June 10, 2025 • 28 mins
Talking Book is the fifteenth studio album by Stevie Wonder, released on October 27, 1972, by Tamla Records, a Motown subsidiary. Widely regarded as a landmark in soul and R&B music, the album marks a turning point in Wonder's career as he gained full creative control over his music. Blending elements of soul, funk, rock, and synthesizer-driven pop, Talking Book showcases Wonder’s innovative production, socially conscious lyrics, and emotional depth.
The album features some of his most iconic songs, including the infectious, funk-infused "Superstition" and the tender ballad "You Are the Sunshine of My Life"—both of which became number-one hits. With contributions from legendary musicians like Jeff Beck and Ray Parker Jr., the album is celebrated for its rich textures, pioneering use of the synthesizer, and deeply personal songwriting.
Critically acclaimed and commercially successful, Talking Book helped define the sound of 1970s soul and solidified Stevie Wonder’s reputation as a visionary artist.
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SPEAKER_03 (00:00):
It's just the normal noises in here!
SPEAKER_00 (00:13):
This is Polyphonic Press, the podcast where two
music fans pick a classic albumcompletely at random.
Using the patented random albumgenerator, they are given an
album to review from a curatedlist of over 1,000 classic
releases spanning multiplegenres.
And now onto the show.
(00:34):
Here are your hosts, Jeremy Boydand John Van Dyke.
SPEAKER_06 (00:50):
I'm John Van Dyke.
And uh let's not waste any time.
We've got the patented randomalbum generator right in front
of us here.
Uh so let's hit the button andsee what album we're gonna be
listening to this week.
SPEAKER_01 (01:01):
The album you will be reviewing this week is
Talking Book by Stevie Wonder.
SPEAKER_05 (01:06):
Okay, I don't know this album, but I'm more
familiar with his early stuff.
Yeah, me too.
Unless this is one of his earlyones, I don't know.
SPEAKER_06 (01:16):
Alright, so Talking Book is the 15th studio album by
Stevie Stevie Wonder, releasedon October 27, 1972 by Tamla
Records, a Motown subsidy.
Uh subsidiary.
Widely regarded as a landmark insoul and RB music, the album
marks a turning point inWonder's career as he gained
full creative control over hismusic.
(01:38):
Blending elements of soul, funk,rock, and synthesizer-driven
pop, Talking Book showcasesWonder's innovative production,
socially conscious lyrics, andemotional depth.
The album features some of hismost iconic songs, including the
infectious, funk-infusedsuperstition and the tender
ballad You Are the Sunshine ofMy Life, both of which became
(02:00):
number one hits, withcontributions from legendary
musicians like Jeff Beck and RayParker Jr., the album is
celebrated for its rick richtextures, pioneering use of
synthesizers, and deeplypersonal songwriting.
Critically acclaimed andcommercially successful, Talking
Book helped define the sound ofthe 1970s soul and solidified
(02:22):
Stevie Wonder's reputation as avisionary artist.
(02:42):
So yeah, it's easy to get themsort of mixed up.
But yeah, this was released onuh 27th of October 1972.
Uh the genres genres areProgressive Soul, Funk, Soul,
Rock, and Jazz.
Uh release on Tamla Records, andit was produced by Stevie
Wonder, uh, Robert Margoloff,and Malcolm Cecil.
(03:08):
There are 10 tracks on thealbum.
So if you're listening along,which we encourage you to do, uh
we stop at the halfway point.
So we'll take a break after uhafter side one, and it's pretty
evenly uh five and five, sideone and side two.
So uh the album starts with YouAre the Sunshine of My Life, and
and uh side one ends with You'veGot It Bad Girl.
(03:31):
So um if you want to take apause there, we'll uh discuss at
the halfway point.
And uh just want to remind youto check out us, uh check us out
on Patreon if you feel like youwant to help out the show.
You can uh get these episodesthe day before they go live.
You get a shout out uh duringthese episodes, and uh you can
even pick an album for us toreview.
(03:51):
Um but without further ado,okay, here is the uh first song
on the album, You Are theSunshine of My Life.
So here we go.
(04:13):
Alright, and uh ending side onewith You've Got It Bad Girl.
Yeah, this is uh this is reallygood.
Uh that yeah, this is uh I Imean there's a he's insanely
talented, um, and uh a reallygood songwriter.
Uh like I I I don't thinkthere's been a there hasn't been
(04:36):
a song that I haven't loved yet.
They've all been different, andthey've all been really just um
yeah, they've just d likethey've all been interesting in
in different ways.
SPEAKER_05 (04:49):
Yeah, uh sonically he's always been a little bit
different than a lot of otherpeople, like with his use of the
uh I guess it's a synthesizer orsomething like that, a really
early MOOC probably.
Um yeah, the the fact that itit's it sort of drives the bass
in in a lot of this is that humas opposed to a thump or
(05:12):
something like that.
It's it's uh it's sort of reallyinteresting.
SPEAKER_06 (05:16):
Yeah, and one thing I've I I noticed about by
listening to this is I I neverreally got the connection
between RB in the 60s and the70s to what RB would become in
like the 90s.
And I'm listening to this, I'mlike, oh, okay, they're just
(05:40):
ripping everything off fromthis.
Yeah.
To an extent, yeah.
Like honestly, that last song,You've Got It Bad Girl, I could
see that being a an RB hit inlike 1997-98.
Yeah, it could be.
Um maybe with like night somemore 90s production, but yeah,
(06:04):
you know uh honestly not much.
Like the the melodies and theharmonies and the like the
vocals would be perfect, andthen maybe some, you know, some
90s sounding instrumentsunderneath it, but you know,
maybe just the drums, honestly.
SPEAKER_05 (06:20):
Yeah.
No, I can sort of hear that.
Um yeah, I'm liking this, but uhit's uh it's Stevie Wonder.
I I I I didn't expect a badalbum from him.
SPEAKER_06 (06:32):
Yeah, well, I think what happened was uh uh like he
was on we he's he's been aroundsince he was a kid.
Oh I really early 60s even.
Yeah.
And uh he was on Motown Records,and and uh basically, you know,
I love Motown, but their systemwas, you know, you're a singer,
(06:52):
and we've got songwriters, andwe've got you know the funk
brothers to play on it andeverything.
