"Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" is a soul song, by American musician Stevie Wonder, released in June 1970 as a single on Motown's Tamla label. It spent six weeks at number one on the U.S. R&B chart and peaked at number three on the U.S. Pop chart.[2] In the same year, the song was also released on the album Signed, Sealed & Delivered.
| "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 One of side-A labels of the US single | ||||
| Single by Stevie Wonder | ||||
| from the album Signed, Sealed & Delivered | ||||
| B-side | "I'm More Than Happy (I'm Satisfied)" | |||
| Released | June 3, 1970 | |||
| Recorded | August 26, 1969 – April 28, 1970[1] | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Soul | |||
| Length | 2:41 | |||
| Label | Tamla 54196 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Stevie Wonder | |||
| Stevie Wonder singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio | ||||
| "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" on YouTube | ||||
The song was arranged by Paul Riser and features an electric sitar[3] played by Eddie "Chank" Willis.[citation needed] In the lyrics, the singer has left his girlfriend but realizes it was a mistake. "I've done a lot of foolish things that I really didn't mean." Now he has returned, making the commitment that he's back, similar to a special delivery package from the post office, "signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours."
The song was a series of firsts for the 20-year-old Wonder: "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" was the first single Wonder produced on his own, and was also the first to feature his female backup singing group composed of Lynda Tucker Laurence (who went on to become a member of The Supremes), Syreeta Wright (who also co-wrote the song and later married Wonder), and Venetta Fields. The song gave Wonder his sixth Grammy nomination, with the award that year going to the Clarence Carter song "Patches".
Cash Box stated that the song is "polished and powerful enough to maintain an adult market power as well pointing toward giant sales."[4] Billboard called it a "funky beat swinger" with "blockbuster sales appeal."[5] It is ranked number 203 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[6]
Charts
editCertifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[14] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[15] | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Political significance
edit
During the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama's presidential campaign frequently played the song immediately after Obama's speeches at campaign events. Wonder performed the song live on the final night of the 2008 Democratic National Convention at Invesco Field in Denver, Colorado. During the campaign, Obama's chief campaign strategist, David Axelrod, used the song as the special ring tone on his cellular phone whenever he received a call from Obama.[16]
At Obama's election night rally at Grant Park in Chicago, the song was one of the first of three songs played to warm up the audience for Obama's victory speech upon winning the election. The song was used in the same fashion the Clinton-Gore campaign used Fleetwood Mac's hit "Don't Stop." The Obama family came out to the song again on Election Night in 2012 for Obama's victory speech.[citation needed]
At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, the song played after Barack Obama's speech, at which point Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton came out on stage.[17]
Peter Frampton cover
edit| "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork for some non-UK releases | ||||
| Single by Peter Frampton | ||||
| from the album I'm in You | ||||
| B-side | "Rocky's Hot Club" | |||
| Released | August 1977 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Peter Frampton | |||
| Peter Frampton singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In 1977, Peter Frampton recorded the song on his album I'm in You. His version also contains instrumental elements from Wonder's hit "For Once in My Life". Mick Jagger is featured on backing vocals. Frampton's version was released as a single, reaching number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 13 on the Cashbox Top 100.[18] His cover also reached number 13 in Canada. In Chicago, the song reached number nine on superstation WLS-AM,[19] and in Toronto it reached number one on CHUM.[20]
Charts
editBlue version
edit| "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Blue featuring Stevie Wonder and Angie Stone | ||||
| from the album Guilty | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | December 1, 2003 | |||
| Length | 3:33 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Martin Harrington, Ash Howes | |||
| Blue singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" was covered in 2003 by English boy band Blue. Their version includes vocals from Angie Stone and Wonder. This was the second single from Blue's third album, Guilty (2003), and was released in Australia two weeks before it was issued in the UK. The cover peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart and reached the top 20 on the charts of six other countries. Janet Jackson was originally approached to cover the song with the group but could not proceed due to scheduling conflicts.[28]
Track listings
editUK CD1[29]
- "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" – 3:39
- "One Love" – 3:25
UK CD2[30]
- "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" (radio edit) – 3:33
- "4 Play" – 3:22
- "Guilty" (original demo) – 3:25
- "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" (video and photo gallery enhanced) – 3:33
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Release history
edit| Region | Version | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Solo release | December 1, 2003 | CD | [55] | |
| United Kingdom | December 15, 2003 | [56] | |||
| Japan | with "The Gift" | December 17, 2003 | [57] |
Other covers
editThis section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2014) |
This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: covers may not meet WP:SONGCOVER. (October 2018) |
- Shortly before being signed by Uni Records, Elton John (then performing under his birth name, Reg Dwight) recorded a cover of it for a collection of top hits of the day that were released as discount LP "sound-alike" versions. It was later released on several CD compilations, perhaps the most notable of which was Reg Dwight's Piano Goes Pop! Elton's (or rather Reg's) version was later included under the end titles of the 2004 romantic comedy film Laws of Attraction starring Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore.
