In his latest video, synthesist and composer Anthony Marinelli offers an in-depth look at the iconic synth bass from Superstition, by Stevie Wonder, from the 1972 album Talking Book.

When Stevie Wonder created Talking Book, he worked with producers and synthesists Malcolm Cecil & Robert Margouleff (Tonto’s Expanding Head Band). At that time, synthesis was still a new thing to most musicians, and the idea of ‘synth bass’ wasn’t even established.

Wonder created four albums between 1972 and 1974, with Cecil and Margouleff and their giant modular synthesizer T.O.N.T.O.., that are generally considered to be his greatest albums. The albums, Music of My Mind, Talking Book, Innervisions & Fulfillingness’ First Finale were best-sellers, established Wonder as a superstar, and introduced mainstream music listeners to keyboard sounds that they’d never heard before.

In this video, Marinelli looks at Superstition, and how the bass sound was shaped by the Moog modular that it was created on, the way the modular was patched, and by the way it was performed. Marinelli is joined in the video by Margouleff, who provides a first-hand account from the recording sessions, 50+ years ago.

“If you’ve ever wanted to know how to harness that funky, gritty bass that defined a generation, stick around,” says Marinelli. “I’ll break down the sound step-by-step, sharing tips and tricks that will elevate your production game.”