Stevie Wonder: For Once In My Life
Album Featuring You Met Your Match and I Don't Know Why
Sep 1, 2008
Since 'Uptight (Everything's Alright)' had become an R&B number 1 in early 1966, Stevie had turned round a career Motown feared was heading nowhere. His cover of Dylan's 'Blowin' In The Wind' and his own 'I Was Made To Love Her' also topped the R&B chart, and with each new release Wonder was taking more of a hand in the writing of his material.
When 'Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day' also hit the R&B top spot during the spring of 1968, there was a clear recurring factor in Wonder's highest performing singles ('Blowin' In The Wind' aside): a songwriting credit for one S. Wonder.
Whereas most of Motown's biggest stars of the time had their hits written for them by the likes of the legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland, Stevie was following in the footsteps of Smokey Robinson with his level of contribution.
You Met Your Match
In June 1968, For Once In My Life was released, a 12 track album which featured eight songs co-written by Stevie. Another of these, 'You Met Your Match', hit number 2 on the R&B chart, and demonstrated another intriguing development in the new Wonder; an increasingly mature musical sound.
Both of the hits which introduced For Once In My Life feature a fast and funky use of keyboards, a sound which would be taken to new heights by the artist in the next few years.
Also interesting on For Once In My Life is the negative, almost aggressive nature of some of the lyrics. 'You Met Your Match' is self-explanatory, but 'I Don't Know Why' is a frustrated search for clarity as Stevie wonders why he cannot let his woman go, despite the coldness she treats him with. Stevie desperately pleads, unable to catch his breath - he is a man literally straining for more, full of an emotion hitherto unseen from the artist and his co-artists on the Motown label.
There were still elements of the traditional Motown sound throughout the album, however. 'I Wanna Make Her Love Me' for example is full of the usual uplifting horns which were predominant in the Detroit Sound and provided a sign that despite flashes of Stevie's originality, he was still the product of the Motown system.
For Once In My Life the Single
As was still standard for most Motown albums at the time (despite the success of The Beatles and others in producing fully self-penned records) For Once In My Life also features a selection of covers and standards. 'Sunny' and Billie Holiday's 'God Bless The Child' are neither offensive nor inspiring. Ironically though, the album's biggest hit was that which spawned its name: 'For Once In My Life'.
The song had originally been written by Motown staff writers Ron Miller and Orlando Murden a year earlier, and been released to various levels of success by Jean DuShon, The Temptations and Tony Bennett during that period.
Stevie's version was more upbeat, and as a result an unconvinced Gordy held back the release. When it was let free as a single, it hit number 2 on both the R&B and pop charts, proving to be Stevie's biggest cross-over hit since 'Fingertips' six years before. In America, it was held of the top spot by Marvin Gaye's 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine'.
For Once In My Life was the first sign of Stevie the artist, but he was still a member of the Motown machine, and this would be evidenced in his next album.
 |
