Funk
Stevie Wonder wrote, arranged, performed, and produced “Sir Duke” for his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. He also released it as a singled, backed with “He’s Misstra Know-It-All” in 1977. “Sir Duke” is a tribute the jazz composer, pianist, and bandleader Duke Ellington, who died in 1974. Wonder said that he had the title from the beginning “but wanted it to be about the musicians who did something for us” as “so soon they are forgotten. I wanted to show my appreciation.” Besides Ellington, the song mentions Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, and Sodarisa Miller.
“Sir Duke” went to #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and R&B chart. It went to #2 in the U.K. and Canada.
On the track are Stevie Wonder (vocals, electric piano, and percussion), Raymond Maldonado and Steve Madaio (trumpets), Raymond Pounds (drums), Nathan Watts (bass), Michael Sembello (lead guitar), Ben Bridges (rhythm guitar), Hank Redd (alto sax), and Trevor Lawrence (tenor sax).
1 Comment
The Miller in this song is Glenn Miller, not Sodarisa Miller.