so... hoe did "Fingertips" get it's title?

[jillfoster]

Why is the song called ""Fingertips"? I just realized I never knew. On another board I belong to, we are reviewing every #1 hit form 1955 onwards, and we are to "Fingertips", and everbody is at a loss as to why it got that title.

[daddyacey]

After all this time I have only heard the live version of Fingertips. The Live pt2 was the hit and is considered an impromtu encore by Stevie. How is the live part 1 version different if so from the lp version from The Jazz Soul album track? This is a good question.


Laughing at the "hoe" with you jill , not at you. Damn letters are so close on the keyboard. LOL

[robb_k]

4652
Well, "hoe" in Dutch language means "how" in English,-so, by coincidence, it is quite understandable even as a typo. ;)

[soulster]

[B]After all this time I have only heard the live version of Fingertips. The Live pt2 was the hit and is considered an impromtu encore by Stevie. How is the live part 1 version different if so from the lp version from The Jazz Soul album track? This is a good question.



In those days, you could get over five minutes on one side of a 45, but the volume would be lower, and radio would not play anything much over three minutes. So, long songs were split, half on each side. In this case, someone, probably a radio DJ somewhere, decided that he would play Part 2. It caught on, and you know the rest.

I'm not saying this is exactly how it happened, but it's the most probable explanation. Both parts have appeared, unedited, on CD and on LP.

[MotownSteve]

4652
Well, "hoe" in Dutch language means "how" in English,-so, by coincidence, it is quite understandable even as a typo. ;)

Dank je wel

[motony]

I think it got the title due to using fingertips to play both the harmonica & the bongoes, just a hunch, though

[randy_russi]

When Fingertips became a smash hit it was number 5 on American Bandstand's top ten. When Dick Clark did the
"count up" to number one [[Easier Said Than Done by the Essex), which would be the next song played, the kids
started screaming "five, five" and holding up five fingers, so he switched and played Fingertips pt. 2.

I always wondered if that was staged with Motown or something, but never got around to asking anyone connected.

[Roger Polhill]

Perhaps it was because Stevie perceived through his fingertips.

[randy_russi]

I think the title was due to playing the bongos and holding the harmonica with fingertips. In fact, it seems to me that's
how the record was billed on the pic sleeve "Fingertips pts. 1 & 2--Little Stevie Wonder plays harmonica and bongos"
or something like that. Anyway, everyone loved it--it really caught on and who would've thought that a "live" recording
with a lot of changes [[& mistakes!) would've been a smash hit?

[nosey]

I like it when someone in the background says, what key, what key?

[randy_russi]

nosey, that was Mary Wells' bass player. She was next on the bill and he plugged in when they went for an encore.

[randy_russi]

Isn't the original studio recording of "Fingertips", which is on the lp The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie, totally instrumental?
It seems what became the vocal rendition of "Fingertips pt. 2" was done totally for the live performances.

[daddyacey]

Now I've got to hear the original lp version of Fingertips