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Stevie Wonder — Master Blaster
Album: Hotter Than July
Avg rating:
7.8

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2246









Released: 1980
Length: 5:04
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Everyone's feeling pretty
It's hotter than July
Though the world's full of problems
They couldn't touch us even if they tried
From the park I hear rhythms
Marley's hot on the box
Tonight there will be a party
On the corner at the end of the block

Chorus: Didn't know you would be jammin'
until the break of dawn
I bet you nobody ever told you
That you would be jammin' until the
break of dawn
You would be jammin' and jammin' and
jammin', jam on

They want us to join their fighting
But our answer today
Is to let all our worries
Like the breeze through our fingers slip away
Peace has come to Zimbabwe
Third World's right on the one
Now's the time for celebration
'Cause we've only just begun

Chorus: Didn't know that you would be
jammin' until the break of dawn
Bet you nobody ever told you that you
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
Bet you nobody ever told you that you
(We're in the middle of the makin's of
the master blaster jammin')
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
I know nobody told you that you
(We're in the middle of the makin's of
the master blaster jammin')
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
We're jammin', jammin', jam on

You ask me am I happy
Well as a matter of fact
I can say that I'm ecstatic
'Cause we all just made a pact
We've agreed to get together
Joined as children in Jah
When you're moving in the positive
Your destination is the brightest star

Chorus: You didn't know that you
(We're in the middle of the makin's of
the master blaster jammin')
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
I bet you nobody ever told you that you
(We're in the middle of the makin's of
the master blaster jammin')
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, you
(We're in the middle of the makin's of
the master blaster jammin')
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
Don't you stop the music, oh no,
(We're in the middle of the makin's of
the master blaster jammin')
(repeat background)
Oh, Oh, Oh, You
(We're in the middle of the makin's of
the master blaster jammin')
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
I bet you if someone approached you
yesterday to tell you that you would be
jammin' you would not believe it
because you never thought that you
would be jammin'
Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh,
(We're in the middle of the makin's of
the master blaster jammin')
Jammin' til the break of dawn
Oh, Oh, Oh, You may as well believe what
you are feeling because you feel your
body jammin'
Oh, Oh, you would be jammin' until the break of dawn
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the
master blaster jammin')
Comments (173)add comment
 timmus wrote:

How did we go from this to "Part Time Lover", "I Just Called To Say I Love You", and the latter's appearance in AT&T commercials in just four years?


Probably he had child support payments to make...from wiki..

In 1983, Wonder had a son named Mumtaz Morris with Melody McCulley. Wonder also has a daughter, Sophia, and a son, Kwame, with a woman whose identity has not been publicly disclosed.
How did we go from this to "Part Time Lover", "I Just Called To Say I Love You", and the latter's appearance in AT&T commercials in just four years?
Just 10++++
 eileenomurphy wrote:

Excellent!! I never heard this tune before.  Thank You RP!



Been living under a rock?
on Mars?  
Oh well that is what RP is for, to expose us all to the Wonders of the music world.
Go find Superstition and have a listen as well.
Stevie is one of those wonders.
 
Master Wonder is perhaps the best drummer / percussionist to ever lay  a groove down.
 stephen.king12101 wrote:

Such soul Such sunshine There ain’t nobody that can do it like Stevie



Paul wishes he could
I still have a memory of hearing this late at night in July 1980, alongside "Upside Down" by Diane Ross.  Both songs were pretty hot that month.
Excellent!! I never heard this tune before.  Thank You RP!
Used to play this song as a trumpet player in a cover band in a distant past.
Now I'm learning it again as a drummer <3 
 DaMoGan wrote:

I was wondering the exact same thing -- decided to make the jump!


me too
Friday lunchtime here...
Headphones on...
Volume up...

9 > 10 today cos it's just awesome!!

Thanks folks
Such soul Such sunshine There ain’t nobody that can do it like Stevie
Whoa, sounds like he's been 'Watching The Detective' here. Err, listening to.
A haiku:

Stevie knows reggae 
Also reggae loves Stevie 
This is wonderful
No I stay at 8

 
DaMoGan wrote:

I was wondering the exact same thing -- decided to make the jump!
 

