Stevie Wonder's Classic Period : The Synths and Sounds of 1972-1976

Stevie Wonder’s classic period between 1972 and 1976 is musically breathtaking and so are the technical advancements of this time. With the help of Malcolm Cecil, Robert Margouleff and their TONTO synthesizer they went on to define an era with the albums ‘Music of My Mind,’ Talking Book’, ‘Innervisions’, ‘Fulfillingness’ First Finale’ and ‘Songs In the Key of Life’.

This video will show the synth's being used, the techniques and equipment they utilised in the studio and how we can approximate some classic 'Wonder' sounds with plug-ins.

This video delves into Stevie’s keyboards and effects and how he achieved his classic sounds.

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#steviewonder #steviewonderclassicperiod #steviewondersynthesizers #steviewonderarp #steviewondermoog #robertmargouleff #malcolmcecil #TONTO #steviewonderkeyboards

[Chicago_Podcast_Authority]

There aren’t nearly enough well made videos talking about Stevie let alone his golden era. Thanks for your work ❤

[husq]

The seeds were sown on an album prior, "Where I'm Coming From", you could here where he was heading to...

[redveinborneo]

I'm just realizing how impossible a task it would have had to have been for a blind guy to fiddle around with such an elaborate, gigantic synth. Didn't think i could have more respect for Stevie wonder but here we are. Crazy how much simpler every aspect of recording music has become in a relatively short time.

[musikman]

Really good documentary! Also worth mentioning that Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff also worked with the Isley Brothers during their golden period - from 1973's 3+3 album ('That Lady, ' 'Summer Breeze, ') to the 1976 album Harvest For The World. What a dream team! A shame they never got fully credited or compensated for all their great work with Stevie.

[wertj]

It's rare for me to find a truly informative video on my favourite artists nowadays, thank you! The moment you started talking mic choices and synths I knew this was going to be a good video! The deepest impression that Stevie's use of synths left on me we're when he'd use two warm pads, one panned left and the other right, playing together in a polyphonic texture. You hear it in the transition during Superwoman, in You and I from talking book, and in They Won't Go When I Go. Knowing that they won't go was written around the same time period, it makes so much sense! I personally love the "sound" and "aesthetics" of Music of my mind the most because of this, whereas the best album ever made being SITKOL of course!

[JoshuaStMoblo]

These videos are really great, man. Keep doing them.

[cinemaipswich]

When Fairlight (an Australian Company) produced the first Digital hardware and software for a Windows computer, Stevie was a fan. This happened after analogue synthesisers and MIDI. Fairlight revolutionised the digital capture and editing that most musicians use today. Fairlight is now part of Blackmagic Design's Davinice Resolve editing suite. There is a free version. All their updates are free. As an Australian, I love Stevie Wonder. He was and is, the master of new music, and every musician since holds him in the highest regard.

[gingerfreak]

Phenomenal vid! Love that period of Stevie's, and your recreation at the end is great. I'd love it if you went into more detail for each of these albums, or if it's easier the classic tracks he created at the time.

[joaovitorribeiro]

Incredible video. I wish we got links for the plugins used at the end tho ;)

[dfreeman]

The clavinet on Superstition is a Hohner model C the red and white one. Totally different from a D 6.

[maverikregime]

Robert Margouleff said Superstition was already written and recorded but was gonna give Jeff beck SS as a swap for playing guitar on another song, luckily Robert and Berry Gordy everyone was like wtf no why would u give that song away its gonna be a huge hit? so he gave him another song instead, forget the name tho currently🤧

[Trollbot]

I always said that Innerversions is where the true Stevie INNOVATION happened. Everything before and after does not compared. Even Songs in the Key of Life steals of the innovations from INNERVERSIONS

[briank]

There’s some type of synth sound or like my melon Tron sound I can’t really explain the term but it’s in his superwoman/where are you when I needed you song .the sound comes on when it switches to the second part of the song where we’re you when I needed you. The sound also appears in his song you & I it’s at like the climax of the song and it also comes in at the beginning of the song does anybody know what’s that sound? Or instrument called?

[estarling]

It is hard to understand and imagine how he never missed a note.
Harder than the understanding the physics of light.

[BullyMaguireever]

I saw Malcolm Cecil speak and the reason Malcolm and Robert left is deeper than that.

Stevie was increasingly not crediting them for their work.

Malcolm claims that they did a lot of work on programming basically all synth sounds, helping with productions and arrangement input, as well as engineering and as that sequence of albums goes on, Stevie started taking credit for everything. They didn’t feel respected or valued, and Stevie’s fame was going to his head.
Of course Stevie is a genius, but he should have valued his team more. Those three were a magic team.

[creativesource]

So what happened to him after this period? Why did it stop?

[superviewer]

I doubt he read that magazine himself.

[tommonk]

So, Stevie found out about Malcolm and Robert while "reading" Rolling Stone? Right.... Stevie was a genius, but I don't think he was "reading" anything.

[dfreeman]

Songs In The Key of Life is not part of his classic period .

[MalEvansUSA]

So why was Stevie absolutely irrelevant and producing sappy garbage by 1982. He was irrelevant and out of musical ideas by 1982. Do I do? I just called? Part time lover ? That’s what Friends are for Absolute garbage. Stevie became a go to guy for cheap and irrelevant political causes. He now sings at funerals for a fee. Stevie has become a black version of Perry como. Has not produced funk and exciting music since he turned 30. He is a black version of Andy Williams. It’s disgraceful why he destroyed his career