The live version of the song was recorded in 1963 during a Motortown Revue performance at the Regal Theater in Chicago, Illinois.

[2] Containing only a few stanzas of improvised lyrics, "Fingertips" is essentially an instrumental piece, meant to showcase Wonder's talents on the bongos and the harmonica.

After a couple of sung verses, each followed by Wonder's brief harmonica playing (solos accompanied only by the audience's rhythmic clapping),[1] Wonder appears to bring things to a conclusion.

On the night of the recording, Wonder, as usual started to leave the stage and the band went into the exit music, as musician and emcee Bill Murray (known professionally as Winehead Willie)[3] exhorted the crowd to "give him a hand"; however, Wonder unexpectedly changed his mind, returning to sing the "goodbye" encore.

[4] As Wonder moves into his impromptu encore, the new bass player, Joe Swift, having replaced Larry Moses, can be heard on the recording, yelling out: "What key?