Today, celebrates the 50th anniversary of seminal album ‘Songs in the Key of Life’ with a new four-song EP.
The release opens a fresh chapter in the story of a landmark album that reshaped modern music, offering listeners a deeper look into the imagination and musical exploration behind one of Wonder’s defining creative periods.
The 4-track EP includes unreleased recordings from the album’s sessions; ‘It’s Easier’, ‘My Life Story of Love’, ‘I Can See the Sun In Late December’ and ‘I’m Into Livin’’.
Personally curated by Stevie Wonder, the recordings were recently mixed for this EP by the album’s original recording and mixing engineers, John Fischbach and Gary O Adante. Adante was credited on the original LP as Gary Olazabal.
At 4:54am, as the final studio session for ‘Songs In The Key of Life’ came to a close, Nathan Watts, Stevie’s longtime bassist, exclaimed, “Fo’FiftyFo’!” From then on, the phrase signaled the end of a session and became an inside joke for anyone in Stevie’s circle. Now, that hour marks a new beginning as four unreleased recordings reach the world, connecting the album’s creation with its next chapter.
“We’ve lived with Songs in the Key of Life for fifty years, but there’s still more to hear,” says Wonder. “We didn’t add these songs to the album, but they were part of what I was feeling and discovering as we made it. They bring me back to that time in my life, and now they get to become part of yours.”
Originally released on in 1976, ‘Songs In The Key Of Life’ earned Wonder the third of his three GRAMMY Awards for Album of the Year. The album achieved Diamond certification and was inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.
This 50th Anniversary Tour was announced earlier this month, promoted by Live Nation and produced by Wonder Productions, Inc. Wonder will perform the album in its entirety, beginning October 13th at Utilita Arena Birmingham before crossing Europe with stops in Paris, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Hannover, Cologne, Amsterdam and Dublin, then returning to the UK for shows in London, Manchester and Glasgow