For Once in My Life (Stevie Wonder album)
1968 studio album by Stevie Wonder
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For Once in My Life is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder on Motown Records, released in November 1968. Then 18 years old, Wonder had established himself as one of Motown's consistent hit-makers. This album continued Wonder's growth as a vocalist and songwriter, and is the first album where he shares credit as producer. It featured four songs that hit the Hot 100 charts: "For Once in My Life" (No. 2), "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" (No. 9) and the modest hits "I Don't Know Why" (No. 39) and "You Met Your Match" (No. 35). It also marked the debut of the Hohner Clavinet on a Stevie Wonder album, which would become a mainstay on albums to come.
December 1967 – February 1968
April – August 1968
| For Once in My Life | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 6, 1968 | |||
| Recorded | Mid-1967 December 1967 – February 1968 April – August 1968 | |||
| Studio | Hitsville U.S.A., Detroit, Michigan | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 35:15 | |||
| Label | Tamla | |||
| Producer |
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| Stevie Wonder chronology | ||||
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| Singles from For Once in My Life | ||||
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Rolling Stone | [4] |
Track listing
- Side one
- "For Once In My Life" (Ron Miller, Orlando Murden) 2:48
- "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" (Henry Cosby, Sylvia Moy, Stevie Wonder) 2:45
- "You Met Your Match" (Lula Mae Hardaway, Don Hunter, Wonder) 2:37
- "I Wanna Make Her Love Me" (Henry Cosby, Hardaway, Moy, Wonder) 2:52
- "I'm More Than Happy (I'm Satisfied)" (Henry Cosby, Cameron Grant, Moy, Wonder) 2:56
- "I Don't Know Why" (Hardaway, Hunter, Paul Riser, Stevie Wonder) 2:46
- Side two
- "Sunny" (Bobby Hebb) 4:00
- "I'd Be a Fool Right Now" (Cosby, Moy, Wonder) 2:54
- "Ain't No Lovin'" (Hardaway, Hunter, Riser, Wonder) 2:36
- "God Bless the Child" (Arthur Herzog Jr., Billie Holiday) 3:27
- "Do I Love Her" (Wonder, Moy) 2:58
- "The House on the Hill" (Lawrence Brown, Berry Gordy, Allen Story) 2:36
Personnel
- Stevie Wonder – vocals, harmonica, piano, organ, clavinet, drums, percussion
- The Originals – backing vocals
- The Andantes – backing vocals
- Earl Van Dyke – piano on "For Once in My Life"
- James Jamerson – bass
- Uriel Jones – drums
- Robert White – guitar
- The Funk Brothers – all other instruments[5]
In other media
"I'd Be a Fool Right Now" would be remixed in 1977 for Wonder's Looking Back Anthology.