Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder

Album: Songs In The Key Of Life (1976)

Charted: 2 1

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

Stevie Wonder wrote this song as a tribute to music, specifically to Duke Ellington, who had passed away in 1974. Ellington was a jazz bandleader and composer who was a big influence on Wonder.

"I knew the title from the beginning but wanted it to be about the musicians who did something for us," Stevie said. "So soon they are forgotten. I wanted to show my appreciation. They gave us something that is supposed to be forever. That's the basic idea of what we do and how we hook it up."
In addition to Ellington, musicians referenced in this song are "Satchmo" Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Sodarisa Miller. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Brent - Moosic, PA
This wasn't the first song Wonder wrote in tribute to one of his musical inspirations: "Bye Bye World" from his 1968 album Eivets Rednow is about the guitarist Wes Montgomery. Wonder's second album, released in 1962 when he was just 12 years old, was Tribute to Uncle Ray, which paid homage to Ray Charles. This was more of a marketing ploy by Motown, who were pushing Wonder as the second coming of Charles.
The lead guitarist on this song was Mike Sembello, who had a hit in 1983 with "Maniac." The other musicians on this track, as listed on the album, are:

Raymond Pounds – drums
Nathan Watts – bass
Michael Sembello - lead guitar
Ben Bridges – rhythm guitar
Hank Redd – alto saxophone
Raymond Maldonado – trumpet
Trevor Laurence – tenor saxophone
Steve Madaio – trumpet
Stevie Wonder – all other instruments
Raymond Pounds played drums on three Songs In The Key Of Life tracks, including "Sir Duke." He looked back on the album with frustration and marvel.

"He'd create a song," Pounds recalled in Mojo magazine, "and I would say, 'Hey, Stevie, can I play on this one?' Sometimes he would say yes. Most times, he'd say, 'No I'm going to play on it because I know exactly what I want.'"

Nevertheless, Wonder kept his band on retainer, therefore on call at any hour. Pounds remembers getting a summons one night and arriving too late to play on "Another Star" because the boss decided to record the drum track himself.

Comments: 13

Musicfanjim from NewzealandIn response to Trst from Spain, the song is about how music is a language and the people who speak it and how it makes you feel. The chorus “You can feel it all over, You can feel it all over people” is that people all over, around the world can feel the effect of music, but also could be a in literal sense, as in you can feel good music all over your body.
Trst from SpainI wonder what means: ”They can feel its all over. ”

Who can feel? What is all over? Whole chorus is gibberish to me.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 27th 1977, "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #74; seven weeks later on May 15th, 1977 it would peak at #1 {for 3 weeks} and spent 17 weeks on the Top 100...
And on May 22nd, 1977 it also reached #1 {for 1 week} on Billboard R&B Singles chart...
Between 1963 and 2005 he had sixty-five Top 100 records; twenty-eight made the Top 10 with ten reaching #1*...
He just missed having two more #1 records when "I Was Made to Love Her" {1967} and "For Once in My Life" {1968} both peaked at #11...
* Two of his #1s were collaborations; "Ebony and Ivory" with Paul McCartney {1982} and "That's What Friends Are For" with Dionne Warwick and Friends {1985}.
Roman from Modesto, CaVery little is known about Sodarisa Miller except for the fact that she cut thirteen sides for Paramount Records in 1924 and 1925. Some of her records had her billed as "Sodarissa". Apparantly Paramount thought that they had found their new Bessie Smith but due to their poor recording techniques the listener might be quick to judge not so. Sodarisa cut one more record for Victor in 1926 with Hersal Thomas on piano that did give her a better sound. But the label soon dropped her due to the fact that it only sold 5,000 copies, when it was easy for Columbia to sell a Bessie Smith record at 15,000 copies. She was never heard from again. I'm pretty sure that Stevie was referring to Glen Miller in this song though
Matthew from Bardstown, KyThe song was written in tribute to Duke Ellington, the influential jazz legend who had died in 1974. The lyrics also refer to Count Basie, "Glenn Miller", Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
Jessie Steele from Bartlett, Tnthis is probably my favorite stevie wonder song
its so fun
David from Deerfield Beach, FlPosted on 11/7/2007. My favorite Stevie Wonder song hands down. Great song.
Lalah from Wasilla, AkI thought Miller was for Glen Miller too. Anybody who ever heard Ella Fitzgerald sing beebop knows the horn rifts are mimicing her.
Rochelle from Dallas,q, TxLead guitar on this track is played by 'Mike' Sembello, also known as MICHAEL SEMBELLO, the same guy who did "MANIAC" from the Flashdance soundtrack.
Khalifa from Reading, EnglandThis is my favourite stevie track, fills me with hope and happiness. A great song to pick oneself up after a bad day. AND WHAT A HORN LINE!
Frank from Morenci , AzOh yeah...Sir Duke had a great horn line intro
Jerry from Brooklyn, NyI have no idea who Sodarisa Miller might be, but in the context of the others mentioned I have no doubt he was referring to Glen Miller. the Big Band leader who died in a military plane crash near the end of World War II. Stevie Wonder shows great respect for the roots of R&B, soul and rock -- something that a lot of today's artists seem to miss. They act as if they are not drawing on the works of those who came before them. Stevie Wonder knows better.
Anitra from Greenville, ScThe best horn line EVER!

see more comments

More Songfacts:

AqualungJethro Tull

Jethro Tull lead singer Ian Anderson wrote "Aqualung" after looking at pictures of homeless men that his wife took. She got a co-writing credit on the song.

Who Let The Dogs OutBaha Men

"Who Let The Dogs Out" won a Grammy. It took the award for Best Dance Recording in 2000.

Why Can't We Be Friends?War

War got the idea for "Why Can't We Be Friends?" when they were traveling in Japan and found they had a kinship with the citizens even though they didn't speak the same language.

The first TV theme song to become a hit was "Peter Gunn" back in 1959. It's an instrumental composed by Henry Mancini. His version was used on an album called The Music From Peter Gunn, which stayed at #1 for 10 weeks. The song was also a hit for Duane Eddy.