| "Overjoyed" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Stevie Wonder | ||||
| from the album In Square Circle | ||||
| B-side | "Land of La La" | |||
| Released | 1985 | |||
| Recorded | 1985 | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 3:41 | |||
| Label | Motown | |||
| Writer(s) | Stevie Wonder | |||
| Producer | Stevie Wonder | |||
| Stevie Wonder singles chronology | ||||
|
||||
"Overjoyed" is a 1985 hit single released by American and Motown music legend Stevie Wonder on the Tamla (Motown) label. The single peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1986, remaining in the Top 40 for six weeks. In addition, "Overjoyed" was a No. 1 hit on the adult contemporary chart, the eighth (and, to date, last) of his career.[1]
The song was written first for the 1979 album Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants, but was left off the album, and re-recorded for the album In Square Circle. In the liner notes for the song, "crickets, nightingale & additional bird sounds, ocean, pebbles in pond, stone dropped, crushing leaves" are listed under "environmental percussion".
Bassist Stanley Clarke recorded a cover for his 1986 album Hideaway.[2] It was later covered by Diana Ross for her 1994 Christmas album, A Very Special Season, and by Mary J. Blige as a rare track on her Ballads collection released only in Japan. Jane Monheit included a cover of the song in her 2007 album Surrender.
Bass virtuoso Victor Wooten included an instrumental cover of the song on his album A Show of Hands. Filipina singer/actress Sharon Cuneta did an acoustic rehash of the song on her 2001 album Nothing I Want More. In 2002, guitarist Blake Aaron covered the song on his album With Every Touch.[3]
In 2005, Canadian singer Corneille performed the song on his live concert DVD.