You're just the singer.
You don't you don't have anyreally say in what you songs
you're gonna sing.
We'll give you songs to sing.
And I know Marvin Gay uh didsomething similar, he broke out
and started writing his ownstuff, and uh and Stevie Wonder
(07:14):
did too.
And this is his I think this ishis first album of him writing
all of his own material.
And yeah, and it's um the factthat this is his first album,
not his first album, but hisfirst album of like writing, and
he's writing everything, he'sthe producer, and he's playing
(07:36):
most of the instruments, likehe's playing the drums, like
everything.
And he's blind.
SPEAKER_05 (07:42):
Uh yeah, he's uh a tour de force.
Um always has been.
Yeah, this is probably him athis peak.
I I love this era of his stuff.
Um and yeah, again, he couldplay throw an instrument at him,
(08:02):
he'll figure it out, and it'llwind up on his next album.
SPEAKER_06 (08:05):
Sort of thing.
Yeah, he's uh he's incrediblytalented.
And um you know, I I uh he's gotthe it's it's one thing like
this is uh Motown.
What it what was the uh labelthat this came out on?
Tamla.
That is uh so he's still kind ofconnected to Motown, that's a
(08:26):
subsidiary of Motown.
But um but I guess it's that wasa label that was created I don't
know if that was created forhim, but it was created um well
actually I want to look that up.
Okay, so it it's been aroundsince 1959.
Okay.
I thought it would may mighthave been created for the
purposes of like Marvin Gaye andStevie Wonder to experiment a
(08:50):
little bit more.
Yeah, do their own thing.
Um but I guess maybe it just itbecame that.
SPEAKER_05 (08:55):
It became yeah, I think I think I think it sort of
became that sort of a thing.
Like uh subsidiary labels are uhfamous for being ones as opposed
to, you know, the Motown labelthat their bread and butter
comes comes from.
They would use a subsidiarylabel to take more risks with.
(09:20):
That is, I mean, this albumwasn't I mean it's a huge album,
so I don't think it was uh thatbig of a risk, but uh they I
guess they didn't know what toexpect from it.
SPEAKER_06 (09:31):
R exactly.
Yeah, I guess Motown, they havetheir their thing and the way
that they work, and so yeah, itmakes sense that it would come
out on a on a different uhdifferent label.
So one of the things that Inoticed is some of the really
there was some really goodguitar playing, and I think it
was in Maybe Your Baby.
Yeah, the fuzz guitar.
(09:52):
Yeah, that was Ray Parker Jr.
Was that really?
Okay.
And Ray Parker, yeah, youprobably know he's the guy that
did the the Ghostbusters theme.
I didn't know anything abouthim, uh, but I didn't know he
was a guitar player, to behonest.
There's uh there's quite a fewpeople on here.
I mean Jeff Beck is on here.
(10:13):
Well, Superstition was writtenfor Jeff Beck originally.
SPEAKER_05 (10:18):
But I think uh the record label I Um and the uh
Beck Bogart and a Peace, whichis Bogart and the Peace were
part of Vanilla Fudge.
They did an album with JeffBeck.
Yeah, called Beck Bogart and aPeace.
And uh this the song is on it.
I know that, and I think it cameout before Stevie Wonder's
(10:40):
version.
Oh really?
Okay.
SPEAKER_06 (10:41):
But is I but I don't is there there's no s that's a
live album, right?
SPEAKER_05 (10:46):
There's no studio version of it, is there that is
a studio uh album, actually,that one.
There is uh I think the livealbum as well that they did as
well, but uh I'm not sure wherethat fits into all that, but I
but I'm pretty pretty sure theBeck Bogart and a Piece album
we've got it on somethingsomewhere.
I've definitely heard it.
(11:07):
So it's uh it's on it.
Yeah, cuz because there's wellhe did Ain't Superstitious and
then Yeah, well Ain'tSuperstition is is a different
song, yeah.
Ain't Superstitious is an old uhWell that's that's uh I think we
actually talked about that onelast week because of uh Megadeth
(11:29):
did it which I didn't knowMegadeth did No I don't yeah I
know I d I didn't either.
SPEAKER_06 (11:36):
Um yeah and I I now I know this probably it probably
gets brought up quite a bit butI mean he's super talented in
all the um all the instrumentsthat he plays in his
songwriting, but his voice hisvoice is so distinct as well.
Like it's it's there's never anymistaking that it's him and he
(12:00):
he's had that voice since he waslike a like little, even before
his you know went throughpuberty and voice changed, you
can still tell, even though itwas a little higher, you could
still hear you know hear thatthat Stevie Wonder voice.
It's like, oh yeah, that'sthat's him for sure.
And um, you know, sometimes whenwhen uh some when voices you
(12:22):
know change in puberty and theyget deeper and whatever,
sometimes like you can have areally good singing voice when
you're a kid, but when you getolder it doesn't quite you know
cross that that barrier.
But in in his case, I mean it'suh like he's singing really well
here, and I think he's actuallyuh there are backup singers, but
(12:45):
he's layering uh some of theharmonies with himself.
SPEAKER_05 (12:49):
Yeah, I noticed that with Maybe Your Baby, but it
sounded like he actually uhchanged the pitch on it a little
bit, which was sort ofinteresting, but it did still
sound like his voice.
SPEAKER_06 (13:01):
So Which at that time was hard to do.
You had to you had to that thatactually with analog with now
with digital, I mean Pro Tools,you can do that no problem.
But n with uh analog youactually had to speed up the
tape to be able to change thepitch, but you have to speed it
(13:22):
up, you have to know how much tospeed it up for it to fit within
the key of the song.
And the tempo of the song.
And and the tempo, yeah.
SPEAKER_05 (13:33):
Yeah, exactly.
Um unless it was one of thosethings where he recorded in
another key and figured, uh oh,I'm gonna have to change this.
It could be.
Could be something like that.
Um but I don't know.
I it worked anyway.
SPEAKER_06 (13:48):
Yeah.
There was actually I I did I wasreading that that record
companies would do this a lot.
I think it was a trend in inlike the late 70s and early
eighties, where they would sortof speed up the tape a little
bit so that the song was fasterthan anything else on the radio.
