Album: Signed Sealed & Delivered
Year: 1970
. . .
As he approached his 21st birthday, Stevie Wonder was getting restless, aching to have more control over his music. And as it turned out, the first instance of that control, the awesome “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours,” certainly helped him make that case.
No only was Stevie a co-writer (along with his mom — who apparently came up with the title — future wife Syreeta Wright, and a friend of his, Lee Garrett), “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” was also his first producer credit, as well. Oh, and he also played the drums. The future wasn’t here yet, but it was definitely peeking around the corner.
And so if the ringing guitar on “I Was Made To Love Her” had a hint of sitar in it, then “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” actually had a real sitar ringing over the descending riff that dominated the song. But what was cool about it was that it wasn’t like “hey, here’s a sitar!!!” but rather, it was integrated into the whole of the arrangement, just another color, along with the horns and the backing vocals that popped in and out of the song, but most especially the chorus.
Here I am, baby, oh, oh
(Signed, sealed, delivered, I’m yours)
You got my future in your hands
Ah, here I am, baby, ah, ah
(Signed, sealed, delivered, I’m yours)
You got my future in your hands, hey, hey
Those backing vocalists — Wright, future Supreme Lynda Tucker Laurence and Venetta Fields (who was also all over Exile on Main St) — were also part of his emerging backing band, which he called Wonderlove, and the contrast between their spot-on harmonies and his rough, excited lead vocals are what makes “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours such a rush.
And such a hit, as well, as “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours topped the R&B charts, made it to #15 on the U.K. pop charts and #3 on the Billboard charts. It also garnered him two Grammy nominations, for R&B Vocal Performance, Male and R&B Song of the Year. He didn’t win, but don’t feel sorry, as “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” is one of his most deathless songs, even a half-century later. So deathless, in fact, that it has nearly a half a billion plays on Spotify, more than any of his other songs from the first phase of his career.
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours”
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” Performed in 1970
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” Live in 2009
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