Stevie Wonder is often cited as your favorite artists’ favorite artist. One of the most influential and best-selling musicians of all time, he’s earned 25 Grammys, the most Grammys any solo male artist has ever won, as well as an Academy Award. He dismantled barriers for Black artists, shocked the world with his songwriting ability and musical capacity, and did it all while navigating a severe disability.
However, among the many ways in which the soul music legend has restructured the industry and made history, being a young prodigy is often an achievement that gets lost in the grand shuffle. Then known as Little Stevie Wonder, he was signed to Motown as a child artist and became their youngest musician to hit the number one spot at just 13 with his single, “Fingertips.” Released in 1963, the song was Motown’s second-ever number-one pop hit. Containing only a few stanzas of improvised lyrics, “Fingertips” is essentially an instrumental piece that successfully showcases Wonder’s abilities on the bongos and harmonica. Here’s a deep dive into the first song that put Stevie Wonder on the map and paved the way for his historical career to blossom and grow.
The Story Behind ‘Fingertips’
Signed to Motown’s Tamla label at just age 11 as Little Stevie Wonder, the Detroit native was full of hunger and enthusiasm for the creative career he was set to embark on. Though he could never quite imagine the heights he would go on to rise to, he most certainly knew that music lived within him, and that he had no choice but to let it all pour out. Though he most certainly generated a lot of interest off the bat, things really took off when Wonder was 13 years old.
“Fingertips” was recorded live during a Motown Motortown Revue performance at the Regal Theater in Chicago. It was set to be the lead single of a live album called Recorded Live: The 12-Year-Old Genius. The song was split into two parts, which was typical of the time, as singles were split across two sides of a vinyl record. “Fingertips (Part 1)” was distinctly polished and designed to be radio-friendly, as Berry Gordy and Motown assumed this would be what would skyrocket the single and thus, Little Stevie Wonder. “Fingertips (Part 2)” was much more untamed and improvisational, the perfect amount of chaos as Wonder loses himself in a harmonica solo. What makes Part 2 so particularly special is that you can hear the crowd chant for an encore, which prompts Wonder to shout directions to his band members, who respond, “What key? What key?” Even at the tender age of 13, he was a fearless and instinctual bandleader. The live recording captures the energy that he was able generate in a room full of people being introduced to him for the very first time.
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When DJs played the record, listeners made it very clear that they preferred “Fingertips (Part 2),” calling stations ad requesting them to replay what they would refer to as “the wild part.” Little did they know, they were falling in love with what made Wonder so special, and what would go on to be his artistic signature. He thrived in live, improvisational settings and would go on to center creative freedom throughout his 1970s artistic renaissance. He does his best when he is unbound and being led by the music itself.
Beyond that, the hit single solidified Wonder as the youngest artist ever to have a number 1 single in the United States, helping to legitimize the label by serving as Motown’s second number one pop single. The entire live album itself also hit number one, which was unheard of for such a young artist and for that specific format of music.
It only makes sense that “Fingertips” is what truly launched Wonder’s legendary career. Rather than a polished studio production, it was a raw and joyful live performance. That beautifully encapsulates the true magic of Wonder’s artistry, which is his ability to electrify crowds as he gets consumed by the music and hypnotized by the flow state. Often cited as one of the greatest live pop recordings ever, “Fingertips” influenced how labels valued live albums and youth artists, as the success of the venture proved that people wanted to be moved by the music rather than be sold what they’re told to enjoy.
