"Superstition" is a song by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder. It was released on October 24, 1972, as the lead single from his fifteenth studio album, Talking Book (1972), by Tamla.[6] The lyrics describe popular superstitions[7] and their negative effects.
Jeff Beck was an admirer of Wonder's music, and Wonder was informed of this prior to the Talking Book album sessions. Although at this point he was playing virtually all of the instruments on his songs by himself, Wonder preferred to let other guitarists play on his records, and he liked the idea of a collaboration with Beck. An agreement was quickly made for Beck to become involved in the sessions that became the Talking Book album, in return for Wonder writing him a song.
Between the album sessions, Beck came up with the opening drum beat. Wonder told Beck to keep playing while he improvised over the top of it. He improvised most of the song, including the riff, on the spot. Beck and Wonder created a rough demo for the song that day.[13][14]
After finishing the song, Wonder decided that he would allow Beck to record "Superstition" as part of their agreement. Originally, the plan was for Beck to release his version of the song first, with his newly formed power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice. However, due to the combination of the trio's debut album getting delayed and Motown CEO Berry Gordy's prediction that "Superstition" would be a huge hit and greatly increase the sales of Talking Book, Wonder released the song as the Talking Book lead single months ahead of Beck's version, the latter being issued in March 1973 on the Beck, Bogert & Appice album.[15]
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Other recorded versions
This background/origin of the song is up for debate, but clarified by Stevie Wonder in an interview upon Jeff Beck's passing:
An encounter at a New York studio would soon bear fruit for the young Motown phenom and the British guitar hero — including the enduring “Superstition,” a song that became a signature piece for both artists. Wonder said he was saddened by news that Beck had succumbed to bacterial meningitis at a hospital near his home in England. The guitarist was 78.
“He was a great soul who did great music,” Wonder told the Detroit Free Press. “I’m glad that I was able to meet him and have him in my life, giving some of his gift to my music.”
When it comes to origin stories of songs from that era, details can be cloudy or lost to time. It has often been reported that "Superstition" emerged from an impromptu jam by the two artists, with Beck at a drum kit and Wonder at a clavinet keyboard. But Wonder clarified that a rough track of the song was already complete when he first played it for Beck at the studio.
Wonder's own final version of "Superstition" was a dazzling display of chunky funk, featuring one of the most memorable drum openings in pop music history, played by Wonder himself.
“The first thing I played (for the recording of) ‘Superstition’ was the drums, carrying the melody and all the breaks I wanted in my head,” Wonder recounted. “Then I put on the clavinet, then a second clavinet, then the Moog (for bass).
”The supergroup Beck, Bogert & Appice recorded Jeff Beck’s version of “Superstition” on their self titled 1973 album “Beck, Bogert & Appice”. The song had originated out of a jam session between Jeff Beck and Stevie Wonder, with Beck introducing Wonder to the song's iconic opening drum part. In return for Beck's work on Talking Book (the album that featured Stevie's original version of Superstition), Wonder had given the song to Beck to record and release as his own single, however delays in the release of the Beck, Bogert & Appice album meant that Wonder's version was released first.
Stevie Wonder performed a live-in-the-studio version of "Superstition" on Sesame Street in 1973, episode 514. This version later appeared on the collection Songs from the Street: 35 Years in Music.[32][33]
Stevie Ray Vaughan recorded a live version in 1986, which was released as a single from his album Live Alive. The accompanying music video features Vaughan and a stage crew setting up for a concert he planned to perform on Friday the 13th. Many superstitious acts and objects are featured, most notably an angry black cat intent on doing harm to Double Trouble, and Wonder appears at the end, holding the cat. This version is still[when?] played on classic rock radio,[14] and is included on two of Vaughan's greatest hits compilations.[34]
In popular culture
Wonder appeared in Bud Light commercials that debuted during the Super Bowl in 2013. As part of the "It's only weird if it doesn't work" campaign, which showed superstitious fans acting compulsively in an effort to guide their teams to victory, Wonder appeared as a witch doctor in New Orleans (where the 2013 Super Bowl took place). These fans would perform numerous superstitious acts in order to receive good luck charms from him. The song "Superstition," specifically the beginning instrumental portion before Wonder's vocals kick in, plays throughout these commercials.[14]
^Pitchfork Staff (August 22, 2016). "The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 13, 2022. The drums came first: one of pop's most instantly recognizable intros tapped out on one of the tightest-ever snares leading into an indelible funk groove of swung 16th notes.
Hughes, Timothy S. (2003). "Superstition". Groove and Flow: Six Analytical Essays on the Music of Stevie Wonder (Ph.D.). University of Washington. pp. 140–177. OCLC76889013.
