Hi Donita,
saw Stevie years ago, he was the opening act for the Rolling Stones.

Hey hi howdy Firepups! I wanted to drop in and say hi but I gotta run in a few minutes to go call bingo games all night at my grade school’s annual fundraiser. Holy Spirit Festival in Indianapolis is one of the largest Catholic church festivals in the state of Indiana and is always a blast. If anyone in Indy reads this, come on by and say hi! I’ll be in the bingo tent out front of the school.

Oh fini!
HI!

B-4

sounds like a fun gig :)

Hey hey happy Friday everyone

What I would give to have seen that tour.
Did you ever hear of a story of Keith Richards saying that he wanted to “kick his ass” because Stevie had to cancel a show on that tour? Sounds like jive to me.

Ellie! So did I, it was 1972. I don’t remember much about the Stones but I sure remember Stevie.

Happy Friday, all. Thanks for the swell clip.

I think I remember Stevie doing “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” either on the Flip Wilson show or the Grammy Awards way back when. Haven’t been able to find a clip of it, though.

I like that current technology lets a listener boil out the schmaltzy Stevie and make oneself CDs or playlists of just the funky Stevie.

Oh, I interviewed Fred and Tootie Cole from Dead Moon once. Did you know that Fred was a child star of some note, billed at one time as the “White Stevie Wonder?” He even toured with Stevie, and they shared a room. Stevie used to cry, talk about how lonely he was, and worry that people only liked him because he was blind. I hope he feels better now.

Sorry about the delay in your West Coast tour, DS. We’ll see you when you get here.

Peace!

s

B4 what?

Sorry, just couldn’t restrain myself. Have fun fini!

Donita, every few years I get phone calls from my sister asking some variant on “Now what was the title of Little Stevie Wonder’s first hit?” or “Now, what were the lyrics to Fingertips?” and so on.

It’s happened enough times that it’s almost a joke (and I think she’s usually with the same group of friends when she calls).

Well folks I am off to bingo now, have fun, play nice!

Have a good time Fini

Wow, that’s interesting about Fred. How old was Stevie at the time?

Hey Donita what happenend to your show in Seattle at the Sunset Tavern in August? is it cancelled? i know it’s completely off the subject

Good question, Donita. I’ll have to dig out that interview tape. I think they were probably both in their mid-teens. Will have to do some Wikipedia lookups to make a time-line. Reference here to “Deep-Soul Cole.”

http://www.spclarke.com/histor.....kpart1.htm

*waving to Young Jess*

we got an extra dose of Stevie that night because the Stones got diverted to the airport in Providence RI where they got arrested. By the time they arrived, we were in the mood for them; but they weren’t really in the mood for a show, so it was kind of disappointing but I see it’s in wiki so it was a landmark show anyway. We were in the third row, and Mick splashed me with water — and no I haven’t washed since.

In 1972, the Rolling Stones were scheduled to perform at the Garden, but did not arrive, due to their being detained by police after a drug bust in Providence, where they’d appeared the previous evening. Fearful that angry Stones fans (already in the Garden awaiting the show) would riot, then-mayor Kevin H. White flew to Providence to bail the band out of jail and deliver them to the Garden to play their set.

cool!

Is it my imagination, or do people talk more during performances, movies, plays, etc. now than they used to? Seems like it’s getting worse to me. Are people more rude now days?

Hi everyone.

Stevie was speaking about his mother who passed away a couple of years ago, when all of a sudden from a section further behind us a bunch of people started singing “Happy Birthday” to someone in their party with a big cake with candles on it. It was unbelievable.

I’m sorry some people were that bold and ruined the show. There’s not much one can do about that, which makes this phenomenon even more annoying. :-(

*waving to Elliott*

Hi Donita, I just about fell off my chair reading that story. I can’t believe the people with the cake! No respect! Something similar happened when I saw Hope Sandoval, when she confronted the instigators chaos ensued and the show was ruined! Anyway, Great show in Cambridge!!

