"Lately" | ||||
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Single by Stevie Wonder | ||||
from the album Hotter than July | ||||
B-side | "If It's Magic" | |||
Released | 1981 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:05 | |||
Label | Tamla | |||
Songwriter(s) | Stevie Wonder | |||
Producer(s) | Stevie Wonder | |||
Stevie Wonder singles chronology | ||||
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"Lately" is a song by American singer, songwriter and musician Stevie Wonder, recorded for his nineteenth studio album, Hotter than July (1980). The song was released in 1981 by Tamla, reaching number 3 on the UK Singles Chart and number 64 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was later covered by American R&B group Jodeci and released as a promotional single for the live album Uptown MTV Unplugged in June 1993, which reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart and the top-5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Record World called it a "touching ballad [that] is perhaps his most beautiful, revealing work yet." [1]
Jason Elias at AllMusic retrospectively praised the song, believing that unlike some of Wonder's similar material, "Lately" in particular hit all the perfect emotional and musical notes. Of the song's emotional power itself Elias stated, "it's enough to make a listener fall prey to an old-fashioned cry." [2]
Chart (1981) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report) [3] | 17 |
Ireland (IRMA) [4] | 6 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [5] | 36 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [6] | 15 |
UK Singles (OCC) [7] | 3 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [8] | 64 |
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [9] | 33 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [10] | 29 |
West Germany (Official German Charts) [11] | 64 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [12] | Silver | 250,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
"Lately" | ||||
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Single by Jodeci | ||||
from the album Uptown MTV Unplugged | ||||
Released | 1993 | |||
Recorded | 1993 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
| |||
Label | Uptown/MCA | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | DeVante Swing | |||
Jodeci singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Lately" on YouTube |
"Lately" was notably covered by American R&B group Jodeci for the Uptown MTV Unplugged release in 1993. Executive producer Andre Harrell referred to it as their "End of the Road", analogous to the chart-topping single for Boyz II Men. [13] The group's version of the song was released as a promotional single, claiming the number one spot on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart as the group's fourth number one R&B hit. It was also Jodeci's highest peaking pop hit, reaching numbers four and seven on the Billboard Hot 100 [14] and Cash Box Top 100 in August 1993. It sold 900,000 copies and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. [15] [16] This version also appears on Back to the Future: The Very Best of Jodeci , a greatest hits album from the group, released by Universal Records in 2005.
The group also recorded an alternate studio version of the song, produced by group leader DeVante Swing.[ citation needed ] It is slightly longer than the Uptown MTV Unplugged version and features an additional outro.[ citation needed ]
Chart (1993) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [17] | 161 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [18] | 50 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [19] | 4 |
US Hot Dance Singles Sales ( Billboard ) [20] | 12 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [21] | 1 |
US Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [22] | 17 |
US Rhythmic ( Billboard ) [23] | 1 |
US Cash Box Top 100 [24] | 7 |
Chart (1993) | Position |
---|---|
US Billboard Hot 100 [25] | 15 |
Jodeci is an American R&B quartet consisting of members DeVanté Swing, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci, and JoJo. Formed in 1988 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jodeci began as a duo of DeVanté Swing and JoJo but later each added their brothers. After signing with Uptown Records in 1990, the group finished work on their debut album, Forever My Lady (1991), which brought them mainstream success with three straight Billboard R&B No. 1 hit singles: the album's titular track, "Stay" and "Come and Talk to Me".
Forever My Lady is the debut studio album by American R&B quartet Jodeci, released May 28, 1991, by Uptown Records and MCA Records.
"Sir Duke" is a song composed and performed by Stevie Wonder from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. Released as a single in 1977, the track topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Black Singles charts, and reached number two in the UK Singles Chart, his joint biggest hit there at the time. Billboard ranked it as the No. 18 song of 1977.
Uptown Records is an American record label, based in New York City, founded in 1986 by onetime rapper Andre Harrell. From the late 1980s into the early 1990s, it was a leader in R&B and hip hop.
"Happy Birthday" is a song written, produced and performed by Stevie Wonder for the Motown label. Wonder, a social activist, was one of the main figures in the campaign to have the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. become a national holiday, and created this single to promulgate the cause. The song has since become a standard for use during birthdays in general, particularly among African-Americans.
"I Just Called to Say I Love You" is a ballad written, produced, and performed by American R&B singer and songwriter Stevie Wonder. It was a major international hit, and remains Wonder's best-selling single to date, having topped a record 19 charts.
"Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing" is a song by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, released as the third single from his sixteenth studio album, Innervisions (1973). It reached number 16 on the US Billboard Pop Singles chart, number 10 on the Cash Box Top 100, and number two on the R&B chart. The song's lyrics convey a positive message, focusing on taking things in one's stride and accentuating the positive. In 1992, British band Incognito had a European hit with their cover of the song.
"My Cherie Amour" is a 1969 song by Motown singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder. The song reached number 4 on the Billboard pop chart in August to be Wonder's third top ten hit. The song was co-written by Wonder, Sylvia Moy, and Henry Cosby; Cosby also served as producer of the song. At the end of 1969, the song was ranked number 32 for the year.
"Signed, Sealed, Delivered " 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. In the same year, the song was also released on the album Signed, Sealed & Delivered.
"Master Blaster (Jammin')" is a 1980 song by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, released as the lead single from his nineteenth studio album, Hotter than July (1980). It was a major hit, spending seven weeks at number one on the US Billboard R&B singles chart, reaching number five on Billboard's pop singles chart in the fall of 1980 and peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart, and number one in New Zealand.
"Part-Time Lover" is a song by American R&B singer and songwriter Stevie Wonder, released as the first single from his twentieth studio album, In Square Circle (1985). The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, R&B, dance, and adult contemporary charts, becoming Wonder's final number one hit to date. The song's simultaneous chart successes made Wonder the first artist to score a number-one hit on four different Billboard charts. The song was also released as a special 12" version. Lyrically, it tells the story of a man who is cheating on his wife with a mistress, only to find out in the end that his wife is cheating on him as well.
"Go Home" is a song by Stevie Wonder, released as the second single from his twentieth studio album, In Square Circle (1985). The song showcased the narrator's plea to a young woman to go home, though the girl tries to get the narrator to stay with her. In the US, the song peaked at #2 on the Billboard R&B chart and #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and, to date, is Wonder's last song to reach the US top ten on the Hot 100. "Go Home" also topped both the Billboard dance chart and the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
"Cry for You" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci recorded for their second album, Diary of a Mad Band (1993). The song was released as the album's lead single in November 1993 by Uptown/MCA. It peaked at numbers fifteen and nineteen on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100. The song also spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart, and number one on the Billboard Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop airplay chart. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales in excess of 500,000 units.
"Another Star" is a song written and performed by Stevie Wonder from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. It is the final track on side four of the double LP. The flute player Bobbi Humphrey appears in the last section of the song.
"Bad Weather" is a song recorded and released as a single by Motown vocal group The Supremes in 1973. It was composed by Stevie Wonder and Lynda Laurence's brother Ira Tucker Jr., and produced by Wonder. The song was Jean Terrell's last charted single as lead singer of the Supremes and the second and last time Laurence was featured on a Supremes single.
The discography of Jodeci, an American R&B group, consists of four studio albums, three compilation albums, thirteen singles, and thirteen music videos. The group was signed by Uptown Records after submitting a demo tape during a trip to New York. In 1991, they released their debut album, Forever My Lady, which peaked at number eighteen on the Billboard 200, and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States. On April 28, 1995, the album was certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album produced five singles, three of which topped the US R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: "Forever My Lady", "Stay", and "Come and Talk to Me". The last of these was certified gold by the RIAA.
"You Will Know" is a song written and recorded by American R&B singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, taken from his 1987 Characters album. It is the opening track on the album, and is the second single from the album as well. This is Stevie Wonder's 20th and final number-one R&B hit single. Wonder performed the song along with R&B quartet Jodeci and Mary J. Blige on an episode of The Arsenio Hall Show in late 1992.
"I Ain't Gonna Stand for It" is the second single from Stevie Wonder's 1980 album, Hotter Than July. It reached number four on the Billboard R&B singles chart and number 11 on the Hot 100. It also hit number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. The song is famous for Wonder's imitation of a seasoned country-and-western crooner and his inspiring drumming. Charlie and Ronnie Wilson of The Gap Band provide backing vocals on the song. It was covered by Eric Clapton in 2001.
"Let's Go Through the Motions" is a song written and produced by DeVante Swing and performed by American R&B group Jodeci. It was released on April 6, 1993 through Uptown/MCA Records as the lead single off the original motion picture soundtrack of Ted Demme's film Who's the Man?
"Freek'n You" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci recorded for their third album, The Show, the After Party, the Hotel (1995). The song, released as the album's first single, peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1995. Listed by Billboard magazine as one of the best selling singles of 1995, it was certified gold by the RIAA for sales in excess of 600,000 units.