Which Stevie Wonder Songs Feature His Harmonica ?

[Boogiedown]

It was his harmonica that helped bring Stevie into stardom, yet it seems his use of the instrument was rather selective, [[or have I just not noticed at times ). And as time went on, did he include it less and less?

What are the Stevie Wonder songs that feature him playing the harmonica?
I'll start by naming this one which for me comes to mind right away:

I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER


Ha ! now listening, surprisingly to me, the harmonica is only used in the intro and then rather briefly. By the time the camera zooms in Stevie is already done playing and has put it away!! lol!

Others??

[mowest]

I’m assuming that’s Stevie on “Fingertips” and “Hey Harmonica Man."

[TomatoTom123]

Was jammmmming to "Do I Do" yesterday and I’m pretty sure Stevie harmonicalises [[not a word, lol) on that one

[Motown Eddie]

Songs by Stevie that feature his harmonica playing;

1. "Isn't She Lovely"
2. "Send One Your Love"
3. "That Girl"
4. "Sweet Little Girl"
5. "Too High"
6. "Creepin"
7. "Big Brother"
8. "Girl Blue"
9. "For Once In My Life"
10. "I'm Wondering"
11. "If It's Magic"
12. "Easy Goin' Evening [[My Mama's Call)"
13. "Fingertips-Pts. 1 & 2 [[Live)"

[splanky]

Stevie played chromonica, a chromatic harmonica on most of his career. Not an easy instrument to master. He also played it as a guest
on other folks recordings outside of Motown. Pop and jazz, more than
once showing up on Herbie Hancocks releases. Only the late Toots
Thielemans of jazz could play chromonica with the level of skill Stevie
has displayed as far as I've encountered. Maybe one day some kid
I never heard of will surprise me....

[marv2]

"Alfie" was a great performance by Stevie.

[Ngroove]

Stevie's harmonica was most constant during his early, younger years, especially on his live recorded tracks, when his talent of his harmonica was the trait that most impressed Berry Gordy Jr during his Motown audition.

Work Out, Stevie, Work Out
High Heel Sneakers
Kiss Me Baby
With A Child's Heart

Eventually, his singing voice became more, although that did not stop his harmonica, as well as being his unspoken signature on:

The Temptations, "I Wonder Who She's Seeing Now" NOTE: Otis or Melvin, one of the two, admitted that during their Motortown Revue days, they remembered that they were bugged by Stevie's harmonica playing on the back of the bus, and glad it had paid off with their song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PLwe-o5Lbo


Chaka Khan, "I Feel For You"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObjLb6ElTvs

Eurythmics, "There Must Be An Angel [[Playing With My Heart)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuwyPssjJc8

[mowest]

Stevie’s harmonica playing is featured on his cover of the Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out” from 1970.

[jbpintus]

There are so manh other songs Stevie plays harmonica on!
Just listen to his albums and there's harmonica on a lot of songs...

"Some Other Time", "Bam", "This Little Girl", "The Party at the Beach House", "Beyond the Sea", "Happy Street", "Music Talk", "Respect", "For Once In My Life" [[including the duet with Gladys and Sinatra), "Moon River" [[including the fabulous instrumental harmonica on the Mancini tribute cd), "Sunny", "God Bless The Child", "Grazing in the Grass", "Ruby", "Hello Young Lovers", "At Last", "Light My Fire", "Pearl", "Somebody Knows, Somebody Care", "I've Got You", "Pretty World", "Don't Wonder Why", "Something To Say, "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" [[duet with Jr. Walker), "Too High" [[including duet with Norman Brown), "Boogie on Reagae Woman", "The First Garden", "Same Old Story", a lot of Jermaine Jackson tracks from 1979-80, "As If You Read My Mind", "Its More Than You", "Never In Your Sun", "One Of A Kind", "Fun Day", "Lighting Up The Candles" [[tribute for Marvin Gaye), "Treat Myself", "Kiss lonely Goodbye" [[including orchestral and instrumental alternates), "Stay Gold", "How Come How Long" [[with Babyface), "True to Your Heart" [[with 98°), "Sweetest Somebody I Know", "From The Bottom of My Heart" and half the tracks on his fabulous and much underrated A TIME TO LIVE cd, "All About The Love Again"...

... and not forgetting some heartfelt harmonica parts on songs from SOMEDAY AT CHRISTMAS, including "The Christmas Song", "Ave Maria" [[one of his best solo ever) or the dynamic "What Christmas Means To Me"

Still missing from this list are maybe as much as 30 or 40 songs Stevie plays harmonica on his own records.

Plus probably a hundred of songs he guests on harmonica, making these songs almost his as much as the main artist [[Elton John's "I Guess That's What They Calm It The Blues" comes to mind).

The list is endless...

[jbpintus]

And I didn't even list his first single, with two versions of "I Call It Pretty Music", anything from WITH A SONG IN MY HEART, "That's What Friends Are For" [[with Dionne, Gladys and Elton) and his playing on the two sides of the first Velvelettes 45 : "There He Goes" and "That's the Reason Why" or on The Lewis Sisters / Brenda Holloway "You Need Me"...