Yes, we had to postpone our West Coast dates. We will reschedule in the fall. Sorry, we’ll see you up there soon.

People are so dumb sometimes. I hate when it happens… I was in a Cindy Blackman concert here in Brazil, she’s Lenny Kravitz’s drummer and she was playing with her power jazz trio, and people were talking really loud, and laughing loud, it was so disrespectful, even when she was talking to the few people who were there to actually enjoy the show people didn’t stop talking…
I wish I can see Stevie Wonder’s show someday! It’s amazing

‘I don’t know if they were on coke or just completely clueless’

Are these states not synonymous with each other?

;>)

I like Stevie’s version of Superstition - But I really like the way the guy he wrote it for plays it.

I’ve noticed there’s always the one annoying person who won’t shut up in a movie theatre and that gets on my nerves

Hey, check out this crazy drummer, a true rock n’ roller! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nO-Cqo8fpQ

still gonna do “roadie for a day” then too?

I’m sorry my mother-in-law gets on your nerves, YoungJess.

Mick baptized you so to speak.

Oh yes people are so loud to the point of not being able to hear the band at all. My feeling is always “I didn’t pay $50 to hear some drunk person screaming the words at the top of their lungs.” It is so rude.

And I mean screaming.

That version is hot.

As I have gotten older, one of the considerations for whether I spring for a show is “What’s the aggravation factor involved for this artist/movie/whatever?”

Which gets more and more consideration all the time.

wow, thanks
that was awesome!
didn’t know he wrote it for someone else.

Oh yes people are so loud to the point of not being able to hear the band at all. My feeling is always “I didn’t pay $50 to hear some drunk person screaming the words at the top of their lungs.” It is so rude.

And I mean screaming.

Yeah it’s bad. And it’s the reason I barely go the live music performances (well one of the reasons beside me being lazy and not very enthusiastic). One feels helpless because there’s nothing one can do against the spoilsports.

And to date myself, I had the 8-track of that…

Yes, but the video quality…is not.

;>)

still anyway,
and I clicked on a darkblack link! and won’t get nightmares lol!

While I honor and respect your service in the Rock and Roll Army…I had the LP, whippersnapper!

;>)

I have said for years that “Superstition” on Sesame Street was my Beatles-on-the-Ed-Sullivan-Show moment. I was seven years old, I think, and of course it wasn’t my first rock/pop experience - it wasn’t even the first time I had heard “Superstition” before - but I just stared at the screen and thought “I wanna be - those guys! I don’t know which one! Any one! All of ‘em!” My whole idea of what I could do in life doubled in those six minutes. It took another 10 years of parental objection before I could really start playing, but it was never in doubt from that moment.

I saw Stevie for the first time a couple weeks ago. It was still a great show, but I don’t know why, of all songs, he chose “Superstition” as the one to pull a radio-contest winner on stage to sing it with him. A radio-contest winner who, by the way, didn’t know the FREAKING words. “Superstition is the way?” Please.

That was fantastic. There are other clips too.

Yes, probably. It worked out pretty well for us on the last tour.

I was so glad they had that ad for Donita’s album on this site. I usedc to think she was black. I’ve gotten so many bloggers’ genders wrong, i guess messing up race was to be expected.

I really need to get my LPs onto my computer, I have so many old faves I never hear anymore

sp. Donita not Domita. sorry

hey firedogs -

a little o/t to start -

our selise has written an incredible diary over at Kos - pls hit it - thx

hey Donita and firespinners - saw Stevie 3 times - including once at the Circle Star where he introduced a young Thomas Dolby - yeow !

so very glad you finally got to see him Donita

that’s one ham of a drummer, too!

NOOOOO!!!!!!!

Crap.

I rarely go to movies anymore because of this trend.

Versatile, too.

;>)

I may have the LP as well. It’s been a few years since I looked all the way through all of them.

