In 1963, a live recording by a 12-year-old musical prodigy became the biggest song in America and made history in more ways than one.
“Fingertips Pt. 2” by Little Stevie Wonder wrapped up its three-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 63 years ago today, capping an astonishing breakthrough for the young Motown performer.
Wonder was only 12 years old when the performance was recorded and 13 by the time it reached No. 1, making him the youngest solo artist ever to top the Billboard Hot 100, a record he still holds.
But that wasn’t the only history Wonder made.
As “Fingertips Pt. 2” sat atop the singles chart, its parent album, The 12 Year Old Genius, reached No. 1 on the album chart. According to music historian Fred Bronson’s “Billboard Book of Number One Hits,” it marked the first time an artist had the No. 1 single and the album containing that single at No. 1 at the same time.
And remarkably, the performance that accomplished all of that nearly went off the rails.
Stevie Wonder Recorded ‘Fingertips’ When He Was Just 12
Written by Henry Cosby and Clarence Paul, “Fingertips” had originally appeared as a studio instrumental on Wonder’s 1962 debut album The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie.
The version that became a phenomenon was something altogether different.
Wonder recorded the live performance during a Motortown Revue show at Chicago’s Regal Theater. The roughly seven-minute performance was included on Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius, but Motown founder Berry Gordy didn’t initially consider something that long suitable for a single.
The audience response convinced him otherwise. The performance was divided into two parts for release, with DJs gravitating toward the second half.
“Fingertips Pt. 2” begins with Wonder calling out to the audience before launching into a feverish combination of vocals and harmonica. But some of the recording’s most memorable moments weren’t planned at all.
Toward what appeared to be the end, Wonder slipped the melody of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” into his harmonica playing. Then he appeared to finish the performance and leave the stage.
Except he wasn’t finished.
A Confused Musician Wound Up on the No. 1 Record
Wonder unexpectedly returned for an encore after the musicians had begun preparing for the next performer, Mary Wells.
That created a problem.
The bassists were changing over between acts, and Joe Swift had taken over from Larry Moses, apparently believing Wonder’s portion of the show was finished. When Wonder suddenly resumed playing, Swift had to figure out what was happening in real time.
His confusion became part of the record.
“What key? What key?” he can famously be heard calling out as the musicians scramble to follow Wonder.
Rock critic Dave Marsh highlighted the wonderfully chaotic moment in “The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made,” where he ranked “Fingertips Pt. 2” at No. 178 and called its conclusion probably “the truest false ending in history.”
Yet Marsh’s larger point was how effortlessly the musicians recovered: despite the confusion, the performance sounds as though everyone had been preparing for that moment their entire lives.
The accident became part of the magic.
‘Fingertips Pt. 2’ Makes History
Released in 1963, “Fingertips Pt. 2” eventually climbed all the way to No. 1, beginning its three-week reign atop the Hot 100 in August.
Wonder was 13.
The achievement was particularly remarkable considering how early he was in his recording career. Bronson notes that Wonder’s first three singles had all failed to chart. “Fingertips Pt. 2” was only his fourth single, and it took him from an exciting young Motown talent to a history-making star almost overnight.
The recording also featured several musicians whose names would become legendary in their own right. James Jamerson played bass during the performance, while Marvin Gaye, then still establishing his own career at Motown, played drums.
For Wonder, “Fingertips Pt. 2” was only the beginning. He would grow from the child billed as “Little” Stevie Wonder into one of the most celebrated singer-songwriters and musicians in popular music.
But 63 years ago today, he was still a 13-year-old whose unpredictable live performance had simultaneously conquered America’s singles and album charts.
And all these decades later, nobody younger has managed to take his place as the youngest solo artist ever to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100.
Related: 1957 Ballad, the Only No. 1 by a Female Singer in More Than 2 Years, Dethroned Elvis 69 Years Ago Today
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