"Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" is a 1969 soul song written by Ron Miller and Bryan Wells, released by AmericanMotown singer-songwriter-musician Stevie Wonder on the album My Cherie Amour (1969). It peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 the weeks of December 13 and 20, 1969 and become Wonder's ninth Top 10 single of the 1960s.[1][2] In November 1969, it reached number 2 on the UK singles chart, making it at that time, Wonder's biggest UK hit.
Stevie also recorded an Italian version with the title "Solo te, solo me, solo noi" (Only you, only me, only us), translated by Peter Ricci.[3] The song was later reworked into an electronic version by Jennifer Rush on her 1985 Movin' album.[4]
Background
The song had been first recorded, in 1966, by blue-eyed Motown soul singer Chris Clark.[5]
At the time the song was released, Wonder was going through some vocal problems and was required to wait before recording a song. Due to this, instead of making Wonder record new ones, they decided to release songs that he had recorded years earlier, and this song was one of them (it was recorded two years earlier). The song's main theme is nostalgia[6] for a loved one.
Cash Box called it a "sparkling easy-blues-beat ballad" with "interesting lyric, performance and production."[7]
