Description
Stevie Wonder: In Square Circle 1985
This success would carry over into the ’80s, which would prove to be the last decade in which Stevie Wonder would dominate the musical landscape with his sound, unleashing classic material like “Ribbon In The Sky” and littering the pop charts with his funky brand of Motown soul.
But 1985 would be a highlight year for the multi-talented piano man, who would release his staggering 22nd album, In Square Circle, on Sept. 13, 1985. The collection features the hit singles “Part-Time Lover” and “Overjoyed” and earned him a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 28th Grammy Awards in 1986.
The classic song “Overjoyed,” was originally intended to be included on Wonder’s Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants, but was left off the album and re-recorded for In Square Circle a full five years later. Despite the origins of the song, “Overjoyed” was yet another hit in the catalog of Wonder, peaking at No. 24 on the BillboardHot 100 Songs chart. “Overjoyed” would also be the legend’s last appearance at the top of the charts and mark the end of his prime as a Billboard titan and be the first sign of his transition into elder statesman status.
Video: Stevie Wonder – Overjoyed 1985
The pinnacle of In Square Circle is undoubtedly “Part-Time Love,” an uptempo jam made to get your feet moving and your body swaying. Released as the lead single from the LP, “Part-Time Lover” is infectious and features superb songwriting and arrangement. The song was one of the biggest hits of Wonder’s storied career, peaking at No. 1 on four different charts simultaneously and becoming the first song in history to achieve that feat. Another interesting fact is that the late Luther Vandross also appears on “Part-Time Lover” and can be heard humming at the end of Wonder’s verses, as well as on the backing vocals. “Part-Time Lover” is timeless and by far the biggest song on the album.
Tracklist:
1 Part-Time Lover 4:09
2 I Love You Too Much 5:30
3 Whereabouts 4:17
4 Stranger On The Shore Of Love 5:01
5 Never In Your Sun 4:07
6 Spiritual Walkers 5:12
7 Land Of La La 5:14
8 Go Home 5:18
9 Overjoyed 3:42
10 It’s Wrong (Apartheid) 3:29
“Part-Time Lover”
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, synthesizers, drums
- Luther Vandross – lead vocal, background vocal
- Syreeta Wright – background vocal
- Philip Bailey – background vocal
- Keith John – background vocal
- Melody McCully, Billy Durham, Peter Byrne, Renee Hardaway, Darryl Phinnessee – background vocal
- “Whereabouts”
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, synthesizers, drums, percussion
- Keith John – background vocal
- Darryl Phinnessee – background vocal
- Deniece Williams – background vocal
- Howard Smith – background vocal
- “Overjoyed”
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, acoustic piano, environmental percussion (incl.: crickets, bird sounds, ocean, pebbles in pond, stone dropped, crushing leaves), Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer
- Earl Klugh – guitar
- Paul Riser – string arrangement
