Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 5-13-23

Learning that Jeff Beck was a fan of his, Stevie Wonder invited the guitarist to the studio to jam with him. Beck played on Stevie’s composition “Lookin’ For Another Pure Love,” recorded for what was to be Wonder’s next album, Talking Book. As a thank you, Wonder wrote a song for Beck to record: “Superstition.” Wonder told Beck he can release his version prior to Wonder’s version, which would appear on Talking Book.

Motown heard Stevie’s recording and knew it would be a hit single. Stevie wanted his song “Big Brother” to be the album’s first single, but he hadn’t finished recording it by the time Motown needed a 45 to release in advance of the full-length record. Stevie begged Motown to not put out a “Superstition” single, as he promised it to Beck, whose album release was delayed. Motown ignored their superstar’s pleas. The label released the single, and scored Stevie a number one single on the US pop and r&b charts.

Beck wasn’t too happy about that turn of events, though the two men eventually sorted things out, playing the song together at The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th-anniversary ceremony.

Stevie Wonder turns 73 today. He is well-represented on today’s playlist.

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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 12-17-22

Today’s playlist celebrates the December 17 birthdays of R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, The Temptations’ Eddie Kendricks, Dirty Projectors’ David Longstreth, Free/Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers, The Meters’ Art Neville, Paul Butterfield, Bananarama’s Sara Dallin, Emotions’ Wanda Hutchinson, and Dave Dee; and the December 18 birthdays of Billie Eilish, The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards, Julia Holter, Christina Aguilera, Sia, DMX, slowthai, Martha and the Muffins’ Martha Johnson, Angie Stone, The Gories’ Mick Collins, and Shonen Knife’s Naoko Yamano.

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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 10-29-22

Today’s playlist celebrates the October 29 birthdays of Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green, Roni Size, The Sugarcubes’ Einar Örn, Tove Lo, Pilot’s David Paton, Quiet Riot’s Kevin Dubrow, The Simpsons’ Dan Castellaneta, Neal Hefti, Melba Moore, Baio, and Toni Childs; and the October 30 birthdays of Eagles’ Timothy B. Schmit, The Temptations’ Otis Williams, Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick, Bush’s Gavin Rossdale, The Posies’ Ken Stringfellow, Tom Browne, Snow, The Kendalls’ Jeannie Kendall, and Eddie Holland.

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