Midweek must-watch: Stevie & Bob - Jammin'

Stevie Wonder's irresistable tribute to Bob Marley is no hidden gem, but what an uplifting tune for troubled times. Just imagine if they'd been able to perform it together

Welcome (or welcome back) to Record Shop Stories, a lovingly produced weekly newsletter about independent record stores - the people who run them, the people who cherish them, and the stories that live behind the counter. I also send regular free posts like this one about mind-blowing music videos on YouTube (top tip – watch these in the Substack app to avoid the ads!).

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This week, I was wondering how to mark the birthday of Stevie Wonder, who turned 74 on Monday (13 May). He’s 63 years into his recording career. Wow.

Trying to pick a favourite Stevie Wonder track is impossible in my book. Motown-era stompers like ‘Uptight’ and ‘I was made to love her’ are some of the best damn pop songs ever written. Tough to follow, and we’re not even out of the 1960s.

Then there’s his imperious run of early to mid-70s albums, including Music of my mind, Innervisions, and Songs in the key of life. You could pick almost any track off those… I’m personally always hit hard by the sheer beauty and delicacy of ‘Visions’, Stevie’s paean about the life that could be, if the world were fashioned more in the image of Martin Luther King’s dream.

But the track I’ve chosen for this week’s must-watch is none of the above. I recently stumbled across this live version of ‘Master blaster (Jammin’)’ from 1981, beautifully remastered by Austech. Why this track to celebrate Stevie Wonder’s birthday week? A few good reasons:

1. It’s an irresistible party tune. Fact. (If Stevie’s glasses, cheeky ‘hello’ and huge grin at the start don’t hook you in, check for a pulse).

2. It’s world-aware but still packed with the positivity that comes from believing in each other and in a more peaceful future:

   You ask me am I happy
   Well as 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

3. Finally, it’s Stevie’s tribute to Bob Marley, his friend from the mid-1970s until Marley’s untimely death at the age of only 36. Bob Marley died on 11 May 1981, two days before Stevie’s 31st birthday and – hard to believe – 43 years ago last weekend.

   At the premiere for the ‘One Love’ film earlier this year, Stevie told Kevin Frazier that he’d written ‘Master Blaster’ in the hope that Bob would be able to join him on the Hotter than July tour in 1980/81… a tour that also featured Gil Scott-Heron. Now that would have been worth seeing! Sadly, they never had chance to perform it together ‘before the spirits called [Bob] to another journey,’ as Stevie laments in the interview.

For completeness, and in tribute to Bob and The Wailers’ blistering original, I’m also including their own live rendition of ‘Jammin’’ at London’s Rainbow Theatre in 1977. Enjoy!

While Stevie’s track is inspired by Bob’s, rather than a cover, which of these moves you more? Have you seen, or did you see, either of them play ‘Jammin’’ live?

Leave your thoughts below and, if this has brightened up your Wednesday, share the love with someone who could do with seeing Stevie’s huge grin…

Peace, love and music.

Rich