Customer Reviews

I Was Made to Love Her (Mlps)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's true, not all the tracks are original songs, but enough of them are and I'd say about six are really, really good. I've known them all my life and I love them. Just great mid-'sixties Stevie that you haven't heard anywhere else before, not even on compilation albums.

I also love his renditions of 'Respect' and 'Can I Get A Witness', they both have a grooviness and originality of their own.

If you really like Stevie's mid-'60s sound, don't hesitate tracking this album down.

It's a real finger clicker and sing-a-longer. Very 1967, in the best upbeat soulful way. None of the melancholic sweetness that he did so well in the 70s here.

'Everytime I See You I Go Wild' is wild and fabulous!

'I'd Cry' is divine. There's a wonderful irony to the way he sang sad songs in a fast uptempo way.

'Everybody Needs Somebody' has a wonderful, melodic, understated soulfulness.

Actually, the only song I've grown tired of is the title track and yes, there are a few fillers/duds that you'll want to skip, but the good far outweighs the bad.

He was very proud of this compilation when it came out and he was right to be.

I think what lets this album down is its awful cover. Don't let it put you off.

This Motown Legend Stevie Wonder cd is a good, inexpensive sampler of his mid 60's work. You get the superb "A Place In The Sun" and "Uptight" as well a very interesting cover of "Respect". This is great for those who are not familiar with his work from the era and it is easy on the wallet. Plus it is worth it for ardent fans as it contains some songs that are not available elsewhere on cd.

Stevie Wonder's 1967 album "I Was Made to Love Her" was rushed out to capitalize on the success of the title track, but it's chock-full of rare Stevie soul covers by Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Ray Charles, Bobby "Blue" Bland, and James Brown. Sadly, with the exception of one or two tracks, the other gems have gone out of print in CD and MP3 format with the exception of a couple of pricey Japanese pressings.

Things start off with a bang on "I Was Made to Love Her," which features Funk Brother James Jamerson on one of Motown's greatest bass riffs. To hear James's true greatness on this track, check out the Funk Brothers' instrumental version on Standing in the Shadows of Motown: Deluxe Edition (there was some heated debate whether the bass credit belonged to Carole Kaye or James Jamerson, but evidence points solidly to the latter). Next up is the Lloyd Price-penned "Send Me Some Lovin'," recorded by Little Richard in 1957, Sam Cooke in 1963 and Dean Martin in 1965. The second Wonder-penned song, "I'd Cry," is classic Motown through and through, with the help of the Andantes.

Stevie's rockin' cover of "Respect" gets a healthy dose of harp injected, while "My Girl" rivals the Temps' signature performance. "Baby Don't You Do It" nods to Marvin Gaye's 1964 Motown single, while Ray Charles "I'm a Fool for You" has a gospel vibe. Gaye makes a second appearance on "Can I Get a Witness," while Bobby Bland's "I Pity the Fool" is a hardcore dose of blues (check out the blues guitar riffs!) uncommon in Motown...Stevie really shines on this track, and it's my favorite on the album. A young James Brown's "Please, Please, Please" does just that, and the album closes with the minor-key "Every Time I See You I Go Wild" (also available on The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 7: 1967 ; it was the B-side to "I Was Made to Love Her."

Overall, this is Stevie in his Motown prime. The album is worth it for the inspired covers of other Motown acts and other soul artists like Otis Redding, Ray Charles and James Brown, and Stevie's three original tunes hold up well next to the established standards. Hopefully Motown will reissue this in the US with bonus tracks and great liner notes at some point in the future!

Stevie Wonder was during this time about to make a serious transition in his career. Somewhat frusterated by his need to be more self expressive within Motown's still prominant production line style of music Stevie's next releases would find him excersising more and more self expressiveness in his style until it all burst out during the early 70's. In the meantime he was putting up with what he was involved in:having partial writing control and churning out hits within the sound he had fasioned with Henry Cosby and Sylvia Moy for Motown. The title song keeps that general progression forward and he goes for the same effect on "I'd Cry". While it was all enjoyable you could certainly see his sound was in some need of change. For the most part this album again had him dealing with a lot of soul covers such as,yes another Ray Charles number in "A Fool For You" along with Otis Redding's 'Respect" and such Motown standards as "My Girl" and "Can I Get A Witness". He's also pushing a little something more of himself out there on a cover of James Brown's "Please Please Please"-all the while developing his slurring deep soul influences up in a more individual fasion. One of the more impressive numbers is the rhythmic but very mid 60's Motown number "Every Time I See You I Go Wild" which,even though it was written by his standard writing team had a strong Holland/Dozier/Holand-Supremes flavor in the production. Although Stevie's expressive voice rises above it all with this passionate howl not commonly associated with Diana Ross's more restrained stylings. This is not one of his more individual 60's albums from a purely musical perspective but,in it's context and considering what was about to come out of Stevie Wonder in the years to come this serves as the end to this particular era of his long and beyond fruitfull career.

