It was written and first recorded as a slow ballad. "For Once in My Life" is a swing song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Jobete publishing company, and first recorded in 1966. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. The most familiar and successful version of "For Once in My Life" is an uptempo arrangement by Stevie Wonder, recorded in 1967. Spencer) and The Andantes(Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, Louvain Demps), and instrumentation by The Funk Brothers. Additional taxes may apply. Listen to For Once In My Life online. For Once in My Life. To listen to a song clip, click any song title that has a speaker icon. In 2006 Bennett teamed up with Stevie Wonder to record a ballad tempo version for his Duets: An American Classic album, for which Bennett and Wonder received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. After celebrating The Temptations' (and Motown's) first Grammy win for "Cloud Nine", the actor who portrays Paul Williams (Christian Payton) sings the slow ballad version. PRIVACY POLICY | [4][5] DuShon dropped "For Once In My Life" from her nightclub act and later said: "It was a very big disappointment in my life. There are differing accounts of its earliest versions, although it seems that it was first recorded by Barbara McNair, but first released in 1966 by Jean DuShon. This is the radio version of this song that I was looking for. An excellent recording. HELP! [2], Jean DuShon was one of the singers who was originally tapped by Ron Miller to demo the song as he was fine-tuning the composition. No ads. Some sources suggest that the song was originally written for McNair;[8] others that Gordy, hearing the song, insisted that she recorded it. 1; (). THIS IS NOT A LIVE VERSION. This album continued Wonder's growth as a vocalist, songwriter and producer. Easy Listening. The record was never released and was permanently shelved in the Motown archives. "For Once in My Life", issued by Tamla with "Angie Girl" as its b-side, was later included as the title track on Wonder's For Once in My Life album. Singer Jack Soo claimed that he was the first male artist to record a version of the song, after he joined Motown in 1965 as one of their first non-African American artists. By this time, Wonder was, however, beginning to take more of a hand in his own career. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. New Releases. I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me). This album continued Wonder's growth as a vocalist, songwriter and producer. Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2014. It wasn’t mine anymore."[1][6]. ℗ 1968 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. This particular version I am happy to say sounds even better than the one that I have on my old old cassette. Bennett also performed it on the Grand Finale of American Idol 6. [10][11] Another singer contracted to Motown at the time, Connie Haines, also claimed to have recorded an early unreleased version. Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2018. This is the version I remember and wanted to buy and that is exactly what I got. The song was included on the soundtrack to the 2001 film See Spot Run and the soundtrack to 2010's Shrek Forever After. Please note that these are referral or affiliate links from which allbutforgottenoldies.net may receive, at no additional cost to you, a commission if you should make any purchases through them. DISCLOSURE STATEMENT "For Once in My Life" is a swing song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Jobete publishing company, and first recorded in 1966. ARTICLES | I stopped singing it ‘cause I didn’t have the song. Buy this Track. Then eighteen years old, Wonder had established himself as one of Motown's consistent hit-makers. Stevie Wonder's version was recorded at about the same time as The Temptations' in the summer of 1967. [9] In later years, McNair re-recorded the song with a faster tempo. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. Pure joy personified. If you are a Stevie Wonder fan, this is one of his best songs and I highly recommend it. English. The song also made its way into The Temptations 1998 made-for-television miniseries on NBC. CONTACT US | Great song from Stevie Wonder! Billie Jean Brown, the head of the Motown Quality Control department, finally coerced Gordy into allowing Wonder's version to be released in October 1968.[14]. It was also released as the B-side of her 1968 single, "Where Would I Be Without You". There are differing accounts of its earliest versions, although it seems that it was first recorded by Barbara McNair, but first released in 1966 by Jean DuShon. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. The sound is so clear that it takes me back to grade school when I first heard the song. Click on the album name and you will be taken to a list of mp3 album tracks with audio samples that include the above song. Jazz-pop guitarist Buddy Fite (fight) saw chart action with his single version. Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2017. Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, https://music.fandom.com/wiki/For_Once_In_My_Life_(Single):Stevie_Wonder?oldid=103195. For Once In My Life, from the album Stevie Wonder's Greatest Hits, Vol.2, was released in the year 1998. It featured songs like the title track, "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" and the modest hits "I Don't Know Why" and "You Met Your Match". [1], The Four Tops recorded the song on their album 4 Tops On Broadway, released in March 1967 and, like McNair's recording, produced as a slow ballad by Frank Wilson.