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Information about Higher Ground (song)

"Higher Ground"
Enlarge picture
"Higher Ground" cover
Single by Stevie Wonder
from the album Innervisions
B-side(s)"Too High"
ReleasedJuly, 1973
Format7" 45 RPM
GenreSoul
Length3:42 (full-length version) 3:10 (single-edit)
LabelTamla
Writer(s)Stevie Wonder
Producer(s)Stevie Wonder
Peak chart positions
"Higher Ground" is a funk song written by Stevie Wonder and first appearing on his 1973 album Innervisions. Against a driving, percolating clavinet-based arrangement, the lyric posits that religion and reincarnation can perhaps successfully do battle with the darker sides of human nature. It reached #4 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart and #1 on the U.S. Black Singleschart. The album version of this song contains an extra verse and runs 30 seconds longer than the single version. The unique wah-clavinet sound in the song was achieved with a Mutron envelope filter pedal. The bass is a Moog synthesizer. Via overdubs, Wonder played all instruments on the track, including drums.

In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the song #261 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, offering the following explanation: "Ground" was recorded just before Wonder was involved in a near-fatal accident in August '73 that left him in a coma. Early in Wonder's recovery, his road manager sang the melody of "Ground" into the singer's ear; Wonder responded by moving his fingers with the music."

An especially ferocious performance of "Higher Ground" was given by Alicia Keys along with Wonder and Lenny Kravitz at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards. Keys and Wonder then took a softer, improvised approach in a duet at the 2006 Grammy Awards. Later in 2006, fifth-season American Idol contestant Chris Daughtry gave an acclaimed, show-closing rendition that blended the original with the Red Hot Chili Peppers' 1989 cover. At the 2006 Montreux Jazz Festival, Marcus Miller also performed this song. Higher Ground was later released on his 2007 album "Free".

Preceded by
Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number one single
September 29, 1973		Succeeded by
"Keep On Truckin' " by Eddie Kendricks

Red Hot Chili Peppers cover

"Higher Ground"
Enlarge picture
"Higher Ground" cover
Single by Red Hot Chili Peppers
from the album Mother's Milk
B-side(s)"Millionaires Against Hunger"
Released1989
FormatCD Single
Length3:21
LabelEMI
Writer(s)Stevie Wonder
Producer(s)Michael Beinhorn
Peak chart positions
Red Hot Chili Peppers singles chronology


"Knock Me Down"
(1989)		"Higher Ground"
(1989)		"Taste the Pain"
(1989)




This song was covered notably by the Red Hot Chili Peppers on 1989's Mother's Milk.

This version was featured in the films (1995), Center Stage (2000), Walking Tall (2004) and The Longest Yard (2005). It is used in The Pursuit of Happyness too as Highest Ground. It was also used as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers pilot episode opened. A cover of this version of the song was used in the game Guitar Hero. This song was released as a part of a 3-song pack via Xbox Live for the Xbox 360 title Guitar Hero II on April 11, 2007. Their version features a very dominant funk slap bass sound. Higher Ground was the Steiner Brother's entrance music back in WCW. As part of the "Year of a Million Dreams" Celebration, Space Mountain at Disneyland in Anaheim, California used this song as its soundtrack for 16 weeks, from January 3, 2007 to April 26, 2007.The Red Hot Chili's version was played in a season one episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

British magazine, Total Guitar names this version as the second greatest cover version ever in 2000.[1]

DigitalDreamDoor voted this song as having the 9th greatest bassline of all time.

Track Listing

CD Single #1
  1. Higher Ground (Album)
  2. Higher Ground (Munchkin Mix)
  3. Millionaires Against Hunger (Previously Unreleased)
  4. Mommy Where's Daddy (Album)


CD Single #2 (Germany Only)
  1. Politician (Mini Rap)
  2. Higher Ground (Munchkin Mix)
  3. Higher Ground (Daddy-O Remix)
  4. Mommy Where's Daddy (Album)


12" Vinyl
  1. Politician (Mini Rap)
  2. Higher Ground (Munchkin Mix)
  3. Higher Ground (Dub Mix)
  4. Mommy Where's Daddy


12" Remix Vinyl
  1. Higher Ground
  2. Higher Ground (Munchkin Mix)
  3. Politician (Mini Rap)
  4. Higher Ground (Bert Bevans Mix)


UK 12" Vinyl
  1. Higher Ground
  2. Higher Ground (Daddy-O Remix)
  3. Fight Like a Brave