- In the early 1970s, Bobby Byrd performed an up-tempo cover of this song on a single with other songs performed by James Brown and Lyn Collins.[58]
- In 1975, The Osmonds covered the song, and it appears on their album Around the World, Live in Concert.
- In 1976, Marcia Hines covered the song on her album, Shining.
- In 1976, Stuff (band) released a live album from their set at the Montreux Jazz Festival which included an instrumental cover of this track.
- In 1978, Gwen McCrae released a cover on album Let's Straighten It Out.[59]
- In 1980, co-writer Syreeta Wright released her own version of the song on her second self-titled album.
- In 1981, Jermaine Jackson covered the song on his album, I Like Your Style.
- In 1982, the Boys Town Gang covered "Signed, Sealed, Delivered". It became a Top 10 hit in the Netherlands.[60]
- In 1988, Chaka Khan released her album CK of which the song was the first track. Wonder played harmonica on Khan's version.
- In 1995, Kim Wilde performed the track during the last episode of Don't Forget Your Toothbrush on UK television.[61]
- Jazz fusion and contemporary jazz group Pieces of a Dream presented their version from the band's 1998 album Pieces.[62]
- Former adult film star Colton Ford and dance diva Pepper Mashay recorded a club version of this song in 2004. This version went to number 9 on the Hot Dance Club Play and number 25 on the Hot Dance Singles Sales charts.[63]
- In 2004, Arkells released a version of the song as the A-side to their Record Store Day release entitled Arkells Sing Motown.
- Human Nature successfully remade the song to feature in their Motown album Dancing in the Street: the Songs of Motown II released in 2006.
- Charlie Daniels covered the song with Bonnie Bramlett on his 2007 duet album, Deuces
- English singer Craig David has covered the song on his fifth studio album, inspired by the same name Signed Sealed Delivered (2010).
- Michael Bolton released a cover of the song in early 2013 on his album Ain't No Mountain High Enough: A Tribute to Hitsville.[64]
- In 2013, Straight No Chaser covered the song with Wonder on their Under the Influence album.[65]
- In 2014, Irish singer Ronan Keating covered the song for the film Postman Pat: The Movie.
- Becca Tobin as her character Kitty Wilde covered this song on the fourth season of the musical comedy Glee as part of a tribute episode to Stevie Wonders titled "Wonder-ful".[66]
- Rufus Wainwright released a version in 2017 that was part of a tribute for a fundraising gala that honored Wonder.[67]
- In 2018, The Fearless Flyers covered the song (as ″Signed Sealed Delivered") as part of their eponymous debut EP. The track features Sandra Crouch on tambourine and Blake Mills on guitar.[68]
- For the 2021 Christmas special of the DreamWorks Animation franchise Trolls, titled Trolls: Holiday in Harmony this song is covered by Anderson .Paak, Anna Kendrick, Anthony Ramos, Ester Dean, and Justin Timberlake.[69]
References
edit- ^ "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours | Stevie Wonder | Recording". Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 635.
- ^ Perone, James E. (January 1, 2006). The Sound of Stevie Wonder: His Words and Music. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780275987237. Retrieved January 29, 2017 – via Google Books.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 20, 1970. p. 18. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. June 20, 1970. p. 54. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time | #203 Stevie Wonder, 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours'". Rolling Stone. September 15, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4532." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
- ^ "Stevie Wonder Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
- ^ "Stevie Wonder Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
- ^ "Top 100 1970-08-22". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
- ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1970/Top 100 Songs of 1970". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- ^ "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1970". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
- ^ "Danish single certifications – Stevie Wonders – Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved February 16, 2021. Scroll through the page-list below until year 2021 to obtain certification.
- ^ "British single certifications – Stevie Wonder – Signed Sealed Delivered (I'm Yours)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ Zeleny, Jeff (October 26, 2008). "Long by Obama's Side, an Adviser Fills a Role That Exceeds His Title". The New York Times. Retrieved October 26, 2008.