[12]. For Once In My Life is an English language song and is sung by Stevie Wonder. His version of the song peaked at number 91 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, (#8 on the Easy Listening survey) and was the title track of his album For Once in My Life.   NEWSLETTER, Stevie Wonder - The Definitive Collection, Click here for more songs, clips, and CDs by Stevie Wonder. I didn’t have anything. One of my favorite Stevie songs.   RSS FEEDS | This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. The duration of the song is 2:50. For Once in My Life is the ninth (tenth overall) studio album by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder on Motown Records, released in November 1968. Background vocals are by The Originals (Freddie Gorman, Walter Gaines, Hank Dixon, C.P. [3] It was chosen "Pick Hit of the Week" by Detroit's WXYZ radio. Miller and Murden wrote the song in 1965 as a slow ballad, and passed it around various singers so that it could be tried out and refined. Williams' most famous performance of the number was during The Supremes and Temptations' TCB television special in 1968, a performance cited as the apex of Williams' career. Miller was impressed by DuShon's rendition, and her version, produced by Esmond Edwards, was issued as a single on Chess Records' Cadet label in October 1966. by Stevie Wonder. The Cyclone records single reached #142 in the US Record World charts, February-March 1970. Play online or download to listen offline free - in HD audio, only on JioSaavn. OUR TOP 40 | Crystal clear audio. To listen to a clip, click on any album name and you will be taken to a CD product web page with a list of album tracks linked to song clips. To enjoy Prime Music, go to Your Music Library and transfer your account to Amazon.com (US). The most familiar and successful version of "For Once in My Life" is an uptempo arrangement by Stevie Wonder, recorded in 1967. Wonder's version, issued on Motown's Tamla label, was a top-three hit in the United States in late 1968 and early 1969. Contrary to Gordy's instincts, "For Once in My Life" was a highly successful record, peaking at number-two on both the Billboard Pop Singles and Billboard R&B Singles (it was held off from the number-one spot on each chart by another Motown single Gordy had originally vetoed, Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"). For Once in My Life by Stevie Wonder - discover this song's samples, covers and remixes on WhoSampled Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC. He co-wrote his next several hits, all of which made the R&B Top Ten -- "Hey Love," "I Was Made to Love Her" (an R&B number one that went to number two pop in 1967), and "For Once in My Life" (another smash that reached number two pop and R&B). This classic song has been around for years! Love this version of For Once In My Life! Your Amazon Music account is currently associated with a different marketplace. Two songs from the 1968 Stevie Wonder album For Once In My Life. Complete your Stevie Wonder collection. For Once in My Life is the ninth (tenth overall) studio album by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder on Motown Records, released in November 1968. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. However, Berry Gordy did not like Wonder's version, an upbeat rendition produced by Henry Cosby. The Temptations also recorded the song for their pop standards based album The Temptations in a Mellow Mood, released in July 1967. SONGS. Although the record label gave the sole songwriting credit to Murden, Motown CEO Berry Gordydiscovered that Miller – who was contracted to Motown – had co-written the song, and reportedly asked Chess not to promote the single. GO AD-FREE WITH WHOSAMPLED PREMIUM! To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Other early versions of the ballad were issued by The Four Tops, The Temptations, and Tony Bennettwhose recording was the first to reach the pop charts. At Motown, the song was recorded, perhaps as early as October 1965,[7] by Barbara McNair backed up by a symphony orchestra and produced by Frank Wilson. Unlimited downloads. Find Stevie Wonder discography, albums and singles on AllMusic AllMusic. And for me, I owned an older version of this song on a cassette but wanted the MP3 so I can play it on my smartphone. 1968 Preview SONG TIME For Once in My Life ... ℗ 2014 UMG Recordings, Inc. Also available in the iTunes Store Other Versions. Discover releases, reviews, credits, songs, and more about Stevie Wonder - For Once In My Life at Discogs. Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2020, Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2013. Disclosure: The following links will take you to various online merchants outside of allbutforgottenoldies.net that sell recordings with the song featured on this page. Stevie Wonder performs "For Once In My Life" on The Ed Sullivan Show (December 15, 1968). And for me, I owned an older version of this song on a cassette but wanted the MP3 so I can play it on my smartphone. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. For Once in My Life Tamla Motown 1968. "For Once in My Life" remained in Bennett's concert repertoire into the 2000s. MORE Producer: ... Is a cover of 1 song. ANNOUNCEMENTS | Then eighteen years old, Wonder had established himself as one of Motown's consistent hit-makers. I have never had a problem with sound quality when buying from Amazon. Stevie Wonder - The Definitive Collection - Stevie Wonder - Motown The Amazon.com MP3 Store also has a clip of the above song on the album listed below. There's a problem loading this menu right now. BROWSE SONG LISTS | Other early versions of the ballad were issued by The Four Tops, The Temptations, and Tony Bennettwhose recording was the first to reach the pop charts.