(14:10):
It was it was competition.
So that it that's why like somesongs, like if you're learning
guitar, you can't really playalong with them because they're
sort of between keys, becausethey're just a little they're
the sp tape is sped up a littlebit, um, which is kind of
annoying.
SPEAKER_05 (14:28):
But uh they had weird little tricks back in the
day of trying to one up eachother and you know, making a
faster song while I don't knowif that's necessarily one of the
more effective ways of having abetter It certainly wouldn't say
wouldn't do anything to make abetter song, but it would be No,
(14:49):
not necessarily.
So it's uh not exactly sure whatmaybe it was danceability or
something like that.
I don't know.
SPEAKER_06 (14:59):
I'm I'm not one to f try to figure out what record
companies will do to try andmake things like they they uh
they don't know what they'redoing.
But you know, I think uh it'sit's interesting like uh to
think about um if if if thisalbum like were to be released
(15:21):
today, I I do think it would beI I think it would fit in really
well with today's music.
SPEAKER_05 (15:29):
Yeah, it could.
I think it might be a littlemore sophisticated than you what
you would find in a lot oftoday's music.
Uh but I still think it would dopretty well.
SPEAKER_06 (15:38):
Yeah, because yeah, you know, there's um there I
think like I said, it it's it'ssort of the bridge of uh like
the sixties R and B to like thenineties R and B.
And maybe not now, but maybelike fifteen, twenty years ago
it might have been uh might havedone something.
SPEAKER_05 (16:00):
I mean s there's some artists who, you know, have
actually managed to do somethinginteresting, but they seem to be
very few and far between, and Ican't say I don't know.
There's there's very few artiststhat m compel me enough for me
to sit down and listen to analbum.
If they came up in this charthere, then I guess I'd be sort
of forced to listen to it andthen, you know, come to terms
(16:23):
with it.
Um which is sort of what happensa couple times that we've
reviewed an album.
But uh yeah, there's still whenI think about you know stuff
that's on the top forty charts,it just it seems like a
completely different planet thanthe stuff that I I listen to.
(16:45):
And it's it's it's a littledisheartening sometimes.
SPEAKER_06 (16:49):
Yeah, exactly.
And you know, every once in awhile there's a a gem that comes
along and is a and is a big hit.
But I think this album inparticular feels even though it
has like that 70 synthesizer, itdoes feel there is a timeless
quality about it.
You know, it does uh transcend,you know like it it could be
(17:13):
released today.
And if you if if if someone wentin blind and said, Oh, this is a
new album, uh someone who, youknow, maybe n wouldn't pick up
on the the 70s production if youjust and wasn't familiar with
Stevie Wonder, you said, Hey,you gotta check out this new
artist, and they listened to it,they would they probably
(17:34):
wouldn't question that it wasn'tnew.
SPEAKER_05 (17:37):
Yeah, maybe.
Yeah.
There's there's definitely stilla few things that that sort of
date it to 1972, or at least the1970s.
It was very it was prettyadvanced even for its time.
It really was in a lot of ways.
Um but yeah, it's uh it's it'sit's a groundbreaking, so
(17:59):
exactly.
SPEAKER_06 (18:00):
Um so I did manage to find a few uh facts about the
album.
Um so yeah, uh Superstition wasoriginally meant for Jeff Beck.
Uh guitarist Jeff Beck wasoriginally supposed to record
Superstition, but Motownexecutives insisted Rastevie
release it himself.
Uh yeah, the track became amassive hit, reaching number one
on the Billboard Hot 100, and isnow one of Wonder's signature
(18:24):
songs.
Um Stevie Wonder, uh yeah, heplayed most of the instruments
on many tracks, includingSuperstition and You Are the
Sunshine of My Life.
Stevie Wonder played drums,keyboards, and th synthesizers
himself.
His multi-instrumental talenthelped craft the album's
distinctive layered sound.
(18:45):
Yeah, I mean he really knew helike he really knew uh how to
like create textures.
And I would say honestly, he'smaybe on the same level uh uh of
Brian Wilson in that that uhthat regard of being able to
(19:06):
sort of hear what he wants andand know exactly how how to
execute that.
SPEAKER_05 (19:15):
Especially in the days of analog recording, yeah.
It's uh it really did takeanother kind of person to do
stuff like that back then, towrap your head around the
technology and then and and toknow how to execute stuff like
that.
And most artists didn't do that.
But a lot of a lot of art butbut but there were, you know, a
(19:37):
handful of artists who just youknow looked at the the equipment
or whatever and said, why don'twe do this?
And next thing you know, you gottape all over the room.
Yeah, exactly.
And uh you're doing somethingabsolutely mad.
SPEAKER_06 (19:52):
Yeah, like a mad scientist or something.
Exactly.
It's uh number three, it itmarked a shift to creative
independence.
Talking book was part of uh ofWonder's so-called classic
period.
Uh, when he negotiated fullartistic control from Motown,
this gave him the freedom toexperiment with new sounds,
write more personal lyrics, andpioneer the use of oh, it's
(20:15):
Tontos, the Tonto synthesizer.
A tonto synthesizer, okay.
All right.
I th I think there were um therewere quite a few like different
kinds of synthesizers that werebeing made at this at that time.
SPEAKER_05 (20:30):
Again, very new technology, um Tonto
synthesizer.
Yeah, I think I've heard thename, but uh it's not one of the
more common ones.
But it's very it's got a verydistinct sound, then because uh
the way Stevie Wonder uses itanyway, it's it's it just sounds
like him.
SPEAKER_06 (20:48):
And yeah, uh yeah, this was uh the f his first
Grammy win.
Um the album earned StevieWonder his first two Grammys.
Uh Best Male Pop VocalPerformance for You Are the
Sunshine I'm My Life, and BestMale R B vocal performance for
Superstition.
SPEAKER_05 (21:06):
Hmm.
SPEAKER_06 (21:06):
So that's kind of cool that you know that's gotta
be really nice, you know, thatyou know, you've got this new
album, it's all yours, it's yourcreative output, your you've
poured your heart and soul intothis thing, you've finally
broken free from the constraintof you know not having any
(21:28):
freedom, and then you you winyour first two Grammys with uh I
mean that's gotta be you knownot that it's about awards, but
it's not about awards, but itwas also the time period was a
little more friendly toexpression that way.
