| "Higher Ground" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Stevie Wonder | ||||
| from the album Innervisions | ||||
| B-side | "Too High" | |||
| Released | July, 1973 | |||
| Format | 7" 45 RPM | |||
| Genre | Funk | |||
| Length | 3:42 (full-length version) 3:10 (single-edit) | |||
| Label | Tamla | |||
| Writer(s) | Stevie Wonder | |||
| Producer | Stevie Wonder | |||
| Stevie Wonder singles chronology | ||||
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"Higher Ground" is a funk song written by Stevie Wonder and first appearing on his 1973 album Innervisions. The song reached #4 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart and #1 on the U.S. Hot Soul Singles chart.[1]. The album version of this song contains an extra verse and runs 30 seconds longer than the single version. The unique wah-clavinet sound in the song was achieved with a Mutron envelope filter pedal. The bass is a Moog synthesizer. Via overdubs, Wonder played all instruments on the track, including drums.
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Critical reception
In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the song #261 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, offering the following explanation: "'Ground' was recorded just before Wonder was involved in a near-fatal accident in August '73 that left him in a coma. Early in Wonder's recovery, his road manager sang the melody of 'Ground' into the singer's ear; Wonder responded by moving his fingers with the music."[2]
Live performances
Wonder, joined by Alicia Keys and Lenny Kravitz, performed it at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards. Wonder and Keys sang it again at the 2006 Grammy Awards.
Wonder performed it on January 18, 2009 at the Lincoln Memorial festivities in honor of the inauguration of President Barack Obama along with Shakira and Usher.
Wonder performed it on October 29, 2009, at the 25th Anniversary of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert. It was performed with Sting. The song broke into "Roxanne" by The Police in the middle and concluded with a return to "Higher Ground".
Chart history
| Chart (1973) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart[3] | 29 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[4] | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard R&B Singles[4] | 1 |
Red Hot Chili Peppers version
| "Higher Ground" | |||||||||
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| Single by Red Hot Chili Peppers | |||||||||
| from the album Mother's Milk | |||||||||
| B-side | "Millionaires Against Hunger" | ||||||||
| Released | 1989 | ||||||||
| Format | CD, cassette, 7", 12" | ||||||||
| Genre | Alternative rock, funk rock | ||||||||
| Length | 3:21 | ||||||||
| Label | EMI | ||||||||
| Writer(s) | Stevie Wonder | ||||||||
| Producer | Michael Beinhorn | ||||||||
| Red Hot Chili Peppers singles chronology | |||||||||
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The Red Hot Chili Peppers released a cover as the second single from their fourth studio album Mother's Milk. Their version earned an MTV Video Award nomination.
It was featured in the films Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995), Center Stage (2000), Walking Tall (2004) and The Longest Yard (2005). This version has also been played in a season one episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It is also featured in the video game Guitar Hero.
As part of the "Year of a Million Dreams" Celebration, Space Mountain at Disneyland in Anaheim, California used this song as its soundtrack for 16 weeks, from January 3, 2007 to April 26, 2007.
British magazine Total Guitar named it the second greatest cover ever in 2000.[5]
Other versions
A version was recorded by Ellen McIlwaine for her 1975 album The Real Ellen McIlwaine.
A version was also recorded by The Blind Boys Of Alabama for their 2002 album Higher Ground.
In 2006, American Idol contestant Chris Daughtry performed it on the show's fifth-season.
At the 2006 Montreux Jazz Festival, Marcus Miller also performed this song. "Higher Ground" was later released on his 2007 album "Free".
More recently in the 2007 run of Australian Idol, contestant Ben Mackenzie sung his own version, which was a mixture of a ballad and the hard rock from the version recorded by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
In 2009, Robert Randolph & The Clark Sisters, released a version of the song on the compilation album Oh Happy Day.[6]
| Preceded by "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye |
Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number one single September 29, 1973 |
Succeeded by "Keep On Truckin'" (Part 1) by Eddie Kendricks |
References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 635.
- ^ Rolling Stone, 9 December 2004.
- ^ "Chart Stats Stevie Wonder UK Singles". http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=637. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
- ^ a b "Allmusic Stevie Wonder". http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fzfyxq8gld0e~T51. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
- ^ "The Best Cover Versions Ever", Total Guitar (Future Publishing), August 2000
- ^ "Jon Bon Jovi, Queen Latifah go gospel for "Day"". Reuters. March 27, 2009. http://www.reuters.com/article/musicNews/idUSTRE52Q6WQ20090327.
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