 Tomasni wrote:
To me still 8 - Most Excellent but still considering 9   
 
I was wondering the exact same thing -- decided to make the jump!
His albums from 1974 - 80 were all very, very good. 
I saw him perform this in concert back in the 80's, what a memorable evening!  Stevie is such a wonderful talent and musician! :)
{#Bananapiano}
When a musical genius does Reggae...
Anyone else thinking of Stewart Copeland when hearing these drums?
Stevie could definitely lay down some master grooves back in the day. Amazing, how he could inhabit and deeply excavate any genre.
 boober wrote:
sounds like Watching the Detectives....Elvis Costello
just saying

 
OMG... so stupid comment, sorry.
This song came about because Stevie and Bob had performing live together (Bob was the opening act) on his US tour in the fall of 1980.

I don't care for reggae. No offense intended, just not my cup of tea. But when Stevie does it, I like it. Stevie Wonder is magic.
 greiffenstein wrote:
That's not Master Blaster.  That's the Humungus.  THis is Master Blaster:


Well, you would say that
 
Slartibartfast was a Magrathean designer of planets.
 


 ScottFromWyoming wrote:

Er, no, Watching the Detectives was 1977. Master Blaster 1980.

One rumor was that Stevie Wonder had settled out of court after it was found he ripped off Watching The Detectives in his 1980 song Master Blaster. The One True Living Elvis laughed and said it wasn't true. "If any of Bob Marley's living relatives want to sue both of us, I think they've got a pretty good case." (link to my source) 


 
Nice anecdote. Don't know how I missed the similarity but then while I like both songs, neither is high on my list for either guy. "boogie on reggae woman" is a better song anyway.
Just rubbish.....
 TerryS wrote:
 slartibart_O wrote:


 
 Well, you would say that, wouldn't you?
  That's not Master Blaster.  That's the Humungus.  THis is Master Blaster:
It's interesting how dissimilar Stevie's voice sounds here than in his later work. On a mostly unrelated note, this song does absolutely nothing for me.
 slartibart_O wrote:


 
 Well, you would say that, wouldn't you?

 hempmandan wrote:
Best Stevie Wonder Song ever. Ties with Boogie On Reggae Woman....Watching The Detectives paid hommage to this song...
 
 
Er, no, Watching the Detectives was 1977. Master Blaster 1980.

One rumor was that Stevie Wonder had settled out of court after it was found he ripped off Watching The Detectives in his 1980 song Master Blaster. The One True Living Elvis laughed and said it wasn't true. "If any of Bob Marley's living relatives want to sue both of us, I think they've got a pretty good case." (link to my source) 

Best Stevie Wonder Song ever. Ties with Boogie On Reggae Woman....Watching The Detectives paid hommage to this song...
 
Boogie On, Reggae Mon'!
'member when he was called "Little Stevie Wonder." He dun growed up!
{#Bananapiano}{#Heartkiss}{#Bananapiano} .... "Outstanding"
...and I'm filin' my nails while they're draggin' the lake...
boober wrote:
sounds like Watching the Detectives....Elvis Costello
just saying
 


Overstatement is the order of the day 'round here.  Nonetheless, this tune is greatness!
Ever since watching Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Master Blaster has always brought to mind:


Another great song that is not overplayed

thanks 
calypsus_1 wrote:
File:Barack Obama presents Stevie Wonder with Gershwin Award 2-25-09.jpg
President Barack Obama presents Stevie Wonder with the Gershwin Award for Lifetime Achievement in a celebration in the East Room of the White House.in 25 February 2009.




  

 
maxmox wrote:

That's the president on the left, right?

 

Anyway that's what he use to look like......
Everyone's feeling pretty
It's hotter than July
Though the world's full of problems
They couldn't touch us even if they tried
From the park I hear rhythms
Marley's hot on the box
Tonight there will be a party
On the corner at the end of the block

Didn't know you 
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
I bet nobody ever told you that you 
would be jammin' until the break of dawn
You would be jammin' and jammin' and jammin', jam on
 calypsus_1 wrote:
File:Barack Obama presents Stevie Wonder with Gershwin Award 2-25-09.jpg
President Barack Obama presents Stevie Wonder with the Gershwin Award for Lifetime Achievement in a celebration in the East Room of the White House.in 25 February 2009.




 
That's the president on the left, right?
 ofanansky wrote:
this came out in 1980, not 2000
 

{#Yes}
One of my very favorite Stevie songs!!!
Our destination is the brightest star!
File:Barack Obama presents Stevie Wonder with Gershwin Award 2-25-09.jpg
President Barack Obama presents Stevie Wonder with the Gershwin Award for Lifetime Achievement in a celebration in the East Room of the White House.in 25 February 2009.



My favorite Stevie Wonder album!  I had this one and I knew all the words to all the songs back in the day...

