Earth, Wind and Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire | |
---|---|
|
|
General information | |
Genre (s) | Funk , pop , fusion |
founding | 1969 |
Website | www.earthwindandfire.com |
Founding members | |
Maurice White († 2016) | |
Vibraphone, electric piano, vocals |
Wade Flemons |
singing |
Don Whitehead |
singing |
Sherry Scott |
Phillard Williams | |
guitar |
Michael Beale |
Saxophone, flute |
Chester Washington |
Trumpet |
Leslie Drayton |
trombone |
Alex Thomas |
Verdine White | |
Current occupation | |
bass |
Verdine White |
Singing, congas , drums |
Philip Bailey (since 1972) |
Drums, vocals, percussion |
Ralph Johnson (since 1972) |
Percussion, vocals |
B. David Whitworth (since 1996) |
singing |
Kim Johnson (since 2005) |
saxophone |
Gary Bias (since 1987) |
Trumpet, flugelhorn
|
Bobby Burns (since 2004) |
trombone |
Reggie Young (since 1987) |
former members | |
singing |
Jessica Cleaves (1972) |
Saxophone, flute |
Ronnie Laws (1972) |
Keyboard |
Larry Dunn (from 1972) |
guitar |
Roland Bautista (1972–1973, 1981–1983) |
guitar |
Al McKay (1973-1981) |
Drums |
Fred (Freddie) White |
Saxophone, flute, percussion |
Andrew Woolfolk |
guitar |
Sheldon Reynolds |
Drums |
Sonny Emory (1987-1999) |
Trumpet, flugelhorn |
Ray Brown (1987-2004) |
Said, keyboard |
Robert Brookins (1999-2003) |
Phenix Horns (1974-1981) | |
trombone |
Louis Satterfield |
Trumpet, flugelhorn
|
Michael Harris |
Trumpet, flugelhorn |
Rhamlee Michael Davis |
saxophone |
Don Myrick († 1993) |
Trumpet |
Elmar Brown (1979) |
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and funk band that was founded in 1969 in Chicago by jazz drummer Maurice White . In Germany her most successful pieces were September and Boogie Wonderland .
history
Their style is influenced by soul , funk , Motown , African elements ( Kalimba ) and modern pop rhythms that they gathered in the Christian communities around them. In particular, they became known for their brass section - the Phenix Horns . A distinctive feature of their sound is the falsetto singing of their singer Philip Bailey from Denver , who joined the group shortly after the first album was released.
After the first two albums, which had moderate success in the charts , Maurice White formed the band again. But their international success story only began in 1975 after the band released the soundtrack album That's the Way of the World for the film of the same name, in which they played a part. With the hit single Shining Star they were in the top 10 for weeks in many countries. The first big success came in the middle of the disco age with the Grammy albums All'N'All (1977) and I Am (1979). Of these albums, eight songs became top hits and topped the R&B charts: Can't Let Go , After the Love Has Gone , Fantasy , Wait , In the Stone , Boogie Wonderland , Star and You and I . The band had another top hit with the fast dance number September (1978), which was only released as a single and on the greatest hits album . Other big hits like Let's Groove (1981) followed.
The stage shows presented worldwide by Earth, Wind and Fire were particularly notable in the 1980s for their colorful, elaborate costumes and extraordinary choreography . Since 1998 Maurice White has not performed live with the band due to illness. After the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, he announced that he had Parkinson's disease.
The other band members, above all Verdine White and Philip Bailey, decided to continue the band. Earth, Wind and Fire are still touring the world with great success and continue to record albums. Maurice White continued to be a member of the band until his death in 2016 and appeared on the studio recordings as a singer and producer. Occasionally he was also seen on stage, for example at the Grammy Awards in 2004 and during the Japan tour in the same year.
In November 2011 a new song was released with Guiding Lights (with Larry Dunn on keyboards). In September 2013 - eight years after the last studio album - Now, Then & Forever was released. The single My Promise was released on June 24th.
On the occasion of the Grammy Awards 2020 a tribute concert for Prince took place on January 28, 2020 in the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles under the motto "Let's Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince", with Earth, Wind and Fire the song Adore (1987) sang. The concert aired on U.S. television on April 21, 2020, the fourth anniversary of Prince's death.
