Songs In The Key of Life
Title
Songs In The Key of Life
Subject
Music, Art & Design, Art History, Cultural Studies, History
Description
This edition of Songs in the Key of Life includes two 12-inch LPs, a 7-inch bonus EP, and an accompanying booklet. The booklet opens with a monochrome version of the album cover and a written introduction in which Stevie Wonder describes the album’s creation, expresses gratitude, and offers social reflections; it also features his signature and fingerprint. Full lyrics for all tracks are included, notated with pauses, phrasing cues, and performance markers that mirror Wonder’s intended vocal delivery. Several songs contain additional notes, such as biographical identifications in “Black Man” and translation credits for the Zulu and Spanish sections of “Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing.”
The booklet credits co-writers, supporting musicians, engineers, synthesizer programmers, and other production personnel. It also lists studio information and includes extensive acknowledgments, dedications, and messages addressing civil rights and social justice. The final pages provide contact information for Wonder’s official fan club and conclude with a brief humorous anecdote titled “How We Got There.” Together, the LP set and booklet present the album as both a musical work and a curated cultural document, emphasizing Wonder’s collaborative process, community ties, and artistic intentions.
ID:
The image shows a complete copy of Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life album, consisting of the main record jacket, two full-size vinyl LPs, one smaller bonus EP, and a printed booklet. The main jacket is positioned on the left side of the image. It displays the album’s iconic cover art: concentric rings of orange, brown, and cream radiating outward from a central circular portrait of Stevie Wonder drawn in thin black linework. The title “Songs In The Key of Life” and the artist’s name “Stevie Wonder” appear in flowing script across the central rings. A small printed sticker in the top left corner reads: “Collector’s Album Includes Two Records, A Something’s Extra Bonus Record, A 24 Page Lyric Booklet.”
To the right of the jacket, three individual discs extend outward in a fanned arrangement. Two of the discs are full-size 12-inch black vinyl LPs, housed in off-white paper inner sleeves. Each sleeve is slightly worn along the edges and shows visible creasing from age and handling. Behind them is a smaller 7-inch black vinyl EP in its own sleeve, distinguishable by its reduced diameter and positioned slightly closer to the booklet.
Further to the right, partially visible behind the discs, is the accompanying booklet. Its visible outer page has a muted gradient of tan and brown tones forming a rectangular frame around a lighter central panel. Only the rightmost edge of the booklet is visible, showing its thickness and the contrast between the darker outer border and the lighter center. The entire set rests on a flat white background, with the lower edge of the image framed by a neutral gray surface.
Physical Dimensions:
Outer sleeve (gatefold): 12.3 × 12.3 in. (closed); 12.3 × 24.6 in. (open)
Inner sleeves (2): 12.3 × 12.3 in.
7-inch sleeve: 7.1 x 7.1 in.
The booklet credits co-writers, supporting musicians, engineers, synthesizer programmers, and other production personnel. It also lists studio information and includes extensive acknowledgments, dedications, and messages addressing civil rights and social justice. The final pages provide contact information for Wonder’s official fan club and conclude with a brief humorous anecdote titled “How We Got There.” Together, the LP set and booklet present the album as both a musical work and a curated cultural document, emphasizing Wonder’s collaborative process, community ties, and artistic intentions.
ID:
The image shows a complete copy of Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life album, consisting of the main record jacket, two full-size vinyl LPs, one smaller bonus EP, and a printed booklet. The main jacket is positioned on the left side of the image. It displays the album’s iconic cover art: concentric rings of orange, brown, and cream radiating outward from a central circular portrait of Stevie Wonder drawn in thin black linework. The title “Songs In The Key of Life” and the artist’s name “Stevie Wonder” appear in flowing script across the central rings. A small printed sticker in the top left corner reads: “Collector’s Album Includes Two Records, A Something’s Extra Bonus Record, A 24 Page Lyric Booklet.”
To the right of the jacket, three individual discs extend outward in a fanned arrangement. Two of the discs are full-size 12-inch black vinyl LPs, housed in off-white paper inner sleeves. Each sleeve is slightly worn along the edges and shows visible creasing from age and handling. Behind them is a smaller 7-inch black vinyl EP in its own sleeve, distinguishable by its reduced diameter and positioned slightly closer to the booklet.
Further to the right, partially visible behind the discs, is the accompanying booklet. Its visible outer page has a muted gradient of tan and brown tones forming a rectangular frame around a lighter central panel. Only the rightmost edge of the booklet is visible, showing its thickness and the contrast between the darker outer border and the lighter center. The entire set rests on a flat white background, with the lower edge of the image framed by a neutral gray surface.
Physical Dimensions:
Outer sleeve (gatefold): 12.3 × 12.3 in. (closed); 12.3 × 24.6 in. (open)
Inner sleeves (2): 12.3 × 12.3 in.
7-inch sleeve: 7.1 x 7.1 in.
Creator
Stevie Wonder (Lead Vocals; Producer; Arranger; Writer; Composer)
Source
Personal Collection
Publisher
Motown Record Corporation
Date
September 28, 1976
Contributor
Tristan Spencer
Rights
Motown Record Corporation, American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers
Format
JPG
Language
English
Type
Physical Object
Collection
Citation
Stevie Wonder (Lead Vocals; Producer; Arranger; Writer; Composer), “Songs In The Key of Life,” Aegis Digital Museum, accessed December 8, 2025, https://aegisdigitalmuseum.kennesaw.edu/items/show/233.
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