Love’s In Need of Love Today

Having decided long ago that, regardless of anything else this legendary singer/songwriter/genius could create from now until ... forever, this album will remain as his most special of his incredible works.

Most people who know me would be surprised that it’s not a song or album by Michael Jackson or, better yet, Prince. And, even more would be surprised that I consider this album, “Songs In the Key of Life” by Stevie Wonder, to be the best album ever written, produced, arranged, recorded and performed. Ever.

Period.

Yeah, I do.

Having said that, I think that the most amazing song on this album is a beautiful ballad called ”Love’s In Need of Love Today”. Thus, you may have gathered by now, that this will be the song of choice for my entry into this challenge.

I guess because of the album and song in question, I feel compelled to offer up my family situation to set the tone of my life at this time.

It was 1978, and we are a young Mexican -Anerican family who lived in a little town called Paso Robles, in a little suburban neighborhood of low income housing that we moved into just a couple years prior.

Both my parents were second generarion American citizens, and spoke fluent English and Spanish, but didn’t teach us because, I guess they were trying not to be their parents. In fact, they only spoke Spanish when they had Spanish speaking guests visiting, or when they didn’t want us to know what they were talking about. This, of course, would become a great disadvantage for us later in life, but that’s a story for another time.

My father was a musician who would occasionally be involved in one country western band or another, and he taught my older brother, David, how to play guitar at a young age, and soon we were all singing and performing as a family act around town at ladies’ socials and school events, as well as other gigs in the surrounding San Luis Obispo County area.

There were five of us kids. David (the obnoxious jerk oldest brother), next was Zedina (the only girl, poor thing), Jimmy (resident bully and trouble maker), Thomas (innocent, emotional, that’s me) and our little brother, Marty (the golden child, spoiled and entitled). Plus my mom, Carmen, and dad, Max.

Our music collection was vast. Dad’s country music albums of Merle Haggard, Marty Robbins and George Jones (among others) were always playing in the background. My mom would have songs from the 1950’s artists like Elvis, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and later, Smokey Robinson and The Supremes, among other Motown acts. But, somehow, my parents were cool enough to have the full double album that was “Songs in the Key of Life”.

Now, this is a fine album spilling out several hits like “Isn’t She Lovely” and a couple of number one songs, like ”Sir Duke” and ”I Wish”.

“Love’s In Need of Love Today” was never released as a single, but it still found its way into many peoples’ hearts and minds. It is also one of his most emotionally driven songs that feels like he’s actually appearing to speak (or sing) to us personally. He is pleading to you, the listener, in an attempt at helping in reinvigorating love by giving ... love. As it mentions in the lyric, "Hate’s goin’ round breaking many hearts, stop it please before it’s gone too far, just give the world love".

Some more background on me - I discovered that I really loved Stevie Wonder’s music and lyrics based completely on my introduction to him via this album.

Like I said, I was 13, and disco was the rage! Saturday Night Fever would be the biggest seller of that decade and the number one selling album in 1978, and everyone (myself included) was wearing polyester shirts and bell bottom disco pants and platform shoes! God, can you believe it? And we were gleefully just going through life, happy that “whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother, you’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive”.

Now, the album, “Songs in the Key of Life”, had been out a couple years already, and was tucked away in the stereo cabinet with all the other albums from my parent’s eclectic record collection.

And, even though I was really into the musical releases of that year and enjoyed all the dancing and partying that came along with it, I still enjoyed songs for being songs ... the music ... the lyrics. I really paid attention to them, which was weird for a boy of 13.

I was a weird kid in general - smarter than most, but very naive about everything from race relations, to love ... and even trying to figure out girls ... let alone boys too! But music and lyrics, to me, were something special ... and I held them kinda sacred In that way, even though I didn’t know I was doing that at the time.

So, when I would get to check out an album on one of those rare occasions when I would be at home alone, in the living room, where we had all the albums stored in the center compartment with the sliding door in the stereo cabinet, and the turntable inside the top flap that lifts up, and the speakers in the left and right sides of the cabinet so that the whole piece is prominently featured piece of furniture (remember those?) it was special “me time” with music.

When I was home alone like this, I got to check things out like this, the way I really liked to check things out -with a lot of personal time to really listen, peruse, explore and enjoy the music I was listening to. Being alone in a house of seven is very rare, so these moments were to be perfectly planned, timed and enjoyed. The funny thing is, I don’t remember where everyone went ... but, it doesn’t matter.

But, I remember taking the album out, looking at the orange and yellow and red artwork imagery with Stevie placed in the center, wearing his sunglasses and what appear to be vibrations spreading out from him in waves. My young mind was caught in a daze, wondering what he was trying to convey to me with this image.

Opening up the double fold, holding an album on each side, and exposing another 45 record inserted into a special sleeve, and a songbook as big as the album and so rich with detail. The front page of the songbook included a personal note from Stevie and it was ‘signed’ by him with guided scrawlings of his name, “S T E V E L A N D” (because his real name is Steveland Morris) and then, his thumbprint firmly affixed to the page, as if he wanted you to know that the songs you are about to hear are going to be nothing short of brilliant.

