Stevie Wonder just opened the vault — 50 years after recording four songs that never made it onto Songs in the Key of Life.
The music legend surprise-released Songs in the Key of Life 50: The EP on Sept. 29, featuring four previously unheard studio recordings from the sessions for his landmark 1976 double album.
The tracks are “It’s Easier,” “My Life Story of Love,” “I Can See the Sun in Late December” and “I’m Into Livin’.”
Wonder recorded the songs while working on Songs in the Key of Life but ultimately left them off the original album. He decided to release them now as he prepares to celebrate the record’s 50th anniversary with a worldwide tour.
“We’ve lived with Songs in the Key of Life for 50 years, but there’s still more to hear,” Wonder said. “We didn’t add these songs to the album, but they were part of what I was feeling and discovering as we made it.”
The EP arrived on streaming services at 4:54 a.m. PDT — the exact time the original recording sessions wrapped. The timing also references an inside joke among Wonder and his musicians, who have used “Fo’FiftyFo’” to mark the end of their sessions.
The newly released recordings continue the themes of love, life and relationships that defined the original album.
“It’s Easier” is an upbeat breakup song, while “My Life Story of Love” explores a relationship that never quite worked out. “I Can See the Sun in Late December” takes a more nostalgic approach, and “I’m Into Livin’” leans into jazzy funk.
Wonder once again handled much of the instrumentation himself, playing drums, Fender Rhodes, electric bass and the GX-1 synthesizer on various tracks.
The EP also features contributions from musicians including Gregory Phillinganes and longtime bassist Nathan Watts, while Shirley Brewer, Thelma Houston and Deneice Williams provide backing vocals on “I’m Into Livin’.”
The release arrives exactly 50 years after Songs in the Key of Life was released on Sept. 28, 1976. The diamond-certified album remains one of Wonder’s most celebrated works and was ranked No. 4 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Now, Wonder is taking the original album back to the stage.
His 50th-anniversary world tour begins Oct. 13 in Birmingham, England, with Wonder set to perform all 17 songs from the original double album. The tour is scheduled to conclude Dec. 19 in Los Angeles.
And after half a century, fans suddenly have four more Stevie Wonder songs to add to the Songs in the Key of Life era.
