NUMBER ONE'S OF THE EIGHTIES: 1984 Stevie Wonder: I Just Called To Say I Love You Friday, 1 May 2009 1984 Stevie Wonder: I Just Called To Say I Love You Spare a thought for poor Stevie Wonder: despite a run of copper bottomed, classic five star singles stretching back to 1966, his first taste of a UK number one came through hitching a ride on the back of a wretched Paul McCartney ballad. And if that wasn't ignomy enough, he then has to rely on 'I Just Called To Say I Love You' to mark his first solo appearance at the top. I say ignomy, for although I would dearly love to be able to report that the success of this song was due to it trumping all his previous singles (such as, lest we forget, 'Uptight (Everything's Alright)', 'I Was Made To Love Her', 'Superstition', 'Higher Ground' and 'Living For The City' etc) and being the best thing he'd ever released, I can't.

And I can't because it's not; Wonder had always utilised the most up to date technology in his output, but by the time of the mid eighties his growing obsession with synthesisers and all things electronic had ceased to compliment his music and instead became all consuming and detrimental to it. And this detriment is nowhere more evident than on this song. With a rhythm set down by an electronic drum beat and percussion straight out of the pre-set options of the nastiest, tackiest home organ money can buy, 'I Just Called To Say I Love You' plods along a narrow, four and a half minute road in virtually the same key and time signature from end to end. Gone was the rootsy feel, intricate chord structures and sharp, jazz like key changes of old and in their place comes a woozy synthesiser hum that oozes out of the speakers like treacle poured slowly from a tin where it settles like a gooey shroud, smothering any excitement or unpredictability that may have dared to show its face. And when something different does finally come along, it only extends to Wonder singing backing vocals through a vocoder. Rather than revitalising the song, it's the gimmicky headshot that kills it stone dead.

Not since Chuck Berry hit number one with 'My Ding A Ling' in 1972 has an artist of stature scored their biggest hit with such a totally unrepresentative song. 'I Just Called To Say I Love You' is the sort of effort the Wonder of old could have dashed off in his bed before he even woke up and then rejected as being too boring. Simplistic, trite, repetitive, saccharine sickly and overly sentimental; it's tempting to think that his experience with McCartney had shown him that maybe he'd been trying too hard in the past and that success would follow a radical dumbing down: "I just called to say I love you I just called to say how much I care I just called to say I love you And I mean it from the bottom of my heart" Maybe that's a cynical view, but though the Hallmark greeting card verse may be direct and to the point, Wonder has proved himself capable of far better than this. Hell, a ten year old child would be capable of better. And at least with a ten year old child the result wouldn't be accompanied by the crushing sense of disappointment coupled with the faint gurgling sound of a talent being pissed down the drain.

1 comment: 1000 Number Ones Search | About everyHit | Chart archive | Award / Poll Winners | Number 1s | FAQs | Contact us 1000 Number Ones On 16th January 2005, Elvis Presley achieved the one-thousandth Number One since the inception of the UK singles chart in 1952. This area of everyHit.com is a celebration of the first 1000 chart-toppers. Most of the information on this page has been collated from details elsewhere on this site with the odd new piece or two for good measure. These are tumultuous times for the single. One week early in January, 265,000 were sold in the UK; the lowest total since national weekly figures were first extrapolated early in 1969. In the week immediately after Christmas, monitored legal downloads overtook sales of physical CD singles for the first time ever. As we reflect on the 1000th chart topper, the single faces the most spectacular change in its long history - but one which it is seems sure to ride.

(The problem isn't so much a lack of interest in / desire to 'own' modern music but, rather, how transactions are accurately quantified; the distribution of music has expanded spectacularly through a proliferation of, mostly, unaudited routes... the 'illegal downloads.') We'll have more on the history of the single's changing formats later but, for now, let's wallow in facts and figures from the past 52 years! By a very odd coincidence, it turned out that Elvis Presley not only had the 1000th Number One that week ("One Night / I Got Stung") but, that very same week, he also became the first artist to have spend 1000 weeks in the Top 40! If that morsel has whetted your appetite for Number One facts then you're in the right place; this page is full of them! Here, you will learn that the 'average' chart-topper has spent 2.7 weeks at number one, 7.5 weeks in the Top 10, and 12.4 inside the Top 40. If you think that's trivial then you should just see what follows! Enjoy!

Precise credits given on this page . Longest Gap Between Number 1s 31 years 0 months - for George Harrison. "My Sweet Lord" first made the top spot in Jan 1971. A few weeks after his death, it returned to number 1 (Jan 2002). In second place is the act which also holds the record for the longest gap between number 1s with different tracks and the record for longest gap between number 1s within the lifetime of the artist(s); The Righteous Brothers (25 years 8 months). In Feb 1965 they hit the top with "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'". They didn't return until 1990 - with "Unchained Melody". The longest run between original number 1s (i.e not a re-release) is 18 years and 3 months for Blondie (Nov 1980, "The Tide is High", to Feb 1999, "Maria").

Longest Time To Get To Number 1 Jackie Wilson first entered the chart on 15th Nov 1957 with "Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl In Town)." He finally made Number 1 (coincidentally with the same track) on w/e 27th Dec 1986 - 29 Years, 1 Month, and 12 Days later; a record for any soloist. The longest time for a female soloist to take to reach Number 1 is 25 Years, 8 Months and 15 Days for Cher [from her first solo hit, "All I Really Want To Do", 19th Aug 1965 to "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)", 4th May 1991]. She had, though, previously topped the chart as half of Sonny and Cher before going solo. In terms of contributing to a Number 1: Ozzy Osbourne holds the male record. He first hit the Top 40 as a member of Black Sabbath with "Paranoid" on w/e 12th Sep 1970.

