For the month of January, I’m selecting some of the most memorable and influential songs of the 60’s. While they all hail from the same decade, these are some of my favorite songs of any era. They remind me that the 60’s were so much more than just Woodstock and psychedelic rock. It was a flourishing period for blues, folk, progressive and straight-ahead rock. #31DaysOf60sSongs
Every now and then, I think about the question: what makes great music great? There are probably a few different ways to answer that question, and they’re all equally valid responses. First and foremost, great music has to move you. Second, great music inspires us to do great things, everything from recording the next great soul album to being a great dad. Lastly, I think great music lasts for generations. The music of Stevie Wonder hits on all three of these descriptions across. several decades. My favorite Wonder albums are Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life. But the 60’s title track from “My Cherie Amour” is absolutely irresistible.
On “My Cherie Amour”, it all comes together. We hear the best of Stevie Wonder’s abilities as a songwriter, arranger, performer and producer. The opening to the song is composed with orchestrated elements, but quickly slips into an easy listening vibe that uses string arrangements with soul and R&B tendencies. No one else was doing this at the time. As a song about an old lover, the ease in which “My Cherie Amour” melds various genres so naturally and smoothly is a marvel. I think it’s why it’s taken on a life of its own for so many decades. There’s something about “My Cherie Amour” that appeals to each of us.
“Maybe someday, you'll see my face among the crowd. Maybe someday, I'll share your little distant cloud.”