Tribute to Uncle Ray cover art

  Studio Album · No. 2

Tribute to Uncle Ray Songwriting Credits by Stevie Wonder

1962 Tamla 10 tracks 31 min

Produced by Clarence Paul

Tamla R&BSoul
10%
Authorship
Singer / Performer

Holds writing credit on 1 of 10 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 1 / 10 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Stevie Wonder carries a lyricist or composer credit.

10%
1 trackwritten by Stevie Wonder 9 tracksoutside writers
Stevie Wonder's roles on this album

Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist10%
Composer10%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

10
Tracks
8
Lyricists
1
Producers
1962
Released
Data Insight

Tribute to Uncle Ray is not a self-written record. Recorded when Stevie Wonder was about 11 years old and billed as Little Stevie Wonder, it was assembled by Motown to tie the young blind artist to Ray Charles, the established blind R&B star. Most of the album covers songs associated with Charles, including "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "Ain't That Love," "Come Back Baby," and "Mary Ann," alongside the standard "(I'm Afraid) The Masquerade Is Over" and the traditional "Frankie and Johnny." Wonder's only writing contribution is "Sunset," which he co-wrote with producer Clarence Paul, while "My Baby's Gone" was written by Motown founder Berry Gordy.

Tribute to Uncle Ray is the second studio album by Stevie Wonder, released in 1962 on Tamla Records. The "Uncle Ray" of the title is Ray Charles, a direct acknowledgment of the influence that Charles had on Stevie Wonder's vocal and musical development. The album features young Stevie performing arrangements of songs most closely associated with Ray Charles, including "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "Don't You Know," and other signature tracks. None of the material was written by Wonder; this was a Motown production designed to pair a child prodigy with beloved Ray Charles material and attract immediate attention. The album is a historical document of Wonder's vocal range and emotional depth at 12 years old, astonishing by any measure, even as his writing would come much later.

Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Hallelujah I Love Her So
Ray Charles Ray Charles Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
2
Ain't That Love
Ray Charles Ray Charles Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
3
Don't You Know
Ray Charles Ray Charles Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
4
(I'm Afraid) The Masquerade Is Over
Herbert MagidsonAllie Wrubel Herbert MagidsonAllie Wrubel Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
5
Frankie & Johnny
Traditional Traditional Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
6
Drown in My Own Tears
Henry Glover Henry Glover Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
7
Come Back Baby
Ray Charles Ray Charles Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
8
Mary Ann
Ray Charles Ray Charles Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
9
Sunset
Stevie WonderClarence Paul Stevie WonderClarence Paul Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
10
My Baby's Gone
Berry Gordy Jr. Berry Gordy Jr. Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 8 contributors

RC
Ray Charles
Writer
On this album5 written
CP
Clarence Paul
Writer · Producer
On this album1 written
AW
Allie Wrubel
Writer
On this album1 written
BG
Berry Gordy Jr.
Writer
On this album1 written
HG
Henry Glover
Writer
On this album1 written
HM
Herbert Magidson
Writer
On this album1 written
SW
Stevie Wonder
Writer · Vocals
On this album1 written
T
Traditional
Writer
On this album1 written

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Frequently Asked Questions Tribute to Uncle Ray

Did Stevie Wonder write the songs on Tribute to Uncle Ray?
No. Tribute to Uncle Ray is a covers album, and most of its tracks are songs associated with Ray Charles, such as "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "Ain't That Love," "Come Back Baby," and "Mary Ann." Stevie Wonder's only writing credit on the record is "Sunset," which he co-wrote with producer Clarence Paul.
Why did Stevie Wonder record a Ray Charles tribute album?
Motown founder Berry Gordy built Tribute to Uncle Ray to link the young Stevie Wonder with Ray Charles, who was also a blind African-American musician and a major R&B star at the time. Wonder was around 11 when he recorded it, billed as Little Stevie Wonder. The album leans heavily on songs from the Charles catalog to make that connection clear.
Who wrote "Sunset" on Tribute to Uncle Ray?
Stevie Wonder co-wrote "Sunset" with Clarence Paul, the producer who oversaw the album. It is the only song on Tribute to Uncle Ray that Wonder had a hand in writing. The credit appears under his birth name Steveland Judkins on the original release.
Who wrote "My Baby's Gone" on the album?
"My Baby's Gone" was written by Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown. It is one of the few non-Ray Charles songs on Tribute to Uncle Ray, included as a Motown original rather than a cover. The track closes out the record.
Is "Drown in My Own Tears" a Ray Charles song?
"Drown in My Own Tears" is closely associated with Ray Charles, who turned it into a hit, but it was actually written by Henry Glover. Stevie Wonder's version on Tribute to Uncle Ray covers the Charles arrangement. The album credits Glover as the songwriter.
When was Tribute to Uncle Ray released and on what label?
Tribute to Uncle Ray was released in October 1962 on Motown's Tamla label. Although it came out as Stevie Wonder's second album, it was recorded first. The record runs about 31 minutes across ten tracks.
Did Tribute to Uncle Ray produce any hit singles?
No. Tribute to Uncle Ray did not generate any charting hit singles. The album predates Wonder's first major success, the 1963 single "Fingertips," and is best understood as an early Motown attempt to launch him as a young Ray Charles-styled performer.
What genre is Tribute to Uncle Ray?
Tribute to Uncle Ray is an R&B and soul album built around covers of material associated with Ray Charles. It reflects the rhythm and blues style of its source songs rather than the funk and synthesizer sound Wonder developed a decade later. The arrangements were handled by the Motown studio team led by Clarence Paul.
Data note: Album consists of covers of songs associated with Ray Charles. All writing credits belong to original composers. Stevie Wonder had no songwriting input on this record.

Sources

Wikipedia: Tribute to Uncle Ray Stevie Wonder discography: Tribute to Uncle Ray MusicBrainz: Tribute to Uncle Ray release-group Cover Art Archive: Tribute to Uncle Ray front cover Cover Art Archive: Tribute to Uncle Ray by Stevie Wonder