Studio Album · No. 4

Workout Stevie, Workout Songwriting Credits by Stevie Wonder

1963 Tamla 12 tracks 32 min

Produced by Clarence Paul, Hank Cosby

Tamla R&BSoul
0%
Authorship
Singer / Performer

Holds writing credit on 0 of 12 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 0 / 12 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Stevie Wonder carries a lyricist or composer credit.

0%
0 trackswritten by Stevie Wonder 12 tracksoutside writers
Stevie Wonder's roles on this album

Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist0%
Composer0%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

12
Tracks
19
Lyricists
1
Producers
1963
Released
Data Insight

Workout Stevie, Workout was the planned 1963 follow-up to Little Stevie Wonder's number-one live hit "Fingertips," built around the title single rather than written by Wonder himself. The material came almost entirely from Motown's staff writers: the title track and "I'll Always Be in Love" by Clarence Paul and Henry "Hank" Cosby, "I Call It Pretty Music (But the Old People Call It the Blues)" by Berry Gordy Jr. and Clarence Paul, and "Contract on Love" by the Holland-Dozier team with Janie Bradford, alongside instrumental covers of standards such as "Mack the Knife," "Satin Doll," and "Your Cheatin' Heart." When the single only reached number 33 on the Hot 100 and missed the R&B chart, Motown shelved the album and replaced it with the standards collection With a Song in My Heart. The intended tracklist remained unreleased until the 2005 box set The Complete Stevie Wonder gathered it digitally.

Workout Stevie, Workout is the fourth studio album by Stevie Wonder, released in 1963 on Tamla Records. The album took a more uptempo, dance-oriented approach than the standards collection that preceded it, leaning into the energetic young performer persona that Motown was cultivating. The title track was released as a single and helped establish Wonder as a live-performance entertainer, a reputation that would be cemented by his incendiary performances of "Fingertips" at the Apollo Theater. Clarence Paul and Hank Cosby handled production and most of the songwriting. The record shows Stevie Wonder mastering the upbeat R&B style that Motown had perfected, years before he would reimagine the entire template on his own terms.

Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Workout Stevie, Workout #33
Clarence PaulHenry Cosby Clarence PaulHenry Cosby Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
2
I Call It Pretty Music (But the Old People Call It the Blues)
Berry GordyClarence Paul Berry GordyClarence Paul Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
3
Contract on Love
Brian HollandJanie BradfordLamont Dozier Brian HollandJanie BradfordLamont Dozier Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
4
I'll Always Be in Love
Clarence PaulHenry Cosby Clarence PaulHenry Cosby Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
5
Old Folks
Dedette Lee HillWillard Robison Dedette Lee HillWillard Robison Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
6
Monkey Talk
Clarence Paul Clarence Paul Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Vocals, Harmonica)
7
Let Me Loose
Clarence Paul Clarence Paul Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Harmonica)
8
Birth of the Blues
Lew BrownBuddy DeSylvaRay Henderson Lew BrownBuddy DeSylvaRay Henderson Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Harmonica)
9
Mack the Knife
Kurt WeillMarc Blitzstein Kurt WeillMarc Blitzstein Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Harmonica)
10
Your Cheatin' Heart
Hank Williams Hank Williams Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Harmonica)
11
Undecided
Sid RobinCharlie Shavers Sid RobinCharlie Shavers Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Harmonica)
12
Satin Doll
Johnny MercerDuke EllingtonBilly Strayhorn Johnny MercerDuke EllingtonBilly Strayhorn Clarence Paul Stevie Wonder (Harmonica)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 20 contributors

CP
Clarence Paul
Writer · Producer
On this album5 written
HC
Henry Cosby
Writer
On this album2 written
BG
Berry Gordy
Writer
On this album1 written
BS
Billy Strayhorn
Writer
On this album1 written
BH
Brian Holland
Writer
On this album1 written
BD
Buddy DeSylva
Writer
On this album1 written
CS
Charlie Shavers
Writer
On this album1 written
DL
Dedette Lee Hill
Writer
On this album1 written
DE
Duke Ellington
Writer
On this album1 written
HW
Hank Williams
Writer
On this album1 written
JB
Janie Bradford
Writer
On this album1 written
JM
Johnny Mercer
Writer
On this album1 written