33 years, 3 months and 8 days later (w/e 20th Dec 2003; a total of 1736 weeks) he achieved the top spot with "Changes" (a duet with daughter Kelly - and a version of a Black Sabbath album track from 1972). Posthumous Number 1s A morbid one - but one about which, nonetheless, we receive constant emails. Ten artists have topped the chart following their death. There is a list on this page . On 20th January 2002, George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" replaced Aaliyah's "More Than A Woman" at the top spot. This is the only time in chart history that one deceased artist has taken over from another at number 1 (though John Lennon and Elvis Presley have each replaced themselves at no. 1 posthumously.) One-Hit Wonders These are artists who had one number one single and have been involved in no other hit ('hit' here meaning a Top 40 placing). There are sixty-nine such artists. Again, there is a full list on this page .

Most Successful Acts Not To Have A Number 1 Single Depeche Mode have had most Top 40 hits without making No. 1 (37 of them!). In fact, they've never risen above No. 4. Billy Fury has spent 231 weeks on the Top 40. No other artist has spent longer on the chart without making No. 1. His best chart placing was Number 2 for "Jealousy" in 1961. Special mention must also go to Sash! who has made Number 2 on five occasions. No other artist has been 'runner up' with so many singles without ever making it to Number 1. (Jon) Bon Jovi has featured on eighteen Top 10 singles but never made the number 1 position. One hit behind, Janet Jackson has appeared on seventeen Top 10 singles without reaching the top spot. Youngest Chart-Topper Little Jimmy Osmond.

He was just 9 years and 8 months young when he hit the summit in 1972 with "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool." Youngest female chart-topper is Helen Shapiro who took "You Don't Know" to the top at the tender age of 14 years and 10 months. Jessica Smith played the part of 'Baby Sun' in the Teletubbies TV programme. Her giggle was used on The Teletubbies 1997 chart-topper "Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh!" Though not credited for this 'performance,' she is the youngest person to have appeared on a no.1 single. We are currently trying to ascertain her precise age at the time of recording; it is certainly less than 1 year old and thought to be around the 7 month mark. If you're reading this Jessica, please let us know! Youngest Performer to Enter at Number 1 Billie (Piper); she was 15 years and 287 days when she entered the chart at number 1 on 5th July 1998 with "Because We Want To." Youngest male to do so is Gareth Gates.

He was 17 years and 255 days old when he debuted at number 1 with "Unchained Melody" on 24th March 2002. Oldest Chart-Topper Louis Armstrong who was 66 years and 10 months when he peaked with "What A Wonderful World"/"Cabaret" in Feb 1968. Oldest woman is Cher who was 52 years and 7 months when she hit the number 1 spot with "Believe" (1999). Title Information Here we give the essentials of records held by various titles - more detail is available here . All-Time Best-Selling Number One "Candle In The Wind '97" by Elton John (1997; 4.86 million copies). Top seller by a group; "Do They Know It's Christmas?" - Band Aid (1984; 3.55m) Biggest-seller by a female artist: "Believe" - Cher (1998; 1.67m).

Biggest-selling no.1 by an all-female group is "Wannabe" by The Spice Girls (1996; 1.27m). Most Weeks at Number 1 by a Record 18 - by Frankie Laine's "I Believe". It topped the chart on three separate occasions (all in 1953). Most Consecutive Weeks at Number 1 by a Record 16 - by Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" (1991). Longest Time To Get To Number 1 29 Years, 1 Month, and 11 Days. Jackie Wilson's "Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl In Town)" first entered the chart on 16th Nov 1957 when it peaked at number 6. Its use in a Levis ad in 1986 catapulted it back into the chart to top it on 27th Dec 1986. The slowest climb to the top in a single spell inside the Top 40 is 13 weeks for Celine Dion's "Think Twice" (Nov 1994 to Feb 1995).

Title With Most Weeks At Number One "I Believe" has spent 22 weeks at the top of the chart (18 weeks for Frankie Lane, in three separate visits throughout 1953) and 4 weeks for Robson & Jerome (1995). Runner up is "Unchained Melody" which has spent 18 weeks at the summit by four different artists. Topping The Chart By Different Artists Only one track has topped the chart by four different artists. It is "Unchained Melody". Artists to take it to number one in the UK are: Jimmy Young (1955), Righteous Brothers (as a re-issue in 1990), Robson & Jerome (1995) and Gareth Gates (2002). 32 other titles have topped the chart more than once by different artists. There is a full list on this page . Same Version Topping The Chart More Than Once Only foure chart-topping tracks have ever left the chart and then returned to top it a second time with exactly the same arrangement.

They are: "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison (1971 and 2002; though with different 'B-sides'), "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen (1975 and 1991, though on the latter occasion it was a double-A side with "These Are The Days Of Our Lives"), and "Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis Presley (1958 and 2005; with the same B-side but a new catalogue number.) "One Night / I Got Stung" by Elvis Presley (1959 and 2005; with the same B-side but a new catalogue number.) First Number 1 by a British Artist The seventh ever number one, The Stargazers' "Broken Wings" (Apr 1953), was the first chart-topper by a British artist. The previous six had all been by US acts. Biggest Jump To Number 1 from within the Top 40 The biggest jump to no. 1 from within the Top 40 was by Captain Sensible's "Happy Talk". In July 1982 it shot to the top from no. 33.

Most Successive Weeks With A New Number 1 From 24th June 2000 to 16th Sep 2000, every week saw a new record top the chart. This run of 13 new number ones in as many weeks is the longest of such instances in chart history. Most Number 1s In A Year 2000 also holds the record for most number ones in a year; 42 of them (43 if you count the Westlife track which spanned over from 1999). Number One In Most Years Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" is the only record to be number one in four different years 1975, 1976, 1991 & 1992 (as it spanned the New year period on both occupancies at number one). Lowest-Selling Number One Lowest selling No.1 in total since is Ja Rule featuring R Kelly & Ashanti, "Wonderful". Entering the chart w/e 6th Nov 2004 it went on to sell a total of 65,000 copies.

