Studio Album · No. 21
Characters Songwriting Credits by Stevie Wonder
Produced by Stevie Wonder · Engineered by Gary Olazabal
Holds writing credit on 10 of 10 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 10 / 10 documented
Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Stevie Wonder carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Characters is a largely self-contained Stevie Wonder production, with Wonder writing, arranging, and performing the bulk of the record himself. The chief exception is "Dark 'n' Lovely," whose lyrics come from poet Gary Byrd over Wonder's music. The album yielded two number-one R&B singles in "Skeletons," a paranoid funk workout that became Wonder's last American top-40 pop hit at number 19, and the ballad "You Will Know." "Get It" pairs Wonder with Michael Jackson, the only outside lead voice on the album and a rare studio meeting of two Motown-rooted superstars.
Characters is Stevie Wonder's twenty-first studio album, released in 1987 on Motown Records. 'Skeletons,' an infectious funk track built on a rolling groove, became a substantial hit and featured a satirical lyrical edge that showed Wonder's social commentary hadn't softened since 'You Haven't Done Nothin'.' 'Get It,' a duet with Michael Jackson, brought two of soul music's greatest forces together in a playful call-and-response that was a commercial highlight of both artists' late-80s output. 'With Each Beat of My Heart' demonstrated Wonder's ballad writing was still operating at the highest level. The album was entirely self-written and self-produced, maintaining the creative model Wonder had held since 1971. Characters is a solid, occasionally overlooked entry in his catalog, less celebrated than the classic period but containing some of his most commercially effective work of the decade.
Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
You Will Know
#77
|
Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Keyboards, Harmonica, Multi-Instrumentalist) |
| 2 |
Dark 'n' Lovely
|
Gary Byrd | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Keyboards, Harmonica, Multi-Instrumentalist) |
| 3 |
In Your Corner
|
Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Keyboards, Harmonica, Multi-Instrumentalist) |
| 4 |
With Each Beat of My Heart
|
Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Keyboards, Harmonica, Multi-Instrumentalist) |
| 5 |
One of a Kind
|
Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Keyboards, Harmonica, Multi-Instrumentalist) |
| 6 |
Skeletons
#19
|
Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Keyboards, Harmonica, Multi-Instrumentalist) |
| 7 |
Get It
#80
|
Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Keyboards, Harmonica, Multi-Instrumentalist)Michael Jackson (Vocals) |
| 8 |
Galaxy Paradise
|
Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Keyboards, Harmonica, Multi-Instrumentalist) |
| 9 |
Cryin' Through the Night
|
Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Keyboards, Harmonica, Multi-Instrumentalist) |
| 10 |
Free
|
Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Keyboards, Harmonica, Multi-Instrumentalist) |