jmjiloveyou

<p><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9b/Steviesunshine.jpg" alt="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9b/Steviesunshine.jpg"></p><p><br></p><p>"<strong>You Are the Sunshine of My Life</strong>" is a 1973 single released by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Wonder" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stevie Wonder</a>. The song became Wonder's third number-one single on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Hot_100" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Billboard</em> Hot 100</a> chart and his first number-one on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_Contemporary_(chart)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Easy Listening</a> chart.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Are_the_Sunshine_of_My_Life#cite_note-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[4]</a> It won Wonder a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Award_for_Best_Male_Pop_Vocal_Performance#1970s" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance</a>, and was nominated for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Are_the_Sunshine_of_My_Life#cite_note-Allmusic-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[5]</a> This song was the second single (following "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstition_(song)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Superstition</a>") released from the 1972 album entitled <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talking_Book" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Talking Book</em></a>, which stayed at number one on the R&amp;B albums chart for three weeks.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Are_the_Sunshine_of_My_Life#cite_note-Allmusic-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[5]</a></p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Rolling Stone</em></a> ranks the song at number 183 on their list of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone%27s_500_Greatest_Songs_of_All_Time" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">"500 Greatest Songs of All Time"</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Are_the_Sunshine_of_My_Life#cite_note-6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[6]</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_(magazine)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Billboard</em></a> called it "a soft, haunting ballad with outstanding <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_piano" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">electric piano</a> runs and outstanding <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Producer_(music)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">production</a> work."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Are_the_Sunshine_of_My_Life#cite_note-bb-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[7]</a></p><p>In 2002, the song was inducted into the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Hall_of_Fame" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Grammy Hall of Fame</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Are_the_Sunshine_of_My_Life#cite_note-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[8]</a></p><h2>Background</h2><p>The first two lines of the song are sung, not by Wonder, but by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Gilstrap" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jim Gilstrap</a>; Lani Groves sings the next two.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Are_the_Sunshine_of_My_Life#cite_note-9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[9]</a> Gilstrap and Groves, together with Gloria Barley, also provide backing vocals. The single version of the song differs from the album version with the addition of horns to the mix; this version is also included in the greatest hits compilation album <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Wonder%27s_Original_Musiquarium_I" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium I</em></a> (1982).</p><h2>Reception</h2><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cash_Box" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Cash Box</em></a> said that Wonder "changes the pace [from '<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstition_(song)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Superstition</a>'] and delivers a stirring ballad performance that is also certain to go gold instantly."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Are_the_Sunshine_of_My_Life#cite_note-10" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[10]</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record_World" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Record World</em></a> said that the "tune that's been covered many times is done best by the originator."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Are_the_Sunshine_of_My_Life#cite_note-rw-11" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[11]</a></p><h2>Personnel</h2><p>Source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talking_Book" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Talking Book</em></a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamla" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tamla</a>: T 319L, October 27, 1972 (album cover)</p><ul><li>Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Rhodes_piano" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fender Rhodes piano</a>, drums</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Gilstrap" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jim Gilstrap</a> – first lead vocal, background vocal</li><li>Lani Groves – second lead vocal, background vocal</li><li>Gloria Barley – background vocal</li><li>Scott Edwards – electric bass</li><li>Daniel Ben Zebulon – <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">congas</a></li><li>unknown — <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horn_section" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">horns</a></li></ul><p><br></p>