SPEAKER_05 (21:47):
I just have a hard time seeing that being like the
awards have become such a game.
SPEAKER_06 (21:53):
So the the last one is the album cover pays tribute
to his blindness.
Um the cover shows Stevie Wonderkneeling in sand and touching
the ground, a subtle nod to howhe experiences the world through
touch and sound rather thansight.
It's a symbolic and powerfulimage of his connection to his
senses and his artistry.
Okay.
(22:13):
So that's kind of cool thatyeah.
Yeah, so those those are some uhinteresting facts about the
album.
Uh, but uh I guess we'll getback into the second side of the
album.
Um, but before we do that, let'shear from our friends over at
Getting Down and Wordy.
Uh so check those guys out.
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SPEAKER_02 (23:01):
We'll now take a few seconds before we begin side
two.
Thank you.
Here's side two.
SPEAKER_06 (23:08):
Alright, and ending the album with I believe when I
fall in love, it will beforever.
Uh yeah, I mean, this is this isa um this is an incredible
album.
I don't think there's a bad songon here.
They're all pretty prettyfantastic.
Yeah.
Um yeah, I I don't really knowwhat else to say.
(23:32):
I mean, it's it's a it's areally I really don't have any
criticism.
SPEAKER_05 (23:37):
Um Yeah, I can't think of anything to really
criticize anything about.
Um I thought I really liked thesong Maybe Your Baby.
I sort of thought maybe theextended the the extension on
the end was a little long, butthat's probably that's like
nitpicking.
SPEAKER_06 (23:53):
Yeah, if if yeah, I I agree.
SPEAKER_05 (23:56):
Uh you know, it could be uh a little shorter,
but I really like that.
I think it's actually one of myfavorite songs, though.
So it's yeah.
SPEAKER_06 (24:04):
You know, it's it's you know, it's it's Stevie
Wonder.
I mean, it's Yeah.
I I yeah, I know.
I mean we've we've gone over it.
I mean, he's he's so he's a verytalented songwriter, um,
multi-instrumentalist.
Um yeah, there's really not muchhe can't do.
Uh yeah.
(24:24):
And you know, a lot of a lot ofum a lot of artists when they do
an album where they play mostlyinstruments, they'll still get a
drummer to play the drumsbecause for whatever reason, I
mean they don't feel confidenton the drums.
He's a fantastic drummer too.
I mean he's got a really goodgroove.
(24:45):
Um he's uh yeah, he's he's justum I was wondering who plays
guitar on Looking for AnotherPure Love.
SPEAKER_05 (24:56):
Uh that was Jeff Beck.
That was Jeff Beck.
Yeah.
Katsu.
He said, I mean, it sounded likejust a f couple of the things
that were going on sounded like,oh, that might be somebody like
Jeff Beck playing.
And then he says, take it away,Jeff, or something like that.
Yeah, he did, yep.
Um, that was Jeff Beck on theJeff.
I was wondering.
(25:16):
Yeah.
That's pretty good.
SPEAKER_06 (25:19):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, that's the other thingtoo, is he's yes, he's um able
to play all the instruments, buthe's also a really good
collaborator, too.
Like he and you know, gettingreally good musicians in when
you know he doesn't have an egoabout like, no, I sh I need to
play all the instruments.
(25:40):
It's like, no, you know, let'syou know, you've guy got this
person here who's a really goodguitar player, let's, you know,
see what put him on my recordand see what he can do.
SPEAKER_05 (25:49):
Yeah, I guess so.
I I wonder what his confidenceis on on the guitar because he
seems to like borrowing otherguitar players, but Yeah, that's
a good point.
But uh that's not the takeawayfrom his talent, because uh you
know, you know where yourstrengths are and you know where
your weaknesses are and you youknow work accordingly.
(26:13):
Oh you can't play guitar, what aloser.
SPEAKER_06 (26:18):
So uh so what would be your um your three highlights
on the album?
SPEAKER_05 (26:25):
Oh superstition, of course.
SPEAKER_06 (26:28):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_05 (26:29):
Uh maybe your baby, probably.
That's a really good one.
I really like the funky stuff.
Um and then I really like uh Ibelieve yeah, I believe or When
I Fall in Love It'll Be Forever.
I thought that was a pretty goodsong.
It was just really well done.
Really well written.
SPEAKER_06 (26:49):
Honestly, I think those are my picks too.
They're it's it's tough to pick,but yeah, I think those would be
my highlights too.
I also like Big Brother.
I thought that was pretty cool.
SPEAKER_05 (26:58):
Big Brother was a really good song, I was
considering that one too, andlooking for another pure love, I
was look I was considering thatone, and not just because of
Jeff Beck, but because it's areally good song.
SPEAKER_06 (27:09):
Yeah, I think I think yours, your picks are are
mine as well.
Yeah.
So I think I know the questionon but uh what or I know the
answer, but what would be youruh or would you listen to this
again?
SPEAKER_05 (27:25):
Five.
No, okay.
Uh yes, I would listen to thisagain.
SPEAKER_06 (27:32):
Yeah, yeah, me too.
I mean it it's um yeah,absolutely, absolutely.
I think it's one of those one ofthose albums I'm gonna have to
maybe, you know, take a look andsee if I can hunt down and get
it on on vinyl.
I mean it's yeah.
I think it's one of those albumsyou everyone should maybe have
in their collection.
SPEAKER_05 (27:52):
Yeah, it's a good one.
Um makes me want to listen tosome of the other ones I've got.
SPEAKER_06 (27:57):
Um, so yeah, I guess we'll uh end the episode there.
Uh thank you so much forlistening.
If you made it this far, um besure to check out
polyphonicpress.com.
You can uh get updates and uh glisten to all the uh previous
episodes.
And uh yeah, if you want to helpus out, uh visit us on Patreon.
Go to patreon.com slashpolyphonic press.
(28:18):
And um yeah, if you're listeningand you want to follow the show,
uh uh definitely uh do that soyou don't uh miss any uh future
episodes and give leave us arating and review because it
helps uh new listeners find us.
And um yeah, I think that prettymuch does it.
