| "You Haven't Done Nothin'" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
) Front cover (Netherlands issue) | ||||
| Single by Stevie Wonder | ||||
| from the album Fulfillingness' First Finale | ||||
| B-side | "Big Brother" | |||
| Released | August 7, 1974 | |||
| Genre | Funk | |||
| Length | 3:29 | |||
| Label | Tamla Motown | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Stevie Wonder | |||
| Stevie Wonder singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"You Haven't Done Nothin'" is a 1974 funk single by Stevie Wonder, taken from his album Fulfillingness' First Finale and featuring background vocals by The Jackson 5. The politically aware song became Wonder's fourth Number 1 pop hit and his tenth Number 1 soul hit.[1] It also reached Number 1 in Canada.[2] In the UK the single spent five weeks on the chart, peaking at Number 30.[3]
The song was one of his angriest political statements and was aimed squarely at President Richard Nixon, who resigned two days after the record's release. The Jackson Five sing the words "Doo da wop!" repeatedly in the chorus, when Wonder sings "Jackson 5, join along with me, say".[4] The song also features a thick clavinet track and an early appearance of the drum machine. The B-side "Big Brother", also a political statement, was taken from Wonder's 1972 album Talking Book.
Billboard described "You Haven't Done Nothin'" as being "exceptionally powerful" and more subtle than most protest songs.[5] Billboard particularly praised the synthesiser arrangement and the vocal performance.[5]
Personnel
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, Hohner clavinet, hi-hats, crash cymbal, keyboard horns, drum programming
- Reggie McBride – electric bass
- The Jackson 5 – background vocals
Covers
- Roger Daltrey covered the song on his 2018 album As Long as I Have You.
References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 635.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1974-10-26. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
- ^ "You Have't Done Nothin': full Official Chart History". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
- ^ Bronson, Fred (October 1, 2003). Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th ed.). Billboard Books. ISBN 978-0823-0767-72.
- ^ a b "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. August 3, 1974. p. 54. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
External links
- Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics