''Fulfillingness' First Finale'' is the seventeenth studio album by American singer-songwriter

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, sou ...

, released on July 22, 1974 by Tamla, a subsidiary of

Motown Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

. It is the fourth of five albums from what is considered Wonder's "classic period". The album was Wonder's second to top the ''Billboard'' Top LPs & Tapes chart, where it remained for two weeks, and also reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Soul LPs chart, where it spent nine non-consecutive weeks. At the 17th Annual Grammy Awards, it won in three categories, including Wonder's second consecutive win for Album of the Year. Retrospectively, the album was voted number 413 in the third edition of

Colin Larkin Colin Larkin (born 1949) is a British writer and entrepreneur. He founded, and was the editor-in-chief of, the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', described by ''The Times'' as "the standard against which all others must be judged". Along wit ...

's ''

All Time Top 1000 Albums ''All Time Top 1000 Albums'' is a book by Colin Larkin, creator and editor of the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music''. The book was first published by Guinness Publishing in 1994. The list presented is the result of over 200,000 votes cast by the ...

'' (2000) and included in the book '' 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die''.

Recording

Following the epic sweep and

social consciousness Social consciousness or social awareness, is collective consciousness shared by individuals within a society.Innervisions ''Innervisions'' is the sixteenth studio album by American singer, songwriter, and musician Stevie Wonder, released on August 3, 1973, by Tamla, a subsidiary of Motown Records. A landmark recording of Wonder's "classic period", the album has be ...

'', ''Fulfillingness' First Finale'', in contrast, projected a more reflective, personal, and decidedly somber tone. While masterly, the

musical arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestra ...

s used in several songs, especially the bleak " They Won't Go When I Go" and the understated "Creepin, could be considered sparse when compared to those of some of Wonder's other 1970s masterworks. Wonder had not completely foregone

social commentary Social commentary is the act of using rhetorical means to provide commentary on social, cultural, political, or economic issues in a society. This is often done with the idea of implementing or promoting change by informing the general populace ab ...

, however, as evidenced by the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one single " You Haven't Done Nothin'", which launched a pointed criticism of the

Nixon administration Richard Nixon's tenure as the 37th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1969, and ended when he resigned on August 9, 1974, in the face of almost certain impeachment because of the Watergate Scanda ...

bolstered by clavinet, drum machine, and a cameo by the

Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most ...

Reception

''Fulfillingness' First Finale'' won

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

s for Album of the Year, Best Male Pop Vocal, and Best Male Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance (for " Boogie On Reggae Woman") at the ceremony held in

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

Track listing

All songs written by

, except "They Won't Go When I Go", written by Wonder and

Yvonne Wright Yvonne Lowrene Wright (October 31, 1951 – January 26, 2016) was an American songwriter and vocalist best known for co-writing with Stevie Wonder in the 1970s. Their songs appear on the albums '' Music of My Mind'', '' Talking Book'', '' Fulfil ...

. ;Side one #"Smile Please" – 3:26 #"Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away" – 5:01 #"Too Shy to Say" – 3:31 #" Boogie On Reggae Woman" – 4:54 #"Creepin'" – 4:17 ;Side two #" You Haven't Done Nothin'" – 3:27 #"It Ain't No Use" – 3:58 #" They Won't Go When I Go" – 5:59 #"Bird of Beauty" – 3:46 #"Please Don't Go" – 4:06

Personnel

"Smile Please" *Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal,

Fender Rhodes The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, th ...

, drums *

Michael Sembello Michael Andrew Sembello (born April 17, 1954) is an American singer, guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, composer and producer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Sembello was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his 1983 song "M ...

– electric guitar *

Reggie McBride Reggie McBride (born September 17, 1954) is an American bass player. Biography McBride was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, United States; listening to Motown records, he began to play bass at the age of 8. At the age of 14, he played in ...

– electric bass *

Bobbye Hall Bobbye Jean Hall is an American percussionist who has recorded with a variety of rock, soul, blues and jazz artists, and has appeared on 20 songs that reached the top ten in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Early career, work for Motown and move to ...

–

conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest ...

bongos Bongos ( es, bongó) are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. They are struck with both hands, most commonly in an eight-stroke pattern called ''martillo'' (hammer). The ...

Jim Gilstrap James Earl Gilstrap (born November 10, 1946)''U.S. Public Records Index'' Vol 1 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2010. is an American singer, considered one of the most prolific session musicians in the industry. He is best known for ...