Prior to the slump in singles sales which occurred from late 2002 onwards, the lowest selling no. 1 (since at least 1960) had been Iron Maiden's "Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter"; it sold around 100,000. This record could have potentially fallen many times over the next few weeks as the current crop of Elvis Presley re-issues have been limited to 27,500. They are saved from this fate by the sales from their original appearance at no.1 which significantly raise their overall total. Lowest weekly sale for a no. 1 since at least 1960 is for the 2005 re-issue of "One Night" / "I Got Stung" by Elvis Presley; ironically, the 1000th Number 1. It sold just 20,463 copies in its first week at no. 1 (w/e 22nd Jan 2005). Biggest-Seller Not To Make Number One Wham's "Last Christmas" was held off the top spot by Band Aid's huge sales in 1984.

Almost any other week it would have easily topped the chart, selling half a million copies in that week alone; more than 21 times the number of copies than were able to get the aforementioned Ja Rule single to no. 1 twenty years later! Shortest Chart Stay For A Number 1 Blur's 1997 chart-topper, "Beetlebum" disappeared from the whole top 40 just 3 weeks after debuting at number one. In its second week it dropped to number 7. It then descended to number 29 before vanishing altogether. This record could potentially be beaten by the current crop of Elvis Presley re-issues. They are limited editions of just 27,500 and sustained chart runs seems a little unlikely (though they have, of course, been in the chart for many weeks in their original guise). Biggest Fall From Number 1 After Christmas 1957, Harry Belafonte's "Mary's Boy Child" tumbled from No. 1 to No. 12; the biggest ever fall from the top spot. Other Nonsense! Here we give more miscellany about chart-toppers - similar ramblings about the Top 40 can be found here .

Parents / Offspring / Siblings Topping The Chart Only one father / son combination has ever topped the charts each in their own right. Julio Iglesias topped the chart with "Begin The Beguine" in Nov 1981. More than twenty years later in February 2002, his son, Enrique hit number 1 with "Hero". There are instances of parents/offspring topping the charts on the same track. Nancy Sinatra & Frank Sinatra hit number one with "Somethin' Stupid" in 1967. Five years later Coventry band Lieutenant Pigeon made number one with "Mouldy Old Dough"; in this group was Rob Woodward and his mum, Hilda. Both played keyboards. In 2003 Ozzy Osbourne and his daughter Kelly hit the top spot with "Changes," a remake of a track first sung by Ozzy on the Black Sabbath album "Volume 4" in 1972. A mother-daughter combination is yet to reach the summit either separately or on the same disc. But wait!

One entire family consisting of mum, dad, son and daughters has in fact topped the chart; The Simpsons with "Do The Bartman" in Jan 1991! Now we're in a quandary; do cartoon characters count? D'oh! Only three pairs of siblings have ever achieved separate solo number ones. They are: Eden Kane (real name Richard Sarstedt) ("Well I Ask You" in 1961) and his younger brother Peter Sarstedt ("Where Do You Go To My Lovely" in 1969). Donny Osmond ("Puppy Love" in 1972; "The Twelfth Of Never" in 1973; "Young Love" in 1973) and his younger brother Little Jimmy Osmond ("Long Haired Lover From Liverpool" in 1972) Daniel Bedingfield ("Gotta Get Thru This" in 2001; "If You're Not The One" in 2002; "Never Gonna Leave Your Side" in 2003) and his younger sister Natasha ("These Words" in 2004).

Artist having hits as a Solo, Duo, Trio, Quartet, Quintet etc Paul McCartney not only had hits but topped the chart in each of the following guises; solo, duo, trio, quartet, quintet, sextet and other ensembles! Details on this page . Longest Playing Time For A Number One Oasis' "All Around The World" (1998) has a duration of 9 minutes 38 seconds. The first Number 1 to have a playing time of more than four minutes was Harry Belafonte's "Mary's Boy Child" (1957; 4 mins 12 secs). Shortest Hit Single The average chart-topping title consists of 3.4 words / 18.1 letters. Record Being Replaced At Number One By Another Containing Its Title The 'classic' "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen contains the famous "mamma mia, mamma mia, mamma mia let me go" line. In January 1976, it was replaced at the top of the chart by none other than Abba's "Mamma Mia". There are other less dramatic examples of this phenomenon; see this page .

First Self-Penned Number 1 Mantovani's "Cara Mia" (July 1954; the 20th no. 1); it was composed by Mantovani and Bunny Lewis (under pen names Tulio Trapani and Lee Lange respectively). Not until the 43rd Number 1 was an act entirely responsible for writing its own chart-topper; The Dreamweavers' "It's Almost Tomorrow" (March 1956). Over twenty-eight years later Stevie Wonder became the first artist ever to write, produce and entirely perform a Number 1 ("I Just Called To Say I Love You", Sep 1984). Eponymous Number Ones When Mr. Blobby went to number one with "Mr Blobby" in 1993 it was the first time in 41 years of chart history that an eponymously title song achieved this feat. However, less than four months "Doop" hit number one by a band called Doop!

Biggest Chart-Topper By A Non-Human Artist In terms of chart success, this coveted title goes to The Archies for "Sugar Sugar" which spent 8 weeks at number 1 in 1969 (and stayed in the Top 40 for 22 weeks). Created for mass consumption by bubblegum-pop genius Don Kirshner (the man who gave us the Monkees), the Archies existed on television as an animated series based on the comic book characters of the same name. The voices behind the singing cartoon characters were vocalists Ron Dante, Toni Wine and Andy Kim. The biggest-selling number one by a non-human group is "Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh" by The Teletubbies (1997, 1.1 million copies). Most Graceful Retreat From Number 1 In chart history, four singles haven fallen from the Number 1 spot by one position for four consecutive weeks (ie. No. 1 to No. 2 to 3, 4, 5).

They are: Dickie Valentine - "Finger Of Suspicion" (1954) [1-2-3-4-5-5-4-9-17] Tommy Edwards - "It's All In The Game" (1958) [1-2-3-4-5-4-8-11-15-27] Michael Jackson - "You Are Not Alone" (1995) [1-2-3-4-5-7-9-13-25-30-31] Eminem - "The Real Slim Shady" (2000) [1-2-3-4-5-7-8-10-11-15-23-33-38] You may also be interested in the quirks of the number one positon here . I Just Called To Say I Love You(Ver 1) Piano Sheets - Free Sheet Music for this song by Stevie Wonder (Piano-Sheets.net) About the Song "I Just Called to Say I Love You" is a song written, produced, and performed by Stevie Wonder.

The midtempo ballad expresses how simply calling someone to tell them you love them can make even the most unremarkable day of your life magical. It is one of Wonder's most simplistic, jingly and sentimental songs, and, with its quintessentially mid-80s synthesizers and drum machines, is a far cry from his more organic and experimental 1970s material. For those reasons it was savaged by critics upon its release. However, the public were seduced by its simple charms, making it one of Wonder's most successful singles to date. The song was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks from October 13, 1984 and also became Wonder's first solo UK number-one hit, staying at the top for six weeks. It also became his tenth number-one on the R&B chart and his fourth number-one on the adult contemporary. Download this sheet! About the Artist Wonder was born prematurely; which caused him to be blind; on May 13; 1950 in Saginaw; Michigan. His family later moved to Detroit when he was 4. He took up piano at age 7; and had mastered it by age 9.

During his early childhood he was active in his churchs choir.He also taught himself to play the harmonica and the drums; and had mastered both by age ten. Wonder also learned to play the bass during his early years at Motown. Motown founder Berry Gordy signed him at age 11; impressed by his many musical talents. "I Just Called to Say I Love You" is a song written, produced, and performed by Stevie Wonder. The midtempo ballad expresses how simply calling someone to tell them you love them can make even the most unremarkable day of your life magical. It is one of Wonder's most simplistic, jingly and sentimental songs, and, with its quintessentially mid-80s synthesizers and drum machines, is a far cry from his more organic and experimental 1970s material. For those reasons it was savaged by critics upon its release. However, the public were seduced by its simple charms, making it one of Wonder's most successful singles to date. The song was number one. Click here if the video doesn't work Random article The essentials of piano sheet music Most people have the notion that sheet music is a very complicated notation and reading it very difficult.

However, this is not true as understanding sheet music piano is just a matter of transcribing the various musical notes written. Uses of sheet music Piano sheet music is nothing but piano notes written in standard notations. You can avail such free sheet music online from various websites. The main use of sheet music piano is to help aspiring musicians recreate the same sequence of notes as performed by the composer of the piece. It is a method where a specific musical composition is recorded in written form using music notes. The ultimate aim of reading sheet music is to recreate the same score in as accurate a manner as is possible. (More...) STEVIE WONDER - I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU-VIRUSOFSATEN (download torrent) - TPB STEVIE WONDER - I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU-VIRUSOFSATEN Type: Get this torrent (Problems with magnets links are fixed by upgrading your torrent client !) STEVIE WONDER - AVI . {Biography} {Stevie Wonder} Stevie Wonder is a much-beloved American icon and an indisputable genius not only of R&B but popular music in general.

Blind virtually since birth, Wonder's heightened awareness of sound helped him create vibrant, colorful music teeming with life and ambition. Nearly everything he recorded bore the stamp of his sunny, joyous positivity; even when he addressed serious racial, social, and spiritual issues (which he did quite often in his prime), or sang about heartbreak and romantic uncertainty, an underlying sense of optimism and hope always seemed to emerge. Much like his inspiration, Ray Charles, Wonder had a voracious appetite for many different kinds of music, and refused to confine himself to any one sound or style. His best records were a richly eclectic brew of soul, funk, rock & roll, sophisticated Broadway/Tin Pan Alley-style pop, jazz, reggae, and African elements -- and they weren't just stylistic exercises; Wonder took it all and forged it into his own personal form of expression. His range helped account for his broad-based appeal, but so did his unique, elastic voice, his peerless melodic facility, his gift for complex arrangements, and his taste for lovely, often sentimental ballads.

Additionally, Wonder's pioneering use of synthesizers during the '70s changed the face of R&B; he employed a kaleidoscope of contrasting textures and voices that made him a virtual one-man band, all the while evoking a surprisingly organic warmth. Along with Marvin Gaye and Isaac Hayes, Wonder brought R&B into the album age, crafting his LPs as cohesive, consistent statements with compositions that often took time to make their point. All of this made Wonder perhaps R&B's greatest individual auteur, rivaled only by Gaye or, in later days, Prince. Originally, Wonder was a child prodigy who started out in the general Motown mold, but he took control of his vision in the '70s, spinning off a series of incredible albums that were as popular as they were acclaimed; most of his reputation rests on these works, which most prominently include Talking Book, Innervisions, and Songs in the Key of Life. His output since then has been inconsistent, marred by excesses of sentimentality and less of the progressive imagination of his best work, but it's hardly lessened the reverence in which he's long been held.

Wonder was born Steveland Hardaway Judkins in Saginaw, MI, on May 13, 1950 (he later altered his name to Steveland Morris when his mother married). A premature infant, he was put on oxygen treatment in an incubator; likely it was an excess of oxygen that exacerbated a visual condition known as retinopathy of prematurity, causing his blindness. In 1954, his family moved to Detroit, where the already musically inclined Stevie began singing in his church's choir; from there he blossomed into a genuine prodigy, learning piano, drums, and harmonica all by the age of nine. While performing for some of his friends in 1961, Stevie was discovered by Ronnie White of the Miracles, who helped arrange an audition with Berry Gordy at Motown. Gordy signed the youngster immediately and teamed him with producer/songwriter Clarence Paul, under the new name Little Stevie Wonder.

