Sir Duke

1977 single by Stevie Wonder
"Sir Duke"
Single by Stevie Wonder
from the album Songs in the Key of Life
B-side"He's Misstra Know-It-All"
ReleasedMarch 22, 1977
Genre
Length3:52
LabelTamla
Songwriter(s)Stevie Wonder
Producer(s)Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder singles chronology
"I Wish"
(1976) 		"Sir Duke"
(1977) 		"Another Star"
(1977)

"Sir Duke" is a song composed and performed by Stevie Wonder from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. Released as a single in 1977, the track topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Black Singles charts,[4] and reached number two in the UK Singles Chart, his joint biggest hit there at the time. Billboard ranked it as the No. 18 song of 1977.

The song was written in tribute to Duke Ellington, the influential jazz legend who had died in 1974. The lyrics also refer to Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.

Wonder re-recorded the song for the 1995 live album Natural Wonder.

Background

Wonder wrote the song as a tribute to Duke Ellington, the jazz composer, bandleader, and pianist who had influenced him as a musician.[5] Wonder had already experienced the death of two of his idols (Dinah Washington and Wes Montgomery) after attempting to collaborate with them.

After Ellington died in 1974, Wonder wanted to write a song acknowledging musicians he felt were important. He later said, "I knew the title from the beginning but wanted it to be about the musicians who did something for me. So soon they are forgotten. I wanted to show my appreciation."

Wonder pays tribute to "some of music's pioneers" in the song: "There's Basie, Miller, Satchmo, and the king of all, Sir Duke / And with a voice like Ella's ringing out / There's no way the band can lose".

Wonder recorded other tributes to people he admired, including the 1980 songs "Master Blaster", dedicated to Bob Marley, and "Happy Birthday", which pleaded for what would eventually become the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday in the United States.

Reception

Cash Box said that "it's a tribute to jazz and roots, with a beat that lies somewhere between jazz and funk, and a horn section that dances on winged feet."[6] Record World said upon its single release: "Already familiar from its radio play and already on The Singles Chart, it is shaping up as a major hit."[7] New York Times critic John Rockwell said that it's "not Wonder's most compelling song, but nice that it should be so popular."[8]

Personnel

  • Produced, written, arranged and composed by Stevie Wonder
  • Vocals, Fender Rhodes electric piano, and percussion by Stevie Wonder
  • Trumpets by Raymond Maldonado and Steve Madaio
  • Drums by Raymond Pounds
  • Bass guitar by Nathan Watts
  • Lead guitar by Michael Sembello
  • Rhythm guitar by Ben Bridges
  • Alto saxophone by Hank Redd
  • Tenor saxophone by Trevor Lawrence

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Sir Duke"
Chart (1977–1978) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] 69
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[10] 10
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11] 22
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[12] 24
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[13] 1
Germany (Official German Charts)[14] 10
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 19
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] 24
Norway (VG-lista)[17] 8
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 4
UK Singles (OCC)[19] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 1
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[21] 1
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[22] 3

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Sir Duke"
Chart (1977) Rank
Canada[23] 11
US Billboard Hot 100[24] 18
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[25]
43

Certifications

Certifications for "Sir Duke"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[26] Gold 75,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[27] Platinum 600,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ McFerrin, John. "Stevie Wonder- Songs In The Key of Life". Archived from the original on 2020-07-02. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  2. ^ a b Breihan, Tom (October 28, 2019). "The Number Ones: Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke"". Stereogum. Retrieved July 2, 2023. "Sir Duke" isn't exactly a jazz song, and it isn't exactly a Motown-style R&B song, either. It flips back and forth between the two modes...
  3. ^ Segretto, Mike (2022). "1976". 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Minute - A Critical Trip Through the Rock LP Era, 1955–1999. Backbeat. p. 328. ISBN 9781493064601.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 636.
  5. ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. April 2, 1977. p. 68. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-07-12. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  6. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. April 2, 1977. p. 20. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-11-27. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  7. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. April 9, 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  8. ^ Rockwell, John (June 17, 1977). "Top 10 Singles Are All Eclectic". Charlotte Observer. p. 10D. Archived from the original on 2022-06-21. Retrieved 2022-06-21 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992: 23 years of hit singles & albums from the top 100 charts. St Ives, N.S.W, Australia: Australian Chart Book. p. 342–343. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  10. ^ "Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  11. ^ "Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  12. ^ "Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5242a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  14. ^ "Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  15. ^ "Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  16. ^ "Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  17. ^ "Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke". VG-lista. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  18. ^ "Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  19. ^ "Stevie Wonder: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  20. ^ "Stevie Wonder Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  21. ^ "Stevie Wonder Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  22. ^ "Stevie Wonder Chart History: Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  23. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Archived from the original on 2017-08-02. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  24. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1977/Top 100 Songs of 1977". Musicoutfitters.com. Archived from the original on 2017-08-03. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  25. ^ Billboard. 1977-12-24. p. Front cover. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2016-10-11.
  26. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke". Music Canada. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  27. ^ "British single certifications – Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 18, 2022.

External links

  • List of cover versions of "Sir Duke" at SecondHandSongs.com
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