Talking Book

Background

Sandwiched between the release of Music of My Mind and Innervisions, Talking Book saw Wonder enjoying more artistic freedom from Motown. Guest appearances include Jeff Beck, Ray Parker, Jr., David Sanborn, and Buzz Feiten. The sound of the album is sharply defined by Wonder's keyboard work, especially with the synthesizers he incorporated, giving a funky edge to tracks like "Maybe Your Baby". His use of the Hohner clavinet model C on "Superstition" is widely regarded as one of the definitive tracks featuring the instrument. His swinging clavinet and harmonica embellishments on "Big Brother", though, defy categorization.

Cecil and Margouleff produced four of Wonder's "classic" albums in all: Music of My Mind, Talking Book, Innervisions and Fulfillingness' First Finale, as well as several albums by the Isley Brothers and others. They employed an unusual production technique using multiple layers of instruments such as the clavinet, Fender Rhodes electric pianos, and Arp & Moog synthesizers in place of the string orchestras used in conventional production techniques. This combination is what gives Talking Book and these other three albums their distinctive sound.

The cover depicts Wonder with cornrows, Indian jewelry and a velvet afghan.

Reception

Released after Wonder toured with The Rolling Stones in 1972, Talking Book became a major hit, peaking at #3 on the Pop Albums chart in February 1973, and became the first album for Wonder to top the Top R&B Albums chart where it remained for three weeks. The popular appeal of the recording helped destroy the myth that R&B artists were incapable of creating music that could be appreciated by rock audiences, and marked a unique period for R&B artists (especially Motown artists). Wonder won three awards for Talking Book at the 1974 Grammys: Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "You Are the Sunshine of My Life", and both Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song for "Superstition". Incidentally, at the same ceremony, Wonder's next album, Innervisions, won Album of the Year and Talking Book's associate producers Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff won the Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical award for their work on that album.

In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone, Vince Aletti called Talking Book "ambitious" and "richly-textured", writing that "even at its dreamiest, the music has a glowing vibrancy ... Altogether, an exceptional, exciting album, the work of a now quite matured genius". In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked it 90th on the magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. According to Robert Christgau, the record found Wonder taking artistic control and breaking through, while J. D. Considine called it "a pop tour de force".

Side one

1. "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (Wonder) – 2:58
2. Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, Fender Rhodes, drums
3. Jim Gilstrap – first lead vocal, background vocal
4. Lani Groves – second lead vocal, background vocal
5. Gloria Barley – background vocal
6. Scott Edwards – electric bass
7. Daniel Ben Zebulon – congas
8. "Maybe Your Baby" (Wonder) – 6:51
9. Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, Hohner clavinet, drums, Moog bass
10. Ray Parker Jr. – electric guitar
11. "You and I (We Can Conquer the World)" (Wonder) – 4:39
12. Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, piano, T.O.N.T.O. synthesizer, Moog bass
13. "Tuesday Heartbreak" (Wonder) – 3:02
14. Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, Fender Rhodes, Hohner clavinet, drums, Moog bass
15. David Sanborn – alto saxophone
16. Deniece Williams – background vocal
17. Shirley Brewer – background vocal
18. "You've Got It Bad Girl" (Wonder, Yvonne Wright) – 4:56
19. Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, Fender Rhodes, drums, Moog bass, T.O.N.T.O. synthesizer
20. Jim Gilstrap – background vocal
21. Lani Groves – background vocal
22. Daniel Ben Zebulon – congas

Side two

1. "Superstition" (Wonder) – 4:26
2. Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, Hohner clavinet, drums, Moog bass
3. Trevor Laurence – tenor saxophone
4. Steve Madaio – trumpet
5. "Big Brother" (Wonder) – 3:34
6. Stevie Wonder – lead vocals, Hohner clavinet, drums, harmonica, Moog bass
7. "Blame It on the Sun" (Wonder, Syreeta Wright) – 3:26
8. Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, piano, drums, Moog bass, T.O.N.T.O. synthesizer
9. Jim Gilstrap – background vocal
10. Lani Groves – background vocal
11. Uncredited – guitar
12. "Lookin' for Another Pure Love" (Wonder, S. Wright) – 4:44
13. Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, Fender Rhodes, drums, Moog bass
14. Debra Wilson – background vocal
15. Shirley Brewer – background vocal
16. Loris Harvin (Delores Harvin) – background vocal
17. Jeff Beck – electric guitar
18. Buzz Feiten (Howard "Buzz" Feiten) – electric guitar
19. "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)" (Wonder, Y. Wright) – 4:51
20. Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, piano, Hohner clavinet, drums, Moog bass

Inscription

Original pressings contain Braille lettering of Wonder's name and the album title, along with a message not transcribed until the 2000 pressing:

Here is my music. It is all I have to tell you how I feel. Know that your love keeps my love strong.

Additional Personnel