Stevie released his first two albums in 1962: A Tribute to Uncle Ray, which featured covers of Stevie's hero Ray Charles, and The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie, an orchestral jazz album spotlighting his instrumental skills on piano, harmonica, and assorted percussion. Neither sold very well, but that all changed in 1963 with the live album The 12 Year Old Genius, which featured a new extended version of the harmonica instrumental "Fingertips." Edited for release as a single, "Fingertips, Pt. 2" rocketed to the top of both the pop and R&B charts, thanks to Wonder's irresistible, youthful exuberance; meanwhile, The 12 Year Old Genius became Motown's first chart-topping LP. Wonder charted a few more singles over the next year, but none on the level of "Fingertips, Pt. 2." As his voice changed, his recording career was temporarily put on hold, and he studied classical piano at the Michigan School for the Blind in the meantime.

He dropped the "Little" portion of his stage name in 1964, and re-emerged the following year with the infectious, typically Motown-sounding dance tune "Uptight (Everything's Alright)," a number one R&B/Top Five pop smash. Not only did he co-write the song for his first original hit, but it also reinvented him as a more mature vocalist in the public's mind, making the similar follow-up "Nothing's Too Good for My Baby" another success. The first signs of Wonder's social activism appeared . in 1966 via his hit cover of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" and its follow-up, "A Place in the Sun," but as Motown still had the final say on Wonder's choice of material, this new direction would not yet become a major facet of his work. By this time, Wonder was, however, beginning to take more of a hand in his own career.

He co-wrote his next several hits, all of which made the R&B Top Ten -- "Hey Love," "I Was Made to Love Her" (an R&B number one that went to number two pop in 1967), and "For Once in My Life" (another smash that reached number two pop and R&B). Wonder's 1968 album For Once in My Life signaled his budding ambition; he co-wrote about half of the material and, for the first time, co-produced several tracks.

The record also contained three more singles in the R&B chart-topper "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day," "You Met Your Match," and "I Don't Know Why." Wonder scored again in 1969 with the pop and R&B Top Five hit "My Cherie Amour" (which he'd actually recorded three years prior) and the Top Ten "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday." In 1970, Wonder received his first-ever co-production credit for the album Signed, Sealed & Delivered; he co-wrote the R&B chart-topper "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" with singer Syreeta Wright, whom he married later that year, and also scored hits with "Heaven Help Us All" and a rearrangement of the Beatles' "We Can Work It Out." In addition, two other .Motown artists had major success with Wonder co-writes: the Spinners' "It's a Shame" and the Miracles' only pop number one, "Tears of a Clown." 1971 brought a turning point in Wonder's career.

On his 21st birthday, his contract with Motown expired, and the royalties set aside in his trust fund became available to him. A month before his birthday, Wonder released Where I'm Coming From, his first entirely self-produced album, which also marked the first time he wrote or co-wrote every song on an LP (usually in tandem with Wright) and the first time his keyboard and synthesizer work dominated his arrangements. Gordy was reportedly not fond of the work, and it wasn't a major commercial success, producing only the Top Ten hit "If You Really Love Me" (plus a classic B-side in "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer"). Nonetheless, it was clearly an ambitious attempt at making a unified album-length artistic statement, and served notice that Wonder was no longer content to release albums composed of hit singles and assorted filler. Accordingly, Wonder did not immediately renew his contract with Motown, as the label had expected; instead, he used proceeds from his trust fund to build his own recording studio and to enroll in music theory classes at USC.

He negotiated a new deal with Motown that dramatically increased his royalty rate and established his own publishing company, Black Bull Music, which allowed him to retain the rights to his music; most importantly, he wrested full artistic control over his recordings, as Gaye had just done with the landmark What's Going On. Freed from the dictates of Motown's hit-factory mindset, Wonder had already begun following a more personal and idiosyncratic muse. One of his negotiating chips had been a full album completed at his new studio; Wonder had produced, played nearly all the instruments, and written all the material (with Wright contributing to several tracks). Released under Wonder's new deal in early 1972, Music of My Mind heralded his arrival as a major, self-contained talent with an original vision that pushed the boundaries of R&B. The album produced a hit single in the spacy, synth-driven ballad "Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)," but like contemporary work by Hayes and Gaye, Music of My Mind worked as a smoothly flowing song suite unto itself.

Around the same time it was released, Wonder's marriage to Wright broke up; the two remained friends, however, and Wonder produced and wrote several songs for her debut album. The same year, Wonder toured with the Rolling Stones, bringing his music to a large white audience as well. For the follow-up to Music of My Mind, Wonder refined his approach, tightening up his songcraft while addressing his romance with Wright. The result, Talking Book, was released in late 1972 and made him a superstar. Song for song one of the strongest R&B albums ever released, Talking Book also perfected Wonder's spacy, futuristic experiments with electronics, and was hailed as a magnificently realized masterpiece. Wonder topped the charts .with the gutsy, driving funk classic "Superstition" and the mellow, jazzy ballad "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," which went on to become a pop standard; those two songs went on to win three Grammys between them. Amazingly, Wonder only upped the ante with his next album, 1973's Innervisions, a concept album about the state of contemporary society that ranks with Gaye's What's Going On as a pinnacle of socially conscious R&B.

