Stevie Wonder Releases Four Unheard Songs from Songs in the Key of Life Sessions

Stevie Wonder has released four previously unheard songs from the sessions for his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. The tracks came out today as a new EP bearing the same name as the landmark record.

The release marks the 50th anniversary of an album that stands as the most epic studio project in Wonder's catalogue. Songs in the Key of Life won album of the year at the Grammy Awards and contains several of Wonder's signature tracks, including Sir Duke, As and Isn't She Lovely.

What does the new EP contain?

The EP gathers four songs recorded during the original album sessions but never included on the finished double album. Wonder has not previously issued this material in any form. The songs extend a record that already ranked as the most expansive studio statement of his career.

The release gives listeners the first opportunity to hear how the sessions that produced Sir Duke, As and Isn't She Lovely generated more music than the album itself could hold.

Why is the release landing now?

The EP arrives as Wonder marks the 50th anniversary of Songs in the Key of Life. The milestone coincides with an arena tour honoring the album, announced as part of the anniversary celebrations.

Released in 1976, the album went on to take the Grammy for album of the year and cemented Wonder's run of 1970s classics. The four new songs add a further chapter to that story, half a century after the original recordings.

The release suggests more archive material from Wonder's vaults could follow as the anniversary tour unfolds.