You'll Hear It

"Music of My Mind" – Stevie Wonder

11 snips
Mar 2, 2026
A deep track-by-track listen to Stevie Wonder's Music of My Mind, exploring the one-ton TONTO synthesizer and its sonic breakthroughs. They unpack Stevie playing nearly every instrument and inventive mixing techniques. Detailed takes on standout songs, harmonic surprises, and how sequencing shapes the record's emotional arc.
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ANECDOTE

Stevie Declares Independence And Hunts TONTO

  • Stevie's Motown contract expired on his 21st birthday and he immediately declared independence.
  • Two weeks later he showed up unannounced to meet TONTO and began a five-year creative run with Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff.
ANECDOTE

Studio Meeting That Changed Five Years

  • Malcolm Cecil recounts that Stevie walked into Media Sound holding the Tonto album and a friend named Ronnie Bianco introduced him.
  • They didn't leave the studio for five years after that first meeting and recorded 17 songs that weekend.
INSIGHT

TONTO Gave Stevie New Mono Synth Voices

  • TONTO was a massive multi-timbral synthesizer room that let Stevie access new monophonic voices he couldn't get elsewhere.
  • Its scale and custom patching made layered mono synth voices possible, which became a signature on the records.
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