I'll let the Supremes superfans post the Supremes / Diana Ross song[[s) where Stevie plays harmonica on. I believe there's something to add there too ;-)

And maybe it's time to ask again what you do think : is it Stevie playing a line of harmonica on the Supremes "Happy [[Is A Bumpy Road)"?

And it is Stevie or Shorty Long playing on Shorty's own "Out To Get You"?

I guess that's not as evident as it seems on both songs..

[Motown Eddie]

And I didn't even list his first single, with two versions of "I Call It Pretty Music", anything from WITH A SONG IN MY HEART, "That's What Friends Are For" [[with Dionne, Gladys and Elton) and his playing on the two sides of the first Velvelettes 45 : "There He Goes" and "That's the Reason Why" or on The Lewis Sisters / Brenda Holloway "You Need Me"...

I'll let the Supremes superfans post the Supremes / Diana Ross song[[s) where Stevie plays harmonica on. I believe there's something to add there too ;-)

And maybe it's time to ask again what you do think : is it Stevie playing a line of harmonica on the Supremes "Happy [[Is A Bumpy Road)"?

And it is Stevie or Shorty Long playing on Shorty's own "Out To Get You"?

I guess that's not as evident as it seems on both songs..

According to the notes to Shorty Long's "Out To Get You" from TCMS-1964, that's Shorty playing the harmonica on the song.

[gman]

He is playing harmonica on one of Paul McCartney's solo songs too
and it sounds like him on Carly Simons "As Time Goes By"

[TomatoTom123]

Been listening to "Please Don’t Go" alllllll day today, so I have to add it to the harmonica list...

[gman]

Maybe because he is a multi-instrumentalist they didn't want to overexpose the harmonica

[thomas96]

Stevie’s harmonica playing is featured on his cover of the Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out” from 1970.

That is one of my favorites mowest.

[mowest]

That is one of my favorites mowest.

Definitely so thomas96!

[Boogiedown]

Thank you all for the above responses !

Was jammmmming to "Do I Do" yesterday and I’m pretty sure Stevie harmonicalises [[not a word, lol) on that one

good one ! You got me jammin' to it too!

BTW, the LP and 12" did , but the 45 version did not include the harmonica. Except when played from this reserviced version:



I guess Motown decided that harmonica part mattered!

Motown Eddie

Songs by Stevie that feature his harmonica playing;

1. "Isn't She Lovely"
2. "Send One Your Love"
3. "That Girl"
4. "Sweet Little Girl"
5. "Too High"
6. "Creepin"
7. "Big Brother"
8. "Girl Blue"
9. "For Once In My Life"
10. "I'm Wondering"
11. "If It's Magic"
12. "Easy Goin' Evening [[My Mama's Call)"
13. "Fingertips-Pts. 1 & 2 [[Live)"

Great list. ISNT SHE LOVELY a standout performance for Stevie's harmonica imo .

jbpintus

"Some Other Time", "Bam", "This Little Girl", "The Party at the Beach House", "Beyond the Sea", "Happy Street", "Music Talk", "Respect", "For Once In My Life" [[including the duet with Gladys and Sinatra), "Moon River" [[including the fabulous instrumental harmonica on the Mancini tribute cd), "Sunny", "God Bless The Child", "Grazing in the Grass", "Ruby", "Hello Young Lovers", "At Last", "Light My Fire", "Pearl", "Somebody Knows, Somebody Care", "I've Got You", "Pretty World", "Don't Wonder Why", "Something To Say, "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" [[duet with Jr. Walker), "Too High" [[including duet with Norman Brown), "Boogie on Reagae Woman", "The First Garden", "Same Old Story", a lot of Jermaine Jackson tracks from 1979-80, "As If You Read My Mind", "Its More Than You", "Never In Your Sun", "One Of A Kind", "Fun Day", "Lighting Up The Candles" [[tribute for Marvin Gaye), "Treat Myself", "Kiss lonely Goodbye" [[including orchestral and instrumental alternates), "Stay Gold", "How Come How Long" [[with Babyface), "True to Your Heart" [[with 98°), "Sweetest Somebody I Know", "From The Bottom of My Heart" and half the tracks on his fabulous and much underrated A TIME TO LIVE cd, "All About The Love Again"... And I didn't even list his first single, with two versions of "I Call It Pretty Music", anything from WITH A SONG IN MY HEART, "That's What Friends Are For" [[with Dionne, Gladys and Elton) and his playing on the two sides of the first Velvelettes 45 : "There He Goes" and "That's the Reason Why" or on The Lewis Sisters / Brenda Holloway "You Need Me"...

wonderful list . From this I'll pull:



"can I play ?"

[Boogiedown]

"That's What Friends Are For" [[with Dionne, Gladys and Elton) .

Is Stevie's harmonica not essential for setting the tone in this tune:

[Boogiedown]

Originally Posted by mowest

Stevie’s harmonica playing is featured on his cover of the Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out” from 1970.

That is one of my favorites mowest.

Mine too . I used to crave this record to come onto the radio. Besides the harmonica , Stevies skill at playing off of his own voice is captivating .
<br>

[TomatoTom123]

I was looking up Eurythmics today and of course Stevie does a harmonica solo in the wonderful "There Must Be An Angel [[Playing With My Heart)" from 1985