Talking Book

He was coming off a four-album run that I still think is one of the best four and soon-to-be five-album runs in music history.

From 1972 to 1974, he made Music of My Mind, Talking Book, Inner Visions, Fulfilling Us' first finale, all of them, Jim, masterpieces as far as I'm concerned.

It's considered his classic period.

Oh, my God.

He was the king.

He was on a roll at that point.

I mean, those four albums that he'd made right in a row there, Music of My Mind, Talking Book, Inner Visions, Fulfilling as His First Finale, from 72 to 74.

Did you sort of have a sense of what was going on, that he was making this massive, you know, this is going to be the biggest project yet?

Who, me? Yes, from a young age.

And I always use the example of... you know, when you got your first album, Stevie Wonder, you were like, you hear these talking book.

You like, you hear these lyrics, you hear this.

And I'm like, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I absorbed it.

I was just on the periphery and you were deep in it.

Well, it's funny you mentioned, you said that Talking Book was your first album.

I mean, as of this recording that we're doing right now, I believe that in two days will be the 50th anniversary of Songs in the Key of Life.

And as I went through his catalogue, thinking, oh, there's some real gems in there, actually, all the songs that you wanted to do were from a period of about three albums, a period of about four years.

So Talking Book, Inner Visions, Fulfilling Us, First Finale, basically.

So that had, you know, Sir Duke, it had, you know, a lot of the best tunes that you would really want to use.

And outside of that period in a 40 year career, it was like and I just called to say, I love you.

Now, let's see where the music takes us.

We start this month in 1979, and an album that I played to death when I was, allegedly, revising for my A-levels.

This is Steve Hillidge's Live Herald, on which he is searching for the spark.

Bye.

But there, the live version was from 1979's Live Herald.

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to hear something very different from the gospel according to John Sims.

Time now for the first of three tracks from my featured album, which this month isn't as obscure as on previous shows and has been chosen by Tom McCauley.

a regular listener to this and many other shows on ProgZilla Radio, and chosen for his mum, Alison, whose birthday falls later this month.

Let's leave the statue as she is.

And on this day in pop culture history, Stevie Wonder releases one of his big albums of all time, his 15th studio album called Talking Book, which gave us Superstition and You Are the Sunshine of My Life.

Jill, let's end there.

You are the sunshine of my

Makes its debut today in 1966. on CBS.

Stevie Wonder's 15th studio album, Talking Book, released today in 72.

Is it as good as Songs in the Key of Life? No, but it's still really good.

Superstition, You Are the