The ghetto chronicle "Living for the City" and the intense spiritual self-examination "Higher Ground" both went to number one on the R&B charts and the pop Top Ten, and Innervisions took home a Grammy for Album of the Year. Wonder was lucky to be alive to enjoy the success; while being driven to a concert in North Carolina, a large timber fell on Wonder's car. He sustained serious head injuries and lapsed into a coma, but fortunately made a full recovery. Wonder's next record, 1974's Fulfillingness' First Finale, was slightly more insular and less accessible than its immediate predecessors, and unsurprisingly imbued with a sense of mortality. The hits, however, were the upbeat "Boogie On, Reggae Woman" (a number one R&B and Top Five pop hit) and the venomous Richard Nixon critique "You Haven't Done Nothin'" (number one on both sides). It won him a second straight Album of the Year Grammy, by which time he'd been heavily involved as a producer and writer on Syreeta's second album, Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta. Wonder subsequently retired to his studio .

and spent two years crafting a large-scale project that would stand as his magnum opus. Finally released in 1976, Songs in the Key of Life was a sprawling two-LP-plus-one-EP set that found Wonder at his most ambitious and expansive. Some critics called it brilliant but prone to excess and indulgence, while others hailed it as his greatest masterpiece and the culmination of his career; in the end, they were probably both right. "Sir Duke," an ebullient tribute to music in general and Duke Ellington in particular, and the funky "I Wish" both went to number one pop and R&B; the hit "Isn't She Lovely," a paean to Wonder's daughter, became something of a standard, and "Pastime Paradise" was later sampled for the backbone of Coolio's rap smash "Gangsta's Paradise." Not surprisingly, Songs in the Key of Life won a Grammy for Album of the Year; in hindsight, though, it marked the end of a remarkable explosion of creativity and of Wonder's artistic prime. Having poured a tremendous amount of energy into Songs in the Key of Life, Wonder released nothing for the next three years.

When he finally returned in 1979, it was with the mostly instrumental Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants, ostensibly the soundtrack to a never-released documentary. Although it contained a few pop songs, including the hit "Send One Your Love," its symphonic flirtations befuddled most listeners and critics. It still made the Top Ten on the LP chart on Wonder's momentum alone -- one of the .stranger releases to do so. To counteract possible speculation that he'd gone off the deep end, Wonder rushed out the straightforward pop album Hotter Than July in 1980. The reggae-flavored "Master Blaster (Jammin')" returned him to the top of the R&B charts and the pop Top Five, and "Happy Birthday" was part of the ultimately successful campaign to make Martin Luther King's birthday a national holiday (Wonder being one of the cause's most active champions). Artistically speaking, Hotter Than July was a cut below his classic '70s output, but it was still a solid outing; fans were so grateful to have the old Wonder back that they made it his first platinum-selling LP.

In 1981, Wonder began work on a follow-up album that was plagued by delays, suggesting that he might not be able to return to the visionary heights of old. He kept busy in the meantime, though; in 1982, his racial-harmony duet with Paul McCartney, "Ebony and Ivory," hit number one, and he released a greatest-hits set covering 1972-1982 called Original Musiquarium I. It featured four new songs, of which "That Girl" (number one R&B, Top Five pop) and the lengthy, jazzy "Do I Do" (featuring Dizzy Gillespie; number two R&B) were significant hits. In 1984, still not having completed the official follow-up to Hotter Than July, he recorded the soundtrack to the Gene Wilder comedy The Woman in Red, which wasn't quite a full-fledged Stevie Wonder album but did feature a number of new songs, including "I Just .

Called to Say I Love You." Adored by the public (it was his biggest-selling single ever) and loathed by critics (who derided it as sappy and simple-minded), "I Just Called to Say I Love You" was an across-the-board number one smash, and won an Oscar for Best Song. Wonder finally completed the official album he'd been working on for nearly five years, and released In Square Circle in 1985. Paced by the number one hit "Part Time Lover" -- his last solo pop chart-topper -- and several other strong songs, In Square Circle went platinum, even if Wonder's synthesizer arrangements now sounded standard rather than groundbreaking. He performed on the number one charity singles "We Are the World" by USA for Africa and "That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne Warwick & Friends, and returned quickly with a new album, Characters, in 1987.

While Characters found Wonder's commercial clout on the pop charts slipping away, it was a hit on the R&B side, topping the album charts and producing a number one hit in "Skeletons." It would be his final release of the '80s; he didn't return until 1991, with the soundtrack to the Spike Lee film Jungle Fever. His next full album of new material, 1995's Conversation Peace, was a commercial disappointment, despite winning two Grammys for the single "For Your Love." That same year, Coolio revived "Pastime Paradise" in his own brooding rap smash "Gangsta's Paradise," which became the year's biggest hit. Wonder capitalized on the renewed notoriety by cutting a hit duet with Babyface, "How Come, How Long," in 1996. Since then, Motown has released a number of remasters and compilations attempting to define and repackage Wonder's vast legacy. His far-reaching influence was felt in the neo-soul movement that came to prominence in the late '90s, and he also remained a composer of choice for jazz artists looking to incorporate harmonically sophisticated pop/R&B tunes into their repertoires.

That only scratches the surface of Wonder's impact on contemporary popular music, which is why he was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, and remains a living legend regardless of whatever else he does.

After a decade hiatus, Wonder returnted to the spotlight in autumn of 2005 with A Time 2 Love, a comeback album on par with his classic releases featuring a tour de force of guest appearances including "So What the Fuss", which featured Prince on guitar.~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide * AFTER DOWNLOADING PLEASE SEED SO OTHERS CAN DOWNLOAD THIS TORRENT AS WELL* {IF EVERY ONE SEEDS TO A 3.0 % RATIO THE NEXT PERSON WILL GET THERE FILE QUICKER} {THE MORE SEEDERS THERE ARE THE FASTER THE DOWNLOAD} {PLEASE ENJOY FROM THE VIRUSOFSATEN} {LETS SHARE THE FILES} {SUPPORT THE BAY DOWNLOAD AND SEED} Paul McCartney | New Music And Songs | Paul McCartney About Paul McCartney Out of all the former Beatles, Paul McCartney by far had the most successful solo career, maintaining a constant presence in the British and American charts during the '70s and '80s. In America alone, he had nine number one singles and seven number one albums during the first 12 years of his solo career, and in his native United Kingdom, his record was nearly as impressive.

