Happy 55th Anniversary to Stevie Wonder’s sixth studio album Down To Earth, originally released November 16, 1966.
According to the Oxford Languages dictionary, the word “music” means "vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion."
The artist, musician, singer, producer, composer, songwriter Stevland Hardaway Morris—best known as Stevie Wonder—is the perfect embodiment of music, precisely matching its definition.
Stevie Wonder has always been one of the most gifted and influential artists in music history. Indeed, whenever I think about the real meaning of music and what a real musician, producer, singer, songwriter is (or should be), Wonder is the first artist that comes to mind. Wonder’s flexibility and intricately rhythmical piano, his virtuosic harmonica skills, as well as his trailblazing use of synthesizer technology particularly the TONTO synthesizer, make his sound unique and undeniable.
Besides his impeccable talents as a musician, especially astounding is the artist’s songwriting, and his impressively extensive vocal range, which never fails to communicate and deliver the messages intrinsic in his music. And as I always say, if you’ve never listened to Stevie Wonder, you may have never experienced true, deep joy, love, and happiness.
Stevland Morris was born in Saginaw, Michigan on May 13, 1950. At the age of three, his family relocated to Detroit. During his earliest years, Wonder already showed an extremely precocious musical inclination and aptitude. His first public stage where he could show off his extraordinary gifts was the White Stone Baptist Church on Fenkell Street.
In 1960, the artist formed a duo with his friend John Glover, with whom he would improvise around the neighborhood. Soon enough, he built a reputation as the blind kid with mesmerizing abilities to play drums, piano, the inseparable chromatic harmonica, and singing in perfect pitch.
Interestingly, Glover’s cousin was Ronnie White, a founding member of The Miracles, one of the Motown label’s most prominent acts. In 1961, White agreed to check Wonder out and then introduced him to Motown’s founder Berry Gordy Jr. Wonder was only eleven years old when his unearthly and rich artistic career began. He was twelve when he released his debut studio album The Jazz Soul Of Little Stevie (1962).
Before diving into Wonder’s sixth release Down To Earth, as well as mentioning the previous artistic outputs, I must say that it is rather unfortunate that not as many are aware of the artist’s albums recorded and released in the ‘60s, which are meticulously elaborate, in equal measure to the musician’s most “popular” projects produced in the ‘70s.
Indeed, it still feels shocking to me how at a monthly vinyl fair a couple of months ago, when asking for the vinyl edition of Innervisions (1973), after showing a picture of the album cover, the owner of the stand, in a failed attempt to prove his “broad” music knowledge concluded with “that’s the first album Stevie Wonder released, right?”
Although quite funny, the incident at the vinyl fair is quite revealing: many people still neglect Stevie Wonder's early-career albums, seldom giving them their due respect relative to his subsequent recordings, when in fact they are wholly deserving of praise.
Wonder's career kicked off in 1962 with his aforementioned debut album, which reinforced that even at the young age of twelve, he possessed immeasurable talent. The Jazz Soul Of Little Stevie, produced by the young musician’s mentor and artistic director Clarence Paul, is an exquisitely sophisticated instrumental album, and a blend of soul, jazz, blues, and Latin-nuanced rhythm sections. On the record, Wonder showcases his mind-blowing prowess as a composer and musician who already admirably mastered percussions, bongos, chromatic harmonica, and keyboard.
The same year, the artist returned with his second project, Tribute To Uncle Ray. As hinted by its title, the album is a tribute to music legend Ray Charles. Although quite unusual to listen to a twelve-year-old kid singing about love and painful heartbreaks, Wonder’s soulful delivery sounds honest and authentic. The album opener “Hallelujah (I Love Her So),” “Ain’t That Love,” and “Sunset,” especially, enhance the elasticity of the artist’s young voice, swinging back and forth along the tonal scale.
Like its precursor, the following album, With A Song In My Heart (1963) includes a few renditions of standards, perhaps one of Gordy’s calculated moves to broaden Wonder’s fan base. Besides, the record is a tasteful classic jazz work, presenting lush vocals and full orchestra arrangements.
Wonder’s fourth studio album, Stevie At The Beach (1964), is quite different from the previous projects and finds Wonder shaping his distinctive trademark sound. The record, released during the height of the Beach Boys’ surfing craze, is mostly built on playful harmonica solos, percussions, and his voice.
With Up-Tight (1966), Wonder flaunts more confidence and dynamism, showing him to be completely comfortable and assured in his natural and redefined singing, which also marked the start of his transition into a mature recording musician. Up-Tight presents an extremely wide production team, including two thirds of the legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting trio, and the uncredited Funk Brothers band.
