The 1970s artist Stevie Wonder wanted the world to hear: “Did not get the due recognition”
Going to a record shop and digging through the crate labelled ‘1970s’ always brings up some surprises.
Because no matter how much you think you know music and more specifically, this decade, the sheer breadth of quality music will always keep you guessing. Like an endless maze, it hides nooks and crannies that house unknown records for you to discover at every turn, leaving you with no real concrete answer to the question, ‘What is your favourite record of the 1970s?’
I came close recently, however, when I snagged a copy of Minnie Riperton’s Adventures In Paradise. I had heard her music rather inconsistently until then, enjoying the singles and hits that make up the basic knowledge of her career. But the record elevated that appreciation, for it was a masterful blend of jazz and soul that seemed to encapsulate all the great songwriting of the era.
My frustration around overlooking this record for as long as I had was comforted by the fact that I wasn’t the only one. Despite an appreciation for ‘Lovin’ You’ and ‘Les Fleurs’, the entire music world rarely talks about Riperton in the way that they should, and she serves as one of the most underrated artists of the era. And don’t just take my word for it, because Stevie Wonder believes it to be true too.
“She’s a very talented woman,” he said, “I think that she did not get the due recognition in her lifetime, which is often the case to many very great talented people, as we can go down the line and think of people that did not get their recognition in their lifetime.”
Wonder would know better than anyone, given that he produced the album that preceded Adventures In Paradise, 1974’s Perfect Angel. But their collaboration wasn’t a case of industry happenstance; no, it was actually Wonder pursuing Riperton as someone to work with, such was the intensity of his fandom.
However, the opportunity came from adoration of her own. Ripperton remembers she was one of the many emerging talents showing face at Chicago’s 1971 Black Expo when she spotted Wonder, along with everyone else. Simply hoping to extend a handshake and thank him for his music, she approached him and introduced herself, recalling that she said, “I just want to thank you for your beautiful music. You’ve made me and my family very happy”.
It was at that point that Wonder asked for her name and then joined the dots. “‘You’re not Minnie Riperton, are you?’ He started jumping around,” she remembered, “‘Oh, my God! Is this a dream? I must be in heaven. You’re an angel. Your music is fantastic. I’ve gone through three of your Come to My Garden albums, where can I get another? Oh, this is so beautiful! Thank you for the work you’ve done!’”
Their mutual appreciation resulted in one of Riperton’s most beloved records, Perfect Angel. But despite Wonder’s championing of her talents, she still remains one of the most overlooked artists of the generation and one whose music continues to surprise new music fans, who go digging into the 1970s crate sections.
