Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Syreeta
Charlene
Many thanks for sharing these.
A great song that was sadly never a big hit.
I first heard this song when Syreeta's version was released on single, probably on Tony Blackburn's breakfast show on Radio 1.
I heard Stevie's when I got the album "Music Of My Mind" for Christmas in 1972.
Now I've heard Charlene's version.
Of the three, I like Stevie's version the most. It sits on what I feel is the stronger of the two sides of "Music Of My Mind", sandwiched between "Superwoman" and "Sweet Little Girl". [[The B-side contains the fabulous "Girl Blue" and "Evil" but also contains the over-long "Happier Than The Morning Sun" and the over-long "Keep On Running.")
Syreeta's version was too far ahead of its time with a staccato "body popping" style before body popping or hip-hop had even been invented. Shame, really.
Charlene's version takes Syreeta's vocal arrangement and adds a more conventional backing track along the lines of Stevie's original. A nice blend, and as a stand-alone track it's great, but not as good as Stevie's version.
Thanks for sharing these Mysterysinger. Love both Stevie's & Syreeta's versions of "I Love Every Little About You" [[didn't know about Charlene's version of the song until now). Also feel that Wonder's "ILELTAY" would've made a stronger A-side than "Superwoman" [[while that's also a great song, it's really not 'hit single material').
It was "Superwoman" that attracted me to "Music Of My Mind". As with pretty much every other Motown single release from that era, I heard "Superwoman" being played by Tony Blackburn on his breakfast show and the single's fade, which is the synth interlude between the two parts of the song, fascinated me.
My favourite version of this song is by Barry White proteges "White Heat" featuring lead vocals from Bobby DeBarge.
https://youtu.be/FCm6EEwVz-k
...other versions by
...Aretha Franklin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54UtWdj7l4k
...Bobbi Humphrey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NvF5yOCOi8
...Brian Hyland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xcwhs5bt-54
...Chantelle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfgn1f8issw
...Jerry Peters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZQXyXQ50Dg
...Ken Arlen Orchestra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpB1GUGftAA
...Liza Minnelli & Steve March
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NWteLIzQ-8
...Lorna Bennett
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOZTNqFg8WQ
Matty J Ruys & Lole Usoalii
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCIaPwOHnFs
Mike LeDonne & The Groover Quartet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3JzCKSG1IQ
Odell Brown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZqlRE2f2-s
Rhianna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQqayflJQng
Chaka Khan, Terrence Trent Darby & Miki Howard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E67bmpgTd4U
...if you're on Facebook ...check out ...Motown From The Vaults group ...over 20,000 Motown covers posted so far ...and counting...!!
Bookmarks