Uh I'm Jeremy Boyd, and I'm JohnVan Dyke.
(28:40):
Take it easy.
It's just the normal noises in here!
SPEAKER_00 (00:13):
This is Polyphonic Press, the podcast where two
music fans pick a classic albumcompletely at random.
Using the patented random albumgenerator, they are given an
album to review from a curatedlist of over 1,000 classic
releases spanning multiplegenres.
And now onto the show.
(00:34):
Here are your hosts, Jeremy Boydand John Van Dyke.
SPEAKER_06 (00:50):
I'm John Van Dyke.
And uh let's not waste any time.
We've got the patented randomalbum generator right in front
of us here.
Uh so let's hit the button andsee what album we're gonna be
listening to this week.
SPEAKER_01 (01:01):
The album you will be reviewing this week is
Talking Book by Stevie Wonder.
SPEAKER_05 (01:06):
Okay, I don't know this album, but I'm more
familiar with his early stuff.
Yeah, me too.
Unless this is one of his earlyones, I don't know.
SPEAKER_06 (01:16):
Alright, so Talking Book is the 15th studio album by
Stevie Stevie Wonder, releasedon October 27, 1972 by Tamla
Records, a Motown subsidy.
Uh subsidiary.
Widely regarded as a landmark insoul and RB music, the album
marks a turning point inWonder's career as he gained
full creative control over hismusic.
(01:38):
Blending elements of soul, funk,rock, and synthesizer-driven
pop, Talking Book showcasesWonder's innovative production,
socially conscious lyrics, andemotional depth.
The album features some of hismost iconic songs, including the
infectious, funk-infusedsuperstition and the tender
ballad You Are the Sunshine ofMy Life, both of which became
(02:00):
number one hits, withcontributions from legendary
musicians like Jeff Beck and RayParker Jr., the album is
celebrated for its rick richtextures, pioneering use of
synthesizers, and deeplypersonal songwriting.
Critically acclaimed andcommercially successful, Talking
Book helped define the sound ofthe 1970s soul and solidified
(02:22):
Stevie Wonder's reputation as avisionary artist.
(02:42):
So yeah, it's easy to get themsort of mixed up.
But yeah, this was released onuh 27th of October 1972.
Uh the genres genres areProgressive Soul, Funk, Soul,
Rock, and Jazz.
Uh release on Tamla Records, andit was produced by Stevie
Wonder, uh, Robert Margoloff,and Malcolm Cecil.
(03:08):
There are 10 tracks on thealbum.
So if you're listening along,which we encourage you to do, uh
we stop at the halfway point.
So we'll take a break after uhafter side one, and it's pretty
evenly uh five and five, sideone and side two.
So uh the album starts with YouAre the Sunshine of My Life, and
and uh side one ends with You'veGot It Bad Girl.
(03:31):
So um if you want to take apause there, we'll uh discuss at
the halfway point.
And uh just want to remind youto check out us, uh check us out
on Patreon if you feel like youwant to help out the show.
You can uh get these episodesthe day before they go live.
You get a shout out uh duringthese episodes, and uh you can
even pick an album for us toreview.
(03:51):
Um but without further ado,okay, here is the uh first song
on the album, You Are theSunshine of My Life.
So here we go.
(04:13):
Alright, and uh ending side onewith You've Got It Bad Girl.
Yeah, this is uh this is reallygood.
Uh that yeah, this is uh I Imean there's a he's insanely
talented, um, and uh a reallygood songwriter.
Uh like I I I don't thinkthere's been a there hasn't been
(04:36):
a song that I haven't loved yet.
They've all been different, andthey've all been really just um
yeah, they've just d likethey've all been interesting in
in different ways.
SPEAKER_05 (04:49):
Yeah, uh sonically he's always been a little bit
different than a lot of otherpeople, like with his use of the
uh I guess it's a synthesizer orsomething like that, a really
early MOOC probably.
Um yeah, the the fact that itit's it sort of drives the bass
in in a lot of this is that humas opposed to a thump or
(05:12):
something like that.
It's it's uh it's sort of reallyinteresting.
SPEAKER_06 (05:16):
Yeah, and one thing I've I I noticed about by
listening to this is I I neverreally got the connection
between RB in the 60s and the70s to what RB would become in
like the 90s.
And I'm listening to this, I'mlike, oh, okay, they're just
(05:40):
ripping everything off fromthis.
Yeah.
To an extent, yeah.
Like honestly, that last song,You've Got It Bad Girl, I could
see that being a an RB hit inlike 1997-98.
Yeah, it could be.
Um maybe with like night somemore 90s production, but yeah,
(06:04):
you know uh honestly not much.
Like the the melodies and theharmonies and the like the
vocals would be perfect, andthen maybe some, you know, some
90s sounding instrumentsunderneath it, but you know,
maybe just the drums, honestly.
SPEAKER_05 (06:20):
Yeah.
No, I can sort of hear that.
Um yeah, I'm liking this, but uhit's uh it's Stevie Wonder.
I I I I didn't expect a badalbum from him.
SPEAKER_06 (06:32):
Yeah, well, I think what happened was uh uh like he
was on we he's he's been aroundsince he was a kid.
Oh I really early 60s even.
Yeah.
And uh he was on Motown Records,and and uh basically, you know,
I love Motown, but their systemwas, you know, you're a singer,
(06:52):
and we've got songwriters, andwe've got you know the funk
brothers to play on it andeverything.
You're just the singer.
You don't you don't have anyreally say in what you songs
you're gonna sing.
We'll give you songs to sing.
And I know Marvin Gay uh didsomething similar, he broke out
and started writing his ownstuff, and uh and Stevie Wonder
(07:14):
did too.
And this is his I think this ishis first album of him writing
all of his own material.
And yeah, and it's um the factthat this is his first album,
not his first album, but hisfirst album of like writing, and
he's writing everything, he'sthe producer, and he's playing
(07:36):
most of the instruments, likehe's playing the drums, like
everything.
And he's blind.
SPEAKER_05 (07:42):
Uh yeah, he's uh a tour de force.
Um always has been.
Yeah, this is probably him athis peak.
I I love this era of his stuff.