  •  • [ e] Red Hot Chili Peppers
Anthony Kiedis | John Frusciante | Flea | Chad Smith
Hillel Slovak | Dave Navarro | Cliff Martinez | Jack Sherman | Arik Marshall | Jesse Tobias | D. H. Peligro | Jack Irons
Discography
Studio albums: The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984) | Freaky Styley (1985) | The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987) | Mother's Milk (1989) | Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991) | One Hot Minute (1995) | Californication (1999) | By the Way (2002) | Stadium Arcadium (2006)
EPs, live albums and compilations: The Abbey Road E.P. (1988) | What Hits!? (1992) | Live Rare Remix Box (1994) |The Plasma Shaft (1994) | Out in L.A. (1994) | (1998) | The Best of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (1998) | Greatest Hits (2003) | Live in Hyde Park (2004) | iTunes Originals (2006)
Other pages: Videography | Songs | Band members
Related articles
Chain Reaction | What Is This? | Jane's Addiction | Pearl Jam | Fear | The Mars Volta | Rick Rubin
Categories: |
1. ^ "The Best Cover Versions Ever", Total Guitar (Future Publishing), August 2000
In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats.
  • Vinyl singles consist of one or more tracks on a traditional gramophone record.

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Stevie Wonder (born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, name later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris),[1] is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer.
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Innervisions
(1973) Fulfillingness' First Finale
(1974)

Innervisions is an album by Stevie Wonder, released in 1973 (see 1973 in music).
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A-side and B-side refer to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song (the one that
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In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats.
  • Vinyl singles consist of one or more tracks on a traditional gramophone record.

..... Click the link for more information.
A music genre is a term that describes the process of dividing popular music into categories. Some treat the terms genre and style as the same, and state that genre should be defined as pieces of music that share a certain style or "basic musical language.
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Soul Music is the sixteenth Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, first published in 1994. Like many of Pratchett's novels it introduces an element of modern society into the magical and vaguely late medieval, early modern world of the Disc, in this case Rock and Roll
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In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. In everyday usage, a record label is also a company that manages such brands and trademarks; coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution,
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Motown Records, also known as Tamla-Motown outside of the United States, is a record label originally based out of Detroit, Michigan ("Motor City", hence mo(tor)town), from where it achieved widespread international success.
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A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. That is to say, a songwriter is a lyricist, a composer, or both.
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Stevie Wonder (born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, name later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris),[1] is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer.
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In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering
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Stevie Wonder (born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, name later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris),[1] is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer.
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__NOEDITSECTION__ A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of record charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40.
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The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on airplay and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the airplay
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Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, formerly known by various names including Hot Soul Singles, Hot Black Singles, and Hot R&B Singles (before the hip-hop term was added in the late 1990s), is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.
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For other uses, including related musical genres, see .
Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, soul jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music.
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Stevie Wonder (born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, name later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris),[1] is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer.
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Innervisions
(1973) Fulfillingness' First Finale
(1974)

Innervisions is an album by Stevie Wonder, released in 1973 (see 1973 in music).
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A clavinet is an electrophonic keyboard instrument, manufactured by the Hohner company. It is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an electric guitar. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk, disco, rock, and reggae songs.
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The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on airplay and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the airplay
..... Click the link for more information.
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, formerly known by various names including Hot Soul Singles, Hot Black Singles, and Hot R&B Singles (before the hip-hop term was added in the late 1990s), is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.
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Type Music magazine
Format

Owner Jann Wenner
Publisher Wenner Publishing
Editor Jann Wenner
Will Dana
Founded 1967
Language English
Headquarters New York City, NY
Circulation 1.2 to 1.
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The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2004. It was chosen based on votes by 172 musicians, critics, and industry figures.
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Coma
Classifications and external resources

ICD-10 R 40.2
ICD-9 780.01

In medicine, a coma (from the Greek κῶμα koma, meaning deep sleep) is a profound state of unconsciousness.
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Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and arranger whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk, and ballads.
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MTV Video Music Awards
2007 MTV Video Music Awards

Awarded for Best in music videos
Presented by MTV
Country  United States
First awarded 1984
Official website
The MTV Video Music Awards
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Grammy Award

The Grammy awards are named for the trophy: a small, gilded gramophone statuette.
Awarded for Outstanding achievements in the record industry
Presented by National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
Country
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American Idol is an annual American televised singing competition, which began its first season on June 11, 2002. Part of the Idol franchise, it originated from the British reality program Pop Idol.
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