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By 1971, Little Stevie Wonder wasn't so little anymore (He had turned 21), but his genius had become apparent to everyone--including the gang at Motown.
So much so, they awarded Stevie with a contract to their subsidiary label, Tamla, that gave him almost complete control over his recordings.
For the next few years, Stevie was extremely prolific. He was constantly booking studio time, and recorded dozens of songs--many of them hits--including today's "Great Song of 1974:" "Boogie On Reggae Woman."
In 1972, Johnny Nash had scored a #1 reggae hit, "I Can See Clearly Now," which I highlighted back on 6/13/20.
Stevie took this as a sign that people in the US were ready for MORE reggae, and in November of '74,when "Boogie On Reggae Woman" was released as a single from the album "Fulfillingness' First Finale," he was proven right in a big way.
Stevie's mix of reggae and funk went straight to #1 on Billboard's Rhythm & Blues Chart and #3 on the Hot 100. He also won the 1975 Grammy Award for "Best R&B performance--Male"
TRIVIA: Stevie played every instrument on the track--except the congas!
"Boogie On Reggae Woman" was a "Great Song of 1974-75, and one more example of the genius of Stevie Wonder! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYqovSobZTc
Tomorrow: Tom Jones goes country. Coming June 1: Great Songs of the '80s!
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