"Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" is a 1968
single released by American and
Motown
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''mot ...
recording artist
A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who w ...
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, sou ...
. The song, co-written by Wonder and produced by Henry Cosby and Sylvia Moy, was the first to showcase Wonder's talents at the
clavinet and was one of his first successful co-written tracks during his
1960s Motown period. The song reached number nine on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 pop singles chart in 1968, and went to number one on the
R&B chart
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
.
''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' described the single as "a groovy rock number loaded with teen sales appeal."
''
Cash Box'' said it was a "delighting combination of Detroit and Gospel strains" with a "generally relaxed rock mood with snatches of fire from the ork build and outstanding vocal."
"Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" was one of the first songs to use a
clavinet in a popular music recording.
Personnel
* Lead vocals and
clavinet by
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, sou ...
* Backing vocals by
The Andantes
The Andantes were an American female session group for the Motown record label during the 1960s. Composed of Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps, the group sang background vocals on numerous Motown recordings, including songs by Ma ...
(Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps)
* Other instrumentation by
The Funk Brothers
The Funk Brothers were a group of Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The ...
Chart positions
References
1968 singles
Stevie Wonder songs
Michael Jackson songs
Songs written by Stevie Wonder
Songs written by Sylvia Moy
Songs written by Henry Cosby
Tamla Records singles
1968 songs
Song recordings produced by Stevie Wonder
{{1960s-single-stub