Motown’s most “perfect pop song”, according to Jeff Goldblum
Creating a universally ‘perfect’ song is a task that has eluded countless artists and songwriters since the dawn of pop itself, but if there was anybody who had the qualifications to pull off the impossible, it was Berry Gordy, who achieved the impossible on a near weekly basis back in the Motown age of the 1960s.
From the very beginning of Gordy’s musical empire, chart success was always the prevailing goal of Motown. Throughout the 1960s, no other label – particularly not an independent label – could come anywhere close to rivalling Motown’s grasp on the singles charts, a position backed up by its unparalleled roster of artists, songwriters, and producers, all pulling in the same direction.
Not only did Motown manage to amass well over a hundred entries into the top ten over the years, though, they also managed to manufacture some of the greatest pop songs of all time. So much so that, even now, over half a century later, a lot of Motown’s output is still firmly in the public consciousness. Even if you are not a devoted Motown obsessive seeking out the label’s most obscure releases, there aren’t many music fans who are unaware of The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, or Marvin Gaye.
It is fair to say, then, that after a few years of experimenting with their formula for chart success, Gordy and Motown had perfected their recipe. From ‘Baby Love’ to ‘Please Mr. Postman’, the label certainly had its fair share of pop masterpieces but, according to the multitalented mind of actor and musician Jeff Goldblum, one Motown masterpiece shines brighter than all the rest put together: Stevie Wonder’s ‘For Once in My Life’.
Having joined the ranks of Motown at the age of only 11, and staying put for nearly 60 years, Wonder was always instrumental in the development of the ‘Motown sound’, but his own output went through a variety of distinct eras. During his early days, for instance, Gordy seemed to thrust a variety of novelty records onto him, playing up to his ‘Little Stevie Wonder’ tagline, but as he progressed he ended up establishing himself among the greatest songwriters in American history.
A particular highlight in Wonder’s illustrious discography, though, is ‘For Once In My Life’, written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden back in 1965 and initially intended as a slow ballad, and recorded by a deluge of Motown B-listers before Wonder got his hands on it.
In his typical fashion, the teenage pianist completely transformed the track into what Jeff Goldblum called, “a perfect pop song.” The legendary actor told Gentlemen’s Journal that the track “expresses a feeling most of us search for and, hopefully, find,” and it is certainly hard to disagree with that description.
There is a kind of universal appeal to Wonder’s rendition, reflecting the magical euphoria of love and maintaining that distinctive Stevie Wonder groove that cannot help but demand an audience’s attention.
Bizarrely, Berry Gordy never wanted to release Wonder’s version, seeing it as inferior to the original ballad, but it is a good job that he did because the track went on to reach number two in the US singles chart, and it has always remained particularly close to the hearts of audiences everywhere – especially Jeff Goldblum, it would appear.
