Uptight (Everything's Alright) (1966)
7
Love a Go Go / Hold Me / Blowin' in the Wind / Nothing's Too Good For
My Baby / Teach Me Tonight / Uptight (Everything's Alright) / Ain't
That Asking for Trouble / I Want My Baby Back / Pretty Little Angel / Music
Talk / Contract on Love / With a Child's Heart
Perhaps
it's hard to imagine nowadays, but back in 1965, the "Uptight" single, the
song around which this album was built, was a kind of comeback for Stevie
Wonder (formerly with a "Little" attached to it). Since the live version of
"Fingertips Pt. 2," there had been no more major hits for the child prodigy,
but luckily intervention came around the guise of Sylvia Moy, co-writer and
(un-credited) producer for "Uptight," who helped Wonder get back on track
until his popularity as an album artist really took off in the early
70's. In several ways, Uptight is the perfect example of a 60's Motown
album, containing the classic sonic palette and the vibe from the most successful
music factory (albeit one with a "family" image) of its era, but also its
main deficiencies, the main one being that it's too formulaic. Because Berry
Gordy set an immensely high standard for the "hits" his people had to come
up with, he also milked those winners out for what they were worth. Uptight
is no different, as it's a cash-in on the success of the title track and,
to a lesser degree, "Nothing's Too Good for My Baby" (a rip-off like there's
ever been one) and "Ain't That Asking for Trouble." The risk in releasing
too much material is of course that you'll rip yourself off, which is the
case with "Love a Go Go" blatantly copping the key horn melody from the 1964
hit "Dancing in the Street" by Martha & The Vandellas. "Uptight" still stands
proudly among many other tracks from the era when Motown reached its peak
success (1966 also brought us "Track of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson & The
Miracles and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" by The Temptations and "Reach Out, I'll
Be There" by The Four Tops). Unsurprisingly, the predictable material is made
up for by the sheer fun and simple joy the album oozes out. Notwithstanding
the inclusion of Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind," it's all about youthful energy
and lust for life here. It certainly makes sense that Gordy said that his
organisation was built on love and that's also the message of most Motown
material in 1966. Social concerns (or serious ones) were an exception, and
Uptight is mainly about girls, fun and more girls. Good, clean fun
for the entire family. Musically speaking, this is also a long shot from the
much grittier products from Stax, the Muscle Shoals or strong individuals
like James Brown, who adhered much more importance to black music's roots
in gospel and blues. Motown and its artist roster on the other hand, bridged
the gap between black rhythm and the whites' obsession with melody. Even Stevie
Wonder, who was recommended to Gordy by The Miracles' Ronny White in 1961,
was initially just another means to bridge this gap, as the little kid was
allowed to release one easily digestible Ray Charles-tribute after another.
His major advantage, however, was that he witnessed the songwriting/arranging/playing-process
firsthand and was a fully matured artist at an age when others were still
trying to find their own style and voice. Wonder's also co-writer for "Uptight"
(making it his first original hit), a role he'd take up more often in the
ensuing years until he'd become one of Motown's top "authors" (a freedom that
was only given to Smokey Robinson in the 60's). As for the album: it's lightweight
and repetitive, but also enjoyable: the exuberant title track and "Nothing's
Too Good" are vintage Motown with a BIG arrangement, an instantly memorable
melody (introduced by the horn section) and Wonder's already elastic voice.
It's sweaty with a fairly tough groove, which makes it somewhat sensual, but
not sexual. Along with the almost muscular "Music Talk," these tracks provide
the weight of the album, to which most of the rest is a decent bonus. The
inclusion of "Blowin' in the Wind" is quite surprising and even though it's
rendered a bit too cutesy, it's a credible version (pulling this off must've
required quite some conviction from Wonder). Also worthwhile are "Teach Me
Tonight," a duet with The Four Tops' Levi Stubbs, who possessed perhaps the
grittiest Motown voice, and the by-the-books fun of "Ain't That Asking for
Trouble" and "I Want My Baby Back." Towards the end, it becomes clear that
Uptight was released in a hush, as the material is somewhat of a hodgepodge:
"Pretty Little Angel" is a syrupy pop song and so obviously targeted
at the Connie Francis-audience it hurts, while "With a Child's Heart" is overly
dramatic and "Contract on Love" a leftover from 1962 (!), making it an oddity
on the album as it not only shows a much younger Wonder (a child, really),
but also causing a stylistic break with a more doo-wop-oriented arrangement.
So, there's definitely a lack of coherence (no "album as statement" here)
as a result of its nature and the simple fact that singers were still serving
the songs and not the other way around at the time. Still, the sparkles of
talent fly in all directions and with Wonder being only 16 years old, the
future must've looked bright at the time.