Um and yeah, again, he couldplay throw an instrument at him,
(08:02):
he'll figure it out, and it'llwind up on his next album.
SPEAKER_06 (08:05):
Sort of thing.
Yeah, he's uh he's incrediblytalented.
And um you know, I I uh he's gotthe it's it's one thing like
this is uh Motown.
What it what was the uh labelthat this came out on?
Tamla.
That is uh so he's still kind ofconnected to Motown, that's a
(08:26):
subsidiary of Motown.
But um but I guess it's that wasa label that was created I don't
know if that was created forhim, but it was created um well
actually I want to look that up.
Okay, so it it's been aroundsince 1959.
Okay.
I thought it would may mighthave been created for the
purposes of like Marvin Gaye andStevie Wonder to experiment a
(08:50):
little bit more.
Yeah, do their own thing.
Um but I guess maybe it just itbecame that.
SPEAKER_05 (08:55):
It became yeah, I think I think I think it sort of
became that sort of a thing.
Like uh subsidiary labels are uhfamous for being ones as opposed
to, you know, the Motown labelthat their bread and butter
comes comes from.
They would use a subsidiarylabel to take more risks with.
(09:20):
That is, I mean, this albumwasn't I mean it's a huge album,
so I don't think it was uh thatbig of a risk, but uh they I
guess they didn't know what toexpect from it.
SPEAKER_06 (09:31):
R exactly.
Yeah, I guess Motown, they havetheir their thing and the way
that they work, and so yeah, itmakes sense that it would come
out on a on a different uhdifferent label.
So one of the things that Inoticed is some of the really
there was some really goodguitar playing, and I think it
was in Maybe Your Baby.
Yeah, the fuzz guitar.
(09:52):
Yeah, that was Ray Parker Jr.
Was that really?
Okay.
And Ray Parker, yeah, youprobably know he's the guy that
did the the Ghostbusters theme.
I didn't know anything abouthim, uh, but I didn't know he
was a guitar player, to behonest.
There's uh there's quite a fewpeople on here.
I mean Jeff Beck is on here.
(10:13):
Well, Superstition was writtenfor Jeff Beck originally.
SPEAKER_05 (10:18):
But I think uh the record label I Um and the uh
Beck Bogart and a Peace, whichis Bogart and the Peace were
part of Vanilla Fudge.
They did an album with JeffBeck.
Yeah, called Beck Bogart and aPeace.
And uh this the song is on it.
I know that, and I think it cameout before Stevie Wonder's
(10:40):
version.
Oh really?
Okay.
SPEAKER_06 (10:41):
But is I but I don't is there there's no s that's a
live album, right?
SPEAKER_05 (10:46):
There's no studio version of it, is there that is
a studio uh album, actually,that one.
There is uh I think the livealbum as well that they did as
well, but uh I'm not sure wherethat fits into all that, but I
but I'm pretty pretty sure theBeck Bogart and a Piece album
we've got it on somethingsomewhere.
I've definitely heard it.
(11:07):
So it's uh it's on it.
Yeah, cuz because there's wellhe did Ain't Superstitious and
then Yeah, well Ain'tSuperstition is is a different
song, yeah.
Ain't Superstitious is an old uhWell that's that's uh I think we
actually talked about that onelast week because of uh Megadeth
(11:29):
did it which I didn't knowMegadeth did No I don't yeah I
know I d I didn't either.
SPEAKER_06 (11:36):
Um yeah and I I now I know this probably it probably
gets brought up quite a bit butI mean he's super talented in
all the um all the instrumentsthat he plays in his
songwriting, but his voice hisvoice is so distinct as well.
Like it's it's there's never anymistaking that it's him and he
(12:00):
he's had that voice since he waslike a like little, even before
his you know went throughpuberty and voice changed, you
can still tell, even though itwas a little higher, you could
still hear you know hear thatthat Stevie Wonder voice.
It's like, oh yeah, that'sthat's him for sure.
And um, you know, sometimes whenwhen uh some when voices you
(12:22):
know change in puberty and theyget deeper and whatever,
sometimes like you can have areally good singing voice when
you're a kid, but when you getolder it doesn't quite you know
cross that that barrier.
But in in his case, I mean it'suh like he's singing really well
here, and I think he's actuallyuh there are backup singers, but
(12:45):
he's layering uh some of theharmonies with himself.
SPEAKER_05 (12:49):
Yeah, I noticed that with Maybe Your Baby, but it
sounded like he actually uhchanged the pitch on it a little
bit, which was sort ofinteresting, but it did still
sound like his voice.
SPEAKER_06 (13:01):
So Which at that time was hard to do.
You had to you had to that thatactually with analog with now
with digital, I mean Pro Tools,you can do that no problem.
But n with uh analog youactually had to speed up the
tape to be able to change thepitch, but you have to speed it
(13:22):
up, you have to know how much tospeed it up for it to fit within
the key of the song.
And the tempo of the song.
And and the tempo, yeah.
SPEAKER_05 (13:33):
Yeah, exactly.
Um unless it was one of thosethings where he recorded in
another key and figured, uh oh,I'm gonna have to change this.
It could be.
Could be something like that.
Um but I don't know.
I it worked anyway.
SPEAKER_06 (13:48):
Yeah.
There was actually I I did I wasreading that that record
companies would do this a lot.
I think it was a trend in inlike the late 70s and early
eighties, where they would sortof speed up the tape a little
bit so that the song was fasterthan anything else on the radio.
(14:10):
It was it was competition.
So that it that's why like somesongs, like if you're learning
guitar, you can't really playalong with them because they're
sort of between keys, becausethey're just a little they're
the sp tape is sped up a littlebit, um, which is kind of
annoying.
SPEAKER_05 (14:28):
But uh they had weird little tricks back in the
day of trying to one up eachother and you know, making a
faster song while I don't knowif that's necessarily one of the
more effective ways of having abetter It certainly wouldn't say
wouldn't do anything to make abetter song, but it would be No,
(14:49):
not necessarily.
So it's uh not exactly sure whatmaybe it was danceability or
something like that.
I don't know.
SPEAKER_06 (14:59):
I'm I'm not one to f try to figure out what record
companies will do to try andmake things like they they uh
they don't know what they'redoing.
