[youtube id=”Nd4YHyReUHM”]Stevie Wonder’s popular ballad, “Ribbon In The Sky” appeared on his 1982 album Original Musiquarium I. The collection is a compilation of eleven definitive hits from the ’70s and four new songs including “Ribbon In The Sky,” “Front Line” “That Girl” and “Do I Do.” Wonder’s ballad quickly became a beloved wedding song and one strong reason for fans to purchase the double album of mostly previous material. Wonder had mastered love songs earlier in his career but “Ribbon In The Sky” had a different kind of vulnerability expressed by his sparse arrangement of an acoustic piano, guitar, and soft drums of which he played all except the guitar. The yearning in Wonder’s voice and lyrics about a love guided and blessed by God gave form to the romantic longings of so many people. Wonder famously sang “Ribbon In The Sky” at Whitney Houston’s funeral. Boyz II Men and Dennis Brown covered the song but the version offered by ’90s R&B group Intro led by the late Kenny Greene is the most favored.Â
