"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