Higher Ground (song)
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| “Higher Ground” | |||||
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| Image:Higherground45.jpg | |||||
| Single by Stevie Wonder from the album Innervisions |
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| B-side | "Too High" | ||||
| Released | July, 1973 | ||||
| Format | 7" 45 RPM | ||||
| Genre | Soul | ||||
| Length | 3:42 (full-length version)
3:10 (single-edit) |
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| Label | Tamla | ||||
| Writer(s) | Stevie Wonder | ||||
| Producer | Stevie Wonder | ||||
| Stevie Wonder singles chronology | |||||
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"Higher Ground" is a funk song written by Stevie Wonder and first appearing on his 1973 album Innervisions. Against a driving, percolating clavinet-based arrangement, the lyric posits that religion and reincarnation can perhaps successfully do battle with the darker sides of human nature. It reached #4 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart and #1 on the U.S. Hot Soul Singleschart. The album version of this song contains an extra verse and runs 30 seconds longer than the single version. The unique wah-clavinet sound in the song was achieved with a Mutron envelope filter pedal. The bass is a Moog synthesizer. Via overdubs, Wonder played all instruments on the track, including drums.
In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the song #261 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, offering the following explanation: ""Ground"" was recorded just before Wonder was involved in a near-fatal accident in August '73 that left him in a coma. Early in Wonder's recovery, his road manager sang the melody of "Ground" into the singer's ear; Wonder responded by moving his fingers with the music."
An especially ferocious performance of "Higher Ground" was given by Alicia Keys along with Wonder and Lenny Kravitz at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards. Keys and Wonder then took a softer, improvised approach in a duet at the 2006 Grammy Awards. Later in 2006, fifth-season American Idol contestant Chris Daughtry gave an acclaimed, show-closing rendition that blended the original with the Red Hot Chili Peppers' 1989 cover. At the 2006 Montreux Jazz Festival, Marcus Miller also performed this song. "Higher Ground" was later released on his 2007 album "Free".
More recently in the 2007 run of Australian Idol, contestant Ben Mackenzie sung his own version, which was a mixture of a ballad and the hard rock from the version recorded by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
| Preceded by "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye |
Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number one single September 29, 1973 |
Succeeded by "Keep on Truckin' (Part 1) " by Eddie Kendricks |
[edit] Red Hot Chili Peppers cover
| “Higher Ground” | |||||
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| Single by Red Hot Chili Peppers from the album Mother's Milk |
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| B-side | "Millionaires Against Hunger" | ||||
| Released | 1989 | ||||
| Format | CD Single | ||||
| Genre | Funk rock Hard rock |
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| Length | 3:21 | ||||
| Label | EMI | ||||
| Writer(s) | Stevie Wonder | ||||
| Producer | Michael Beinhorn | ||||
| Red Hot Chili Peppers singles chronology | |||||
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This song was covered by the Red Hot Chili Peppers on their 1989 album, Mother's Milk. Many consider it to be the song that made the band huge, earning them a MTV Video Music Award nomination.
This version was featured in the films Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995), Center Stage (2000), Walking Tall (2004) and The Longest Yard (2005).
It is used in The Pursuit of Happyness, too, as "Highest Ground". It was also used during the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers pilot episode opening.
A cover of this version of the song was used in the game Guitar Hero. This song was released as a part of a 3-song pack via Xbox Live for the Xbox 360 title Guitar Hero II on April 11, 2007.
"Higher Ground" was the Steiner Brothers' entrance music back in WCW.
As part of the "Year of a Million Dreams" Celebration, Space Mountain at Disneyland in Anaheim, California used this song as its soundtrack for 16 weeks, from January 3, 2007 to April 26, 2007.
This version has also been played in a season one episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
British magazine, Total Guitar names this version as the second greatest cover version ever in 2000.[1]
[edit] Track listing
CD Single #1
- "Higher Ground" (Album)
- "Higher Ground" (Munchkin Mix)
- "Millionaires Against Hunger" (Previously Unreleased)
- "Mommy Where's Daddy" (Album)
CD Single #2 (Germany Only)
- "Politician" (Mini Rap)
- "Higher Ground" (Munchkin Mix)
- "Higher Ground" (Daddy-O Remix)
- "Mommy Where's Daddy" (Album)
12" Vinyl
- "Politician (Mini Rap)
- "Higher Ground" (Munchkin Mix)
- "Higher Ground" (Dub Mix)
- "Mommy Where's Daddy"
12" Remix Vinyl
- "Higher Ground"
- "Higher Ground" (Munchkin Mix)
- "Politician" (Mini Rap)
- "Higher Ground" (Bert Bevans Mix)
UK 12" Vinyl
- "Higher Ground"
- "Higher Ground" (Daddy-O Remix)
- "Fight Like a Brave"
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- ^ “The Best Cover Versions Ever”, Total Guitar (Future Publishing), August 2000