Good memories...{#Bananapiano}
Peace has come to Zimbabwe... Nice {#Think}

Even at the time, shortly after 1980, there were about 10 000 Matabele who would have disagreed had they been allowed to live.
 boober wrote:
sounds like Watching the Detectives....Elvis Costello
just saying
 

Yup, sure does.

And since Costello's song was '77 and this is '80....we can see who influenced whom.
 boober wrote:
just saying
 
As opposed to what?

 run4more wrote:
This is reggae? I had no idea when I bought this album (back around '80 or so). I was familiar with Marley at that time but I sure never made that connection from my listens. Whatever...  I guess it's now one of my favorite reggae songs. (Edit: I dug out the vinyl and did the research. I don't care what Wikipedia says... it doesn't sound like reggae to me. I'm gonna call it Stevie.)

 
It was what Americans thought reggae was in 1980. Great Stevie, not great reggae.

this came out in 1980, not 2000
  boober wrote:
sounds like Watching the Detectives....Elvis Costello
just saying
  You have it backwards
 Poacher wrote:
After reading through some of the comments here, can I just mention this is NOT reggae. I have spent a good deal of my life listening to dub and reggae and this is certainly not what it is (in my humble opinion obviously).

Thank you. 

 
I guess it could be considered "reggae-influenced" if that's a better term.  The instrumentation (dampered guitar, timbale drum fills, Hammond-style organ, etc.) is certainly inspired by a song like "Get Up Stand Up" - which happened to follow it this time.

sounds like Watching the Detectives....Elvis Costello
just saying
A really good take on reggae by Stevie.  One of his underrated albums.
 richlister wrote:
 I am rubber, you are glue?
 
Haha, I felt the same way.

You call yourself a pirate?

This is reggae? I had no idea when I bought this album (back around '80 or so). I was familiar with Marley at that time but I sure never made that connection from my listens. Whatever...  I guess it's now one of my favorite reggae songs. (Edit: I dug out the vinyl and did the research. I don't care what Wikipedia says... it doesn't sound like reggae to me. I'm gonna call it Stevie.)

 I am rubber, you are glue?
 Poacher wrote:
After reading through some of the comments here, can I just mention this is NOT reggae. I have spent a good deal of my life listening to dub and reggae and this is certainly not what it is (in my humble opinion obviously).

Thank you. 

 
It's Stevie Wonder doing his version of Reggae and that's indeed something else.

After reading through some of the comments here, can I just mention this is NOT reggae. I have spent a good deal of my life listening to dub and reggae and this is certainly not what it is (in my humble opinion obviously).

Thank you. 

 keller1 wrote:

Listening to this it finally dawned on me that Jamiroquai stole his entire thing from Stevie Wonder.


 

He may as well, since Stevie hasn't been using it lately, and why let it just lie around?
 Cynaera wrote:
I sorta love reggae. Long story, and I'm still trying to find it, but when I do, I'll post it. This is just a really fun song. Don't analyze it - relax your shoulders, loosen your legs, and dance to it. If someone catches you at it, just laugh and say it's a new exercise routine.{#Sunny}
 
Jah, man.  Reggae's got a good beat.  Comes from the chest pounding.  But careful... if you do it too hard, they can feel it, too.
I sorta love reggae. Long story, and I'm still trying to find it, but when I do, I'll post it. This is just a really fun song. Don't analyze it - relax your shoulders, loosen your legs, and dance to it. If someone catches you at it, just laugh and say it's a new exercise routine.{#Sunny}


Is Stevie good friends with the Dictator Mugabe of  Zimbabwe?

What a dumb ass!
 keller1 wrote:

Listening to this it finally dawned on me that Jamiroquai stole his entire thing from Stevie Wonder.


 
Which isn't a bad thing!

We be jammin!{#Dancingbanana_2} One of my Stevie favs, just terrific horns in this one!
 rockstarbro wrote:
Does anyone else hear the influence on Terence Trent D'Arby here?
  Yeah, and were's Terence?


10.  Makes me wish that Stevie could have jammed w/Bob Marley.
A timeless ditty by THE grand master of funk!
 rockstarbro wrote:
Does anyone else hear the influence on Terence Trent D'Arby here?
 
{#Lol}

that was supposed to be funny, right?


This is a totally bitchin song....{#Dancingbanana_2}

Listening to this it finally dawned on me that Jamiroquai stole his entire thing from Stevie Wonder.