Discography
year | Title music label |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DE | AT | CH | UK | US | R&B | |||
1970 | Earth, Wind & Fire Warner Music Group |
- | - | - | - |
US172 (13 weeks) US |
R&B24 (17 weeks) R&B |
First published: February 1971
|
1971 | The Need of Love Warner Music Group |
- | - | - | - |
US89 (13 weeks) US |
R&B35 (9 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1971
|
1972 | Last Days and Time Columbia Records |
- | - | - | - |
US87 (25 weeks) US |
R&B15 (31 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1972
|
1973 | Head to the Sky Columbia Records |
- | - | - | - |
US27
platinum
(71 weeks)US |
R&B2 (49 weeks) R&B |
First published: May 1973
|
1974 | Open Our Eyes Columbia Records |
- | - | - | - |
US15th
platinum
(37 weeks)US |
R&B1 (38 weeks) R&B |
First published: March 25, 1974
|
1975 |
That's the way of the World Columbia Records |
- | - | - | - |
US1 × 3
(55 weeks)US |
R&B1 (33 weeks) R&B |
First release: March 15, 1975
Soundtrack for the film of the same name, number 486 of the Rolling Stone 500 |
1976 | Spirit Columbia Records |
- | - | - | - |
US2 × 2
(30 weeks)US |
R&B2 (28 weeks) R&B |
First published: September 1976
|
1977 | All 'n All Columbia Records |
- | - | - |
UK13
silver
(23 weeks)UK |
US3 × 3
(47 weeks)US |
R&B1 (38 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 21, 1977
Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals ( 1979 ) |
1979 | I am American Record Company |
DE20 (18 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK5
platinum
(41 weeks)UK |
US3 × 2
(38 weeks)US |
R&B1 (37 weeks) R&B |
First published: June 9, 1979
|
1980 | Faces American Record Company |
DE46 (5 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK10 (6 weeks) UK |
US10
gold
(21 weeks)US |
R&B2 (22 weeks) R&B |
First published: October 14, 1980
|
1981 | Raise! American Record Company |
DE30 (23 weeks) DE |
- |
CH-
gold
CH
|
UK14th
gold
(22 weeks)UK |
US5
platinum
(25 weeks)US |
R&B1 (29 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 14, 1981
|
1983 |
Powerlight Columbia Records |
DE13 (13 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK22 (6 weeks) UK |
US12
gold
(21 weeks)US |
R&B4 (25 weeks) R&B |
First published: February 3, 1983
|
Electric Universe Columbia Records |
DE37 (3 weeks) DE |
- |
CH22 (2 weeks) CH |
- |
US40 (16 weeks) US |
R&B8 (21 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 4, 1983
|
|
1987 | Touch the World Columbia Records |
DE42 (3 weeks) DE |
- |
CH25 (2 weeks) CH |
- |
US33
gold
(28 weeks)US |
R&B3 (31 weeks) R&B |
First published: October 1987
|
1990 | Heritage Columbia Records |
DE39 (10 weeks) DE |
- | - | - |
US70 (11 weeks) US |
R&B19 (20 weeks) R&B |
First published: January 1990
|
1993 | Millennium Reprise Records |
- | - | - | - |
US39 (11 weeks) US |
R&B8 (24 weeks) R&B |
First published: September 14, 1993
|
1997 | In the Name of Love Rhino Records |
- | - | - | - | - |
R&B50 (11 weeks) R&B |
First published: July 24, 1996; as an avatar in Japan
|
2003 | The Promise Kalimba Records |
- | - | - | - |
US89 (4 weeks) US |
R&B19 (9 weeks) R&B |
First published: May 20, 2003
|
2005 | Illumination Sanctuary Records |
- | - | - | - |
US32 (6 weeks) US |
R&B8 (19 weeks) R&B |
First published: September 20, 2005
|
2013 | Now, Then & Forever Legacy Recordings |
DE55 (1 week) DE |
AT75 (1 week) AT |
CH85 (1 week) CH |
UK25th
silver
(3 weeks)UK |
US11 (5 weeks) US |
R&B6 (11 weeks) R&B |
First published: September 10, 2013
|
2014 | Holiday Legacy Recordings |
- | - | - | - | - |
R&B26 (10 weeks) R&B |
First release: October 21, 2014
Christmas album |
gray hatching : no chart data available for this year
literature
- Stambler, Irwin: The Encyclopedia Of Pop, Rock And Soul . 3rd Revised Edition, New York City, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989, pp. 204-206 - ISBN 0-312-02573-4
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ New Single ( Memento of the original from November 22, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ youtube.com: Earth, Wind & Fire - My Promise (Audio) (accessed on July 21, 2013)
- ↑ Chuck Arnold: Grammy salute 'Let's Go Crazy' proves nothing compares 2 Prince. In: nypost.com. April 21, 2020, accessed April 24, 2020 .
- ↑ admin: The Best Moments From 'Let's Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute To Prince' [Videos]. In: liveforlivemusic.com. April 21, 2020, accessed April 24, 2020 .
- ↑ Chart sources: DE AT CH UK US
- ^ The Billboard Albums by Joel Whitburn , 6th Edition, Record Research 2006, ISBN 0-89820-166-7 .
- ^ Joel Whitburn : Top R&B Albums 1965–1998, ISBN 0-89820-134-9 .