Studio Album · No. 6
Up-Tight (Everything's Alright) Songwriting Credits by Stevie Wonder
Produced by Hank Cosby, Clarence Paul
Holds writing credit on 5 of 12 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 5 / 12 documented
Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Stevie Wonder carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Up-Tight was the breakthrough that re-launched Stevie Wonder as a maturing artist after his early novelty-billed records, anchored by the title track "Uptight (Everything's Alright)," which Wonder co-wrote with Motown producer Henry Cosby and writer Sylvia Moy from a riff Wonder had been improvising. The album balances those new originals against interpretive covers, most notably a reading of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" that pushed Wonder toward crossover and socially conscious material. Production duties were split among Motown's in-house team, including Cosby, William "Mickey" Stevenson, Clarence Paul, and the Holland-Dozier-Holland writers, reflecting the assembly-line craft of the label at its mid-1960s peak.
Up-Tight (Everything's Alright) is the sixth studio album by Stevie Wonder, released in 1966 on Tamla Records and the album that began his transition from child prodigy to serious recording artist. The title track, 'Uptight (Everything's Alright)', was Stevie Wonder's first co-writing credit, co-written with Hank Cosby and Sylvia Moy, and marked a crucial turning point in his creative development. The song reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and introduced Wonder as a songwriter, not merely a performer. The album also featured a cover of Bob Dylan's 'Blowin' in the Wind' that gave Stevie his first genuine pop-crossover hit, and Ron Miller and Bryan Wells's 'A Place in the Sun.' Wonder was 16 years old and beginning to find his voice, both literally and as a songwriter, on an album that still relied heavily on Motown's writing staff for its material.
Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Love a Go Go
|
Beth BeattyErnie Shelby | Beth BeattyErnie Shelby | Hank CosbyClarence Paul | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica) |
| 2 |
Hold Me
|
Morris BroadnaxClarence PaulStevie Wonder | Morris BroadnaxClarence PaulStevie Wonder | Hank CosbyClarence Paul | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica) |
| 3 |
Blowin' in the Wind
#9
|
Bob Dylan | Bob Dylan | Hank CosbyClarence Paul | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica) |
| 4 |
Nothing's Too Good for My Baby
#20
|
Henry CosbySylvia MoyWilliam Stevenson | Henry CosbySylvia MoyWilliam Stevenson | Hank CosbyClarence Paul | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica) |
| 5 |
Teach Me Tonight
|
Sammy Cahn | Gene de Paul | Hank CosbyClarence Paul | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica) |
| 6 |
Uptight (Everything's Alright)
#3
|
Stevie WonderHenry CosbySylvia Moy | Stevie WonderHenry CosbySylvia Moy | Hank CosbyClarence Paul | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica) |
| 7 |
Ain't That Asking for Trouble
|
Sylvia MoyClarence PaulStevie Wonder | Sylvia MoyClarence PaulStevie Wonder | Hank CosbyClarence Paul | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica) |
| 8 |
I Want My Baby Back
|
Cornelius GrantEddie KendricksNorman Whitfield | Cornelius GrantEddie KendricksNorman Whitfield | Hank CosbyClarence Paul | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica) |
| 9 |
Pretty Little Angel
|
Clarence PaulMichael ValvanoStevie Wonder | Clarence PaulMichael ValvanoStevie Wonder | Hank CosbyClarence Paul | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica) |
| 10 |
Music Talk
|
Ted HullClarence PaulStevie Wonder | Ted HullClarence PaulStevie Wonder | Hank CosbyClarence Paul | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica) |
| 11 |
Contract on Love
|
Janie BradfordLamont DozierBrian Holland | Janie BradfordLamont DozierBrian Holland | Hank CosbyClarence Paul | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica) |
| 12 |
With a Child's Heart
|
Victoria BasemoreHenry CosbySylvia Moy | Victoria BasemoreHenry CosbySylvia Moy | Hank CosbyClarence Paul | Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica) |