Signed, Sealed & Delivered

Last updated
Signed, Sealed & Delivered
Signedsealeddelivered.JPG
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 7, 1970
Recorded Hitsville U.S.A., Detroit
Genre Soul
Length35:32
Label Motown
Producer Stevie Wonder, Henry Cosby, Ron Miller, Steve Marcel Bega
Stevie Wonder chronology
Live at the Talk of the Town
(1970)
Signed, Sealed & Delivered
(1970)
Where I'm Coming From
(1971)
Singles from Signed, Sealed & Delivered
  1. "Never Had a Dream Come True"
    Released: February 7, 1970
  2. "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours"
    Released: June 3, 1970
  3. "Heaven Help Us All"
    Released: September 29, 1970
  4. "We Can Work It Out"
    Released: February 18, 1971

Signed, Sealed & Delivered is the 12th studio album by American recording artist Stevie Wonder, released on August 7, 1970, by Tamla Records. The album featured four hits that hit the Billboard Hot 100: "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" (#3), "Heaven Help Us All" (#9), "Never Had a Dream Come True" (#26) and Wonder's cover of The Beatles' "We Can Work It Out" (#13). The album hit #25 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart as well as #7 on the R&B Albums chart.[ citation needed ]

Contents

This was Wonder's first album on which he was given producer credit, though he actually produced only two of the tracks and co-produced three more. He wrote or co-wrote seven of the tracks.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Christgau's Record Guide B+ [2]

Reviewing for The Village Voice in 1970, Robert Christgau said Signed, Sealed & Delivered has flawed moments, but Motown albums are rarely consistent. He concluded the album is "still the most exciting LP by a male soul singer in a very long time, and it slips into no mold, Motown's included." [3] Rolling Stone magazine's Vince Aletti said that the album "holds more creative singing than you're likely to find in another performer's entire body of work." Aletti felt that, although not all of the songs match the energy of the title track, the album does not have a bad song and includes an "extraordinary" cover of "We Can Work It Out" that shares the other songs' "tasteful, unencumbered" arrangements. [4]

In his list for The Village Voice, Christgau named Signed, Sealed and Delivered the eleventh best album of 1970, [5] and later called it the best soul album of the year. [6] In a retrospective review, Allmusic's Ron Wynn gave the album three out of five stars, noting that Wonder's focus seemed to be more on social issues than commercial concerns, and found songs such as "I Can't Let My Heaven Walk Away" and "Never Had a Dream Come True" as intriguing as the hit title track and "We Can Work It Out". [7]

Track listing

Side one

  1. "Never Had a Dream Come True" (Stevie Wonder, Henry Cosby, Sylvia Moy) – 3:13
  2. "We Can Work It Out" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 3:19
  3. "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" (Lee Garrett, Lula Mae Hardaway, Wonder, Syreeta Wright) – 2:41
  4. "Heaven Help Us All" (Ron Miller) – 3:13
  5. "You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover" (Cosby, Pam Sawyer, Wonder) – 2:32
  6. "Sugar" (Don Hunter, Wonder) – 2:52

Side two

  1. "Don't Wonder Why" (Leonard Caston) – 4:54
  2. "Anything You Want Me To Do" (Hunter, Hardaway, Paul Riser, Wonder) – 2:19
  3. "I Can't Let My Heaven Walk Away" (Joe Hinton, Sawyer) – 2:53
  4. "Joy (Takes Over Me)" (Duke Browner) – 2:12
  5. "I Gotta Have a Song" (Hunter, Hardaway, Riser, Wonder) – 2:32
  6. "Something to Say" (Hunter, Wonder) – 3:26

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stevie Wonder</span> American musician (born 1950)

Stevland Hardaway Morris, known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include R&B, pop, soul, gospel, funk, and jazz. A virtual one-man band, Wonder's use of synthesizers and other electronic musical instruments during the 1970s reshaped the conventions of contemporary R&B. He also helped drive such genres into the album era, crafting his LPs as cohesive and consistent, in addition to socially conscious statements with complex compositions. Blind since shortly after his birth, Wonder was a child prodigy who signed with Motown's Tamla label at the age of 11, where he was given the professional name Little Stevie Wonder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syreeta Wright</span> American singer-songwriter (1946–2004)

Syreeta Wright, who recorded professionally under the mononym Syreeta, was an American singer-songwriter, best known for her music during the early 1970s through the early 1980s. Wright's career heights were songs in collaboration with her ex-husband Stevie Wonder and musical artist Billy Preston.