- ^ "Watch President Barack Obama's full speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention". YouTube. PBS NewsHour. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
- ^ Joel Whitburn, Top Pop Singles 1955-1999 (Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research, 2000), 239.
- ^ "Wls102277".
- ^ "1050 CHUM – CHUM Charts > Frampton, Peter". CHUM Charts. 1050 Chum. October 1, 1977. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5430a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
- ^ Flavour of New Zealand, 18 December 1977
- ^ "Peter Frampton Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
- ^ "Top 100 1977-10-22". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, October 15, 1977". Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ "Top 200 Singles of '77 – Volume 28, No. 11, December 31 1977". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. July 17, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
- ^ "1977 Year End". Bullfrogspond.com. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- ^ "Janet Love". Janet Love. October 28, 2003. Archived from the original on November 23, 2003. Retrieved January 14, 2014.[dead link] [dead link]
- ^ Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours (UK CD1 liner notes). Blue. Virgin Records, Innocent Records. 2003. SINCDY 54.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours (UK CD2 liner notes). Blue. Virgin Records, Innocent Records. 2003. SINDX 54.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Blue feat. Stevie Wonder & Angie Stone – Signed, Sealed and Delivered". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
- ^ "Blue feat. Stevie Wonder & Angie Stone – Signed, Sealed and Delivered" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
- ^ "Blue feat. Stevie Wonder & Angie Stone – Signed, Sealed and Delivered" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
- ^ Blue feat. Stevie Wonder & Angie Stone — Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours. TopHit. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ "Top Lista Hrvatskog Radija". Croatian Radiotelevision. Archived from the original on February 5, 2004. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
- ^ "Blue feat. Stevie Wonder & Angie Stone – Signed, Sealed and Delivered". Tracklisten. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
- ^ "Blue feat. Stevie Wonder & Angie Stone – Signed, Sealed, Delivered i'm yours" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
- ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Signed, Sealed, Delivered i'm yours". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
- ^ "Blue feat. Stevie Wonder & Angie Stone – Signed, Sealed and Delivered". Top Digital Download. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 3, 2004" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- ^ "Blue feat. Stevie Wonder & Angie Stone – Signed, Sealed and Delivered" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
- ^ "Blue feat. Stevie Wonder & Angie Stone – Signed, Sealed and Delivered". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
- ^ "Arhiva romanian top 100 – Editia 12, saptamina 22.03 – 28.03, 2004" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on February 21, 2005. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Blue feat. Stevie Wonder & Angie Stone – Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" Canciones Top 50.
- ^ "Blue feat. Stevie Wonder & Angie Stone – Signed, Sealed and Delivered". Singles Top 100. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
- ^ "Blue feat. Stevie Wonder & Angie Stone – Signed, Sealed and Delivered". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2003" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- ^ "Rádiós Top 100 – hallgatottsági adatok alapján – 2004" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2004". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- ^ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2004" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 1st December 2003" (PDF). ARIA. December 1, 2003. p. 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 6, 2003. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. December 13, 2003. p. 23.
- ^ "ギフト | ブルー" [Gift | Blue] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
- ^ "Dusty Groove review". Dusty Groove. Retrieved February 19, 2008.
- ^ Gwen McCrae - Let's Straighten It Out, 1978, retrieved March 7, 2023
- ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1982". Top40.nl. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- ^ "Wilde Life TV 1995". Wilde-life.com. Archived from the original on April 30, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
- ^ "Pieces of a Dream - Pieces". AllMusic.
- ^ "Colton Ford Billboard singles". AllMusic. Retrieved November 9, 2007.
- ^ "Michael Bolton - Ain't No Mountain High Enough: A Tribute to Hitsville (2013)". AllMusic.
- ^ Collar, Matt. "Under the Influence - Straight No Chaser". AllMusic. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
- ^ Gonzalez, Sandra. "Glee recap: Stevie Wonder Season 4 Episode 21". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ "Rufus Wainwright releases cover of Stevie Wonder's 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)". rufuswainwright.com/.
- ^ Kahn, Andy. "The Fearless Flyers Share 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours' Video Featuring Blake Mills & Sandra Crouch". JamBase.
- ^ Serba, John. "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Trolls: Holiday in Harmony' on Hulu, an Animated Joysplosion of Annoying Singing and Visual Delight". Decider.
