B-side Instrumental Recorded Summer 1985 | Released 24 August 1985 Label Tamla | |
Genre Pop, R&B, soul, synthpop Length Album version: 4:12
7" version: 3:43
12" version: 8:20 | ||
"Part-Time Lover" is a 1985 single by Stevie Wonder, from his album In Square Circle. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, R&B, dance, and adult contemporary charts. The song's simultaneous chart success made him the first artist to score a number-one hit on four different Billboard charts. It is Wonder's most recent Hot 100 number-one single, with the exception of his appearance on "That's What Friends Are For" which also featured Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight and Elton John, and was number one for 4 weeks from January to February, 1986.The song was released with a special 12" version.
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"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 Wonder's ex-wife and fellow singer-songwriter Syreeta Wright and Philip Bailey of R&B/funk band 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 4-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 label mates of Wonder.