With a Song in My Heart cover art

  Studio Album · No. 3

With a Song in My Heart Songwriting Credits by Stevie Wonder

1963 Tamla 10 tracks 33 min

Produced by Clarence Paul, Hank Cosby

Tamla Traditional PopJazzPop
0%
Authorship
Singer / Performer

Holds writing credit on 0 of 10 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 0 / 10 documented

Who wrote the songs?

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

0%
0 trackswritten by Stevie Wonder 10 tracksoutside writers
Stevie Wonder's roles on this album

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

Lyricist0%
Composer0%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

10
Tracks
16
Lyricists
2
Producers
1963
Released
Data Insight

With a Song in My Heart contains no Stevie Wonder originals. Every track is a pop or jazz standard, from Rodgers and Hart's title song to Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" and Leigh Harline and Ned Washington's "When You Wish Upon a Star," performed by the thirteen-year-old Wonder over lush orchestral arrangements by Ernie Wilkins. Motown built the record in the mold of Marvin Gaye's standards sessions, pairing Wonder's voice with full string and horn charts rather than the harmonica-driven instrumentals of his debut. The album is also the first to bill him as "Stevie Wonder," dropping the "Little" prefix from his earlier releases.

With a Song in My Heart is the third studio album by Stevie Wonder, released in 1963 on Tamla Records. The album moves into the territory of popular standards and show tunes, classic songs including the title track, "Get Happy," "Give Your Heart a Chance," and other pre-rock era selections performed by the 13-year-old Wonder. Motown was marketing Stevie as a versatile pop entertainer rather than strictly an R&B act, and this standards collection demonstrated the label's faith in his voice across different musical eras. Again, none of the material was written by Wonder himself. The record is a curiosity today, remarkable for what it reveals about Stevie's vocal pliability and extraordinary phrasing at such a young age.

Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
With a Song in My Heart
Lorenz Hart Richard Rodgers Clarence PaulHank Cosby Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
2
When You Wish Upon a Star
Ned Washington Leigh Harline Clarence PaulHank Cosby Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
3
Smile
Charlie ChaplinGeoffrey ParsonsJohn Turner Charlie ChaplinGeoffrey ParsonsJohn Turner Clarence PaulHank Cosby Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
4
Make Someone Happy
Betty ComdenAdolph Green Jule Styne Clarence PaulHank Cosby Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
5
Dream
Johnny Mercer Johnny Mercer Clarence PaulHank Cosby Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
6
Put on a Happy Face
Lee Adams Charles Strouse Clarence PaulHank Cosby Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
7
On the Sunny Side of the Street
Dorothy Fields Jimmy McHugh Clarence PaulHank Cosby Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
8
Get Happy
Ted Koehler Harold Arlen Clarence PaulHank Cosby Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
9
Give Your Heart a Chance
Ron MillerOrlando MurdenKenneth O'Neil Ron MillerOrlando MurdenKenneth O'Neil Clarence PaulHank Cosby Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
10
Without a Song
Edward EliscuBilly Rose Vincent Youmans Clarence PaulHank Cosby Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 26 contributors

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1970 58%
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1971 100%
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1972 100%
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1972 100%
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1973 100%
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1974 100%
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1976 100%
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1979 100%
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1981 100%
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1985 100%
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1987 100%
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Frequently Asked Questions With a Song in My Heart

Did Stevie Wonder write any of the songs on With a Song in My Heart?
No. With a Song in My Heart is an album of pop and jazz standards, and Stevie Wonder did not write any of the material. The songs were composed by established writers such as Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Arlen, and Jule Styne, and Wonder performs them as covers backed by orchestral arrangements.
Who wrote the title track With a Song in My Heart?
The title song "With a Song in My Heart" was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for the 1929 musical Spring Is Here, decades before Wonder recorded it. Stevie Wonder's 1963 version is a cover of that standard, not an original composition.
Who wrote Smile on the With a Song in My Heart album?
"Smile" was composed by Charlie Chaplin as an instrumental theme for his 1936 film Modern Times, with lyrics added later by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons. Stevie Wonder covers the song on With a Song in My Heart.
Is When You Wish Upon a Star on this album a Stevie Wonder original?
No. "When You Wish Upon a Star" was written by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington for the 1940 Disney film Pinocchio. Wonder's recording on With a Song in My Heart is a cover of that standard.
Why is this album credited to Stevie Wonder instead of Little Stevie Wonder?
With a Song in My Heart was the first album to bill him as "Stevie Wonder," dropping the "Little" prefix used on his earlier Motown releases. He was thirteen years old when the album came out in December 1963.
Who arranged and produced With a Song in My Heart?
The orchestral arrangements were written and conducted by Ernie Wilkins, and the album was produced by Clarence Paul and William "Mickey" Stevenson. Wonder's vocals were recorded at Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. studio in Detroit, with the instrumental tracks cut in Los Angeles.
What kind of album is With a Song in My Heart?
It is an album of traditional pop and jazz standards performed by a young Stevie Wonder over full orchestral arrangements. Motown shaped it after the standards records made by labelmate Marvin Gaye, stepping away from the harmonica-led instrumentals of Wonder's debut.
Did With a Song in My Heart produce any hit singles?
No singles from With a Song in My Heart charted, and the album itself did not become a commercial hit. Wonder's national breakthrough came the following year through the live single "Fingertips," which was tied to his other 1963 releases rather than this standards album.
Data note: Album consists of popular standards and show tunes. All writing credits belong to original composers. Stevie Wonder had no songwriting input on this record.

Sources