But it was a pretty good road tape (along with stuff like Black Oak Arkansas Live, and ZZ Top Tres Hombres, and Allman Brothers Brother and Sisters amongst many other tapes).

roflmao!

Haha. Great.

I love your Ed Sullivan/Sesame Street moment of enlightenment.

That’s a drag about the contest winner especially on that one. He closed the show with “Superstition” at the Bowl with a similar jam-like quality. A contest winner came out and sang on a verse of “Sunshine of My Life” I think. What an artist has to do these days….

I saw Stevie Wonder as the opening act for the Rolling Stones in the Motor City. It sizzzzled. Especially the encore with the Stones and Stevie.

Yep and wasn’t that the….

FUKIN’ BOMB!

Ha! That’s excellent. It’s not the first time I’m sure when someone sees my name.

Cobo Hall, right?

I happened to notice how high the guitarist hold the guitar. There’s even a song about that looking not cool. If you don’t like Bela’s voice just look at him playing guitar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGQ1jFhhpuQ

Hey Donita.. I would LOVE to see Stevie live!!!!

I loved this youtube so much.. it’s one of the first I posted when entering the Late Late Nite world.

Very strange clip Samson. Who / what is that?

Hey, how was Maxwell’s? I grew up in that area.

Cobo isn’t still there is it?

Oh shoot, I would’ve picked something else. It is a great clip though. Stevie looks so cute. That kid rocking out on the balcony would’ve been me.

I was glad to see it. Some things are wonderful again and again.

Maxwell’s was good, but the parking situation was crazy. Finally found a spot on Frank Sinatra Blvd.

Exactly… GMTA, Donita.

It’s Bela B (drummer of German punk rock band “Die Ärzte”). As said, his singing voice isn’t great (particulary in that sonsensical song).

Here’s another weird video with a twist at the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuueLWWA-0U

Y’all have a right fine weekend, remember what I always say.
if ya can’t be good, stay sanitary.

yeppers

yes you guys are great minds (I had to look up the acronym)
you’ve given us some really wonderful music to listen to I know I would never have heard otherwise. One of the things I love about this place.

Aloha, Donita! Stevie is Da Man! My folks have ran a theater for thirty years or so, in a small town, here in the Isles, I’ve told many a noisy viewer to please take it outside…! ;-)

as my father always said, “If you can’t be good, be careful.”

when stevie’s songs came out i was living in a ’mixed’ suburban neighborhood……stevie made us all one.

he’ll never know how much he steered people in the same direction and what all he did to heal people.

i think people sensed what rick? said about him….and his sensitivity came out in his music. his music belongs to all of us, can’t say that about many artists.

and the talking at concerts? it can be done in a way that isn’t rude…….was just at a jt concert where the guy in front of my mom and sister and me was rude as hell, we were whispering…..the people NEXT to him were being obnoxious, but having fun, another mom and two daughters…..he said, I CAN’T HEAR THE SONG!! to US!!……i squeaked a noise at him with my jaw dropped, and mom gave him her best aristocratic ’i paid for a ticket too you schmuck’…the two couples next to my mom moved behind us and pointed at the guy as the reason why, we had aisle seats, so we stayed…..my sister and i decided that singing in harmony would be the best revenge-she is tone deaf…i’m not…….later, after he over heard us talking more during intermission, how the jt concert is our thing we do together no matter what, that mom was first in line to get tickets, that i’ve been going to see him since the mid-70’s, by now, i think i know what protocol is for james taylor concerts…..he realized we were as much of a fan as he was and were not there simply to annoy his tender ears…….he started dancing a little and then even sang….my point is, sometimes the ’shushers’ are more rude than the people talking–there were people right next to him whoopin’ it up, but he turned to us……he was someone who couldn’t have fun even if he would win a million dollars. his wife was not having fun, either. and, he never shared his binoculars with her, not once. and as we all noticed, he had a weird butt. enough said.

my sister equates concerts with when you are living in an apartment complex—tolerance. you can’t have that many people that close and not be tolerant…..everybody’s there for a different reason but are also there for the same reason……have fun. be nice.

and dakine, i would love to see your lp collection. mine is in storage, i hope it’s still flat.

