Another Star

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"Another Star"
Another Star Single.jpeg
French single cover
Single by Stevie Wonder
from the album Songs in the Key of Life [1]
B-side "Creepin'"
Released1977
Genre Disco
Length8:28 (album version), 5:17 (single edit)
Label Tamla
Songwriter(s) Stevie Wonder
Producer(s) Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder singles chronology
"Sir Duke"
(1977)
"Another Star"
(1977)
"As"
(1977)

"Another Star" is a song written and performed by Stevie Wonder from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life . It is the final track on side four of the double LP. The flute player Bobbi Humphrey appears in the last section of the song.

Contents

Released as a single in 1977, it reached number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 29 Easy Listening, [2] number 18 on the Black Singles chart, and number 2 on the Dance/Disco chart, also reaching number 51 in Canada and number 29 in the UK.

Background

Cash Box said that "a foot-tapping, Latin-influenced rhythm and an unforgettable 'La la la' chorus are but two of the hooks that will take this record to the upper reaches of the pop and R&B charts." [3] Record World said that "Wonder's venture into salsa also gives him a chance to stretch out vocally more than on past singles." [4]

In Rolling Stone's original review of the album, Vince Aletti wrote that the song "bursts with an aching, tender passion that’s turned loose in the dense, danceable Brazilian-flavored production." [5] Writing in Stylus Magazine , Mallory O'Donnell described it as "a joyous song about heartbreak." [6]

Personnel

Taken from album liner notes [7]

Chart performance

Chart (1977)Peak
position
Canada51
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) [9] 29
US Billboard Easy Listening 29
US Billboard Hot 100 [10] 32
US Billboard National Disco Action Top 40 [11] 2
US Billboard Hot Black Singles [12] 18

Cover versions


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References

  1. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 261.
  3. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 27, 1977. p. 30. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  4. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. September 3, 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  5. Aletti, Vince (December 16, 1976). "Songs in the Key of Life". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  6. O'Donnell, Mallory (February 20, 2007). "Stevie Wonder - As / Another Star". Stylus. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  7. Songs in the Key of Life | Credits. AllMusic. Retrieved on October 27, 2019
  8. 1 2 "Another Star by Stevie Wonder - Songfacts".
  9. "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  10. Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 925.
  11. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 283.
  12. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 636.
  13. › album › another-star-mw0000892927 Kathy Sledge - Another Star. AllMusic. Retrieved on October 27, 2019
  14. "KATHY SLEDGE". Official Charts. 1992-05-16. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  15. "Smashed Hits: Another Star". BBC News . 2014-06-07. Retrieved 2016-10-12.