<i>Hotter than July</i> 1980 studio album by Stevie Wonder

Hotter than July is the nineteenth studio album by American singer, songwriter, and musician Stevie Wonder, released on September 29, 1980, by Tamla, a subsidiary of Motown Records. Wonder primarily recorded the album in Los Angeles at Wonderland Studios, which he had recently acquired. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 3, 1981. It was Wonder's most successful album in the UK, where it peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and produced four top ten singles. Music videos were produced for the album's first, third, and fourth singles.

<i>Music of My Mind</i> 1972 studio album by Stevie Wonder

Music of My Mind is the fourteenth studio album by American soul musician Stevie Wonder. It was released on March 3, 1972, by Tamla Records, and was Wonder's first to be recorded under a new contract with Motown that allowed him full artistic control over his music. For the album, Wonder recruited electronic music pioneers Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff as associate producers, employing their custom TONTO synthesizer on several tracks. The album hit No. # 21 in the Billboard LP charts, and critics found it representative of Wonder's artistic growth, and it is generally considered by modern critics to be the first album of Wonder's classic period.

<i>Where Im Coming From</i> 1971 studio album by Stevie Wonder

Where I'm Coming From is the 13th studio album by Stevie Wonder. The album was released by Motown Records on April 9, 1971 and peaked on the Billboard Pop Albums at #62, and on the Billboard R&B Albums Chart at #7. All nine songs were written by Wonder and Motown singer-songwriter Syreeta Wright, his first wife. It was the last album produced under his first contract with Motown Records. Including live albums, this is Stevie Wonder's fifteenth album overall, and thirteenth studio album.

<i>I Was Made to Love Her</i> (album) 1967 studio album by Stevie Wonder

I Was Made to Love Her is the seventh studio album by American musician Stevie Wonder, released on August 28, 1967 under Tamla Records, a Motown subsidiary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours</span> 1970 single by Stevie Wonder

"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.

<i>For Once in My Life</i> (Stevie Wonder album) 1968 studio album by Stevie Wonder

For Once in My Life is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder on Motown Records, released in November 1968. Then eighteen years old, Wonder had established himself as one of Motown's consistent hit-makers. This album continued Wonder's growth as a vocalist and songwriter, and is the first album where he shares credit as producer. It featured four songs that hit the Hot 100 charts: "For Once in My Life" (#2), "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" (#9) and the modest hits "I Don't Know Why" (#39) and "You Met Your Match" (#35). It also marked the debut of the Hohner Clavinet on a Stevie Wonder album, which would become a mainstay on albums to come.

<i>My Cherie Amour</i> (album) 1969 studio album by Stevie Wonder

My Cherie Amour is an album by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder released on the Tamla (Motown) label on August 29, 1969, his eleventh studio album. The album yielded a couple of Top 10 hits in the Billboard Hot 100, including the title track (#4) and "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" (#7), as well as Wonder's takes on the 1967 hit "Light My Fire" by The Doors, "Hello, Young Lovers" from The King and I and "The Shadow of Your Smile" from the 1965 film The Sandpiper. It reached #12 in the UK album chart and #34 in the Billboard 200 album charts.

<i>Im in You</i> 1977 studio album by Peter Frampton

I'm in You is the fifth studio album by Peter Frampton. It was released on 3 June 1977, almost a year and a half after his blockbuster 1976 live album Frampton Comes Alive! It was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York, where Frampton's Camel had been recorded four years earlier.

<i>Dancing in the Street: The Songs of Motown II</i> 2006 studio album by Human Nature

Dancing in the Street: The Songs of Motown II is the sixth studio album by Australian pop vocal group Human Nature and second Motown covers release. It was released on 14 October 2006.

