Fulfillingness' First Finale

Fulfillingness' First Finale
Studio album by Stevie Wonder
Released	July 22, 1974
Recorded	Record Plant Studios and Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles; Media Sound and Electric Lady Studios in New York City
Genre	R&B soul funk
Length	42:33
Label	Tamla
Producer	Stevie Wonder Robert Margouleff Malcolm Cecil
Stevie Wonder chronology
Innervisions (1973) Fulfillingness' First Finale Songs in the Key of Life (1976)
Singles from Fulfillingness' First Finale
"You Haven't Done Nothin'" Released: August 1974 "Boogie On Reggae Woman" Released: November 1974

Fulfillingness' First Finale is the seventeenth studio album by American musician Stevie Wonder. It was released on July 22, 1974 by Tamla. Wonder would release his next album Songs in the Key of Life in 1976, two years after Fulfillingness' First Finale.^[1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Austin Chronicle	[3]
Christgau's Record Guide	A–[4]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[5]
The Great Rock Discography	7/10[5]
Los Angeles Times	[6]
MusicHound	4/5[5]
Q	[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[8]
The Village Voice	B+[9]

Fulfillingness' First Finale received generally positive reviews from music critics.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Smile Please"	Wonder	3:28
2.	"Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away"	Wonder	5:02
3.	"Too Shy to Say"	Wonder	3:29
4.	"Boogie On Reggae Woman"	Wonder	4:56
5.	"Creepin'"	Wonder	4:23
6.	"You Haven't Done Nothin'"	Wonder	3:29
7.	"It Ain't No Use"	Wonder	4:01
8.	"They Won't Go When I Go"	Wonder, Yvonne Wright	5:59
9.	"Bird of Beauty"	Wonder	3:48
10.	"Please Don't Go"	Wonder	4:07
Total length:			42:33

Side One

1. "Smile Please" – 3:28
   • Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, Fender Rhodes, drums
   • Michael Sembello – electric guitar
   • Reggie McBride – electric bass
   • Bobbye Hall – congas, bongos
   • Jim Gilstrap – background vocals
   • Deniece Williams (credited as Denise) – background vocals
2. "Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away" – 5:02
   • Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, Hohner clavinet, drums, Moog bass
   • Paul Anka – background vocal
   • Syreeta Wright – background vocal
   • Shirley Brewer – background vocal
   • Larry "Nastyee" Latimer – background vocal
3. "Too Shy to Say" – 3:29
   • Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, piano
   • James Jamerson – acoustic bass
   • Sneaky Pete Kleinow – pedal steel guitar
4. "Boogie On Reggae Woman" – 4:56
   • Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, Fender Rhodes, piano, harmonica, drums, Moog bass
   • Rocky Dzidzornu – congas
5. "Creepin'" – 4:22
   • Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, Fender Rhodes, harmonica, drums, Moog bass, T.O.N.T.O. synthesizer
   • Minnie Riperton – background vocal

Side Two

1. "You Haven't Done Nothin'" – 3:29
   • Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, Hohner clavinet, bass drum, hi-hat, cymbal
   • Reggie McBride – electric bass
   • The Jackson 5 – background vocals
   • Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil – synthesizers
   • Horns, drum machine – uncredited
2. "It Ain't No Use" – 4:01
   • Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, Fender Rhodes, drums, Moog bass
   • Lani Groves – background vocal
   • Minnie Riperton – background vocal
   • Deniece Williams – background vocal
3. "They Won't Go When I Go" (Wonder, Yvonne Wright) – 5:58
   • Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, piano, T.O.N.T.O. synthesizer
   • Bob and Malcolm - programming Moog
4. "Bird of Beauty" – 3:48
   • Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, Fender Rhodes, Hohner clavinet, drums, percussions, Moog bass
   • Bobbye Hall – cuíca
   • Shirley Brewer – background vocal
   • Lani Groves – background vocal
   • Deniece Williams – background vocal
   • Sergio Mendes - Portuguese lyrics^[10]
   • Drum machine - uncredited
5. "Please Don't Go" – 4:07
   • Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, piano, Fender Rhodes, harmonica, handclaps, drums, hi-hat, Moog bass
   • Michael Sembello – acoustic guitar
   • The Persuasions – background vocal
   • Shirley Brewer – background vocal
   • Deniece Williams – background vocal

Cover versions

• "Too Shy to Say" - Later recorded by Diana Ross in 1978.
• "Too Shy to Say" - George Michael performed the song in his Faith Tour.
• "Creepin'" - Later recorded by Luther Vandross for The Night I Fell in Love in 1985.
• "They Won't Go When I Go" - Later recorded by George Michael for Listen Without Prejudice, Vol 1 in 1990.
• "They Won't Go When I Go" - Later recorded by Kevin Max for The Blood in 2007.
• "Boogie On Reggae Woman" - Later regularly performed live by Phish and featured on Hampton Comes Alive among other live releases.

2007.

• "Boogie On Reggae Woman" - Later recorded by Marcus Miller for Silver Rain in 2005
• "You Haven't Done Nothing" - Later recorded by Curumin for "Achados e Perdidos", in 2005

Chart positions

Billboard Chart information by Billboard VNU eMedia

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1974	Soul Albums	1
	Top LP's & Tape

Singles

Year	Single	Billboard Hot 100	Billboard Hot Soul Singles
1974	"You Haven't Done Nothin'"	1	1
	"Boogie on Reggae Woman"	3	1

References

1. "Stevie Wonder > Album Discography > AllMusic". AllMusic.
2. Allmusic review
3. Moser, Margaret. Review: Innervisions. The Austin Chronicle.
4. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Stevie Wonder". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 0899190251.
5. "Fulfillingness' First Finale". Acclaimed Music. Archived from the original on 2017-07-29. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
6. Hilburn, Robert (April 1, 2000). "Motown Releases Remind Us of Stevie Wonder's Impact". Los Angeles Times.
7. "Q review". Archived from the original on 2015-09-30. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
8. Rolling Stone review
9. Christgau, Robert (October 24, 1974). "Consumer Guide (49)". The Village Voice. New York.
10. ""Bird of Beauty" partial Portuguese lyrics provided by Sergio Mendes". Archived from the original on 2015-12-15. Retrieved 2015-11-23.