Stevie Wonder Hotter Than July CD

Personnel includes: Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Betty Wright, Angela Winbush, The O'Jays.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Personnel: Stevie Wonder (vocals, harmonica, keyboards); Alexandra Brown, Jamil Raheem, Walter Williams , Eddie LeVert, Marva Holcolm, Mary Lee Whitney, Kimberley Jackson, Melody McCully, Delores Barnes, Susaye Greene Brown, Dennis Morrison, Michael Jackson, Angela Winbush, Stephanie Andrews, Syreeta Wright, Betty Wright, Bill Wolfer, Nathan Watts, Earl DeRouen, Shirley Brewer, Charles Collins , Charlie Wilson (vocals); Ben Bridges (guitar, sitar); Rick Zunigar (guitar); Hank DeVito (steel guitar); Paul Riser (strings); Hank Redd, Trevor Lawrence, Bob Malach (saxophone); Nolan Andrew Smith, Larry Gittens (trumpet); Isaiah Sanders (keyboards); Dennis Davis (drums); Eddie "Bongo" Brown (percussion).
Audio Mixer: Gary Olazabal.
Recording information: Crystal Sound Studios, Holllywood, CA; I.A.M. Studios, Irvine, CA; Wonderland Studios, Los Angeles, CA.
Illustrator: Al Harper.
Arrangers: Stevie Wonder; Paul Riser.
Four years after the pinnacle of Stevie Wonder's mid-'70s typhoon of classic albums, Hotter Than July was the proper follow-up to Songs in the Key of Life (his Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants concept record was actually a soundtrack to an obscure movie that fared miserably in theaters). It also found Wonder in a different musical climate than the one that savored his every move from 1972 to 1977. Disco and new wave had slowly crept their way into the mainstream record-buying public, and hindered the once-ample room for socially and politically charged lyrics. However, Wonder naysayed the trends and continues to do what he did best. Solid songwriting, musicianship, and production are evident in the majority of Hotter Than July. Wonder also carries on his tradition of penning songs normally not associated with his trademark sound, from the disco-tinged "All I Do" (originally planned to be released by Tammi Terrell almost ten years previously) to the reggae-influenced smash "Master Blaster (Jammin)," which went straight to the top of the R&B charts. While admittedly there are a few less-than-standard tracks, he closes the album on an amazing high note with one of the most aching ballads in his canon ("Lately") and a touching anthem to civil rights pioneer Martin Luther King, Jr. ("Happy Birthday"). While most definitely not on the same tier as Innervisions or Songs in the Key of Life, Hotter Than July is the portrait of an artist who still had the Midas touch, but stood at the crossroads of an illustrious career. ~ Rob Theakston
By the time HOTTER THAN JULY was released in 1980, Stevie Wonder had spent the '70s making his transition into adulthood by redefining pop music and winning widespread public and critical acclaim (along with a boatload of Grammys). As was usually the case on previous albums, Wonder's first release of the '80s featured him playing a variety of instruments, supported by a number of famous guests including Angela Winbush, Michael Jackson, Betty Wright and members of the Gap Band.
The result was an album of breezy love songs ("Rocket Love"), deliciously upbeat pop ("I Ain't Gonna Stand For It") and a thinly disguised tribute to Bob Marley ("Master Blaster [Jammin']"). But the one song that Wonder gave himself most to was "Happy Birthday," a relentlessy positive compostion specifically written as part of this gifted artist's fight to get Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday recognized as a national holiday. Stevie Wonder eventually won that fight and by the mid-80s, his dream had become a reality.