It’s a Shame

Lead singer G.C. Cameron has recalled that Wonder — then just 20 and eager to prove himself as a producer beyond his “Little Stevie Wonder” image — told him one night he’d written a song for him, took him to his own house, and played it first on electric piano. Wonder cut the instrumental with the Funk Brothers the next day; the Spinners recorded the vocals a few days later, reportedly in a single take. No lyrics reproduced.

Wonder knew the Spinners felt overlooked at Motown and offered the song partly as a favour and partly to prove to Berry Gordy he could produce other artists — Gordy reportedly agreed, since the Spinners were seen as minor-league at the label with little to lose.

Cameron has directly admitted he didn’t think much of the song’s chances at the time, given how much other music Motown was releasing — he simply hoped for a hit like so many other label artists were having.