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
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=Weekly charts=
class="wikitable"
!Chart (2019) !Peak |
{{single chart|Poland|69|chartid=3067|year=2019|access-date=May 27, 2019}} |
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=Year-end charts=
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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
- List of RPM number-one singles of 1985
- List of number-one singles of 1985 (Ireland)
- List of number-one singles in 1985 (New Zealand)
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1985 (U.S.)
- List of number-one R&B singles of 1985 (U.S.)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1985 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance singles of 1985 (U.S.)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|MpDM6ygsb20|Listen to "Part-Time Lover"}}
{{Stevie Wonder}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Category:Cashbox number-one singles
Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles
Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
Category:Number-one singles in New Zealand
Category:Songs written by Stevie Wonder
Category:Tamla Records singles
Category:The Lost Fingers songs
Category:Songs about infidelity