Master Blaster (Jammin)
Encyclopedia
"Master Blaster" is a 1980
single by American
singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder
from his 1980 album Hotter than July
.
feel, is an ode to reggae legend Bob Marley
; Wonder had been performing with Marley a few times in concerts (and actually billed him as an opening act) on his US tour in the fall of that year. Lyrics mention Marley, joining as "children of Jah
", and the end of the civil war in Zimbabwe
.
The song was the leading single off Wonder's Hotter than July
album. It was a major hit, spending seven weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B singles chart, reaching number five on Billboard's pop singles chart in the fall of 1980 and peaking at number two on the UK Singles chart
. The song is also significant for the difficult vocal maneuvers Wonder showcased especially on the line, "I bet you if someone approached you yesterday/to tell you that you would be jammin'/you would not believe it/that you'd be jammin' jammin' till the break of day". The song also includes the "hotter than July" line.
singer Cheb Mami
titled "Enfants d'Afrique" featuring Canadian superstar Corneille
.
'Master Blaster' is the name of a round on the Australian RockWiz
rock quiz show, with the two musician guests answering questions on a special subject. The song's tune is played when the round is introduced.
The song was featured in the WKRP in Cincinatti episode called "The Airplane Show".
It appeared in the portuguese movie "O Lampião da Estrela".
1980 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1980.-January–March:*January 1**Cliff Richard is appointed an MBE by Elizabeth II.**The Zorros audition drummer Greg Pedley....
single by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
from his 1980 album Hotter than July
Hotter than July
Hotter than July is the nineteenth album by Stevie Wonder, originally released on Motown's Tamla label on September 29, 1980. Despite the wide critical acclaim for Wonder's previous works such as Songs in the Key of Life and Innervisions, Hotter than July was his first album eligible for platinum...
.
History
The song, built on a heavy reggaeReggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
feel, is an ode to reggae legend Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
; Wonder had been performing with Marley a few times in concerts (and actually billed him as an opening act) on his US tour in the fall of that year. Lyrics mention Marley, joining as "children of Jah
Jah
Jah is the shortened form of the divine name YHWH , an anglicized version of the Tetragrammaton . The name is most commonly associated with the Rastafari movement or within the word hallelujah, although Christian groups may use the name to varying degrees. For example, Jehovah's Witnesses use a...
", and the end of the civil war in Zimbabwe
Lancaster House Agreement
The negotiations which led to the Lancaster House Agreement brought independence to Rhodesia following Ian Smith’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965. The Agreement covered the Independence Constitution, pre-independence arrangements, and a ceasefire...
.
The song was the leading single off Wonder's Hotter than July
Hotter than July
Hotter than July is the nineteenth album by Stevie Wonder, originally released on Motown's Tamla label on September 29, 1980. Despite the wide critical acclaim for Wonder's previous works such as Songs in the Key of Life and Innervisions, Hotter than July was his first album eligible for platinum...
album. It was a major hit, spending seven weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B singles chart, reaching number five on Billboard's pop singles chart in the fall of 1980 and peaking at number two on the UK Singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The song is also significant for the difficult vocal maneuvers Wonder showcased especially on the line, "I bet you if someone approached you yesterday/to tell you that you would be jammin'/you would not believe it/that you'd be jammin' jammin' till the break of day". The song also includes the "hotter than July" line.
Cultural references
The song itself is the subject of an homage by the North African raïRaï
Raï is a form of folk music that originated in Oran, Algeria from Bedouin shepherds, mixed with Spanish, French, African and Arabic musical forms, which dates back to the 1930s....
singer Cheb Mami
Cheb Mami
Ahmed Khelifati Mohamed better known by his stage name Cheb Mami , is an Algerian-born raï singer...
titled "Enfants d'Afrique" featuring Canadian superstar Corneille
Corneille (singer)
Cornelius Nyungura is a singer who performs under the name Corneille. He was born in Germany to Rwandan parents, though he currently holds a Canadian passport and sings in French and English...
.
'Master Blaster' is the name of a round on the Australian RockWiz
RocKwiz
RocKwiz is an Australian television quiz show series, focused on rock music, and broadcast on SBS One. It premiered in 2005.-Summary:The forty minute program airs on Saturday at 9:20 pm, and is hosted by Julia Zemiro. It is shot in The Gershwin Room at St Kilda's Esplanade Hotel, commonly...
rock quiz show, with the two musician guests answering questions on a special subject. The song's tune is played when the round is introduced.
The song was featured in the WKRP in Cincinatti episode called "The Airplane Show".
It appeared in the portuguese movie "O Lampião da Estrela".
Charts
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
1 |
| UK Singles Chart | 2 |
| German Singles Chart | 9 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 1 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 2 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 4 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 1 |