I don't care about all that other stuff. This song just makes me happy and that's all that matters.
Rather than playing this lame reggie knock-off how about some Jimmy Cliff or Toots and the Maytals or even Tosh (love that guy)
 
I'm SOOOO tired of reggae, and disco flourishes usually turn me right off . . . but the superb musicianship and production on this album override both objections for me.  Long may you reign, Stevie!  {#Notworthy}
nigelr wrote:


Gotta agree, even tho' the man is a genius.........the band is cooking however.


Oh don't get me wrong...It's "I just called..." and stuff like that I'm thinking of.{#Cheesygrin}
 EssexTex wrote:
What went wrong Stevie?
 

Gotta agree, even tho' the man is a genius.........the band is cooking however.

I am just not in the mood right now. Groan.
DoctorHooey wrote:
This is ok and all, but how about a little "Part Time Lover", huh? WHO'S WITH ME?!?!?
Right after Ebony and Ivory. Ooops... that was Michael Jackson. My Bad. How about SRV's cover of Superstition?
Does anyone else hear the influence on Terence Trent D'Arby here?
This is ok and all, but how about a little "Part Time Lover", huh? WHO'S WITH ME?!?!?
pretty weak Stevie. this one came out at the beginning of his long, steep decline.
this is great shit, but what the hell happened to Stevie in the 80s after this album? All he can turn out is schmaltzy crap now.
That should have read "25 years is too much"... str8nochaser wrote:
You're completely right! I've been wondering why there aren't more complaints about that verse. I always laugh when I hear those lyrics now and I'm a HUGE Stevie fan. I just tend to chalk it up to a kind of "guess what? musicians don't know crap about world politics" kind of thing. It's too bad more people don't know what atrocities Mugabe has committed. It will be a grand day when he is removed from power! (And it will happen soon! 205 years is too much)
You're completely right! I've been wondering why there aren't more complaints about that verse. I always laugh when I hear those lyrics now and I'm a HUGE Stevie fan. I just tend to chalk it up to a kind of "guess what? musicians don't know crap about world politics" kind of thing. It's too bad more people don't know what atrocities Mugabe has committed. It will be a grand day when he is removed from power! (And it will happen soon! 205 years is too much) sarah_mae wrote:
Too bad about the line "peace has come to Zimbabwe." I think I'll go cry now.
kazuma wrote:
Nope: Dreadlock Holiday is from the 10cc Bloody Tourists LP, 1978. Master Blaster is from Stevie's Hotter Than July LP, 1980.
Man, good solid Rock Scholarship is always deeply appreciated! Dig!(I myself had earned a PhD in Pink Floyd before the mid-'80s...) By the way, those awesomely gifted 10cc dudes wrote songs for everybody, even The Hollies! and I believe they still are down for the most successful act of the entire decade of the '70s...
Too bad about the line "peace has come to Zimbabwe." I think I'll go cry now.
Niiiice!
pushkinjim wrote:
PLEASE! NO MORE STEVIE WONDER!
Speak for yourself - Stevie rocks!
ThePoose wrote:
Elements of 10cc's Dreadlock Holiday.
djinnthespazz wrote:
Other way around, tho...
Nope: Dreadlock Holiday is from the 10cc Bloody Tourists LP, 1978. Master Blaster is from Stevie's Hotter Than July LP, 1980.
RonL wrote:
Which reminds me! I saw him on tour in Oakland for this album. It was a great show. The only downer was that it was December 8, 1980. The night John Lennon was killed. Anybody else make that show? Stevie announced that he had been shot, talked a bit, then performed happy birthday.
If I'm not mistaken, the "Happy Birthday" was his tribute to MLK from this album, NOT the "happy birthday to you..." we all sing out of key, or at least in several different keys.
pushkinjim wrote:
PLEASE! NO MORE STEVIE WONDER!
Stevie Wonder is always welcome.
PLEASE! NO MORE STEVIE WONDER!
bokey wrote:
I'd like to see Spike Lee and Woody Allen in a steel cage death match.Then I'd like to shoot the winner.
At least you are an equal opportunity hater.
sinner7 wrote:
Ever see Stevie Wonders wife? ...neither has he.. that's mean but funny.
Hahahah, that made me laugh
ThePoose wrote:
Elements of 10cc's Dreadlock Holiday.
Other way around, tho...
physicsgenius wrote:
The name "Master Blaster" (the only association I have with that name is a cheesy 80s morning cartoon about some kids that got sucked into a cartoon world or some strange thing).
Yes! Kidd Video! I haven't thought of that in years. I had an enormous crush on Kidd, which is kind of embarrassing now. But I was only 9 then. www.kvflipside.org
Elements of 10cc's Dreadlock Holiday.
ArbiterOfGoodTaste wrote:
That said, big huge sunglasses have been very fashionable again since about 2001.
So? Conservative Republicans have been fashionable since 1994, that doesn't make them good.
