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Legendary American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder is preparing to return to the stage with a series of anniversary shows celebrating the 50 years of his seminal album ‘Songs In The Key Of Life’.
The special tour of the UK, Europe and the US will see Wonder perform the 1976 record in full during each show. It will kick off in Birmingham, UK, before heading to Paris, Oslo, Cologne, Amsterdam, Dublin and London. (Scroll down for the full tour dates.)
Routinely voted one of the greatest albums of all time, the double album features hit songs like ‘Sir Duke’, ‘As’, ‘Isn’t She Lovely’, ‘Another Star’ and ‘I Wish’, and earned Wonder his third Grammy Award for Album of the Year. It is a part of the National Recording Registry overseen by the US Library of Congress.
Now, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the album, Wonder has released an EP of unvaulted tracks from the album’s extensive sessions.
Chosen by Wonder himself from the outtakes, the four unheard songs – ‘It’s Easier’, ‘My Life Story of Love’, ‘I Can See the Sun in Late December’, and ‘I’m Into Livin’’ – are out now as ‘Songs In The Key Of Life: The EP’.
“We’ve lived with Songs in the Key of Life for fifty years, but there’s still more to hear,” Wonder said in a press release. “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.”
All four songs are written and produced by Wonder, though ‘My Life Story of Love’ features a co-writing credit for former Supremes member Susaye Greene. The song ‘I’m Into Livin’’ also features background vocals from Shirley Brewer, Thelma Houston and Deniece Williams.
The original recording and mixing engineers, John Fischbach and Gary O Adante, recently mixed the tracks for release.
Wonder’s last studio album to date is 2005’s ‘A Time To Love’.
Here are Stevie Wonder’s European tour dates before heading to the US:
- 13 Oct: Utilita Arena, Birmingham
- 15 Oct: Accor Arena, Paris
- 18 Oct: Royal Arena, Copenhagen
- 20 Oct: Unity Arena, Oslo
- 22 Oct: 3Arena, Stockholm
- 24 Oct: ZAG-Arena, Hanover
- 26 Oct: Lanxess Arena, Cologne
- 28 Oct: Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam
- 1 Nov: 3Arena, Dublin
- 3 Nov: The O2, London
- 5 Nov: The O2, London
- 8 Nov: Co-op Live, Manchester
- 11 Nov: OVO Hydro, Glasgow