But you know, I think uh it'sit's interesting like uh to
think about um if if if thisalbum like were to be released
(15:21):
today, I I do think it would beI I think it would fit in really
well with today's music.
SPEAKER_05 (15:29):
Yeah, it could.
I think it might be a littlemore sophisticated than you what
you would find in a lot oftoday's music.
Uh but I still think it would dopretty well.
SPEAKER_06 (15:38):
Yeah, because yeah, you know, there's um there I
think like I said, it it's it'ssort of the bridge of uh like
the sixties R and B to like thenineties R and B.
And maybe not now, but maybelike fifteen, twenty years ago
it might have been uh might havedone something.
SPEAKER_05 (16:00):
I mean s there's some artists who, you know, have
actually managed to do somethinginteresting, but they seem to be
very few and far between, and Ican't say I don't know.
There's there's very few artiststhat m compel me enough for me
to sit down and listen to analbum.
If they came up in this charthere, then I guess I'd be sort
of forced to listen to it andthen, you know, come to terms
(16:23):
with it.
Um which is sort of what happensa couple times that we've
reviewed an album.
But uh yeah, there's still whenI think about you know stuff
that's on the top forty charts,it just it seems like a
completely different planet thanthe stuff that I I listen to.
(16:45):
And it's it's it's a littledisheartening sometimes.
SPEAKER_06 (16:49):
Yeah, exactly.
And you know, every once in awhile there's a a gem that comes
along and is a and is a big hit.
But I think this album inparticular feels even though it
has like that 70 synthesizer, itdoes feel there is a timeless
quality about it.
You know, it does uh transcend,you know like it it could be
(17:13):
released today.
And if you if if if someone wentin blind and said, Oh, this is a
new album, uh someone who, youknow, maybe n wouldn't pick up
on the the 70s production if youjust and wasn't familiar with
Stevie Wonder, you said, Hey,you gotta check out this new
artist, and they listened to it,they would they probably
(17:34):
wouldn't question that it wasn'tnew.
SPEAKER_05 (17:37):
Yeah, maybe.
Yeah.
There's there's definitely stilla few things that that sort of
date it to 1972, or at least the1970s.
It was very it was prettyadvanced even for its time.
It really was in a lot of ways.
Um but yeah, it's uh it's it'sit's a groundbreaking, so
(17:59):
exactly.
SPEAKER_06 (18:00):
Um so I did manage to find a few uh facts about the
album.
Um so yeah, uh Superstition wasoriginally meant for Jeff Beck.
Uh guitarist Jeff Beck wasoriginally supposed to record
Superstition, but Motownexecutives insisted Rastevie
release it himself.
Uh yeah, the track became amassive hit, reaching number one
on the Billboard Hot 100, and isnow one of Wonder's signature
(18:24):
songs.
Um Stevie Wonder, uh yeah, heplayed most of the instruments
on many tracks, includingSuperstition and You Are the
Sunshine of My Life.
Stevie Wonder played drums,keyboards, and th synthesizers
himself.
His multi-instrumental talenthelped craft the album's
distinctive layered sound.
(18:45):
Yeah, I mean he really knew helike he really knew uh how to
like create textures.
And I would say honestly, he'smaybe on the same level uh uh of
Brian Wilson in that that uhthat regard of being able to
(19:06):
sort of hear what he wants andand know exactly how how to
execute that.
SPEAKER_05 (19:15):
Especially in the days of analog recording, yeah.
It's uh it really did takeanother kind of person to do
stuff like that back then, towrap your head around the
technology and then and and toknow how to execute stuff like
that.
And most artists didn't do that.
But a lot of a lot of art butbut but there were, you know, a
(19:37):
handful of artists who just youknow looked at the the equipment
or whatever and said, why don'twe do this?
And next thing you know, you gottape all over the room.
Yeah, exactly.
And uh you're doing somethingabsolutely mad.
SPEAKER_06 (19:52):
Yeah, like a mad scientist or something.
Exactly.
It's uh number three, it itmarked a shift to creative
independence.
Talking book was part of uh ofWonder's so-called classic
period.
Uh, when he negotiated fullartistic control from Motown,
this gave him the freedom toexperiment with new sounds,
write more personal lyrics, andpioneer the use of oh, it's
(20:15):
Tontos, the Tonto synthesizer.
A tonto synthesizer, okay.
All right.
I th I think there were um therewere quite a few like different
kinds of synthesizers that werebeing made at this at that time.
SPEAKER_05 (20:30):
Again, very new technology, um Tonto
synthesizer.
Yeah, I think I've heard thename, but uh it's not one of the
more common ones.
But it's very it's got a verydistinct sound, then because uh
the way Stevie Wonder uses itanyway, it's it's it just sounds
like him.
SPEAKER_06 (20:48):
And yeah, uh yeah, this was uh the f his first
Grammy win.
Um the album earned StevieWonder his first two Grammys.
Uh Best Male Pop VocalPerformance for You Are the
Sunshine I'm My Life, and BestMale R B vocal performance for
Superstition.
SPEAKER_05 (21:06):
Hmm.
SPEAKER_06 (21:06):
So that's kind of cool that you know that's gotta
be really nice, you know, thatyou know, you've got this new
album, it's all yours, it's yourcreative output, your you've
poured your heart and soul intothis thing, you've finally
broken free from the constraintof you know not having any
(21:28):
freedom, and then you you winyour first two Grammys with uh I
mean that's gotta be you knownot that it's about awards, but
it's not about awards, but itwas also the time period was a
little more friendly toexpression that way.
SPEAKER_05 (21:47):
I just have a hard time seeing that being like the
awards have become such a game.
SPEAKER_06 (21:53):
So the the last one is the album cover pays tribute
to his blindness.
Um the cover shows Stevie Wonderkneeling in sand and touching
the ground, a subtle nod to howhe experiences the world through
touch and sound rather thansight.
It's a symbolic and powerfulimage of his connection to his
senses and his artistry.
Okay.
(22:13):
So that's kind of cool thatyeah.
Yeah, so those those are some uhinteresting facts about the
album.
Uh, but uh I guess we'll getback into the second side of the
album.
Um, but before we do that, let'shear from our friends over at
Getting Down and Wordy.
Uh so check those guys out.
