That's the way of the world

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That's the way of the world
Soundtrack from Earth, Wind and Fire

Publication
(s)

March 15, 1975

Label (s) Columbia Records

Format (s)

LP

Genre (s)

R 'n' B

Title (number)

8th

running time

38:23

occupation
  • Ralph Johnson: Percussion

production

Maurice White, Charles Stepney

chronology
Open Our Eyes
(1974)
That's the way of the world Gratitude
(1975)
Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Albums
That's the way of the world
  US 1Template: Infobox chart placements / maintenance / NR1 link 04/12/1975 (21 weeks)
Singles
Shining Star
  US 1Template: Infobox chart placements / maintenance / NR1 link 02/15/1975 (20 weeks)
That's the way of the world
  US 12 07/05/1975 (16 weeks)

That's the Way of the World is the sixth studio album by the American band Earth, Wind and Fire . It is also the soundtrack to the film of the same name, in which various band members had cameo appearances . The music magazine Rolling Stone leads it at number 486 on its list of the 500 best albums of all time , so far the album has sold over 3 million times in the USA alone.

useful information

As early as 1974, work began on a film directed by Sig Shore , with which he wanted to expose the music industry. Harvey Keitel played the head of a record company and the members of Earth, Wind & Fire played a naive, inexperienced newcomer band . Participation in the film was limited to a minor speaking role for Maurice White and a few short appearances by the band. In parallel with the filming, the band recorded the songs that were to be used in the film at the Caribou Ranch in Nederland , Colorado , in September and October 1974. When the band saw the finished film, they feared it would be a flop and decided to release the album before the film officially opened. The album was an important turning point for the band:

"This was an important album - one that signaled whether we would go on and become a mainstream group or just be an R&B act. ... At that particular time, which is different than radio today, they didn't really cross a lot of black acts over to mainstream radio. We already had two Gold albums - Open Our Eyes and Head to the Sky - but still, most of the mainstream didn't know who we were. "

“It was an important album - the one that decided whether we could establish ourselves as a well-known band or whether we would continue to be an R&B act. ... At that time, which was completely different from today, not that many black artists were played on the radio. We had two gold albums - Open Your Eyes and Head to the Sky - but most of the mainstream didn't know who we were. "

- Verdine White

While the film turned out to be a failure, as was feared, with the album the band gained a place among the most important bands of their time. The band's typical sound, which they consolidated with this album, is characterized as “light tango rhythms with James Brown- like bass lines, paired with filigree Latin American beats and hard funk improvisations”. The lyrics are partly religious, with Maurice White overcoming the borders of black America and his message of finding peace, love and harmony in oneself, is addressed to every listener everywhere.

Track list

  1. Shining Star (Bailey, Dunn, White) - 2:50
  2. That's the Way of the World (Stepney, White) - 5:45
  3. Happy Feelin (Bailey, Dunn, McKay, White) - 3:35
  4. All About Love (Dunn, White) - 6:35
  5. Yearnin ', Learnin (Bailey, Stepney, White) - 3:39
  6. Reasons (Bailey, Stepney, White) - 4:59
  7. Africano (Dunn, White) - 5:09
  8. See the Light (Anglin, Bailey, Dunn) - 6:18

Reception and successes

The album received mostly positive reviews. Gordon Fletcher of Rolling Stone criticizes in his contemporary review that the "lousy production" only works with the faster pieces, while the slower pieces and the ballads have no room to unfold. The Billboard Magazine contrast, praised the strong production and presentation, with which the band could open up many new listeners layers. Hamish Champ highlights in his book 100 Best Selling Albums of the 70's , published in 2004, the skillful combination of soul , rock music and Latin American rhythms.

In addition to the chart successes, the album reached gold status in the USA in 1975 and triple platinum in 1999 . The album was among the nominations for Best Soul / R'n'B Album at the American Music Awards in 1975 and 1976 . The song "Shining Star" won the 1975 Grammy Award for best R&B vocal performance.

Individual evidence

  1. Charts US
  2. ^ That's the Way of the World (1975): cast and crew. imdb.de, accessed on February 19, 2010 .
  3. 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Earth, Wind and Fire, 'That's the Way of the World'. Rolling Stone Magazine, accessed April 12, 2014 .
  4. 493) That's the Way of the World. Rolling Stone Magazine November 1, 2003, archived from the original June 8, 2007 ; accessed on April 12, 2014 .
  5. ^ Don Waller: Grooving to 30 Years of Earth, Wind and Fire . In: Billboard Magazine . July 14, 2001, p. 45 .
  6. Chuck Miller: Earth Wind and Fire. I'll write a song for you. Goldmine Magazine, accessed February 20, 2010 .
  7. ^ Robyn Flans: Classic Tracks: Earth, Wind & Fire's "Shining Star". (No longer available online.) Mixonline.com, December 1, 2004, archived from the original on November 10, 2009 ; accessed on February 20, 2010 (English). 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. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / mixonline.com
  8. ^ A b Hugh Foley: Earth, Wind and Fire . In: Ray Broadus Browne, Pat Browne (Eds.): The Guide to United States Popular Culture . Popular Press, 2001, ISBN 0-87972-821-3 , pp. 260 .
  9. ^ Teresa L. Reed: The Holy Profane: Religion in Black Popular Music . University Press of Kentucky, 2004, ISBN 0-8131-9092-4 , pp. 145 .
  10. Overview of reviews of "That's the Way of the World". Super Seventies RockSite !, accessed February 20, 2010 .
  11. Bio: Awards. (No longer available online.) Official Earth, Wind and Fire website, archived from the original on March 7, 2009 ; Retrieved February 20, 2010 . 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. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.earthwindandfire.com

Web links