McCartney's hot streak began in 1970, when he became the first Beatle to leave the group. A little more than a year after the Beatles' breakup, McCartney formed Wings with his wife Linda and Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine, and the group remained active for the next ten years, racking up a string of hit albums, singles, and tours in the meantime. Wings disbanded in 1980 but McCartney stayed near the top of the charts over the next five years, thanks in part to a couple big duets with Michael Jackson. McCartney revived his solo career in 1989 via Flowers in the Dirt and its accompanying international tour, setting a template he would follow into the new millennium, when he'd support his records by playing concerts around the world. Between these massive endeavors, McCartney pursued other projects, including classical compositions, an electronica outfit with Youth called the Fireman, and overseeing archival projects such as the Beatles' Anthology series. As the 21st century rolled on, McCartney continued to take risks, including recording an album of standards from the Great American Songbook and collaborating with rapper Kanye West, proving that there was no area of popular music he couldn't touch.

Like John Lennon and George Harrison, McCartney began exploring creative avenues outside the Beatles during the late '60s, but where his bandmates released their own experimental records, McCartney confined himself to writing and producing for other artists, with the exception of his 1966 soundtrack to The Family Way. Following his marriage to Linda Eastman on March 12, 1969, McCartney began working at his home studio on his first solo album. He released McCartney in April 1970, two weeks before the Beatles' Let It Be was scheduled to hit the stores. Prior to the album's release, he'd announced that the Beatles were breaking up, against the wishes of the other members. As a result, the tensions between him and the other three members, particularly Harrison and Lennon, increased and he earned the ill will of many critics. Nevertheless, McCartney became a hit, spending three weeks at the top of the American charts. Early in 1971, he returned with "Another Day," which became his first hit single as a solo artist. It was followed several months later by Ram, another homemade collection, this time featuring the contributions of his wife, Linda.

By the end of 1971, the McCartneys had formed Wings, which was intended to be a full-fledged recording and touring band. Former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine and drummer Denny Seiwell became the group's other members, and Wings released their first album, Wild Life, in December 1971. Wild Life was greeted with poor reviews and was a relative flop. McCartney and Wings, which now featured former Grease Band guitarist Henry McCullough, spent 1972 as a working band, releasing three singles -- the protest "Give Ireland Back to the Irish," the reggae-fied "Mary Had a Little Lamb," and the rocking "Hi Hi Hi." Red Rose Speedway followed in the spring of 1973, and while it received weak reviews, it became his second American number one album. Later in 1973, Wings embarked on their first British tour, at the conclusion of which McCullough and Seiwell left the band. Prior to their departure, McCartney's theme to the James Bond movie Live and Let Die became a Top Ten hit in the U.S. and U.K. That summer, the remaining Wings proceeded to record a new album in Nigeria.

Released late in 1973, Band on the Run was simultaneously McCartney's best-reviewed album and his most successful, spending four weeks at the top of the U.S. charts and eventually going triple-platinum. Following the success of Band on the Run, McCartney formed a new version of Wings with guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and drummer Geoff Britton. The new lineup was showcased on the 1974 British single "Junior's Farm" and the 1975 hit album Venus and Mars. At the Speed of Sound followed in 1976; it was the first Wings record to feature songwriting contributions by the other bandmembers. Nevertheless, the album became a monster success on the basis of two McCartney songs, "Silly Love Songs" and "Let 'Em In." Wings supported the album with their first international tour, which broke many attendance records and was captured on the live triple-album Wings Over America (1976). After the tour was completed, Wings rested a bit during 1977, as McCartney released an instrumental version of Ram under the name Thrillington, and produced Denny Laine's solo album Holly Days.

Later that year, Wings released "Mull of Kintyre," which became the biggest-selling British single of all time, selling over two million copies. Wings followed "Mull of Kintyre" with London Town in 1978, which became another platinum record. After its release, McCulloch left the band to join the re-formed Small Faces, and Wings released Back to the Egg in 1979. Though the record went platinum, it failed to produce any big hits. Early in 1980, McCartney was arrested for marijuana possession at the beginning of a Japanese tour; he was imprisoned for ten days and then released, without any charges being pressed. Wings effectively broke up in the wake of McCartney's Japanese bust, although its official dissolution was not announced until April 27, 1981, when Denny Laine left the band. Back in England, McCartney recorded McCartney II, which was a one-man band effort like his solo debut.

Ironically, the hit single associated with the album was a live take of the song "Coming Up" that had been recorded in Glasgow with Wings in December 1979 and was intended to be the B-side of the 45, with the solo studio recording as the A-side. DJs preferred the live version, however, and it went on to hit number one. Later in 1980, McCartney entered the studio with Beatles producer George Martin to make Tug of War. Released in the spring of 1982, Tug of War received the best reviews of any McCartney record since Band on the Run and spawned the number one single with "Ebony and Ivory," a duet with Stevie Wonder that became McCartney's biggest American hit. In 1983, McCartney sang on "The Girl Is Mine," the first single from Michael Jackson's blockbuster album Thriller. In return, Jackson duetted with McCartney on "Say Say Say," the first single from McCartney's 1983 album Pipes of Peace and the last number one single of his career.

The relationship between Jackson and McCartney soured considerably when Jackson bought the publishing rights to the Beatles' songs out from underneath McCartney in 1985. McCartney directed his first feature film in 1984 with Give My Regards to Broad Street. While the soundtrack, which featured new songs and re-recorded Beatles tunes, was a hit, generating the hit single "No More Lonely Nights," the film was a flop, earning terrible reviews. The following year, he had his last American Top Ten with the theme to the Chevy Chase/Dan Aykroyd comedy Spies Like Us. Press to Play (1986) received some strong reviews but was another flop. In 1988, he recorded a collection of rock & roll oldies called Choba B CCCP for release in the U.S.S.R.; it was given official release in the U.S. and U.K. in 1991.