More from Stevie Wonder

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The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie
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1969 42%
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1970 58%
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1971 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 Workout Stevie, Workout

Was Workout Stevie, Workout actually released by Stevie Wonder?
Not in 1963. Tamla issued the title single in September 1963 and planned an album of the same name, but after the single peaked at number 33 on the Hot 100 and missed the R&B chart, Motown cancelled the album and replaced it with With a Song in My Heart. The intended tracklist was not released until 2005, when it appeared digitally in the box set The Complete Stevie Wonder.
Did Stevie Wonder write the songs on Workout Stevie, Workout?
No. The planned album was built from Motown staff compositions and standards rather than Wonder originals. The title track and "I'll Always Be in Love" were written by Clarence Paul and Henry Cosby, "I Call It Pretty Music" by Berry Gordy Jr. and Clarence Paul, and "Contract on Love" by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Janie Bradford. Several tracks are instrumental covers of jazz and pop standards.
Who wrote the title track Workout Stevie, Workout?
"Workout Stevie, Workout" was written by Motown staffers Clarence Paul and Henry "Hank" Cosby, who also produced much of Wonder's early material. The pair wrote it as an uptempo, gospel-flavored harmonica showcase intended to follow up the success of "Fingertips."
How high did the single Workout Stevie, Workout chart?
The single reached number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1963. It did not chart on the R&B survey, and that modest commercial showing is the reason Motown decided not to issue the album it was meant to launch.
What is Contract on Love and why is it notable on this album?
"Contract on Love" is an uptempo track written by the Holland-Dozier team with Janie Bradford. After Workout Stevie, Workout was shelved, Wonder's recording of the song was held back and later included on his 1966 album Up-Tight, making it the one piece from this cancelled project that found a wider release in the 1960s.
Which tracks on Workout Stevie, Workout are instrumentals?
The planned album's back half was largely instrumental, including "Let Me Loose," "Birth of the Blues," "Mack the Knife," "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Undecided," and "Satin Doll." These were harmonica-led covers of jazz and pop standards, continuing the instrumental approach of Wonder's debut The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie.
Why was the Workout Stevie, Workout album cancelled?
Motown intended the album to capitalize on the title single and on Wonder's number-one hit "Fingertips." When the single underperformed, peaking at number 33 and missing the R&B chart, the label judged the results below expectations, recalled the project, and replaced it with the standards album With a Song in My Heart.
What replaced Workout Stevie, Workout in Stevie Wonder's discography?
Motown substituted With a Song in My Heart, a collection of orchestral pop and jazz standards released in December 1963. That album became the official follow-up in Wonder's catalog while the Workout Stevie, Workout tracklist sat unreleased until the 2005 box set.
Who produced Workout Stevie, Workout?
The recordings were produced by Clarence Paul, Wonder's principal early mentor at Motown, working with the label's production team. Paul also co-wrote the title track and several other songs slated for the album.
Data note: Workout Stevie, Workout was a 1963 Tamla LP that Motown cancelled before release; it has no Wikipedia or MusicBrainz album entry, and Discogs lists only the 7" single and an EP, not the album. The full 12-track listing and per-track writer credits survive only in fan discographies (steviewonder.org.uk and steviewonder.es, which agree on the running order) and the 2005 box set The Complete Stevie Wonder, so they cannot be confirmed from a primary source. The two discographies disagree on the writers of "I'll Always Be in Love": steviewonder.org.uk credits Clarence Paul and Henry Cosby (used here), while steviewonder.es credits the 1929 standard's authors Bud Green, Herman Ruby, and Sam H. Stept. The title single is documented as reaching No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Sources

Wikipedia: Stevie Wonder discography Motown Junkies: Little Stevie Wonder, Workout Stevie, Workout (single) Stevie Wonder UK: Workout Stevie Workout Stevie Wonder Hispana: Workout Stevie, Workout (1963) MusicBrainz: Workout Stevie Workout release-group search (no results) Discogs: Little Stevie Wonder, Workout Stevie, Workout (7" single, 1963)