The title tune was legendary after the first dee-jay layed down the stylus for its' initial audition for civilization: something which fits any genre you want; gets even better as tome goes on and artists lay on their own interpretations - completely contemporary, and while it uses Motown formula, musically, it stands and dances on its' own.
Track two is a very enjoyable "cover" of Little Richard's famous B-side, that triplet-laden beat ballad, another perennial which crosses format lines. A very good programming choice.
Then we get into many non-reemarkable cuts, sounding to me as if they were arranged in the wrong key, and unaccountably eschewing a natural attention-getter: that unmistakeable harmonica. What were they not thinking?
The Ray Charles ("A Fool For You") and James Brown ("Please, Please, PLease") covers are okay, but, again, without that afore-mentioned instrument, or his own drumwork [presuming he doesn't play on these and others - session notes? Forget it].s Yes, and we see
On four numbers we note that Stevie is co-writer, and the second best is "Everytime I See You I Go Wild", something groovy from the 17 year old for other 17 year olds, maybe the artist looks back and smiles when the title skims across the memory banks (but doesn't provoke a carousel ride to the turntable or chamber). It's got alot going musically and perhaps could have used a touch of Phil Spector.
Reissue engineers appear to have deferred to original compressed commercial sound (if my aging sound system is a witness). By this time, maybe a little more punch and pop would help.

The title cut-AWSOME CLASSIC.The album closer "Every Time I
See You I Go Wild"-ANOTHER AWSOME CLASSIC!But in between Stevie
just covers other people's songs,and again the prominant Ray Charlesploitation is unforgivable.But add the pluses and minuses and you'll probably decide this album's place in your
collection is really a choice of want and need.Probably best for
the Wonder completist.

The merchants who are selling this disc for over $60.00 might want to rethink their decision. Motown/Japan has reissued this title and several others from the Stevie Wonder catalog and they can be had for around $25.00 or a little more. Used copies are sure to make their way into the States and they will be snapped up for a lot less. I've got a feeling merchants trying to sell Motown discs for premium prices had better unload them while they still can. Motown/UK and Motown/Japan is in the midst of an extensive reissue campaign.

What Can You Say about Stevie Wonder that hasn't already been Said?This set SHowcases Much Of His Earlier Songs.WHich are Still Classics to this day.I was Made TO Love Her&Hey Love are Timeless.Stevie Wonder is A Musical Genius.

after 1966's "down to earth" album failed to capture the public's attention,it did have more original tunes on it
featuring 'a place in the sun'/'down to earth'/'thank you love'/'be cool,be calm(and keep yourself together)'/'sylvia'/'angel baby'/'hey love'...but stevie's 1967 album "i was made to love her"was a disapointment because it lacked original material.this is strange considering the massive amount of original songs that was left in the can by motown chairman berry gordy.there is no doubt that stevie's smash hit single 'i was made to love her' was 2 minutes and 35 seconds of pure attack and it left no doubt that it would cement stevie 4 good within the motown hit factory.but the album itself is a hodgepodge of motown remakes and remakes of other artists songs.the other three remaining originals on this album are:'i'd cry' the funky 'everybody needs somebody (i need you)'and the dramatic 'every time i see you i go wild'.../here's a list of original songs by stevie that was recorded in 1967 that should have been on this album instead of those remakes:'travelin' man'/'until you come back to me(that's what i'm gonna do)'and 'i'm wondering'...now had these songs been included in this album,the album would be more original and stronger than those filler remakes which is the reason why i would grant this album only 2 stars."i was made to love her" would be a by far better album had these original songs been included on it.

In 1967, Stevie Wonder reached another peak with his seminal "I Was Made To Love Her". His best original 45 since 1965's "Uptight", gave him a permanent residence in the Motown family. (He was almost dropped from the label before "Uptight" was released.) The problem with this album is the lack of original material--there are no songs that come close to the groove that the title track laid down. Instead, the listener is met with half-hearted run-throughs of Motown covers of Marvin Gaye's Baby Don't You Do It and the Temptations' My Girl. As if that weren't enough, James Brown's Please, Please, Please is nearly massacred by the Motown "symphony" production throwing the track completely out of place. When better songs were left in the can (i.e. "Until You Come Back To Me", "Can You Feel It" and "Why Don't You Lead Me To Love"), it seems to me with a little digging this could have been a much better album. It seems Mr. Gordy just wasn't ready to trust Stevie at this time to let him record his own compositions. That said, the album does have its merits. Wonder covers Bobby Bland's "I Pity The Fool" with feeling and conviction giving it a stellar performance backed up by The Andontes and The Originals (?). He also gave the late Ray Charles a run for his money on "A Fool For You" with The Andontes singing some nice Supreme-esque oohs. Another blues tune recorded at the time was "Why Don't You Lead Me To Love". Would to heaven they would have included this one on the original LP! It later appeared as a single-only release on the flip of "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" and is the closest Stevie came to Gospel. Originals? "Everytime I See You I Go Wild" is pleasantly odd and "I'd Cry" is a ballad done at break-neck speed obviously left over from the "Down To Earth" sessions. All-in-all, it's a hodgepodge, but what's good is well worth the bucks. Two stars may be a little low, but for it's no reflection on the artist. Stevie can't make a bad record, ok? It's just that in this period, some were better than others.