Anybody have the correct chords for "I Wish"?

[Agitator]

Looking for the Stevie Wonder song. The version I found online is all right, but obviously not 100% correct. My keyboardist tells me he learned the song from the book when he was 13, yadda yadda yadda, but of course the published songbooks can be wrong, too.

Wondering what you've got for the little "climbing" part that leads into the chorus each time. The rest of the song seems to be just Eb min 7 to Ab 7.

TIA. Hope this isn't prohibited by copyright concerns since I'm just asking for the chords and not the lyrics or melody.

[klasaine]

| Bb7 C7 | Fm7 Abm6 |
| Bb7 C7 | Fm7 Bb7#5 |

[Agitator]

Interesting. Thanks.

That's different from what my buddy had.

[klasaine]

Yeah, most folks play it incorrectly.
I cringe when it's called on the bandstand in a 'jam' or pick-up situation.

[Lazloryder]

klasaine's got it right. We do this song with my band, and those are the chords we use.

[Agitator]

Originally Posted by klasaine

| Bb7 C7 | Fm7 Abm6 |
| Bb7 C7 | Fm7 Bb7#5 |

These are actually the "internet chords" with the fourth and eighth chords "fancied up". I played this for awhile yesterday and it sounded good.

My friend suggested a 9th chord on the Bb and C chords, which sounds good to me (I'm not sure if it's right per the record). The weirdest thing he had, though, was another C9 where you've got the Abm6. That was clearly wrong but he swore he learned it that way, etc.

[klasaine]

Originally Posted by Agitator

The weirdest thing he had, though, was another C9 where you've got the Abm6.

If it was a C#9 (or Db9 to keep it in 'key') it would work (probably just a reading, copying or editing mistake). Abm6 and Db9 are essentially the same thing but with a different root - Ab F Cb Eb or Db F Cb Eb.
And the 9th is cool on the Bb but I don't feel it works all that well on the C .

*If it holds any weight, I learned my pre-chorus 'I Wish' chords from Raymond Pounds. One of Stevie's 70's era Drummers and one of the players on the 'songs in the key of life' album (Stevie plays drums on that cut though).

[dezmoduo]

I finally settled on G9/A9/Dm/Bb9
G9/A9/F / and then this ?

As attempted Here (myspace link)

[klasaine]

Your last chord there dez is a G7#9 ... which will 'work' - but what you really want is a G7#5.

In your key the progression is :
| G9 A9 | Dm Bb9 (Fm6 is better*) |
| G9 A9 | Dm G7#5 |

*Fm6 and Bb9 are essentially the same chord with a different bass note - SW uses the m6.

[dezmoduo]

Thank you for the G7#9 name. Too many years of auto pilot and forgetting names. The G7b5 works nicely in the 3rd position. I'll keep it in mind.