– background vocals *

Deniece Williams Deniece Williams (born June Deniece Chandler; June 3, 1951) is an American singer. She has been described as "one of the great soul voices" by the BBC. She is best known for the songs "Free", "Silly", "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" and two ''Billb ...

(credited as Denise) – background vocals "Heaven Is 10 Zillion Years Away" *Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, Hohner clavinet, drums,

Moog bass The Moog Taurus is a foot-operated analog synthesizer designed and manufactured by Moog Music, originally conceived as a part of the Constellation series of synthesizers. The initial Taurus I was manufactured from 1975 to 1981; a less popular re ...

Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including "Diana", " Lonely Boy", " Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and " (You're) Having My Baby". Anka also ...

– background vocal *

Syreeta Wright Syreeta Wright (February 28, 1946 – July 6, 2004), who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was an American singer-songwriter, best known for her music during the early 1970s through the early 1980s. Wright's career heights we ...

– background vocal *Shirley Brewer – background vocal *Larry "Nastyee" Latimer – background vocal "Too Shy to Say" *Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, piano *

James Jamerson James Lee Jamerson (January 29, 1936 – August 2, 1983) was an American bass player. He was the uncredited bassist on most of the Motown Records hits in the 1960s and early 1970s (Motown did not list session musician credits on their releases ...

– acoustic bass *

Sneaky Pete Kleinow Peter E. "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow (August 20, 1934 – January 6, 2007) was an American country-rock musician. He is best known as a member of the band The Flying Burrito Brothers and as a session musician playing pedal steel guitar for such arti ...

–

pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a console-type of steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings to enable playing more varied and complex music than any previous steel guitar design. Like all steel guitars, it can ...

"Boogie On Reggae Woman" *Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, Fender Rhodes, piano, harmonica, drums, Moog bass *

Rocky Dzidzornu Kwasi Dzidzornu (1935 – March 13, 1993), also known as Rocky Dijon, was a Ghanaian percussionist known for his playing on recordings by The Rolling Stones, Nick Drake, Ginger Baker, Stevie Wonder, Billy Preston and Joe Walsh. During the 1970s h ...

– congas "Creepin'" *Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, Fender Rhodes, harmonica, drums, Moog bass, T.O.N.T.O. synthesizer *

Minnie Riperton Minnie Julia Riperton Rudolph (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979) was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You" and her four octave D3 to F7 coloratura soprano range. She is also widely known for her use o ...

– background vocal "You Haven't Done Nothin" *Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, Hohner clavinet, bass drum, hi-hat, cymbal *Reggie McBride – electric bass *

The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most ...

– background vocals *Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil – synthesizers *Horns, drum machine – uncredited "It Ain't No Use" *Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, Fender Rhodes, drums, Moog bass *Lani Groves – background vocal *Minnie Riperton – background vocal *Deniece Williams – background vocal "They Won't Go When I Go" *Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, piano, T.O.N.T.O. synthesizer *Bob and Malcolm - programming Moog "Bird of Beauty" *Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, Fender Rhodes, Hohner clavinet, drums, percussions, Moog bass *Bobbye Hall –

cuíca The cuíca () is a Brazilian friction drum with a large pitch range, produced by changing tension on the head of the drum. ''Cuíca'' is Portuguese for the gray four-eyed opossum (''Philander opossum'') which is known for its high-pitched cry. ...

*Shirley Brewer – background vocal *Lani Groves – background vocal *Deniece Williams – background vocal *

Sérgio Mendes Sérgio Santos Mendes (; born February 11, 1941) is a Brazilian musician. His career took off with worldwide hits by his group Brasil '66. He has over 55 releases and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk. He was nominated for ...

- Portuguese lyrics"Bird of Beauty" partial Portuguese lyrics provided by Sergio Mendes
/ref> *Drum machine - uncredited "Please Don't Go" *Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, piano, Fender Rhodes, harmonica, handclaps, drums, hi-hat, Moog bass *Michael Sembello – acoustic guitar *

The Persuasions The Persuasions are an American a cappella group that began singing together in Brooklyn, New York in the mid-1960s. The Persuasions were formed in Brooklyn in 1962, singing a cappella under corner streetlights and in subway corridors. Their ...

