Tamla 332
Producer: Stevie Wonder
Track listing: Smile Please / Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away / Too Shy to Say / Boogie on Reggae Woman / Creepin’ / You Haven’t Done Nothin’ / It Ain’t No Use / They Won’t Go When I Go / Bird of Beauty / Please Don’t Go
September 14, 1974
2 weeks
By 1974, Stevie Wonder had completed the transition from young musical genius to one of the most innovative and independent composer/musicians on the pop scene. In 1971, after reaching his 21st birthday, Wonder made a bold move by renegotiating his contract with Motown and establishing his own Taurus Productions and Black Bull publishing company. And Wonder wasn’t just breaking the mold on the business side — with his early-’70s albums Music of My Mind, Talking Book, and Innervisions, Wonder played virtually all the instruments, taking the synthesizer in particular to new heights. The latter two albums, which reached number three and four, respectively, also marked the first time Wonder had hit the top 10 of the album chart since Little Stevie Wander/The 12 Year Old Genius.
“Boogie on Reggae Woman,” one of the best-known songs from Wonder’s next album, Fulfillingness’ First Finale, was originally slated for Innervisions. “But it just didn’t feel right for that album,” Wonder says. “I went back and I had a demo of ‘Golden Lady,’ which was originally called ‘Oh Little Lady,’ and that felt better in that spot on Innervisions, so I ended up saving ‘Boogie on Reggae Woman’ for the next album.”
While “Boogie on Reggae Woman” was propelled by Wonder’s joy, another memorable track on Fulfillingness’ First Finale was fueled by his rage. In “You Haven’t Done Nothin’,” Wonder took aim at President Richard Nixon and other politicians who weren’t making good on their campaign promises. “It wasn’t just about Nixon,” Wonder says. “It was about the political climate at the time. Many politicians were promising things and after a while it’s like, ‘Come on.’ I was thinking of the whole Vietnam situation, what happened with that, the soldiers who had gone over, and Agent Orange.”
The track “They Won’t Go When I Go” actually dated back to the summer of 1971. “1 was sad, because I had left Motown, but I hadn’t signed with anyone. A lot people were bugging me, asking me what I was going to do. I just went back to the studio and put the basic melody and idea down. Years later, Yvonne Wright came up with a great lyric for it.”
Fulfillingness’ First Finale became Wonder’s second album chart-topper in its sixth week on the chart. “You Haven’t Done Nothin’,” featuring the Jackson 5 on backing vocals, was the first single released from the album. On November 2, 1974, it became Wonder’s fourth Number One single. “Boogie on Reggae Woman” hit the top of the R&B chart, becoming Wonder’s 10th R&B Number One, and peaked at number three on the Hot 100.
The use of the word Finale in the album’s title was appropriate, because Fulfillingness’ First Finale did mark the end in a chapter of Wonder’s career. It concluded Wonder’s four-year, four-album working relationship with associate producers Malcolm Cecil and Bob Margouleff. “We didn’t lose our friendship,” Wonder says. “We were just at a place where we decided it was time for us to grow.”
THE TOP FIVE
Week of September 14, 1974
1. Fullfillingness’ First Finale, Stevie Wonder
2. Bad Company, Bad Company
3. 461 Ocean Boulevard, Eric Clapton
4. Endless Summer, Beach Boys
5. Rags to Rufus, Rufus