Search by Title
Search by Artist
Browse by Title
A B C D E F G
H I J K L M N
O P Q R S T U
V W X Y Z #  

Browse Categories Random Songfact Random Category Add to Songfacts Take the Quiz SongFAQ Get the Newsletter E-Mail Us Message Boards Full Interviews Lyrical Pursuit Song Fallacies Artistfacts

I Just Called To Say I Love You

by

Stevie Wonder



Album: Woman In Red Soundtrack      Released: 1984
US Chart: 1     UK Chart: 1

Songfacts:  You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.

This was featured in the movie The Woman In Red, starring Kelly LeBrock as the woman and Gene Wilder as the married man who is mesmerized by her. Stevie wrote the score for the movie. He got the gig after Dionne Warwick, who was working on the soundtrack, suggested him to the producers of the film. Wonder ended up contributing songs as well, and the soundtrack contains songs from both Stevie and Dionne. The movie's producers rejected some demos written by Jay Graydon and David Foster, and one of those songs became "Who's Holding Donna Now," which was a hit for El DeBarge.

This is Motown's biggest-selling single ever in the UK, where it was Wonder's first #1. It was his eighth #1 in the US. (thanks, Emery - London, England)

This won the Oscar for Best Original Song, beating out "Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)," "Footloose," "Let's Hear It For The Boy" and "Ghostbusters."

In the movie Hi Fidelity,, this is the subject of a rant by a character played by Jack Black. In the film, a man walks into the record store and asks for this song so he can give it to his daughter. Black's character, who is working there, scolds him for wanting such and awful song and goes on to explain that his daughter probably hates it and it was clearly the low point of Wonder's career.

Wonder had moved to a much more Adult Contemporary sound when he released this. His early hits like "Superstition" and "Higher Ground" were often funky and original. In the '80s, songs like this and "Part-Time Lover" were big hits, but vastly different from his earlier work.

Stevie sang some of this when he made an appearance on The Cosby Show.

Get Artistfacts for Stevie Wonder
More songs by Stevie Wonder
More songs that are discussed in movies
More songs used in movies
More songs that won Oscars
Listen to "I Just Called To Say I Love You" like you've never heard it before. »Get it Free.

Comments:

What I remember from this song is that Stevie Wonder was sued for plagiarism for copying another songwriter's idea. Am I right about this?
- OG, Los Angeles, CA

The song won an Academy Award for Best Song 1984.
- Sara, Silver Spring, MD

I love this song. I heard it tonight at work and couldn't stop singing and dancing...and it always reminds me of that Csosby episode.
- Rebekah :), Knoxville, TN

this song was used for a phone company commercial , i think in the States , some time back ...makes sense
- pete, nowra, Australia

Ugh.
- Liquid Len, Ottawa, Canada

First, I must say that Stevie Wonder is one of the most ingenious musicians in the History of Music!! There are so many songs that I absolutely love that were written and sung by this WONDERful Man. If I had to pick the Top 20 (forget about Top 10) Stevie Wonder songs of All Time, this beautiful song would be one of them, no doubt!!
- Tamitra, Des Moines, IA

This is a very very good Wonder song just like Bird of Beauty. But I think the best Stevie Wonder song I ever heard in my opinion is on the Characters album. With Each Beat Of My Heart. It is not as well known just like Roberta Flack's If I Am Still Around Tommorow and Tony Bennett's If I Ruled The World.
- Jerry, Eatontown, NJ

Was No.1 in the UK for six weeks in late 1984... It was one the few songs I can recall from my early life (I was 4 when it was released), it's still one of my all-time faves even though it was playing in the background the last time I saw my ex before she dumped me 19 years later...
- Dave, Cardiff, Wales

Is the 13th best selling single of all time in the UK, it sold 1.775 million copies.
- Bethan, Somerset, UK.

My favorite Stevie Wonder song, hands down. Second only to "Stay Gold" from The Outsiders soundtrack.
- Sarah, Ottawa, Canada

This song rules. :D
- Michael Jones, Berlin, MD

You have to register to post comments, but you'll be a better person for it.