Another Star
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| "Another Star" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 French single cover | ||||
| Single by Stevie Wonder | ||||
| from the album Songs in the Key of Life[1] | ||||
| B-side | "Creepin'" | |||
| Released | 1977 | |||
| Genre | Disco | |||
| Length | 8:28 (album version), 5:17 (single edit) | |||
| Label | Tamla | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Stevie Wonder | |||
| Producer(s) | Stevie Wonder | |||
| Stevie Wonder singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Another Star" is a song written and performed by Stevie Wonder from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. It is the final track on side four of the double LP. The flute player Bobbi Humphrey appears in the last section of the song.
Released as a single in 1977, it reached number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 29 Easy Listening,[2] number 18 on the Black Singles chart, and number 2 on the Dance/Disco chart, also reaching number 51 in Canada and number 29 in the UK.
Background
[edit]Cash Box said that "a foot-tapping, Latin-influenced rhythm and an unforgettable 'La la la' chorus are but two of the hooks that will take this record to the upper reaches of the pop and R&B charts."[3] Record World said that "Wonder's venture into salsa also gives him a chance to stretch out vocally more than on past singles."[4]
In Rolling Stone's original review of the album, Vince Aletti wrote that the song "bursts with an aching, tender passion that’s turned loose in the dense, danceable Brazilian-flavored production."[5] Writing in Stylus Magazine, Mallory O'Donnell described it as "a joyous song about heartbreak."[6]
Personnel
[edit]- Taken from album liner notes[7]
- George Benson – guitar, background vocals[8]
- Nathan Watts – bass
- Nathan Alford Jr. – percussion
- Carmello Hungria Garcia – timbales
- Trevor Lawrence – tenor saxophone
- Hank Redd – alto saxophone
- Raymond Maldonado – trumpet
- Steve Madaio – trumpet
- Bobbi Humphrey – flute[8]
- Josie James – background vocals
Chart performance
[edit]| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada | 51 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[9] | 29 |
| US Billboard Easy Listening | 29 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[10] | 32 |
| US Billboard National Disco Action Top 40[11] | 2 |
| US Billboard Hot Black Singles[12] | 18 |
Cover versions
[edit]- The song was covered by Kathy Sledge, who released the song as a single.[13] Sledge's version peaked at number fifty-four on the UK Singles chart in 1995.[14]
- Brazilian singer Salomé de Bahia released a dance version of the song with Portuguese lyrics in 1999.[15]
Popular culture
[edit]- The song featured as the theme tune to the BBC's TV coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 261.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 27, 1977. p. 30. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. September 3, 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
- ^ Aletti, Vince (December 16, 1976). "Songs in the Key of Life". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ O'Donnell, Mallory (February 20, 2007). "Stevie Wonder - As / Another Star". Stylus. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ Songs in the Key of Life | Credits. AllMusic. Retrieved on October 27, 2019
- ^ a b "Another Star by Stevie Wonder - Songfacts".
- ^ "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 925.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 283.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 636.
- ^ › album › another-star-mw0000892927 Kathy Sledge - Another Star. AllMusic. Retrieved on October 27, 2019
- ^ "KATHY SLEDGE". Official Charts. 1992-05-16. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Smashed Hits: Another Star". BBC News. 2014-06-07. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
External links
[edit]
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