Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour" was released in 1969, so not quite the 70s, but on the cusp of it. Co-written with Sylvia Moy and Henry Cosby, it has more of a 70s sound thans 60s. It veers away from his R&B popish Motown sound and has more of a straight R&B sound, sans harmonica. The sound of the song isn't as young as his previous material, either. It has a more mature, lived-in feel. His previous hit, "For Once in My Life," showed signs of his sound transitioning from teeny-bopper to adult, "My Cherie Amour" solidifies his adulthood.
The song hit #4 on the Billboard pop and R&B singles charts and is dedicated to his girlfriend at the time after their break-up. The original title was "Oh, My Marsha," which now seems totally unfitting. The title as is makes it more romantic, personal, nostalgic. It's a sweet journey through this musical visionary's love and loss and is beautiful in its simplicity and bittersweet lyrics. A perfect love song wrapped in Wonder's inimitable style, it's a one-of-a-kind entry in the catalog of poignant love tracks.
You can learn more about Stevie Wonder here:
About the Curator - Sonya Alexander
After graduating from UCLA, Sonya trained to be a talent agent. After realizing she belonged on the creative end, she started freelance writing, covering film festivals for Los Angeles local papers. She's written about film, video games, global affairs, wildlife conservation and, most recently, music. She specializes in classic rock, classic soul, blues, classic country, classical and world music and is tri-coastal, residing in Los Angeles, New York and New Orleans.
