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"Sir Duke"
#1 weeks: 3
weeks: 1977-05-21, 1977-05-28, 1977-06-04
genre: funk, r&b
artist: Stevie Wonder
album: Songs in the Key of Life
writers: Stevie Wonder
producers: Stevie Wonder
label:
formats: 7"
lengths: 3:54

"Sir Duke" is a song composed and performed by Stevie Wonder, from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. Released as a single in 1977, 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.

The song was written in tribute to Duke Ellington, the influential jazz legend who had died in 1974. 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 re-recorded the song for the 1995 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.

It was used for the theatrical trailer for the Will Smith romantic-comedy Hitch.

In 2008, "Sir Duke" was used in a TV commercial for Lee Jeans. [1].

The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie · Tribute to Uncle Ray · With a Song in My Heart · Stevie at the Beach · Up-Tight · Down to Earth · I Was Made to Love Her · Someday at Christmas · Eivets Rednow · For Once in My Life · My Cherie Amour · Signed, Sealed & Delivered · Where I'm Coming From · Music of My Mind · Talking Book · Innervisions · Fulfillingness' First Finale · Songs in the Key of Life · Hotter than July · In Square Circle · Characters · Conversation Peace · A Time to Love

Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius · Stevie Wonder Live · Natural Wonder

Journey through the Secret Life of Plants · The Woman in Red · Jungle Fever

Looking Back · Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium · At the Close of a Century · The Definitive Collection · The Complete Stevie Wonder

"Fingertips - Part 2" · "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" · "Blowin' in the Wind" · "A Place in the Sun" · "I Was Made to Love Her" · "For Once in My Life" · "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" · "My Cherie Amour" · "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" · "Never Had a Dream Come True" · "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" · "Heaven Help Us All" · "If You Really Love Me" · "Superstition" · "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" · "Higher Ground" · "Living for the City" · "He's Misstra Know it All" · "You Haven't Done Nothin'" · "Boogie On Reggae Woman" · "I Wish" · " Sir Duke " · "Send One Your Love" · "Master Blaster (Jammin')" · "I Ain't Gonna Stand for It" · "Lately" · "Happy Birthday" · "That Girl" · "Do I Do" · "Ebony and Ivory" · "Ribbon in the Sky" · "I Just Called to Say I Love You" · "Part-Time Lover" · "That's What Friends Are For" · "Go Home"

Discography · Syreeta Wright · KJLH · Motown · Soul music