(and i wish more people would join the fdl flickr page)
http://www.flickr.com/groups_m.....tab=member

The follow-on would naturally be; “…and don’t get caught…!”

my 71–and mom gave him her best aristocratic ’i paid for a ticket too you schmuck’

i should have added, with a look…..she was a teacher and then a principal……a look is all that’s necessary.

Strange. I’ve said the same thing about Stevie, where I’ve got to see him at least “once in my life.” Oddly, just had someone offer me tickets to Stevie but couldn’t go, and very disappointed about that. Glad you got to see him at least Donita!

Speaking of the Stones, I used to work for them for a coupla a years. I highly doubt Keef was ever pissed at Stevie. In fact, he likes to toy with people, especially the press, so he might’ve said something like that sarcastically to get a rise outta people. Pretty much guarantee it.

So you’re ‘well-schooled’…? ;-)

OK, gotta go, have a great weekend everyone.

Stevie gave my college commencement address AND played a short show in the middle of it. Awesome.

pffffffffffff!;-(

…miss Godnita again!

Damn. That woulda been cool.

Aloha, Donita! 8-)

Jeezus, can’t stop laughing about that. Thanks!

Ian’s upstairs…

thanks Donita, ’til next week…

that HAD to be awesome.

bonkers at 74–’keef’ is in a louis vitton ad, in a hotel room with a louis vitton guitar case, quite a photo…..really cool.

wish i knew how to make a link for photos, i would scan it and link it. was in the time issue about design. all forms…….i ’stole’ it with permission from my doc’s office, i don’t normally do that, but it was quite an issue about top 100 designers today and wanted to read it again and didn’t know if i could find one. i will return it after i’ve passed it around or if i find a copy.

ctuttle—YES, in a wide variety of areas and subjects………but you already knew that. and you didn’t write me back on the email i gave you, i didn’t want to have to go to flickr mail all the time……..they’re leaving tomorrow.

and ctuttle–just occurred to me how funny it is that a retired principal and 9th grade english teacher, who know all the p’s and q’s of protocol were shushed by a dweeb man……oh and me, i’m not a teacher…..

that’s kinda funny.

thanks donita. when your tour locations and my abilty and schedule meet, i will be at your show.

I’ve seen that. They must’ve paid a lot even for Keith’s standards since he’s usually mocking “high fashion.” Either way, it’s good for bidness! Cool photo…I think it was Annie Liebovitz, wasn’t it?

bonkers–yep, that’s exactly what i thought, that the ’art’ of it overcame his cynicism……it really is a great shot. i really liked it…..i wish i knew how to link an image from my scanner, i would so everyone could see it, it should be seen. and felt. maybe i’ll put it up on my flickr page, am i allowed to do that? it won’t be large enough though, size is limited….

and i wondered about the pay, maybe he just thought it was a cool idea since he got to put his ’trademarks’ all over it…….power/control is money when you already have money. and he would like the ’art’ of it.
but yeah, i’m sure he got paid, too..a lot.

it looked like hers…i thought it was…gotta be…..but don’t know for a fact.

I saw Stevie perform at the Taste of Chicago two weeks ago. It was a picture perfect Chicago evening, and Grant Park was as packed as I’ve ever seen it in my 39 years.

Stevie performed over 30 songs, over the span of 3 hours. I was suprised to find that I knew most of them. He sounded fantastic, had an amazing band, including his daughter who sings background. It was a classic Chicago free concert. A very happy and racially mixed crowd.

I’ll definitely go see him perform again.

Stevie Wonder and the audience at ‘75 Grammies via YouTube.

Does it get any better than this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oSQn20V0m0

Stevie as a 19 year old. Unbelievable.

That’s Ray Parker (”Ghostbusters”) on guitar in that clip. He had to have been in his teens at the time.