– background vocal *Shirley Brewer – background vocal *Deniece Williams – background vocal

Selected cover versions

* "Too Shy to Say" - recorded by

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

in 1978. * "Too Shy to Say" -

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV Generation, MTV generation and is one of the List ...

performed the song in his Faith Tour. * "Creepin'" - Recorded by

Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...

for ''The Night I Fell in Love'' in 1985. * "They Won't Go When I Go" - recorded by George Michael for '' Listen Without Prejudice, Vol 1'' in 1990. * "Too Shy to Say" - recorded by

Jody Watley Jody Vanessa Watley (born January 30, 1959) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and artist,USA Today (February 16, 1996), Best Bets: Albums Jody Watley Greatest Hits, "Few singers fired up the disco like Jody Watley who set trends ...

for ''

Intimacy An intimate relationship is an interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Although an intimate relationship is commonly a sexual relationship, it may also be a non-sexual relationship involving family, friends, ...

'' in 1993. Released as single in the Philippines. * "They Won't Go When I Go" - recorded by

Kevin Max Kevin Max Smith (born August 17, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, and poet. He is best known for being a member of the Christian pop group dc Talk. As a solo artist following the band going on hiatus, he has recorded 12 full-length stud ...

for ''

The Blood The Blood are an English, London-based punk rock band, formed in 1982. Led by Cardinal Jesus Hate and JJ Bedsore (AKA Colin Smith and Jamie Cantwell), the band formed in the early 1980s under the name "Coming Blood". Their music is a blend o ...

'' in 2007. * "They Won't Go When I Go" - recorded by

Stefon Harris Stefon DeLeon Harris (born March 23, 1973) is an American jazz vibraphonist. Biography A native of Albany, New York, Harris intended to work for the New York Philharmonic until he heard the music of Charlie Parker. During the 1990s he recorded ...

on the album " Urbanus" in 2009. * "Boogie On Reggae Woman" - covered that same year by Jamaican reggae singer Pat Rhoden, released as a single only in the UK, produced by Webster Shrowder. * "Boogie On Reggae Woman" - recorded by

Stanley Turrentine Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note label from 1960, touched on jazz fusion dur ...

on his 1987 album ''

Wonderland Wonderland may refer to: Places Municipalities * Wonderland, California, a ghost town in Plumas County * Wonderland, Ohio, a ghost town in Columbus, Ohio, U.S. Roads, streets, and trails * Wonderland Avenue, a roadway in Laurel Canyon, Los Ang ...

''. * "Boogie On Reggae Woman" - recorded by

Jerry Garcia Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician best known for being the principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence ...

and

Merl Saunders Merl Saunders (February 14, 1934 – October 24, 2008) was an American multi-genre musician who played piano and keyboards, favoring the Hammond B-3 console organ. Biography Born in San Mateo, California, United States, Saunders attended Polyte ...

on '' Legion of Mary: The Jerry Garcia Collection, Vol. 1''. * "Boogie On Reggae Woman" - regularly performed live by

Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended Jam session#Rock, jams, blending of Music genre, genres, and a dedicated Fandom, fan base. The band consists of guitari ...

and featured on '' Hampton Comes Alive'' (1999), among other concert recordings. * "Boogie On Reggae Woman" - recorded by

Marcus Miller William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. (born June 14, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his work as a bassist. He has worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandross ...

on '' Silver Rain'' in 2005. * "Boogie On Reggae Woman" - recorded by

Vulfpeck Vulfpeck is an American funk band founded in 2011 by Jack Stratton, Theo Katzman, Woody Goss and Joe Dart. The band has released four extended plays, five studio albums and a live album, having released all of their music independently. The band ...

, featuring singer

Antwaun Stanley Antwaun Stanley is an American R&B singer and songwriter based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Career Stanley grew up in Flint, Michigan. He began singing at age three and took part in talent competitions including ''The Queen Latifah Show'' and ''Sh ...

in 2015 * "You Haven't Done Nothing" - recorded by Curumin for ''Achados e Perdidos'' in 2005.

Charts

Weekly charts

Singles

References

External links

* Hughes, Tim. Extensive musicological analysis o
"You Haven't Done Nothing" in ''Groove and Flow: Six Analytical Essays On The Music Of Stevie Wonder'' (University of Washington PhD dissertation, 2003)

Stevie Wonder interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' March 1995
{{Authority control Stevie Wonder albums 1974 albums Grammy Award for Album of the Year Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance Tamla Records albums Albums recorded at Electric Lady Studios Albums produced by Stevie Wonder Albums produced by Malcolm Cecil Albums recorded at Record Plant (Los Angeles) Albums recorded at Westlake Recording Studios