The band Stevie Wonder said the whole world could learn from: “Written in the footprints of time forever”
Raised in the corridors of recording studios and by some of the most iconic names in soul history, Stevie Wonder’s childhood at Motown Records was far from being ordinary, and the ever-expanding roster of Berry Gordy’s label became akin to surrogate parental figures for the budding young vocalist.
It was in 1961 that an 11-year-old ‘Little Stevie Wonder’ first signed to Motown; at that time, the Detroit label was just about to hit its stride, thanks to their very first number-one in the form of The Marvelettes’ ‘Please Mr Postman’ later that same year
That chart-topping success inevitably opened the floodgates for Motown’s golden age, producing a plethora of now-iconic number-ones and monopolising all the greatest funk, soul, and R&B talent in the state of Michigan, of which Wonder was a key figure.
Although his inaugural Motown releases leaned into the novelty of Wonder being a child star, it didn’t take long for him to exercise his performing prowess – in fact, 1963’s ‘Fingertips’ became only the second single to top the pop charts for Motown. Perhaps more importantly than chart success, though, Wonder was gaining an education at Motown, being guided by the various older and wiser artists at the label and carrying that advice throughout the entirety of his career.
Wonder fostered numerous close bonds during his extensive time at Motown, but he was always particularly close with The Four Tops. An essential part of the ‘Motown sound’ back in the 1960s, the vocal quartet wasted no time in rising through the ranks of the label, producing a wealth of hits with the help of the infallible songwriting trio, Holland-Dozier-Holland. Despite that intense level of success, though, the group always found time to spend and share stories with their musical comrade, Stevie Wonder.
It is no surprise, then, that the Tops were among Wonder’s most treasured friends from throughout his Motown years, eventually leading him to induct the group into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 1990.
During his induction speech, the pianist waxed lyrical about the unifying power of the group’s music, declaring, “If we could have the world, if we in the world could in fact imagine ourselves as being The Four Tops, and be able to come together in a sense of harmony and unity and make our own hits by doing the right thing for 36 years, we would truly write and be written in the footprints of time forever.”
“The things that I love about them the most is that they’re very professional,” he continued. “They have fun with what they do, they’re very loving, and they’ve always been gentlemen, and it was through Levi [Stubbs] telling me the way to keep my voice and to learn how to sing from my diaphragm that I was able to ultimately go and have lessons.”
Without the Four Tops, then, the world might never have known the revolutionary power of Stevie Wonder’s output, or, indeed, the distinctive Motown sound. Yet, throughout it all, the four vocalists remained tightly knit, performing together in an unchanged line-up until 1997, and they never scoffed at giving a helping hand to a much younger artist, like Stevie Wonder.