SPEAKER_04 (22:32):
Riz.
SPEAKER_03 (22:33):
Greetings.
SPEAKER_04 (22:34):
Gendered language.
SPEAKER_03 (22:35):
Anamatopias.
SPEAKER_04 (22:37):
The ick.
SPEAKER_03 (22:38):
What makes some words sound funny?
SPEAKER_04 (22:40):
Why just listen to music when you can overanalyze
the words in the songs?
SPEAKER_03 (22:44):
Music, language, and Eurovision all crammed into one
podcast.
SPEAKER_01 (22:49):
Getting down and wordy with Russell and Hannah.
unknown (22:54):
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
SPEAKER_04 (22:58):
Find us anywhere you listen to podcasts.
SPEAKER_02 (23:01):
We'll now take a few seconds before we begin side
two.
Thank you.
Here's side two.
SPEAKER_06 (23:08):
Alright, and ending the album with I believe when I
fall in love, it will beforever.
Uh yeah, I mean, this is this isa um this is an incredible
album.
I don't think there's a bad songon here.
They're all pretty prettyfantastic.
Yeah.
Um yeah, I I don't really knowwhat else to say.
(23:32):
I mean, it's it's a it's areally I really don't have any
criticism.
SPEAKER_05 (23:37):
Um Yeah, I can't think of anything to really
criticize anything about.
Um I thought I really liked thesong Maybe Your Baby.
I sort of thought maybe theextended the the extension on
the end was a little long, butthat's probably that's like
nitpicking.
SPEAKER_06 (23:53):
Yeah, if if yeah, I I agree.
SPEAKER_05 (23:56):
Uh you know, it could be uh a little shorter,
but I really like that.
I think it's actually one of myfavorite songs, though.
So it's yeah.
SPEAKER_06 (24:04):
You know, it's it's you know, it's it's Stevie
Wonder.
I mean, it's Yeah.
I I yeah, I know.
I mean we've we've gone over it.
I mean, he's he's so he's a verytalented songwriter, um,
multi-instrumentalist.
Um yeah, there's really not muchhe can't do.
Uh yeah.
(24:24):
And you know, a lot of a lot ofum a lot of artists when they do
an album where they play mostlyinstruments, they'll still get a
drummer to play the drumsbecause for whatever reason, I
mean they don't feel confidenton the drums.
He's a fantastic drummer too.
I mean he's got a really goodgroove.
(24:45):
Um he's uh yeah, he's he's justum I was wondering who plays
guitar on Looking for AnotherPure Love.
SPEAKER_05 (24:56):
Uh that was Jeff Beck.
That was Jeff Beck.
Yeah.
Katsu.
He said, I mean, it sounded likejust a f couple of the things
that were going on sounded like,oh, that might be somebody like
Jeff Beck playing.
And then he says, take it away,Jeff, or something like that.
Yeah, he did, yep.
Um, that was Jeff Beck on theJeff.
I was wondering.
(25:16):
Yeah.
That's pretty good.
SPEAKER_06 (25:19):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, that's the other thingtoo, is he's yes, he's um able
to play all the instruments, buthe's also a really good
collaborator, too.
Like he and you know, gettingreally good musicians in when
you know he doesn't have an egoabout like, no, I sh I need to
play all the instruments.
(25:40):
It's like, no, you know, let'syou know, you've guy got this
person here who's a really goodguitar player, let's, you know,
see what put him on my recordand see what he can do.
SPEAKER_05 (25:49):
Yeah, I guess so.
I I wonder what his confidenceis on on the guitar because he
seems to like borrowing otherguitar players, but Yeah, that's
a good point.
But uh that's not the takeawayfrom his talent, because uh you
know, you know where yourstrengths are and you know where
your weaknesses are and you youknow work accordingly.
(26:13):
Oh you can't play guitar, what aloser.
SPEAKER_06 (26:18):
So uh so what would be your um your three highlights
on the album?
SPEAKER_05 (26:25):
Oh superstition, of course.
SPEAKER_06 (26:28):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_05 (26:29):
Uh maybe your baby, probably.
That's a really good one.
I really like the funky stuff.
Um and then I really like uh Ibelieve yeah, I believe or When
I Fall in Love It'll Be Forever.
I thought that was a pretty goodsong.
It was just really well done.
Really well written.
SPEAKER_06 (26:49):
Honestly, I think those are my picks too.
They're it's it's tough to pick,but yeah, I think those would be
my highlights too.
I also like Big Brother.
I thought that was pretty cool.
SPEAKER_05 (26:58):
Big Brother was a really good song, I was
considering that one too, andlooking for another pure love, I
was look I was considering thatone, and not just because of
Jeff Beck, but because it's areally good song.
SPEAKER_06 (27:09):
Yeah, I think I think yours, your picks are are
mine as well.
Yeah.
So I think I know the questionon but uh what or I know the
answer, but what would be youruh or would you listen to this
again?
SPEAKER_05 (27:25):
Five.
No, okay.
Uh yes, I would listen to thisagain.
SPEAKER_06 (27:32):
Yeah, yeah, me too.
I mean it it's um yeah,absolutely, absolutely.
I think it's one of those one ofthose albums I'm gonna have to
maybe, you know, take a look andsee if I can hunt down and get
it on on vinyl.
I mean it's yeah.
I think it's one of those albumsyou everyone should maybe have
in their collection.
SPEAKER_05 (27:52):
Yeah, it's a good one.
Um makes me want to listen tosome of the other ones I've got.
SPEAKER_06 (27:57):
Um, so yeah, I guess we'll uh end the episode there.
Uh thank you so much forlistening.
If you made it this far, um besure to check out
polyphonicpress.com.
You can uh get updates and uh glisten to all the uh previous
episodes.
And uh yeah, if you want to helpus out, uh visit us on Patreon.
Go to patreon.com slashpolyphonic press.
(28:18):
And um yeah, if you're listeningand you want to follow the show,
uh uh definitely uh do that soyou don't uh miss any uh future
episodes and give leave us arating and review because it
helps uh new listeners find us.
And um yeah, I think that prettymuch does it.
Uh I'm Jeremy Boyd, and I'm JohnVan Dyke.
(28:40):
Take it easy.
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My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
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Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com