In Square Circle

1985 studio album by Stevie Wonder

In Square Circle

Studio album by

Stevie Wonder

Released| September 13, 1985
Recorded| 1984–85
Studio| Wonderland (Los Angeles, California)
Genre|

* R&B
* soul

Length| 46:00 (LP)
49:22 (CD)
Label| Tamla
Producer| Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder chronology
| The Woman in Red
(1984)  | In Square Circle
(1985)  | Characters
(1987)

|
|

Singles from  In Square Circle

1. "Part-Time Lover"
Released: August 24, 1985
2. "Go Home"
Released: October 1985
3. "Overjoyed"
Released: Late 1985
4. "Land of La La"
Released: April 1986
5. "Stranger on the Shore of Love"
Released: July 1986

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [1]
Robert Christgau| B+[2]
Rolling Stone| (favorable)[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide| [4]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

All songs written, produced and arranged by Stevie Wonder.

Side one

1. "Part-Time Lover" – 4:09
2. "I Love You Too Much" – 5:30
3. "Whereabouts" – 4:17
4. "Stranger on the Shore of Love" – 5:01
5. "Never in Your Sun" – 4:07

Side two

1. "Spiritual Walkers" – 5:12
2. "Land of La La" – 5:14
3. "Go Home" – 5:18
4. "Overjoyed" – 3:43
5. "It's Wrong (Apartheid)" – 3:29

Notes

* On CD and Streaming editions of the album, "It's Wrong (Apartheid)" runs for 6:52

## Personnel

[edit]

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

[edit]

"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

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

Weekly chart performance for In Square Circle | Chart (1985–1986)  | Position

|

Australian Kent Music Report[8] | 8
Austrian Albums Chart[9] | 12
Canadian RPM Albums Chart[10] | 7
Dutch Albums Chart[11] | 16
Japanese Oricon Albums Chart[12] | 3
New Zealand Albums Chart[13] | 7
Norwegian VG-lista Albums Chart[14] | 3
Swedish Albums Chart[15] | 2
Swiss Albums Chart[16] | 4
UK Albums (OCC)[17] | 5
US Billboard 200[18] | 5
West German Media Control Albums Chart[19] | 8

### Year-end charts

[edit]

1985 year-end chart performance for In Square Circle | Chart (1985)  | Position

|

Canadian Albums Chart[20] | 29
French Albums Chart[21] | 21
1986 year-end chart performance for In Square Circle Chart (1986)  | Position

|

Canadian Albums Chart[22] | 91
Japanese Albums Chart[23] | 19
US Billboard 200[24] | 18

## Certifications

[edit]

Certifications for In Square Circle 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.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## See also

[edit]

* List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 1985
* List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 1986

## References

[edit]

1. ^ AllMusic review
2. ^ Christgau, Robert. Consumer Guide Reviews: In Square Circle. The Village Voice. Retrieved 2010-05-08.
3. ^ "In Square Circle". Rolling Stone. 24 October 1985. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
4. ^ "Stevie Wonder: Album Guide | Rolling Stone Music". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2013-04-06. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
5. ^ RJ Smith (December 1985). "Spins". Spin. No. 8\. p. 29.
6. ^ YouTube: "Synthesizer Showdown at the 1985 Grammys"
7. ^ "May 7, 1983". The SNL Archives. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
8. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
9. ^ "austriancharts.at Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle" (ASP). Hung Medien (in German). Retrieved 2014-04-27.
10. ^ Library and Archives Canada. Archived 2014-02-01 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2014-04-27
11. ^ "dutchcharts.nl Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle" (ASP). dutchcharts.nl. MegaCharts. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
12. ^ a b Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
13. ^ "charts.nz Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle" (ASP). Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
14. ^ "norwegiancharts.com Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle" (ASP). Hung Medien. VG-lista. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
15. ^ "swedishcharts.com Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle" (ASP) (in Swedish). Retrieved 2014-04-27.
16. ^ "Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle – hitparade.ch" (ASP). Hung Medien (in German). Swiss Music Charts. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
17. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
18. ^ "Stevie Wonder Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
19. ^ "Album Search: Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle" (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 2014-04-27.[dead link]
20. ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1985". RPM. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
21. ^ "Les Albums (CD) de 1985 par InfoDisc" (in French). infodisc.fr. Archived from the original (PHP) on October 27, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
22. ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1986". RPM. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
23. ^ 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.
24. ^ "Billboard.BIZ  – Year-end Charts – Billboard 200 – 1986". billboard.biz. Archived from the original on 2012-12-09. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
25. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle". Music Canada. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
26. ^ "French album certifications – Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle" (in French). InfoDisc. Select STEVIE WONDER and click OK.
27. ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1988". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
28. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
29. ^ Solo Exitos 1959-2002 Ano A Ano: Certificados 1979-1990. Iberautor Promociones Culturales. 2005. ISBN 8480486392.
30. ^ "British album certifications – Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
31. ^ "American album certifications – Stevie Wonder – In Square Circle". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2013-09-26.