So there I am, laying my stomach on the blue shag carpet my mom was so proud of, feet kicked up behind me, big songbook in front of me ... I open the songbook and start going over each and every song with Stevie, reading and singing along until I had heard and read every song on the album.

Now, keep in mind, I am thirteen years of age at this time, and this journey was most likely not designed for somebody my age. Still, I never thought about the restrictions of youth when it came to music. This music was speaking to me! Singing to me! Touching me! It was unreal. And, I loved it all.

You can have your fast songs - every one needs a fast tune every once in awhile, or every day! This album has quite a few and, as I mentioned earlier, a couple that stood out big time - which I also loved.

But, I do love my slow songs. My message songs. My songs that you can either make love to, or cry to, or study ... and “Love’s In Need of Love Today” stands out as one of ‘those’ songs.

I remember the first line of the song coming after a flow of (to me, at the time, was a) strangely arranged harmonizing introduction of “Oooooh’s”. Now, I think they’re beautiful and iconic. He starts singing to you as though he’s a radio DJ bringing you an important news update:

“Good morn or evening friends, here’s your friendly announcer. I’ve serious news to pass on to everybody. What I’m about to say could mean the world’s disaster. Could change your joy and laughter to tears and pain ... it’s that ...

“Love’s in need of love today ...

“Don’t delay, send yours in right away. Hate’s goin’ round breaking many hearts. Stop it please, before it’s gone too far.

He continues on:

“The force of evil plans to make you its its possession, and it will if we let it destroy everbody.

“We all must take precautionary measures, if love and peace you treasure than you’ll hear me when I say ...

“Love’s in need of love today ...

“Don’t delay, send yours in right away. Hate’s goin’ round breaking many hearts. Stop it please, before it’s gone too far.”

Then from the second chorus he continues for another five minutes (or so) of ad-libs and reminders of why Stevie is Stevie - in the fourth minute of the song, he sings softly to the band,

“Bring it down a little, love is very peaceful, so bring it down a little.”

As the band’s music softens, he starts pleading more earnestly and emotionally to please help bring back love to the world, asking,

“Did you ever think that love would be in need of love?’ and spelling out “L-O-V-E Love, yeah, L-0-V-E Loooooooooove”.

And the lyrics written out in the songbook were spelled like that, running the words long and wavey! By the end of the song, you feel that as a result of this song, love had indeed been restored into the atmosphere. His request and demands worked.

And, in the wondrous way that only Stevie can do it, he made you believe that those things were really happening and that the power of music and community made you believe that through song - love and peace were restored into the world.

When he asked the band to ‘bring it down a little’ you inched just a little closer to the speaker so that you can hear this important message that Stevie needed more of your attention for ... that, indeed, “love is very peaceful, so bring it down a little’.

Getting off the floor, carefully putting the albums back into the sleeves and back into the album cover, putting the 45 back in its slot and placing the Songbook carefully back into the album, I feel like I’ve gone through an emotional journey of potential despair at first, and then into a sense of hope and optimism. Can all of that emotion really come from listening to a song? Yes, it can ... and did. But, it was never over for me ... I carried this song through many aspects of my life, as well.

When I was doing my show the “Thomas Robinson Revue” In the early 80’s, around the Central Coast in my early 20’s, it was my wish to be able to perform this live with my brother and sister singing backup. We were able to pull it off at one performance in one of my shows at a swanky restaurant bar called “Joshua’s”, with a pianist who could play the tune brilliantly for us. It was nothing short of magical. It was the closing song for the night, and we received a standing ovation!

I managed to perform it yet again in a show I directed in Bakersfield called “Jukebox Legends”, which was an original musical revue, where this jukebox came to life and showed a distraught DJ how music is still relevant to today. While the play showcased various artists at different decades of life, it usually showcased the artist performing their ‘big hit’.

When I decided to perform as Stevie Wonder, instead of the expected old standbys, like “I Just Called to Say I Love You”, “Master Blaster”, “Superstitious” or any of his other major hits, I was led onto the stage and sat at a keyboard, and sang this very song every night of that show while the audience scratched their heads wondering which song this was - but, clearly enjoying the vibe and the feel of what was being brought to them ... it too was magical.

I have concluded long ago, when I was around 19 years old, that “Songs in the Key of Life” was a masterpiece, and that it would never be topped by anyone.

At 54 years of age I still believe that.

Not Thriller.

Not Purple Rain.

But this one.

This amazing album that tells you it will be filled with songs for your life, in life’s key ... In this song’s two albums and the extra 45 speed record, is something for everyone at any time of their lives.

“Loves in need of love today, don’t delay, send yours in right away ..,”.

- Tomás G Robinson

(You can watch me sing a cover of this song by clicking right here.)