"Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" is a song by American musicianStevie Wonder. It was written by Wonder along withLee Garrett,Syreeta Wright, andLula Mae Hardaway for his twelfth studio album,Signed, Sealed & Delivered (1970), with production overseen by the singer. The song was released in June 1970 as a single onMotown's Tamla label. It spent six weeks at number one on theUS R&B chart and peaked at number three on the USBillboard Hot 100 chart.[2]
The song was a series of firsts for the 20-year-old Wonder: "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" was the first single Wonder produced on his own, and was also the first to feature his female backup singing group composed ofLynda Tucker Laurence (who went on to become a member ofthe Supremes),Syreeta Wright (who also co-wrote the song and later married Wonder), andVenetta Fields. "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" was arranged byPaul Riser and features anelectric sitar[3] played byEddie "Chank" Willis.[citation needed] In the lyrics, the singer has left his girlfriend but realizes it was a mistake. "I've done a lot of foolish things that I really didn't mean." Now he has returned, making the commitment that he's back, similar to a special delivery package from the post office, "signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours."
The song gave Wonder his sixthGrammy nomination, with the award that year going to theClarence Carter song "Patches".Cash Box stated that "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" was "polished and powerful enough to maintain an adult market power as well pointing toward giant sales."[4]Billboard called it a "funky beat swinger" with "blockbuster sales appeal."[5]Rolling Stone ranked the song 203rd on its list ofThe 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[6]
In 1977,Peter Frampton recorded the song on his albumI'm in You. His version also contains instrumental elements from Wonder's hit "For Once in My Life".Mick Jagger is featured on backing vocals. Frampton's version was released as a single, reaching number 18 on theBillboard Hot 100 and number 13 on theCash Box Top 100.[18] His cover also reached number 13 in Canada. In Chicago, the song reached number nine on superstationWLS-AM,[19] and in Toronto it reached number one onCHUM.[20]
"Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" was covered in 2003 by English boy bandBlue. Their version includes vocals fromAngie Stone and Wonder. The song was released as the second single from Blue's third album,Guilty (2003). In Australia, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" was released two weeks before it was issued in the United Kingdom. American singerJanet Jackson was originally approached to cover the song with the group but could not proceed due to scheduling conflicts.[28]
Betty Clarke fromThe Daily Telegraph called the song a "grunting cover,"[29] whileAllMusic's Sharon Mawer found that "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" was "just not as strong a song" as "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word."[30] In a negative review,BBC Music critic Chris Long wrote: "Not even the presence of the legendary Stevie Wonder and the equally fantastic Angie Stone on "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours" can get the party started. Their appearance only serves to show how untalented these four lads are."[31]
"Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" peaked at number 11 on theUK Singles Chart.[32] It was Blue's first single to miss the chart's top ten.[32] Elsewhere, the song reached the top 20 on the charts of six other countries, including Denmark, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain.[33]
A music video for "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" was directed by Max & Dania and largely filmed on the roof of the Maxfield Building on Santee Street inDowntown Los Angeles.[34] The visuals tell the story of a group of boys trying to sneak into the rooftop party attended by Blue, Wonder, and Stone.[35]
In 1982, theBoys Town Gang covered "Signed, Sealed, Delivered". It became a Top 10 hit in the Netherlands.[69]
In 1988,Ruby Turner covered the song on her albumThe Motown Songbook. It was released as a single and charted at number 77 in the UK and number 8 in New Zealand.[70][71]
Rufus Wainwright released a version in 2017 that was part of a tribute for a fundraising gala that honored Wonder.[78]
In 2018,the Fearless Flyers covered the song (as "Signed Sealed Delivered") as part of their eponymous debut EP. The track featuresSandra Crouch on tambourine andBlake Mills on guitar.[79]
