In Square Circle | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 13, 1985 | |||
Recorded | 1984–85 | |||
Studio | Wonderland (Los Angeles, California) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 46:00 (LP) 49:22 (CD) | |||
Label | Tamla | |||
Producer | Stevie Wonder | |||
Stevie Wonder chronology | ||||
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Singles from In Square Circle | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Robert Christgau | B+[2] |
Rolling Stone | (favorable)[3] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
In Square Circle is the twentieth studio album by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, released in 1985. The album features the hit singles "Part-Time Lover" (No. 1), "Go Home" (No. 10), "Overjoyed" (No. 24), and "Land of La La" (No. 86). The album earned Wonder a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 1986 Grammy Awards.
In Square Circle made the top five on the Pop Albums chart, and spent 12 weeks at number one on the Top R&B Albums chart. On the UK Albums Chart, it peaked at number five.
Reception
Spin called the album, "a pleasant muttering packaged as a Major Statement. Where's the energy and comedy of the man who turns into a mercurial mimic on stage? The lights are on, but nobody's home."[5]
Track listing
All songs written, produced and arranged by Stevie Wonder.
Side one
- "Part-Time Lover" – 4:09
- "I Love You Too Much" – 5:30
- "Whereabouts" – 4:17
- "Stranger on the Shore of Love" – 5:01
- "Never in Your Sun" – 4:07
Side two
- "Spiritual Walkers" – 5:12
- "Land of La La" – 5:14
- "Go Home" – 5:18
- "Overjoyed" – 3:43
- "It's Wrong (Apartheid)" – 3:29
Notes
- On CD and Streaming editions of the album, "It's Wrong (Apartheid)" runs for 6:52
Personnel
Musicians
"Part-Time Lover"
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, synthesizers, drums
- Luther Vandross – lead vocal, background vocal
- Syreeta Wright – background vocal
- Philip Bailey – background vocal
- Keith John – background vocal
- Melody McCully, Billy Durham, Peter Byrne, Renee Hardaway, Darryl Phinnessee – background vocal
"I Love You Too Much"
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, synthesizers, drums, percussion
"Whereabouts"
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, synthesizers, drums, percussion
- Keith John – background vocal
- Darryl Phinnessee – background vocal
- Deniece Williams – background vocal
- Howard Smith – background vocal
"Stranger on the Shore of Love"
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, synthesizers, drums, harpsichord, accordion
"Never in Your Sun"
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, synthesizers, drums, percussion, harmonica
"Spiritual Walkers"
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer, drums, percussion
- Edwin Birdsong – Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer
- Larry Gittens – trumpet
- Bob Malach – saxophone
- Janice Moore, Cheta Akins, Carolyn Garrett, Ruthell Holmes, Kay Gibbs, Valencia Cox – background vocal
"Land of La La"
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, synthesizers, electric piano, percussion, drums
- Ben Bridges – guitar
- Rick Zunigar – guitar
- Renee Hardaway – background vocal
"Go Home"
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, synthesizers, drums, vocoder
- Bob Malach – saxophone
- Larry Gittens – trumpet
"Overjoyed"
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, acoustic piano, environmental percussion (incl.: crickets, bird sounds, ocean, pebbles in pond, stone dropped, crushing leaves), Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer
- Earl Klugh – guitar
- Paul Riser – string arrangement
"It's Wrong (Apartheid)"
- Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, synthesizers, drums, percussion, kora
- Musa Dludla, Thandeka Ngono-Raasch, Linda Bottoman-Tshabalala, Muntu Myuyana, Lorraine Mahlangu-Richards, Fana Kekana, Tsepo Mokone – background vocal
Technical personnel
- Stevie Wonder – producer, performer, writer, composer
- Bob Bralove, Brad Buxer, Abdoulaye Soumare – synthesizer programming
- Gary Olazabal – synthesizer programming, recording engineer, associate producer, audio mixing
- Bobby Holland – photography (album cover/booklet), concept designer (album cover)
- Renee Hardaway – concept designer (album cover)
- Johnny Lee – art direction (album cover)
Notable performances
"Go Home" was performed during the 1986 Grammy Awards ceremony as part of a synthesizer jam with Thomas Dolby, Herbie Hancock, and Howard Jones.[6] It was also performed, along with "Overjoyed," on the May 7, 1983, episode of Saturday Night Live, which Wonder hosted.[7]
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[25] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
France (SNEP)[26] | Gold | 100,000* |
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[27] | Gold | 10,000* |
Japan (Oricon Charts) | — | 596,000[12] |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[28] | Gold | 7,500^ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[29] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[30] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[31] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
See also
References
- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ Christgau, Robert. Consumer Guide Reviews: In Square Circle. The Village Voice. Retrieved 2010-05-08.
- ^ "In Square Circle". Rolling Stone. 24 October 1985. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ "Stevie Wonder: Album Guide | Rolling Stone Music". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2013-04-06. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
- ^ RJ Smith (December 1985). "Spins". Spin. No. 8. p. 29.
- ^ YouTube: "Synthesizer Showdown at the 1985 Grammys"
- ^ "May 7, 1983". The SNL Archives. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "austriancharts.at Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle" (ASP). Hung Medien (in German). Retrieved 2014-04-27.
- ^ Library and Archives Canada. Archived 2014-02-01 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2014-04-27
- ^ "dutchcharts.nl Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle" (ASP). dutchcharts.nl. MegaCharts. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
- ^ a b Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
- ^ "charts.nz Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle" (ASP). Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
- ^ "norwegiancharts.com Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle" (ASP). Hung Medien. VG-lista. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
- ^ "swedishcharts.com Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle" (ASP) (in Swedish). Retrieved 2014-04-27.
- ^ "Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle – hitparade.ch" (ASP). Hung Medien (in German). Swiss Music Charts. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
- ^ "Stevie Wonder Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
- ^ "Album Search: Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle" (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 2014-04-27.[dead link]
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1985". RPM. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Les Albums (CD) de 1985 par InfoDisc" (in French). infodisc.fr. Archived from the original (PHP) on October 27, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1986". RPM. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ 年間アルバムヒットチャート 1986年(昭和61年) [Japanese Year-End Albums Chart 1986] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 2013-11-02. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
- ^ "Billboard.BIZ – Year-end Charts – Billboard 200 – 1986". billboard.biz. Archived from the original on 2012-12-09. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle". Music Canada. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
- ^ "French album certifications – Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle" (in French). InfoDisc. Select STEVIE WONDER and click OK.
- ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1988". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
- ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
- ^ Solo Exitos 1959-2002 Ano A Ano: Certificados 1979-1990. Iberautor Promociones Culturales. 2005. ISBN 8480486392.
- ^ "British album certifications – Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
- ^ "American album certifications – Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2013-09-26.