Stevie Wonder recovered from a near death experience to record this rapturous reflection. Only three days after the release of his masterful 'Innervisions' album, Wonder was in a car accident in North Carolina that put him in a coma for four days: "We had just finished 'Innervisions'. The question has always been, "Did you write 'Higher Ground' (from that album) because you thought something was going to happen?" I think the accident happened on a Monday. We had done a show that Sunday and stopped at this Radio Shack to get a cord to plug my tape recorder into the car, a reel-to-reel that I carried around with me, and I had two-track mixes of 'Innervisions'. I had my headphones on. We were on our way to North Carolina to do a performance to raise money for a black radio station when the accident happened. I remember we left, and you're never supposed to leave the scene of an accident. What happened was my brother picked me up, put me in a car and drove the back roads to the highway to get to the hospital. At the hospital, the doctors said that if they hadn't moved me, I would have died, because help was taking too long to get there...I lost my sense of smell a little bit; my sense of taste for a minute. But I'm pretty straight. I suffered a brain contusion and some lacerations on my right side of my forehead ... The only thing I know is that I was unconscious, and that for a few days, I was definitely in a much better spiritual place that made me aware of a lot of things that concern my life and my future, and what I have to do to reach another higher ground...I've gotten the feeling of being loved not just because of me being Stevie Wonder, but being loved as a person...What happened to me was a very, very critical thing, and I was really supposed to die...I will leave it as one of the scars of life I went through."
'Fulfillingness' First Finale' was recorded at Record Plant Studios and Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles; and at Media Sound and Electric Lady Studios in New York City with Stevie Wonder, Robert Margouleff, and Malcolm Cecil producing. The album features Stevie Wonder on lead vocal, background vocal, Fender Rhodes, drums, Hohner clavinet, Moog bass, piano, harmonica, T.O.N.T.O. synthesizer, bass drum, hi-hat, cymbal, and percussions; Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil on synthesizers and horns; Michael Sembello on electric guitar and acoustic guitar; Reggie McBride on electric bass; James Jamerson on acoustic bass; Sneaky Pete Kleinow on pedal steel guitar; Bobbye Hall on congas, bongos; Rocky Dzidzornu on congas; Bobbye Hall on cuíca; Sergio Mendes on Portuguese lyrics; and Jim Gilstrap, Deniece Williams, Paul Anka, Syreeta Wright, Shirley Brewer, Larry "Nastyee" Latimer, Lani Groves, Minnie Riperton, The Persuasions, and The Jackson 5 on background vocals.
Wonder reveals: "'Fulfillingness' was just me working the word: the idea of fulfilling and fulfilling is like a female. The other part of that title, "the first finale," was sort of referencing an ending of the period after 'Music of My Mind' and these three albums." 'Fulfillingness' First Finale' went to number five in the UK and became his first album to top the US pop album chart. It won Grammy Awards for Best Male Pop Vocal, Best Male Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance (for "Boogie On Reggae Woman"), and Album of the Year in 1974.
http://www.steviewonder.net/
"Boogie On Reggae Woman" grooved on up to number three on the US pop chart.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tCeAZ1nQjk
"You Haven't Done Nothin'" (recorded with the Jackson 5) became the fourth of ten career number one pop singles.
'Fulfillingness' First Finale'
full album:
All songs written by Stevie Wonder unless otherwise noted.
1. "Smile Please" 3:28
2. "Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away" 5:02
3. "Too Shy to Say" 3:29
4. "Boogie On Reggae Woman" 4:56
5. "Creepin'" 4:23
6. "You Haven't Done Nothin'" 3:23
7. "It Ain't No Use" 4:01
8. "They Won't Go When I Go" Wonder, Yvonne Wright 5:59
9. "Bird of Beauty" 3:48
10. "Please Don't Go" 4:07
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