Tammi Terrell vs. Stevie Wonder | Head 2 Head

In the 45^th edition of Head 2 Head (2025), Motown legends Tammi Terrell and Stevie Wonder contend for the best rendition of “All I Do.” 

Welcome to Head 2 Head! On Head 2 Head, we pit at least two musicians performing the same song and compare their performances.  After deliberation, we decide which performance is the best or moves us more subjectively.  In the 45^th edition of Head 2 Head (2025), Motown legends Tammi Terrell and Stevie Wonder contend for the best rendition of “All I Do”. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

 

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1. Tammi Terrell, “All I Do Is Think About You” 2. Stevie Wonder, “All I Do” The Verdict 👨🏾‍⚖️

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1. Tammi Terrell, “All I Do Is Think About You”

Come On And See Me: The Complete Solo Collection » Motown / UMG Recordings, Inc. » 2010

Woo! Ah, the feels, and those pesky matters of the heart! Fun fact: Did you know that the short-lived, Motown legend Tammi Terrell (1945 – 1970) originally recorded “All I Do Is Think About You”? 🤯 If you are unfamiliar with the song, released decades after it was recorded in 1966, you may be familiar with the original release, “All I Do”, by Stevie Wonder (b. 1950).  “All I Do” appeared as the second track on Wonder’s 1980 album, Hotter Than July. Terrell originally recorded “All I Do” as “All I Do Is Think About You,” but it remained unreleased until 2002.  Wonder is responsible for the first release.  He penned the original with Clarence Paul and Morris Broadnax.

 

Listening to the original version of “All I Do Is Think About You,” it is a shame that it wasn’t released during the 1960s.  Tammi Terrell ate and left no crumbs! Her voice is nuanced and powerful, and she sings with incredible sincerity. “You made my soul a burning fire / You’re getting to be my one desire / You’re getting to be all that matters to me,” she sings in the first verse.  “And let me tell you, boy! / Think of how exciting it would be,” she sings enthusiastically in the second verse, and adds, “If you should discover you felt like me / If you should discover this dream is for two.” Beyond Terrell’s fabulous lead vocals, the background vocals are excellent, outlining the melody of the chorus, at least how we know it from the Wonder-released version of the song.  The vocal arrangement is on point, with the blend of backgrounds and lead being utterly divine.  Beyond the vocals, “All I Do Is Think About You”  thrives off a great arrangement and production.  The sounds are vintage Motown, featuring the rhythm section (including a vibraphone), horns, and strings. I love how the drums pack a mighty punch. Although lesser known, the Tammi Terrell original of “All I Do Is Think About You” is a Motown classic that music lovers should’ve heard much sooner than we did.  Tammi did that!

Appears in:

Tammi Terrell, All I Do Is Think About You: Throwback Vibez No. 195 (2025)

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2. Stevie Wonder, “All I Do”

Hotter Than July » Motown » 1980

Question: How can a song be a cover if it was the first version of the song released? Stevie Wonder (b. 1950) originally released “All I Do”.  It appears as the second track from his 1980 album, Hotter Than July. He penned it with Clarence Paul and Morris Broadnax. However, the song dates back to the 1960s when the short-lived but ultra-talented Tammi Terrell (1945 – 1970) recorded it as “All I Do Is Think About You”. Terrell’s version wasn’t released until 2002; hence, we heard Wonder’s cover first!

Woo! Stevie Wonder made “All I Do” fit the 1980s R&B/soul aesthetic.  This very much sounds like a Stevie Wonder original.  It is smooth, rhythmic, funky, and soulful to the nth degree.  Vocally, Stevie shows off the sophisticated nature of his pipes, while also digging in and delivering a powerful performance.  This blend of buttery smooth and gritty is what makes Wonder a once-in-a-lifetime vocalist, not to mention his top-notch musicianship as a multi-instrumentalist.  “All I Do” grooves hard from the get-go, mesmerizing the listener with its undeniable goodness.  Combine elite vocals and marvelous accompaniment with relatable, love-oriented lyrics, and “All I Do” is the sugar, honey, iced tea, no cap. “Well, I’m gonna tell you, girl / I’d light a candle every day,” he asserts in the second verse, and adds, “And pray that our love will forever be new / ‘Cause all I do is think about you.” The chorus is the crème de la crème, confirming what Stevie does:

“All I do

Is think about you

All I do

Is think about you.”

What is interesting about the chorus on the Wonder cover is that it is the same tune that the background vocalists in Terrell’s version sing non-lyrically. Notably, there is a smooth saxophone solo (Hank Redd) that ups the ante before the third verse.  There is also a bridge, where Stevie and his background vocals, simply put, have been “thinking, baby / ‘bout you, baby.” Some of the background vocalists are legends themselves: Michael Jackson (1958 – 2009), Eddie Levert (b. 1942), Walter Williams (b. 1943), Betty Wright (1953 – 2020), and Jamil Raheem. All told, the original release of “All I Do” is R&B, funk, and soul pop at its finest.

 

Appears in:

Stevie Wonder, All I Do: Covers No. 41 (2025)

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The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️

So, who did the most thinking about their prospective lover on “All I Do”? Is the original recording by Tammi Terrell, unreleased until 2002, or is it the original release by Stevie Wonder, heard by the world two decades earlier?  The good news is that Stevie Wonder wins either way – he wrote the song, after all!  Both versions of this song are must-listens, particularly if you are a Motown enthusiast.  Terrell’s version is very much patterned after that vintage 1960s sound, which includes vibraphone, punchy drums, and an assertive, personality-filled lead vocal.  As for Stevie’s version, it is representative of the 1980s, with more electronic sounds, and contrasts with the groove of Terrell’s original. Neither songs were singles, so there’s no inherent advantage there. But, we all know which one we heard and fell in love with first. So, the edge goes to the original songwriter and the original releaser, Stevie Wonder.

🏅 Winner: Stevie Wonder

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Tammi Terrell vs. Stevie Wonder: Head 2 Head No. 45 (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; PolyGram Pictures Ltd., Sony Music Entertainment, The Island Def Jam Music Group; Israel Torres, KoolShooters, Los Muertos Crew, RDNE Stock project, Thomas Ronveaux from Pexels; AcatXIo from Pixabay]

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