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A Detroit Studio, a Burst of Horns, and Stevie Wonder’s Special Delivery
This is the moment Stevie Wonder stopped sounding merely unstoppable and started sounding fully in charge.
Music
Still impossible to turn off
Here's what made “In the Summertime” such a runaway hit: a lightning-fast song idea, a wonderfully loose recording, and a groove that…
Music
How Year of the Cat Cast Its Spell
The piano glides in like the opening shot of an old film, and suddenly the room belongs to Al Stewart. Year of…
Music
A Piano in the Dark and a Heartbreak on the Airwaves
A tender breakup ballad gave the world’s most dangerous rock band one of its most enduring number ones.
Music
Could You Smile Again for Me, Mandy?
One title change, one producer’s push and one unforgettable vocal turned Mandy into the record that launched Barry Manilow into the pop…
Music
How The Joker Became a Classic
That sly whistle after "I really love your peaches" was only a tiny moment in the mix, yet it helped turn Steve…
Music
A Soft Piano, a Summer Chart Climb, and Bread’s Breakthrough
A soft piano, a close-miked voice, and a melody that seemed to float out of the radio — Bread’s Make It with…
Music
Spill the Wine
What many listeners miss is how daring this hit really was: part spoken dream, part Latin-funk groove, part radio magic. That unusual…
