''Syreeta'' is the debut studio album by American R&B and

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

singer and songwriter

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 ...

, released on June 20, 1972, on MoWest, a subsidiary of Motown Records. The self-titled debut album was produced by Wright's ex-husband, frequent collaborator and musician Stevie Wonder; it was released following the couple's separation and divorce. The album featured compositions by both Wonder and Wright, and also featured Wright's takes on other artists' songs. This included a Wonder-produced, funk-oriented version of his earlier recording, "I Love Every Little Thing About You", which was initially recorded by Wonder for his ''

Music of My Mind ''Music of My Mind'' is the fourteenth studio album by American soul musician Stevie Wonder. It was released on March 3, 1972, by Tamla Records, and was Wonder's first to be recorded under a new contract with Motown that allowed him full artist ...

'' project, released earlier that year. Wonder and Wright used the

talk box A talk box (also spelled talkbox and talk-box) is an effects unit that allows musicians to modify the sound of a musical instrument by shaping the frequency content of the sound and to apply speech sounds (in the same way as singing) onto the sou ...

prominently on Wright's cover of

the Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

' "

She's Leaving Home "She's Leaving Home" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and released on their 1967 album ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. Paul McCartney wrote and sang the verse and John Lennon ...

" while Wright provided a smoother vocal take of Smokey Robinson's "

What Love Has Joined Together "What Love Has Joined Together" is a song written and composed by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers, and was recorded by six Motown acts: Mary Wells, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Barbara McNair, Syreeta, and Q ...

". Wright wrote the ballad "Happiness" and she and Wonder co-wrote "Baby Don't You Let Me Lose This", and their featured duet "

To Know You Is to Love You "To Know You Is to Love You" is a song written by Syreeta Wright and Stevie Wonder in 1972. The duet was first released on Syreeta Wright's debut album ( Syreeta, MW 113) by MoWest Records (a Motown company) in 1972. B.B. King recording It is a ...

" together. The album failed to generate success, though Wright would go on to a productive solo career throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Wright and Wonder continued working together for several decades.

Track listing

Side one #"I Love Every Little Thing About You" ( Stevie Wonder) –4:58 #"Black Maybe" (Wonder) –4:35 #"Keep Him Like He Is" (Wonder,

) –2:53 #"Happiness" (Wright) –5:19 Side two #"

" (

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

) –4:20 #"

" ( Smokey Robinson,

Bobby Rogers Robert Edward Rogers (February 19, 1940 – March 3, 2013) was an American musician and tenor singer, best known as a member of Motown vocal group the Miracles from 1956 until his death. He was inducted, in 2012, as a member of the Miracles to t ...

) –3:37 #"How Many Days" (Wonder) –3:35 #"Baby Don't You Let Me Lose This" (Wonder, Wright) –2:57 #"

" (Wonder, Wright) –5:18

Personnel

*Syreeta Wright – lead vocals, backing vocals *

Buzzy Feiten Howard "Buzz" Feiten (born November 4, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, session musician, and luthier. He is best known as a lead and rhythm guitarist and for having patented a tuning system for guitars and similar instrument ...

– guitar *Scott Gordon Edwards – bass *Keith Copeland – drums *Trevor Lawrence – bell tree on "Keep Him Like He Is" *Gloria Barley, Jim Gilstrap, Lani Groves, Linda Tucker – backing vocals * Stevie Wonder – all other instruments, vocals on "To Know You Is to Love You" *Julian Gaillard Orchestra – strings ''Technical personnel * Stevie Wonder, Trevor Lawrence, Yusuf Rahman – arrangements *

Robert Margouleff Robert Margouleff is an American record producer, recording engineer, electronic music pioneer, audio expert, and film producer. Career The Birth of TONTO Margouleff was an early customer, friend and collaborator of fellow New Yorker and music in ...

and

Malcolm Cecil Malcolm Cecil (9 January 193728 March 2021) was a British jazz bassist, record producer, engineer and electronic musician. He was a founding member of a leading UK jazz quintet of the late 1950s, the Jazz Couriers,

– associate producers, synthesizer programming *Andy Edlen, Dick Shapiro, Joan DeCola – recordists *David Weissman – art direction *Robert Margouleff – cover photography

References

{{Authority control 1972 debut albums Syreeta albums Motown albums Albums produced by Stevie Wonder Albums recorded at Olympic Sound Studios Albums recorded at Electric Lady Studios