wonder) – 5:06 Ben Bridges – rhythm guitar Mike Sembello – rhythm guitar W. G. "Snuffy" Walden – lead guitar Stevie Wonder – lead vocals, background vocals, bass synthesizer, Clavinet, drums Carolyn Denis – background vocals "Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)" (Wonder) – 3:55 Nathan Watts – bass Stevie Wonder – Fender Rhodes, harmonica, drums

CD release

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Love's in Need of Love Today"	Stevie Wonder	7:06
2.	"Have a Talk with God"	Wonder, Calvin Hardaway	2:42
3.	"Village Ghetto Land"	Wonder, Gary Byrd	3:25
4.	"Contusion"	Wonder	3:46
5.	"Sir Duke"	Wonder	3:54
6.	"I Wish"	Wonder	4:12
7.	"Knocks Me Off My Feet"	Wonder	3:36
8.	"Pastime Paradise"	Wonder	3:28
9.	"Summer Soft"	Wonder	4:14
10.	"Ordinary Pain"	Wonder	6:23
11.	"Isn't She Lovely"	Wonder	6:34
12.	"Joy Inside My Tears"	Wonder	6:30
13.	"Black Man"	Wonder, Byrd	8:30
14.	"Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing"	Wonder	3:49
15.	"If It's Magic"	Wonder	3:12
16.	"As"	Wonder	7:08
17.	"Another Star"	Wonder	8:28

A Something's Extra
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
18.	"Saturn"	Wonder, Michael Sembello	4:54
19.	"Ebony Eyes"	Wonder	4:09
20.	"All Day Sucker"	Wonder	5:06
21.	"Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)"	Wonder	3:57
Total length:			1:44:54

Personnel

Stevie Wonder – harmonica, arranger, keyboards, programming, vocals, drums Michael Sembello – guitar Sneaky Pete Kleinow – pedal steel George Benson – guitar, vocals Ronnie Foster – organ Herbie Hancock – keyboards, handclapping Dean Parks – guitar Greg Phillinganes – keyboards W.G. "Snuffy" Walden – guitar Nathan Watts – bass guitar, vocals, handclapping Greg Brown – drums Raymond Lee Pounds – drums Hank Redd – alto and tenor saxophone George Bohannon – trombone Ben Bridges – guitar, sitar Dorothy Ashby – harp Bobbi Humphrey – flute Howard "Buzzy" Feiten – guitar Steve Madaio – trumpet Trevor Lawrence – tenor saxophone Glen Ferris – trombone Jim Horn – saxophone Deniece Williams – vocals Minnie Riperton – vocals Gary Byrd – vocals Michael Wycoff – vocals Larry Scott – sound effects Carol Cole – percussion Bobbye Hall – percussion Jay Boy Adams – vocals Nathan Alford, Jr. – percussion Henry America – vocals Linda America – vocals Baradras – vocals Brenda Barnett – vocals Khalif Bobatoon – vocals Starshemah Bobatoon – vocals Sudana Bobatoon – vocals Charles Brewer – percussion, programming, vocals Shirley Brewer – percussion, vocals, speaking part Berry Briges – vocals Cecilia Brown – vocals Eddie "Bongo" Brown – percussion Jean Brown – vocals Rodney Brown – vocals Colleen Carleton – percussion, vocals Addie Cox – vocals Agnideva Dasa – vocals Duryodhana Guru Dasa – vocals Jayasacinandana Dasa – vocals Jitamrtyi Dasa – vocals Vedavyasa Dasa – vocals Cinmayi Dasi – vocals Yogamaya Dasi – vocals Carolyn Dennis – vocals Bhakta Eddie – vocals Doe Rani Edwards – vocals Jacqueline F. English – vocals Ethel Enoex – vocals Al Jocko Fann – vocals Barbara Fann – vocals Melani Fann – vocals Shelley Fann – vocals Tracy Fann – vocals John Fischbach – percussion, programming, vocals, engineer

Susie Fuzzell – vocals Carmelo Garcia – percussion, timbales Anthony Givens – vocals Audrey Givens – vocals Derrick Givens – vocals Mildred Givens – vocals Michael Lee Gray – vocals Mimi Green – vocals Susaye Greene Brown – vocals Bhakta Gregory – vocals Renee Hardaway – percussion, vocals John Harris – sound effects Jeania Harris – vocals John Harris – programming Troy Harris – vocals Nelson Hayes – percussion, sound effects, vocals Terry Hendricks – vocals H. David Henson – assistant engineer Don Hunter – programming, sound effects Adrian Janes – vocals Josie James – vocals Calvin Johnson – vocals Carol Johnson – vocals Patricia Johnson – vocals Madelaine Jones – vocals Bhakta Kevin – vocals Phillip Kimble – vocals James Lambert – vocals Linda Lawrence – vocals Irma Leslie – vocals Kim Lewis – vocals Carl Lockhart – vocals Gail Lockhart – vocals Raymond Maldonado – percussion, trumpet Carolyn Massenburg – vocals Article May – vocals Charity McCrary – vocals Linda McCrary-Campbell – vocals Lonnie Morgan – vocals Kim Nixon – vocals Lisa Nixon – vocals Larri Nuckens – vocals Larry Latimer – percussion, vocals Amale Mathews – percussion, vocals Gary Olazabal – engineer, bass sound Edna Orso – percussion, vocals Marietta Waters – percussion, vocals Josette Valentino – percussion, vocals, handclapping Gwen Perry – vocals Gregory Rudd – vocals Rukmini – vocals Yolanda Simmons – vocals, handclapping Keith Slaughter – vocals Rosona Starks – vocals Dennis Swindell – vocals Sundray Tucker – vocals Gary Veney – vocals Sheryl Walker – vocals Mary Lee Whitney – vocals Syreeta Wright – vocals Michael Gray – vocals Susaye Greene – vocals William Moore – vocals Fountain Jones – programming Aisha Morris – crying on "Isn't She Lovely"

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1976	"Another Star"	Club Play Singles	2
1977		Pop Singles	32
		Black Singles	18
		Adult Contemporary	29
	"I Wish"	Pop Singles	1
		Black Singles	1
		Adult Contemporary	23
	"Sir Duke"	Pop Singles	1
		Black Singles	1
		Adult Contemporary	3
	"Isn't She Lovely"	Adult Contemporary	23
	"As"	Adult Contemporary	24
		Black Singles	36
1978		Pop Singles	36

Songs In The Key Of Life Media

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  Wonder used an Electro-Voice RE20 microphone (pictured) to record his voice for upbeat songs such as "I Wish". A variety of microphones were used for other songs.