Which reminds me! I saw him on tour in Oakland for this album. It was a great show. The only downer was that it was December 8, 1980. The night John Lennon was killed. Anybody else make that show? Stevie announced that he had been shot, talked a bit, then performed happy birthday.
Ever see Stevie Wonders wife? ...neither has he.. that's mean but funny.
This was where Stevie Wonder officially jumped the shark. Most of what went before was great; most of what after was bad.
Finally! A Kick-A** song! We were getting a bit of a Sucko-Barfo mood going...glad it's over!
bokey wrote:
I hate to see Spike Lee and Stevie Wonder mentioned in the same sentence.They are both black.That's about the only similarity I see.One is an amazingly gifted artistic genius and one is Spike Lee.
Well then, their collaboration on Jungle Fever must've been a rather disconcerting experience for you.
Beastie wrote:
Anybody else thinks every song of his could spark a Spike Lee film?
I hate to see Spike Lee and Stevie Wonder mentioned in the same sentence. They are both black. That's about the only similarity I see. One is an amazingly gifted artistic genius and one is Spike Lee. I'd like to see Spike Lee and Woody Allen in a steel cage death match. edited for stupidity
voodoodaddy wrote:
Since the album was released in 1980, it would make sense that is would be an ephemeron for the 80s, no? But, I'm not sure the song should be discounted simply because it relfects the time it was created.
I for one consider people who include in their rating factors like the era in which a song was created, or things on the album cover, as idiots. It's like sending music from Britney Spears or Shakira up the charts because the music is new and they're beautiful.
OK, it does have that awkward quality of an American attempting to do a reggae tune. But back then 99% of Americans had no idea what reggae was, never mind actually having heard it. As one of the 99%, it was just another cool Stevie Wonder song to me, no questions asked.
I didn't really believe the line under physicsgenius's name on his posts: "90% of everything is crap" until I started applying it to his posts. Now I am a believer- ironically I believe, however, that the statistic only applies to him. Hmmm weird. . . . physicsgenius wrote:
I'm not changing the song before attempting to enjoy it, so yes, I am enjoying it (or not) as it is. And "as it is" is cornball.
Whoever doesn't like anything Mr. Wonder does has Emotional Issues.....just my H.O.
physicsgenius wrote:
The song would be OK, but there are just too many 80s cornball things going on here. The ridiculous intonation of "dahhhwwwwn". The huge sunglasses. The name "Master Blaster" (the only association I have with that name is a cheesy 80s morning cartoon about some kids that got sucked into a cartoon world or some strange thing).
"Master Blaster" reminds me of both Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and an 8-bit Nintendo game, both from the 80s. That said, big huge sunglasses have been very fashionable again since about 2001. Stevie intones like that because he is influenced by gospel. That's just how he does it. And when he really gets going, as one poster in another RP thread said, "he's going to church!"
Very eloquently stated. How can music be dismissed because of it's age? voodoodaddy wrote:
Since the album was released in 1980, it would make sense that is would be an ephemeron for the 80s, no? But, I'm not sure the song should be discounted simply because it relfects the time it was created. This sort of measurement, fair or unfair, occurs with every generation, and maybe, just maybe, we should consider a different approach, and enjoy the song, or not, as it is. Just a thought.
Makes me wanna be jammin' till the break of dawn!
voodoodaddy wrote:
Since the album was released in 1980, it would make sense that is would be an ephemeron for the 80s, no? But, I'm not sure the song should be discounted simply because it relfects the time it was created. This sort of measurement, fair or unfair, occurs with every generation, and maybe, just maybe, we should consider a different approach, and enjoy the song, or not, as it is. Just a thought.
I'm not changing the song before attempting to enjoy it, so yes, I am enjoying it (or not) as it is. And "as it is" is cornball.
10
Godlike 10
physicsgenius wrote:
The song would be OK, but there are just too many 80s cornball things going on here. The ridiculous intonation of "dahhhwwwwn". The huge sunglasses. The name "Master Blaster" (the only association I have with that name is a cheesy 80s morning cartoon about some kids that got sucked into a cartoon world or some strange thing).
Since the album was released in 1980, it would make sense that is would be an ephemeron for the 80s, no? But, I'm not sure the song should be discounted simply because it relfects the time it was created. This sort of measurement, fair or unfair, occurs with every generation, and maybe, just maybe, we should consider a different approach, and enjoy the song, or not, as it is. Just a thought.