Customer Reviews

With a Song in My Heart

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This Compact Disc is funny to listen to, simply because Stevie almost sounds like a young girl...His voice (Not quite there yet), His voice cracks throughout, but he was really trying and you gotta give him credit just on that alone. Remember this was the early 60's, but if Stevie Wonder was to Re-Visit these songs NOW!!! Wow...Just imagine........

It's 1963 and Stevie Wonder's voice is changing.What does Barry Gordy go off and do?He sets Wonder up with a

super club-type big band and has the youngster crooning standards such as the title track,"Get Happy" and even

"Put On A Happy Face".I don't get it-these are not the kind of

tunes that Wonder had,did or will ever be known for singing and

add to that his crackling voice gamely struggling on every non-

original number.No 13 year old should ever have to bear the

stigma of this kind of music;it's meant for the seasoned

performers such as Nat Cole,Frank Sinatra and even Ray Charles

perhapes but NOT Little Stevie Wonder!Well Gordy's desperate

move to get noticed by the white lounge crowd backfired;while

this album is competantly performed and confidantly sung the

general performance leans more toward campy comedy at best and

some of Stevie's attempts to reach high notes are unintentioanlly hilerious.So steer clear of this-go buy an

Equivel or a Les Baxter album instead because they're a better

example of this kind of thing.

little stevie singing standards?in late december 1963 motown records released stevie wonder's "with a song in my heart"-a collection of standard originals.his voice sounds promising,but quite simply put the youngster is just 2 young and not old enough 2 sing these types of songs because his voice has not reached the maturity that it would later attain.this collection

of standards has little stevie reaching 4 notes that causes his still developing voice 2 crack and strain on several songs on this album.little stevie was not alone in singing standards because other acts at motown were forced 2 do standards as well 2 appeal 2 the white audiences of which berry gordy wanted his performers 2 perform in larger venues.on this album,little stevie is backed by a full symphony orchestra,harps and

violins.little stevie knew that his voice was slightly off target on some of this material such as 'make someone happy' and 'dream'/ the notes were 2 much 4 him.the track-"on the sunny side of the street"is the only track on this album where stevie takes a break from his still developing young vocals and plays his harmonica.'give your heart a chance'is the only motown original from this collection.it's just one of the few songs alongside "with a song in my heart" on this album where little stevie does not have 2 reach 4 high notes as his voice glides comfortably with the music.despite the fact that this album was a disaster 4 him and the material that little stevie was not quite accustomed 2,he nonetheless had youthful exuberance in doing this album.by the summer of 1964, little stevie would

switch musical directions once again under the guidance of motown and do an album of beach music with much more better results entitled,"stevie at the beach" which featured 'castles in the sand'/'hey harmonica man'/'happy street'/and the very cool and relaxing instrumentals 'red sails in the sunset'and 'ebbtide'/this album was recorded during the time of the beach craze nearing the mid 1960s and motown wanted 2 take advantage of the trend of which the 14 year old stevie made a brief appearance in hollywood movies such as "muscle beach party" and "bikini beach party"...