Stevie Wonder - Hotter Than July (1980/2014) [Official Digital Download 24/192]

Jam until the break of dawn! Released in 1980, Stevie Wonder’s brilliant Hotter Than July followed up with a bang a film soundtrack that witnessed the end of the legendary artist’s “Classic Period.” And how. Excited after meeting Bob Marley, Wonder embraced reggae’s sunnier feel and colorful look on the album, which yielded four Top Ten singles in the U.K. and three charting singles in the U.S. Hotter Than July remains the peerless composer’s last true masterpiece.

Possessing a slightly faster and jam-oriented direction that Wonder’s other trademark efforts, the record finds the singer doing what he does best: Crafting memorable arrangements and addictive grooves, all the while ignoring the musical trends that surrounded him at the time. Wonder flirts with a disco pulse on “All I Do,” yet the main attractions relate to his irrepressible soulfulness. Rather than play everything himself, he switches up his prior methods by employing all-star backing choirs and abundant rhythm sections that grace songs with insouciant tunefulness and buoyant hooks. More than a dozen backing vocalists (including Michael Jackson, Eddie Levert, and Angela Winbush) as well as multiple handclap percussionists are involved in the process.

Historically, Hotter Than July not only marks a return to form, but a launching pad for the now-observed Martin Luther King holiday. With the anthemic “Happy Birthday,” Wonder issued a call to action and ultimately, got it. The song is line with the mood of the majority of the album: celebratory, positive, and lively. Wonder, however, doesn’t abandon his penchant for social critique, as “Cash In Your Face” stands as a protest against housing discrimination. Simply put, Hotter Than July has it all, and more than 30 years after its original release, continues to burn brightly.

Tracklist:

01. Did I Hear You Say You Love Me
02. All I Do
03. Rocket Love
04. I Ain't Gonna Stand For It
05. As If You Read My Mind0
06. Master Blaster (Jammin')
07. Do Like You0
08. Cash In Your Face
09. Lately
10. Happy Birthday

Personnel:

Stevie Wonder, vocals, harmonica, keyboards
Alexandra Brown, vocals
Jamil Raheem, vocals
Walter Williams, vocals
Eddie Levert, vocals
Marva Holcolm, vocals
Mary Lee Whitney, vocals
Kimberley Jackson, vocals
Melody McCully, vocals
Delores Barnes, vocals
Susaye Greene Brown, vocals
Dennis Morrison, vocals
Michael Jackson, vocals
Angela Winbush, vocals
Stephanie Andrews, vocals
Syreeta Wright, vocals
Betty Wright, vocals
Bill Wolfer, vocals
Nathan Watts, vocals
Earl DeRouen, vocals
Shirley Brewer, vocals
Charles Collins, vocals
Charlie Wilson, vocals
Ben Bridges, guitar, sitar
Rick Zunigar, guitar
Hank DeVito, steel guitar
Paul Riser, strings
Hank Redd, saxophone
Trevor Lawrence, saxophone
Bob Malach, saxophone
Nolan Andrew Smith, trumpet
Larry Gittens, trumpet
Isaiah Sanders, keyboards
Dennis Davis, drums
Eddie 'Bongo' Brown, percussion



All thanks go to the original releaser