Artist:Stevie Wonder
Song:Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours
Album:The Definitive Collection
Stevie Wonder was thirteen years old when the 1963 single Fingertips topped the charts. For most of the 60s, he wrote and produced with Henry Cosby. But by the time the 1970 single Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours was a top five hit, he didn't want Cosby to hold his hand anymore. He wanted to write and produce his own music. Of course Motown owner Berry Gordy resisted this. He just didn't want Wonder to grow up. But Wonder was still scoring hit singles and he was putting pressure on Gordy to allow it. Wonder was now an adult and he was married to singer songwriter Syreeta Wright. So finally Gordy let Wonder produce Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours by himself and it reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Wonder and Syreeta wrote the song with Lee Garrett who wrote regularly with Wonder in the early 70s. Wonder also gave a songwriting credit to his mother. Paul Riser arranged and The Funk Brothers played on the record with Eddie Willis playing the sitar. Wonder only produced two songs solo. Henry Cosby and Ron Miller helped Wonder as they had done on previous albums. The experiment was a success and Gordy left Wonder produce his future albums and that was very successful. This comp is the best one available. Wonder was very successful in the 70s. But he hasn't had a hit single since the 80s. Wonder still tours and records occasionally. But his songs have gotten more sentimental in recent years. He seems to have lost his edge. Here's Stevie Wonder performing Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours on the Aug. 11, 1970 episode of The Dick Cavett Show.
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