"I Just Called to Say I Love You" is a ballad written, produced, and performed by American R&B singer and songwriter Stevie Wonder.[3] It was a major international hit, and remains Wonder's best-selling single to date, reaching number one in 28 countries worldwide.
| "I Just Called to Say I Love You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 French release sleeve | ||||
| Single by Stevie Wonder | ||||
| from the album The Woman in Red | ||||
| B-side | "Instrumental" | |||
| Released | August 1, 1984[1] | |||
| Studio | FAR STUDIOS (Rosbach vor der Höhe, Germany) | |||
| Genre | R&B[2] | |||
| Length | 6:17 (album version) 4:25 (single version) 6:44 (12" version) | |||
| Label | Motown – MOT-684 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Stevie Wonder[3] | |||
| Producer(s) | Stevie Wonder | |||
| Stevie Wonder singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "I Just Called To Say I Love You" on YouTube | ||||
The song was the lead single from the 1984 soundtrack album The Woman in Red,[3] along with two other songs by Wonder, and scored number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks from October 13 to 27, 1984. It also became his tenth number-one on the R&B chart, and his fourth on the adult contemporary chart; it spent three weeks at the top of both charts, and for the same weeks as on the Hot 100.[4] The song also became Wonder's only solo UK number-one success, staying at the top for six weeks, in the process also becoming Motown Records' biggest-selling single in the UK, a distinction it still held as of 2018[update].[3] In addition, the song won both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Original Song.[3] The song also received three nominations at the 27th Grammy Awards for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Instrumental Performance.
Composition
editThe song's lyrics have Wonder surprising someone in his life with an unexpected telephone call. Throughout the song, Wonder lists various events in a yearly calendar that might prompt someone to call a loved one. Yet he explains no special annual event such as New Year's Day or Halloween spurred the call. He simply wants to say that he loves them from the bottom of his heart. Cash Box described the song as "a tender and romantic love letter which captures the ever-present and Wonderous feeling of love and optimism."[5]
There was a dispute among Wonder, his former writing partner Lee Garrett, and Lloyd Chiate as to who actually wrote the song. Chiate claimed in a lawsuit that he and Garrett wrote the song years before its 1984 release. However, a jury ultimately sided with Wonder.[6]
Personnel
edit
- Stevie Wonder – lead and backing vocals, synthesizers, programming, Roland VP-330, Linn 9000, and Oberheim DMX
- Frank Farian – producer
- Ralph Rupper – audio engineer
- Gary Olazabal – producer / composer and audio engineer
- Peter Joiko – audio engineer
Music video
editA music video of the song has Wonder, during a concert, singing into a telephone receiver while seated at a piano.[7] By the end of the song, he and the audience are standing and swaying to the music. The video features concert footage recorded in Rotterdam Ahoy, in the Netherlands, on August 10, 1984.[8]
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
Decade-end chartsedit
All-time chartsedit
|
Sales and certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[70] | 3× Platinum | 408,000[69] |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[71] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
| France (SNEP)[73] | Gold | 800,000[72] |
| Germany (BVMI)[74] | Gold | 500,000^ |
| Italy (FIMI)[75] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[76] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[77] | Gold | 10,000* |
| Portugal (AFP)[78] | Platinum | 170,000[78] |
| Russia (NFPF)[79] Ringtone |
Gold | 100,000* |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[81] | Platinum | 1,874,225[80] |
| United States (RIAA)[82] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
See also
edit- List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1980s
- List of RPM number-one singles of 1984
- List of European number-one hits of 1984
- List of number-one hits of 1984 (France)
- List of number-one hits of 1984 (Germany)
- List of number-one singles of 1984 (Ireland)
- List of Dutch Top 40 number-one singles of 1984
- List of number-one singles in 1984 (New Zealand)
- List of number-one hits in Norway
- List of number-one hits (Sweden)
- List of number-one hits of 1984 (Switzerland)
- List of number-one singles from the 1980s (UK)
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1984 (U.S.)
- List of number-one R&B singles of 1984 (U.S.)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1984 (U.S.)
References
edit- ^ "RIAA Gold and Platinum Database". Riaa.org. Retrieved December 27, 2013.[permanent dead link]
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- ^ a b c d e Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 136. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "I Just Called to Say I Love You" topped the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, and R&B charts simultaneously from October 13 to 27, 1984:
- "Hot 100 singles chart". Billboard. October 27, 1984. p. 64. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
- "Hot Adult Contemporary chart". Billboard. October 27, 1984. p. 19. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
- "Hot Black Singles chart". Billboard. October 27, 1984. p. 50. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
- ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 11, 1984. p. 7. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
- ^ Weinstein, Henry (February 23, 1990). "Wonder Wins Suit Over Song". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
- ^ "Stevie Wonder - I Just Called To Say I Love You". YouTube. 30 December 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ NPO Radio 5: Clip van 'I Just Called To Say I Love You'
- ^ "Las canciones más populares en Latinoamérica". La Opinión (Los Angeles) (in Spanish). April 29, 1985. p. 10. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- ^ Grant. "Every AMR Top 100 Single in 1984". Retrieved July 25, 2020.
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- ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 8937." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "Las canciones más populares en Latinoamérica". La Opinión (Los Angeles) (in Spanish). November 19, 1984. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
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- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. No. 27. October 1, 1984. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ Timo (August 13, 2015). "Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1960: Artistit WIL - WOY". Sisältää hitin. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
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- ^ "Topp 10 vinsælustu lögin". DV (in Icelandic). August 31, 1984. p. 37. ISSN 1021-8254. Retrieved July 25, 2020 – via Timarit.is.
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- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Stevie Wonder – I Just Called to Say I Love You" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
- ^ "Number one hits in Zimbabwe". UKMIX Forums. October 29, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ "SloTop50 – Slovenian official singles chart". slotop50.si. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Kent Music Report No 548 – 31 December 1984 > National Top 100 Singles for 1984". Kent Music Report. Retrieved January 23, 2023 – via Imgur.com.
- ^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1984". Ö3 Austria Top 40 (in German). Retrieved May 2, 2022.
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- ^ "Top 100 Músicas Mais Tocadas em 1984" [Top 100 Most Played Songs of 1984]. March 24, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9638." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
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- ^ "Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Music Week. London, England: Morgan-Grampian plc. January 26, 1985. p. 37. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
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- ^ "Dutch single certifications – Stevie Wonder – I Just Called To Say I Love You" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved February 16, 2020. Enter I Just Called To Say I Love You in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1984 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
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