* v
* t
* e

Stevie Wonder

Discography

Studio albums|

* The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie
* Tribute to Uncle Ray
* With a Song in My Heart
* Stevie at the Beach
* Up-Tight
* Down to Earth
* I Was Made to Love Her
* Someday at Christmas
* Eivets Rednow
* For Once in My Life
* My Cherie Amour
* Signed, Sealed & Delivered
* Where I'm Coming From
* Music of My Mind
* Talking Book
* Innervisions
* Fulfillingness' First Finale
* Songs in the Key of Life
* Hotter than July
* In Square Circle
* Characters
* Conversation Peace
* A Time to Love

Live albums|

* Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius
* Stevie Wonder Live
* Live at the Talk of the Town
* Natural Wonder

Soundtracks|

* Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants"
* The Woman in Red
* The Last Dragon
* Jungle Fever

Compilations|

* Looking Back
* Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium I
* Song Review: A Greatest Hits Collection
* At the Close of a Century
* The Definitive Collection
* The Complete Stevie Wonder

Singles|

* "Fingertips"
* "Hey Harmonica Man"
* "Uptight (Everything's Alright)"
* "With a Child's Heart"
* "Blowin' in the Wind"
* "A Place in the Sun"
* "Someday at Christmas"
* "Hey Love"
* "I Was Made to Love Her"
* "I'm Wondering"
* "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day"
* "You Met Your Match"
* "Alfie"
* "For Once in My Life"
* "I Don't Know Why"
* "My Cherie Amour"
* "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday"
* "Never Had a Dream Come True"
* "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours"
* "Heaven Help Us All"
* "We Can Work It Out"
* "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer"
* "If You Really Love Me"
* "What Christmas Means to Me"
* "Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)"
* "Superstition"
* "You Are the Sunshine of My Life"
* "Higher Ground"
* "Living for the City"
* "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing"
* "He's Misstra Know-It-All"
* "You Haven't Done Nothin'"
* "Boogie On Reggae Woman"
* "I Wish"
* "Sir Duke"
* "Another Star"
* "As"
* "Pops, We Love You (A Tribute to Father)"
* "Send One Your Love"
* "Master Blaster (Jammin')"
* "I Ain't Gonna Stand for It"
* "Lately"
* "Happy Birthday"
* "That Girl"
* "Ebony and Ivory"
* "Do I Do"
* "Ribbon in the Sky"
* "Front Line"
* "I Just Called to Say I Love You"
* "Love Light in Flight"
* "Part-Time Lover"
* "That's What Friends Are For"
* "Go Home"
* "Overjoyed"
* "Stranger on the Shore of Love"
* "Skeletons"
* "You Will Know"
* "Get It"
* "Gotta Have You"
* "For Your Love"
* "So What the Fuss"
* "From the Bottom of My Heart"
* "All About the Love Again"
* "Faith"
* "Can't Put It in the Hands of Fate"

Featured singles|

* "My Love"
* "How Come, How Long"
* "California Roll"

Other songs|

* "You and I (We Can Conquer the World)"
* "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)"
* "Golden Lady"
* "All in Love Is Fair"
* "They Won't Go When I Go"
* "Love's in Need of Love Today"
* "Knocks Me Off My Feet"
* "Pastime Paradise"
* "Isn't She Lovely"
* "Black Man"
* "We Are the World"
* "Just Good Friends"
* "Seasons of Love"
* "True to Your Heart"
* "Stop Trying to Be God"

Songwriting credits|

* "It's a Shame"
* "Tears of a Clown"
* "Tell Me Something Good"
* "Uptown Festival"
* "Let's Get Serious"
* "You're Supposed to Keep Your Love for Me"

Tours|

* Songs in the Key of Life Tour

Related articles|

* Lula Mae Hardaway
* Syreeta Wright
* KJLH
* SuperEgo
* Wonderin'
* "Wonder-ful"
* Super Bowl XXXIII halftime show

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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