Isn't She Lovely
{{Infobox song
| name = Isn't She Lovely
| cover = Isn't_She_Lovely_-_Stevie_Wonder.jpg
| caption = Motown CD single reissue (1996)
| type = promo
| artist = Stevie Wonder
| album = Songs in the Key of Life
| released = {{Start date|1976}}
| recorded = 1975
| genre = Soul
| length =
- 6:33 (album version)
- 3:20 (radio version)
| label = Tamla
| writer = Stevie Wonder
| producer = Stevie Wonder
| misc = {{External music video|header=Licensed audio|type=song|{{YouTube|7YGc6RMOYF8|"Isn't She Lovely"}}}}
}}
"Isn't She Lovely" is a song by Stevie Wonder from his 1976 album, Songs in the Key of Life. The lyrics celebrate the birth of his daughter, Aisha Morris. Wonder collaborated on the song with Harlem songwriter and studio owner Burnetta "Bunny" Jones.{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mw0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA68 |page=68 |title=Passings |author=Terry Barnes |magazine=Billboard |date=December 1998 |volume=110 |number=52 |issn=0006-2510}}
The song opens side 3 of Songs in the Key of Life, and starts with a baby's first cry recorded during an actual childbirth. A recording of Wonder bathing Aisha as an older toddler is brought into the final section of the song, mixed with Wonder's extended chromatic harmonica solo. All of the instruments heard in the song are played by Wonder, except for some keyboard parts played by Greg Phillinganes. During the recording process, bassist Nathan Watts laid down a bass guitar line to serve as a guide track for Wonder, but Wonder eventually replaced this with his own keyboard bass performance.{{cite book |title=Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life |author=Zeth Lundy |date=2007 |publisher=Bloomsbury |page=31 |isbn=9781441170125}}
The more-than-six-minute song was not released as a single, as Wonder was unwilling to shorten the song to fit the 7", 45 rpm format. Even without a single release, the song received so much airplay that it reached number 23 on the Adult Contemporary chart in January 1977. Since then, the song has become a jazz and pop standard, covered by many artists.{{cite book |title=The Sound of Stevie Wonder: His Words and Music |url=https://archive.org/details/soundofsteviewon00pero |url-access=registration |author=James E. Perone |publisher=Praeger |date=2006 |page=[https://archive.org/details/soundofsteviewon00pero/page/122 122] |isbn=9780313051081}}
Wonder performed the song live for Queen Elizabeth II at her Diamond Jubilee Concert on June 4, 2012, with lyrics modified to refer to the Queen.{{Cite news
| title = Sir Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Sir Elton John and Madness Lead Queen's Diamond Jubilee
| url = http://wcbsfm.cbslocal.com/2012/06/05/sir-paul-mccartney-stevie-wonder-sir-elton-john-and-madness-lead-queens-diamond-jubilee/
| work = WCBS-FM
| date = June 5, 2012
| access-date = July 21, 2013
| archive-date = October 22, 2016
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161022003701/http://wcbsfm.cbslocal.com/2012/06/05/sir-paul-mccartney-stevie-wonder-sir-elton-john-and-madness-lead-queens-diamond-jubilee/
| url-status = dead
}}
Releases
The song was not issued as a commercial single and therefore it did not appear on the major charts in the US and UK. However, due to radio airplay, it reached number 23 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart (then known as the Easy Listening chart) on January 29, 1977.{{cite book
| url = http://www.recordresearch.com/adult_contemporary/top_adult_songs_1961_2006.php
| title = Top Adult Songs 1961–2006
| last = Whitburn
| first = Joel
| author-link = Joel Whitburn
| access-date = 2011-11-09
| archive-date = 2019-12-31
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191231100657/https://www.recordresearch.com/adult_contemporary/top_adult_songs_1961_2006.php
| url-status = dead
}} In June 2012, after Wonder performed the song at the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, the song finally charted in the UK (#94) due to download sales.
Personnel
- Stevie Wonder – vocals, harmonica, percussion, RMI Electra Piano, Fender Rhodes, bass synth, drums, talking in recording
- Greg Phillinganes – keyboards
- Aisha Morris – bathing
Cover versions
- Vocalist David Parton released the song in 1976, which was a UK number 4 hit in early 1977. It spent nine weeks on the chart,{{cite book |first=David |last=Roberts |year=2006 |title=British Hit Singles & Albums |edition=19th |publisher=Guinness World Records Limited |location=London |page= 419 |isbn=1-904994-10-5}} and became the 54th biggest hit of the year.{{cite web|url=http://www.uk-charts.top-source.info/top-100-1977.shtml |title=Top 100 1977 - UK Music Charts |website=Uk-charts.top-source.info |access-date=2016-08-19}} Parton's version gave him one-hit wonder status in the United Kingdom.
- Jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour included the song on his 1977 instrumental album Captain Fingers.
- Pianist/percussionist Victor Feldman recorded a jazz instrumental version for his 1977 album The Artful Dodger.
- Clarinetist and bandleader Woody Herman fronted a big band version in 1978 on the album Fatha Herman and his Thundering Herd.
- Jermaine Jackson recorded a cover version of this song on his 1978 album Frontiers.
- Saxophonist/arranger Bill Holman included the song on his 1987 album The Bill Holman Band.
- In November 2012, an acoustic version sung by Jimmy Higham and Jon Walmsley reached number 41 on the UK Singles Chart.
- The song was covered by American actor and singer Kevin McHale in the 20th episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee.
- Jacob Collier covered the song in acapella form on his YouTube channel in 2012. The video has since amassed over 4 million views.
- Country duo Locash interpolated the song for Isn't she country.{{Cite web |title=ACE Repertory |url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/workID/928190070 |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=www.ascap.com}}
Chart history
;Stevie Wonder
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| Chart (2010)
! Peak |
|---|
| scope="row"| South Korea International (Circle){{cite web|url=https://circlechart.kr/page_chart/onoff.circle?nationGbn=E&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=34&hitYear=2010&termGbn=week&yearTime=3|title=Digital Chart: 2010 Weeks 34 |publisher=Gaon Chart |accessdate=March 8, 2025 }}
| align="center"| 15 |
Certifications
;Stevie Wonder
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Stevie Wonder|title=Isn't She Lovely|award=Gold|relyear=2004|certyear=2021|id=3394-82-1|access-date=October 22, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Stevie Wonder|title=Isn't She Lovely|award=Gold|relyear=2005|certyear=2006|digital=true|access-date=October 22, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}
Notes
{{notelist}}