Songs in the Key of Life

Duke

Sir Duke

"Sir Duke" is a song composed and performed by Stevie Wonder, from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. The track topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Black Singles charts, and reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart, his biggest hit there at the time. It also reached #1 in the United World Chart. The song was written about Duke Ellington, the great jazz artist who influenced Wonder's style. Ellington died in 1974 and the song was a tribute. The lyrics also refer to Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. The artists, apart from Stevie Wonder, who perform on the original version were: Raymond Pounds (drums), Nathan Watts (bass), Mike Sembello (lead guitar), Ben Bridges (rhythm guitar), Hank Redd (alto saxophone), Trevor Laurence (tenor saxophone), Raymond Maldonado (trumpet), and Steve Madaio (trumpet). Wonder rerecorded the song for the live album Natural Wonder. In the early to mid-1990s, "Sir Duke" was played during the NBA's New York Knicks games at Madison Square Garden. "Sir Duke" is featured in the Derrick Comedy sketch "Progressions of a Mad Hatter". "Sir Duke" was also played at the 2004 Democratic National Convention after the Presidential nomination acceptance speech of John Kerry and John Edwards. [Read more on Last.fm](http://www.last.fm/music/Stevie+Wonder/_/Sir+Duke). User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Sir Duke is een song gecomponeerd en uitgevoerd door Stevie Wonder. Hij zong het voor het eerst op zijn album "Songs in the Key of Life" uit 1976. Het nummer werd op single uitgebracht en werd een hit in Amerika, waar het de eerste plaats in de Billboard Hot 100 haalde, alsook de eerste plaats in de Black Singles Chart. In Engeland haalde het de tweede plaats. De song was een ode aan orkestleider en componist Duke Ellington ('Sir Duke'), maar de tekst verwijst ook naar andere jazz-grootheden: Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie , Glenn Miller en Louis Armstrong. Ellington had een grote invloed op Stevie Wonder. Toen de bandleider in 1974 overleed, wilde hij een lied schrijven waarin hij musici eert die hem beïnvloed hadden. Later zou hij ook een ode brengen met "Master Blaster" (opgedragen aan Bob Marley). De artiesten die in het nummer speelden, waren Raymond Punds, Nathan Watts, Michael Sembello, Ben Bridges, Hank Redd, Trevor Laurence, Raymond Maldonado en Steve Madaio. In 1995 nam Wonder het opnieuw op: het kwam uit op de live-plaat "Natural Wonder".

"Sir Duke" is a song composed and performed by Stevie Wonder, from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. The track topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Black Singles charts, and reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart, his biggest hit there at the time. It also reached #1 in the United World Chart. The song was written about Duke Ellington, the great jazz artist who influenced Wonder's style. Ellington died in 1974 and the song was a tribute. The lyrics also refer to Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. [Read more on Last.fm](http://www.last.fm/music/Stevie+Wonder/_/Sir+Duke).