You Haven't Done Nothin'

"You Haven't Done Nothin'"
Front cover (Netherlands issue)
Single by Stevie Wonder
from the album Fulfillingness' First Finale
B-side	"Big Brother"
Released	August 7, 1974
Genre	Funk rock [1]
Length	3:29
Label	Tamla Motown
Songwriter(s)	Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder singles chronology
"He's Misstra Know-It-All" (1974) "You Haven't Done Nothin'" (1974) "Boogie On Reggae Woman" (1974)
Official audio
"You Haven't Done Nothin'" on YouTube

"You Haven't Done Nothin" is a 1974 funk single by Stevie Wonder, taken from his album Fulfillingness' First Finale and featuring background vocals by the Jackson 5. The politically aware song became Wonder's fourth Number-1 pop hit and his tenth Number-1 soul hit. ^[2] It also reached Number 1 in Canada. ^[3] In the UK the single spent five weeks on the chart, peaking at Number 30. ^[4]

Background

The song was one of his angriest political statements and was aimed directly at President Richard Nixon, who resigned two days after the release of the single. The Jackson 5 provided backing vocals, singing the words "Doo da wop!" during the chorus after Wonder sings "Jackson 5, join along with me, say". ^[5] The song also features a thick clavinet track and an early appearance of the drum machine. The B-side "Big Brother", also a political statement, was taken from Wonder's 1972 album Talking Book .

Billboard described "You Haven't Done Nothin'" as being "exceptionally powerful" and more subtle than most protest songs, particularly praising the synthesiser arrangement and the vocal performance. ^[6] Cash Box called it a "super track filled with the memories of the great 'Superstition' a while back" and said that "musically, horns, keyboards, bass and guitar highlight and vocally, aside from Stevie's magic, the Jackson 5 is right in there on 'doo wops.'" ^[7] Record World called it "a message song to end them all" in which Wonder "deals directly with those who'd only promise their way to a better world." ^[8]

Personnel

• Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, Hohner clavinet, bass drum, hi-hat, cymbal
• Reggie McBride – electric bass
• The Jackson 5 – background vocals
• Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil – synthesizers
• Uncredited – Horns, drum machine

Covers

• Roger Daltrey covered the song on his 2018 album As Long as I Have You . ^{[9] [10]}
• Billy Valentine covered the song on his 2023 album Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth. ^{[11] [12]}

References

1. Lewis, John (2005). "Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . London: Cassell Illustrated. p. 317.
2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 635.
3. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1974-10-26. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
4. "You Have't Done Nothin': full Official Chart History". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
5. Bronson, Fred (October 1, 2003). Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th ed.). Billboard Books. ISBN   978-0823-0767-72.
6. "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. August 3, 1974. p. 54. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
7. "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 10, 1974. p. 20. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
8. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. August 3, 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
9. "As Long as I Have You". AllMusic .
10. "Album Review: Roger Daltrey – As Long as I Have You". October 25, 2018.
11. "Billy Valentine, Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth". Discogs . 24 September 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
12. "Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth". Jazzwise.