For 1989's Flowers in the Dirt, McCartney co-wrote several songs with Elvis Costello; the pair also wrote songs for Costello's Spike, including the hit "Veronica." Flowers in the Dirt received the strongest reviews of any McCartney release since Tug of War, and was supported by an extensive international tour, which was captured on the live double-album Tripping the Live Fantastic (1990). For the tour, McCartney hired guitarist Robbie McIntosh and bassist Hamish Stuart, who would form the core of his band through the remainder of the '90s. Early in 1991, McCartney released another live album in the form of Unplugged, which was taken from his appearance on MTV's acoustic concert program of the same name; it was the first Unplugged album to be released. Later that year, he unveiled Liverpool Oratorio, his first classical work. Another pop album, Off the Ground, followed in 1993, but failed to generate any big hits, despite McCartney's successful supporting tour. Following the completion of the New World tour, he released another live album, Paul Is Live, in December 1993.

In 1994, he released an ambient techno album under the pseudonym the Fireman. McCartney premiered his second classical piece, The Leaf, early in 1995 and then began hosting a Westwood One radio series called Oobu Joobu. But his primary activity in 1995, as well as 1996, was the Beatles' Anthology, which encompassed a lengthy video documentary of the band and the multi-volume release of Beatles outtakes and rarities. After Anthology was completed, he released Flaming Pie in summer 1997. A low-key, largely acoustic affair that had some of the same charm of his debut, Flaming Pie was given the strongest reviews McCartney had received in years and was a modest commercial success, debuting at number two on the U.S. and U.K. charts; it was his highest American chart placing since he left the Beatles. Flaming Pie certainly benefited from the success of Anthology, as did McCartney himself -- only a few months before the release of the album in 1997, he received a Knighthood.

On April 17, 1998, Linda McCartney died after a three-year struggle with breast cancer. A grieving Paul kept a low profile in the months to follow, but finally returned in fall 1999 with Run Devil Run, a collection that primarily included cover songs. The electronica-based Liverpool Sound Collage followed a year later, and the pop album Driving Rain -- a successor, of sorts, to Flaming Pie -- came a year after that. The live album Back in the U.S. appeared in America in 2002 with the slightly different international edition, Back in the World, following soon after. McCartney's next studio project included sessions with super-producer Nigel Godrich, the results of which appeared on the mellow Chaos and Creation in the Back Yard, released in late 2005. The album reached the Top Ten in more than a dozen countries, including the U.S. and U.K. McCartney performed every instrument (not including the strings) on 2007's David Kahne-produced Memory Almost Full, a bold but whimsical collection of new songs, some of which had been recorded before the Chaos and Creation in the Back Yard sessions.

It too reached the Top Ten across the world. A live CD/DVD set, Good Evening New York City, appeared in 2009. The following year, McCartney kicked off an extensive reissue campaign with a box set of Band on the Run, and he supported the reissue with an American tour in the summer of 2011. Later in 2011, McCartney released his first ballet, Ocean's Kingdom, and less than a year later followed with another first -- his first collection of pre-WWII standards. The latter work, titled Kisses on the Bottom, topped the U.S. jazz charts and reached the Top Five in seven different countries. His busy year continued during the summer, when he ended the opening ceremony of London's 2012 Olympics with a set that included a customary extended version of "Hey Jude." A surprising cap to 2012 came that December when he appeared on-stage with the surviving ex-members of Nirvana as part of a benefit concert for victims of Hurricane Sandy. The year 2013 brought recording sessions with four of McCartney's favorite producers: Paul Epworth, Ethan Johns, Giles Martin, and Mark Ronson.

His initial intention had been to hold trial sessions with each producer, aiming to select one of them to oversee the whole of his next album. However, each of them had a hand in producing New, his first album of original material in six years, which appeared that October. New debuted in the Top Ten in more than a dozen countries and McCartney supported the album over the next two years with a series of international tours. In 2015, he continued his Paul McCartney Archive project with deluxe reissues of Tug of War and Pipes of Peace. The next summer he released Pure McCartney, a personally curated overview of his solo career available in two separate incarnations: a double-disc set and a four-disc box. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & William Ruhlmann, Rovi I Just Called To Say I Love You by Stevie Wonder Songfacts I Just Called To Say I Love You by Stevie Wonder Songfacts Songfacts This was featured in the movie The Woman In Red, starring Kelly LeBrock as the woman and Gene Wilder as the married man who is mesmerized by her. Stevie wrote the score for the movie.

He got the gig after Dionne Warwick, who was working on the soundtrack, suggested him to the producers of the film. Wonder ended up contributing songs as well, and the soundtrack contains songs from both Stevie and Dionne. The movie's producers rejected some demos written by Jay Graydon and David Foster, and one of those songs became " Who's Holding Donna Now ," which was a hit for El DeBarge. This is Motown's biggest-selling single ever in the UK, where it was Wonder's first #1. It was his eighth #1 in the US. >> Suggestion credit: Emery - London, England This won the Oscar for Best Original Song, beating out " Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) ," " Footloose ," " Let's Hear It For The Boy " and " Ghostbusters ." Wonder claimed that he wrote the music for this song in 1978, and then "modernized" it when he added lyrics for the soundtrack. Wonder is an extremely prolific composer and was constantly coming up with songs that he would sometimes revisit much later. In the 2000 movie High Fidelity, this is the subject of a rant by a character played by Jack Black.

In the film, a man walks into the record store and asks for this song so he can give it to his daughter. Black's character, who is working there, scolds him for wanting such and awful song and goes on to explain that his daughter probably hates it and it was clearly the low point of Wonder's career. Wonder had moved to a much more adult contemporary sound when he released this song. His early hits like " Superstition " and " Higher Ground " were often filled with funk, but in the '80s, songs like this one and " Part-Time Lover " had a smoother sound, resulting in big hits, but disappointment for those hoping for a classic Wonder groove. Stevie sang some of this when he made an appearance on The Cosby Show in 1986. The episode was called "A Touch of Wonder," and was later cited by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson as an inspiration to many young musicians who became interested in samplers and making music after seeing Wonder on the show.

Question: Who had his first solo number one hit in the UK with 'I just called to say I love you'?
Answer: Stevie Wonder