Part-Time Lover

{{Short description|1985 single by Stevie Wonder}}

{{distinguish|Night Time Lover|Part-Time Love}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Part-Time Lover

| cover = Part-Time Lover.png

| type = single

| artist = Stevie Wonder

| album = In Square Circle

| B-side = Instrumental

| released = August 24, 1985

| genre = {{hlist|Synth-pop|R&B|soul}}

| length = 4:12 (album version)
3:43 (7" version)
8:20 (12" version)

| label = Tamla

| writer = Stevie Wonder

| producer = Stevie Wonder

| prev_title = We Are The World

| prev_year = 1985

| next_title = That's What Friends Are For

| next_year = 1985

}}

"Part-Time Lover" is a song by American R&B singer and songwriter Stevie Wonder, released as the first single from his twentieth studio album, In Square Circle (1985). The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, R&B, dance, and adult contemporary charts, becoming Wonder's final number one hit to date. The song's simultaneous chart successes made Wonder the first artist to score a number-one hit on four different Billboard charts. The song was also released as a special 12" version. Lyrically, it tells the story of a man who is cheating on his wife with a mistress, only to find out in the end that his wife is cheating on him as well.

"Part-Time Lover" also reached number three on the UK Singles Chart thanks in large part to a performance by Wonder on Top of the Pops in late 1985.

The song featured R&B singer Luther Vandross singing the ad-libs and backing vocals, in addition to Syreeta Wright and Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind and Fire. Wonder earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 1986, for the song. Wonder is noted in the liner notes of the four-CD set Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection Volume 2 1972-1992 as describing the music for the song as an ode to "You Can't Hurry Love" and "My World Is Empty Without You", both by the Supremes, former Motown labelmates of Wonder.

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable"
scope="col"|Chart (1985–1986)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|type=doc|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|publisher=Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W |year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|title-link=Kent Music Report}}

|align="center"|3

{{singlechart|Austria|11|artist=Stevie Wonder|song=Part Time Lover}}
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders){{cite web |url= http://top30-2.radio2.be/#/song-info/1645 |title= part time lover - stevie wonder |work= VRT |publisher= Top30-2.radio2.be |language= nl |access-date= 25 July 2013 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120409063716/http://top30-2.radio2.be/#/song-info/1645 |archive-date= 9 April 2012 }} Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 1

| style="text-align:center;"|1

Canada 100 Singles (RPM){{cite web |url= http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0560&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=u9874ano8k0c5b6bkp4r8qrbp3 |title= Top Singles - Volume 42, No. 22, September 10, 1985 |publisher= Library and Archives Canada |access-date= 1 June 2013 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141129045438/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0560&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=u9874ano8k0c5b6bkp4r8qrbp3 |archive-date= 29 November 2014 }}

| style="text-align:center;"|1

Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM){{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.0594&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.0594.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.0594|title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |date=1985-11-09 |access-date=2019-08-08}}

| style="text-align:center;"|1

Finland (Suomen virallinen lista){{cite book|url=https://musiikkiarkisto.fi/oa/_tiedostot/julkaisut/sisaltaa-hitin.pdf#page=284|first=Timo|last=Pennanen|year=2021|title=Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021|section=Stevie Wonder|page=284|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava|location=Helsinki|access-date=14 July 2022|language=fi}}

| style="text-align:center;"|4

{{singlechart|France|3|artist=Stevie Wonder|song=Part Time Lover|access-date=21 July 2013}}
{{singlechart|Ireland2|1|song=Part Time Lover|artist=Stevie Wonder}}
{{singlechart|Dutch40|11|artist=Stevie Wonder|song=Part Time Lover}}
{{singlechart|Dutch100|17|artist=Stevie Wonder|song=Part Time Lover}}
{{singlechart|New Zealand|1|artist=Stevie Wonder|song=Part Time Lover|access-date=21 July 2013}}
{{singlechart|Norway|5|artist=Stevie Wonder|song=Part Time Lover}}
Portugal (Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa){{Cite web | url=http://www.laurentpons.com/charts/portugal/80s.htm |title = TOP 20 TMP Portugal - number one in the 80's airplay charts}}

| style="text-align:center;"|1

South Africa (Springbok){{cite web|title=SA Charts 1965–March 1989|url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(W).html|access-date=5 September 2018}}

|align="center"|7

Spain (AFYVE){{cite book |last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st |date=September 1985|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}

| style="text-align:center;"|1

{{singlechart|Sweden|3|artist=Stevie Wonder|song=Part Time Lover}}
{{singlechart|Switzerland|5|artist=Stevie Wonder|song=Part Time Lover}}
UK Singles (OCC){{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/God%27s%20Home%20Movie |title=Official Charts Company - |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=2014-03-28 }}

| style="text-align:center;"|3

US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web|author=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/stevie-wonder-mn0000153526/awards |title=Stevie Wonder | Awards |publisher=AllMusic |date=1940-10-14 |access-date=2014-03-28|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine }}

| style="text-align:center;"|1

{{singlechart|West Germany|12|artist=Stevie Wonder|song=Part Time Lover|songid=1321}}

class="wikitable"

!Chart (2019)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Poland|69|chartid=3067|year=2019|access-date=May 27, 2019}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable"
Chart (1985)

! style="text-align:center;"|Rank

Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/SN2evHp.jpg|title=Kent Music Report No 599 – 30 December 1985 > National Top 100 Singles for 1985|publisher=Kent Music Report|via=Imgur|access-date=January 23, 2023}}

| style="text-align:center;"|29

Canada{{cite magazine|title= RPM's Top 100 Singles of 1985 |magazine= RPM |volume= 43 |issue= 16 |date= 28 December 1985 |access-date= 30 July 2017 |url= http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.0619&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.0619.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.0619}}

| style="text-align:center;"|9

New Zealand{{cite web|title= End of Year Charts 1985 |publisher= Recorded Music NZ |access-date= July 16, 2017 |url= https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-singles/1985-12-31}}

|align="center"|34

UK{{cite magazine |title=Top 100 Singles |magazine=Music Week |publisher=Spotlight Publications |location=London, England |page=24 |date=24 January 1987}}

| style="text-align:center;"|37

US Billboard Hot 100[http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1985.htm Musicoutfitters.com]

| style="text-align:center;"|22

{{col-end}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|type=single|artist=Stevie Wonder|title=Part-Time Lover|relyear=1985|certyear=1985|award=Gold|source=infodisc}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Stevie Wonder|title=Part Time Lover|award=Gold|relyear=1985|certyear=2023|source=radioscope|access-date=April 25, 2025}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Stevie Wonder|title=Part-Time Lover|award=Silver|relyear=1985|certyear=1985|id=5004-3788-1|access-date=February 18, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true}}

Personnel

  • Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, synthesizers, drums
  • Luther Vandross – lead vocal, background vocal
  • Syreeta Wright, Philip Bailey (Earth Wind & Fire), Keith John, Melody McCully, Billy Durham, Peter Byrne (Naked Eyes), Renee Hardaway, Darryl Phinnessee - background vocal{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Stevie-Wonder-In-Square-Circle/release/745459 |title=In Square Circle on |year=1985 |publisher=Discogs.com |access-date=2011-12-22}}

Cover versions

  • Puerto Rican salsa musician Bobby Valentin covered the song in 1986. His cover peaked at number 23 on the Hot Latin Tracks chart.{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=bobby valentín|chart=all}}|title=Bobby Valentin: Hot Latin Songs|date=September 27, 1986|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media}}

See also

References

{{Reflist}}