<i>Looking Back</i> (Stevie Wonder album) 1977 compilation album by Stevie Wonder

Looking Back, also later known as Anthology, is a triple LP anthology by American soul musician Stevie Wonder, released in 1977 on Motown Records. Since its release in 12-inch triple LP format, it has not been reissued and is considered a limited edition. The album chronicles 40 songs from Wonder's first Motown period, which precedes the classic period of his critically acclaimed albums.

<i>ck</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Chaka Khan

ck is the seventh studio album by American R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan, released on the Warner Bros. Records label in 1988.

<i>Stevie Wonder Presents: Syreeta</i> 1974 studio album by Syreeta

Stevie Wonder Presents: Syreeta is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Syreeta Wright, released by Motown on June 19, 1974.

<i>One to One</i> (Syreeta album) 1977 studio album by Syreeta

One to One is the third studio album released by American R&B singer and songwriter Syreeta Wright in February 1977 by Motown. It serves as her first album Wright released where former husband Stevie Wonder did not oversee most of its production, instead only being involved with the song "Harmour Love", which was released as a single.

<i>Syreeta</i> (1980 album) 1980 studio album by Syreeta

Syreeta is the fourth solo album by Motown recording artist and American singer-songwriter Syreeta Wright, released by the Tamla label on April 26, 1980. It's also the second album to be titled Syreeta after her 1972 debut album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never Had a Dream Come True (Stevie Wonder song)</span> 1970 single by Stevie Wonder

"Never Had a Dream Come True" is a song written by Stevie Wonder and Motown staff songwriters Henry Cosby and Sylvia Moy, released as a single on the Tamla subsidiary in February 1970. Featured on his 12th studio release, Signed, Sealed & Delivered, as the lead single, "Never Had..." was a modest hit in the U.S. upon its release, debuting at No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the week of Feb. 7, 1970, and No. 11 on the R&B chart. The song received a boost in the U.K. where it eventually peaked at No. 6.

Paul Riser is an American trombonist and Motown musical arranger who was responsible for co-writing and arranging dozens of top ten hit records. His legacy as one of the "Funk Brothers" is similar to that of most of the other "Brothers", as his career has been overlooked and overshadowed by the stars of Motown that became household names. Some of the Funk Brothers he worked with include: Earl Van Dyke, Johnny Griffith, Robert White, Eddie Willis, Joe Messina, Dennis Coffey, Wah Wah Watson, James Jamerson, Bob Babbitt, Eddie Watkins, Richard "Pistol" Allen, Uriel Jones, Andrew Smith, Jack Ashford, Valerie Simpson, Eddie "Bongo" Brown, Benny Benjamin, Cornelius Grant, Joe Hunter, Richard "Popcorn" Wylie, Marcus Belgrave, Teddy Buckner and Stevie Wonder.

<i>Song Review: A Greatest Hits Collection</i> 1996 compilation album by Stevie Wonder

Song Review: A Greatest Hits Collection is a double-disc compilation album by Stevie Wonder. It was also released as a single disc edition which contained 6 tracks not featured on the 2CD release. The Australian edition has a slightly different track listing.

<i>Live at the Talk of the Town</i> (Stevie Wonder album) 1970 live album by Stevie Wonder

Live at the Talk of the Town is a 1970 live album by Stevie Wonder on the Tamla (Motown) label, recorded at the Talk of the Town nightclub in London. The third live collection by the singer-songwriter, this is the follow-up to his preceding live release Stevie Wonder Live. It was originally only released in the UK, then finally released in the US in 2005 via iTunes as part of The Complete Stevie Wonder collection.

References

  1. AllMusic review
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: W". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved March 9, 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
  3. Christgau, Robert (1970). "Consumer Guide (16)". The Village Voice . New York. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  4. Aletti, Vince (January 7, 1971). "Signed, Sealed and Delivered". Rolling Stone . New York. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
  5. Christgau, Robert (March 11, 1971). "Consumer Guide (16)". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
  6. Christgau, Robert (February 1973). "Little Stevie Grows Older". Newsday . Retrieved August 21, 2013.
  7. Wynn, Ron. "Signed, Sealed and Delivered - Stevie Wonder". Allmusic . Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  8. The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 10 1970 [liner notes]. New York: Hip-O/Motown/Universal Records