The record exudes joy, happiness, and confidence from every pore, expressed through music with poppy upbeat piano and guitar sections, delicious brass licks, and up-tempo drumming courtesy of Benny Benjamin. Last but surely not least, on the album Wonder’s singing is already signaling his ‘70s adulthood, notably in the lower notes, the phrasing and intonation within the last lines of every verse.
On November 16, 1966, Wonder released his sixth studio album Down To Earth. The project exhibits a remarkable improvement for Wonder, both vocally and instrumentally. Vocally, the artist had gained more richness, passion, depth, and newfound maturity, far beyond what a sixteen-year-old singer in the history of music has ever achieved. Indeed, all the nuances of Wonder’s vocal style and blueprint characteristics started to unravel beautifully with Down To Earth.
Furthermore, the arrangements were more freshly and tastefully crafted, allowing Wonder to explore, blend and balance numerous styles and master more instruments.
The album starts strong with the gorgeous, optimistic "A Place In The Sun," a melancholy-tinged song with an infectious swinging rhythm section, delightful vocal harmonies, and subtle strings.
Cher and Sonny’s hit “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” is revisited entirely as a mid-tempo, alluring, noir styled piece, displaying the famous guitar licks, backing vocals, and glockenspiel for a scintillating touch, and The Funk Brothers’ Benny Benjamin "Papa Zita’s" impeccable drumming. The rework of the song perfectly captures the humor, the urgency, and intensity inherent in the lyrics “She was five and I was six / We rode on horses made of sticks / I wore black, and she wore white / She would always win the fight.”
The title track “Down to Earth” is a ballad in Stevie Wonder’s signature fashion, which could not miss on the album. The song is a stunning piano and strings-driven piece, with soft muted trumpet and prominent, passionate vocals.
The mellow mid-tempo “Thank You Love” is arguably one of the best ballads ever composed by Wonder—on the same level as “Tuesday Heartbreak,” “As,” “Golden Lady,” and “Summer Soft.” The piece presents a funky bass line, horn riff, idiosyncratic key shifts, swirling string set, syncopated drumbeats, and immaculate vocals exuding bittersweet joy.
The feel-good, high-spirited “Be Cool, Be Calm (And Keep Yourself Together)” is a characteristic Motown number, built on sky-high-rocketing vocals, rhythm guitar, and piano, contributing to the grandiose, good-humored sound and additional uplifting chorus.
“Sylvia” returns to delving deep into Wonder’s romantic side, with whirling strings, zesty chord changes, and flawlessly superb, wistful singing.
“My World Is Empty Without You” is a rendition of the Supremes hit. On the track, Wonder opted not to rework the instrumental, keeping it intact. However, the artist’s reinterpretation oozes more sadness, drive, and intensity, resulting in a more earnest and genuine delivery.
“The Lonesome Road” is yet another reinvention of the 1927 folk song. The piece retains the original country-ish style, particularly the piano, rhythm, and subtle string section. Wonder then added horns and backing vocals courtesy of Clarence Paul. Although folk or country may not be the artist's strongest suit, with “The Lonesome Road” he proved that he could master any genre and style he wanted, pulling out a more than excellent work.
The colorful “Angel Baby (Don’t You Ever Leave Me),” reminiscent of the Four Tops’ “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” (interestingly both songs were released the same year), is filled with a full-blown horn section, catchy choruses, and an up-tempo driving beat.
“Mr. Tambourine Man” is a cover of the legendary Bob Dylan’s song. In his revisitation, Wonder recrafted the instrumental, developing it on piano chords layering the main harmonies, tambourine rhythm, staccato guitar line, and adding in dazzling, emotionally charged singing.
Inspired by Merle Travis' 1955 eponymous piece, “Sixteen Tons” narrates the life in the mines of Muhlenberg County in Kentucky. Originally, Travis performed the song accompanying his voice with only a guitar. However, Wonder put his personal twist on the track. Like “Bang Bang,” the artist conferred a noir, blues touch to his rendition, adding bass guitar, harmonica, keyboard, string set, and percussions which serve to emphasize his vocal delivery.
Closing the record, the mellow tones of “Hey Love,” backed by an all-female chorus, is in perfect tune with Motown’s style, though Wonder maintains his personal flair, which makes his ballads unparalleled.
With Down To Earth, Wonder consolidates his progress, vocally, musically and compositionally. Such evolution, and the steady acquisition of more richness, passion, depth, and maturity have been fundamental for Wonder’s personal and artistic growth across his career. His ‘60s output, although often criminally neglected, proved to be extremely crucial formative years for the young musician, enabling him to blossom into the mesmerizing musical prophet that we cherish, admire, and look up to today.
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