Earth, Wind & Fire, Part 2

Welcome to Rock and Roll Flashback!  I'm Jumpin' John, and in this episode I will review one of the premier bands of the 1970's and 1980's:  Earth, Wind & Fire!  I am calling this episode Earth, Wind & Fire, Part 2 where I will discuss the band's career from 1978 to the present day!  Be sure to check out our companion podcast Earth, Wind & Fire, Part 1, where I discuss the band's career from its beginning through early 1978!

All podcasts on the Rock and Roll Flashback Podcast are produced by brothers-in-law Bill Price and "Jumpin' John" McDermott. The Podcast Theme Song, "You Essay", was written by John. It was initially recorded by Bill and John on April 1, 2004 with several revisions since then.
Multiple promo videos and photos for Rock and Roll Flashback Podcasts are available on the following social media sites:

https://www.youtube.com/@RockandRollFlashback

https://www.facebook.com/rockandrollflashbackpodcast

https://www.instagram.com/jumpinjohnmcdermott/

Bill and John welcome your feedback and comments, and they can be emailed to rockandrollflashback@outlook.com.
Thank you for listening to Rock and Roll Flashback Podcasts!
Until next time...
Rock On!

Transcript

Thank you for that introduction and welcome to Rock and Roll Flashback!  I'm Jumpin' John, and in this episode I will review one of the premier bands of the 1970's and 1980's:  Earth, Wind & Fire!  I am calling this episode Earth, Wind & Fire, Part 2 where I will discuss the band's career from 1978 to the present day!  Be sure to check out our companion podcast Earth, Wind & Fire, Part 1, where I discuss the band's career from its beginning through early 1978!

As mentioned at the end of our Part 1 companion podcast, Earth, Wind & Fire's eight studio album, All 'n All, was a huge success.  By early 1978 it peaked at #1 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #3 on the Billboard 200 chart.  All 'n All would eventually be certified Triple Platinum in the US by the RIAA, Gold in Canada by Music Canada, and Silver in the UK by the BPI.

In April 1978 the band performed a medley on a musical special hosted by Natalie Cole which aired on CBS TV.  EWF later appeared in the July 1978 feature film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which turned out to be a commercial failure.  During that film EWF rendered a cover of the Beatles' "Got to Get You into My Life".  This tune was the biggest hit single from the movie's soundtrack, reaching #1 on the US Billboard R&B songs chart and #9 on the US Billboard Pop singles chart.  "Got to Get You into My Life" earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus and won a Grammy in the category of Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists.  The film's soundtrack was also certified US platinum.

Here is an excerpt from EWF's version of "Got to Get You into My Life":

In 1978, Maurice White established a subsidiary label of CBS titled ARC Records.  With sound engineer George Massenburg, Maurice launched a new recording studio called The Complex, in West Los Angeles.  In November 1978, EWF released a compilation album entitled The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 on ARC/Columbia.  This album rose to #3 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and #6 on the Billboard 200 chart.  The album was certified quintuple platinum in the US by the RIAA.  

The single called "September" was released on November 18th, 1978, peaking to #1 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.   It also reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart.  "September" was certified Gold for digital sales by the RIAA, and has sold over 2 million digital copies in the US as of September 2017.  In 2018 it was added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important".  In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked "September" at #65 on their updated list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".  "September" remains a staple of the band's body of work and has been sampled, covered, remixed, and re-recorded numerous times.  

Here is Earth, Wind & Fire's version of "September":

In January 1979, the band performed "September" and "That's the Way of the World" at the Music for UNICEF Concert.  The UNICEF Concert, including multiple other artists as well, was broadcast worldwide from the United Nations General Assembly.  The concert was Emmy-nominated in the category of Outstanding Individual Achievement - Special Class.

During June 1979, EWF issued their ninth studio album, I Am.  The LP rose to #1 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and #3 on the Billboard 200 chart.  I Am was certified US double platinum.  "Boogie Wonderland", featuring the Emotions, got to #2 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and #6 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The song was also Grammy nominated in the categories of Best Disco Recording and Best R&B Instrumental Performance.  "Boogie Wonderland" was used in the country club dance scene of the 1980 film Caddyshack.  Also, both "Boogie Wonderland" and "September" were featured in the soundtrack of the hit 2011 French film, Intouchables.

Here is an excerpt from EWF's version of "Boogie Wonderland":

Another single, "After the Love Has Gone", reached #2 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Soul Songs charts.  The song made #3 on both the Billboard Adult Contemporary Songs and UK Pop Singles charts.  The lovely ballad was Grammy-nominated in the category of Record of the Year.  "After the Love Has Gone" won a Grammy for the Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.

During October 1980, EWF released a double album entitled Faces.  The LP reached #2 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and #10 on both the Billboard 200 and the UK Albums charts.  Faces was certified US gold.  A song off the LP titled "Let Me Talk" reached #8 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart and #29 on the UK Singles Chart.  Another single called "You" got to #10 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and #30 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Songs chart.  The single "And Love Goes On" reached #15 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart.

By 1980 Maurice White had decided that, given the changing musical landscape, the band needed to incorporate more of the electronic sound which was popular at the time.  As a result, EWF's eleventh album, Raise!, was influenced by this new electronic sound and released in the Autumn of 1981.  With this album rhythm guitarist Roland Bautista returned to EWF, giving the band's sound a bit of a hard rock feel with his playing.  Raise! rose to #1 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and #5 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified US Platinum.  The single "Let's Groove" reached #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.  "Let's Groove" was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.  The song "Wanna Be With You" rose to #15 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart and won Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.  On October 30th, 1981, EWF appeared at American Bandstand's 30th Anniversary Special, where they performed "Let's Groove".  Also in 1981, the Phenix Horns began collaborations with Phil Collins and Genesis.

Here is an excerpt from EWF's version of "Let's Groove":

During February 1983, EWF issued a studio album titled Powerlight.  The LP reached #4 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and #12 on the Billboard 200 chart.  Powerlight was certified US Gold.  "Fall in Love with Me" reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #4 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart.  "Fall in Love with Me" was Grammy-nominated for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.  "Side by Side" got to #15 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart.

Then EWF went appeared on the soundtrack of the April 1983 animated feature film Rock & Rule with the song "Dance, Dance, Dance".  During November 1983, EWF issued their thirteenth studio album, titled Electric Universe.  With this album a uniquely distinct new wave and synth pop sound came into being.  The album got to #8 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and #40 on the Billboard 200 chart.  The single "Magnetic" rose to #10 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart and #36 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.  Another single, "Touch", got to #23 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart.

Maurice thereafter decided the band needed a break, so he put EWF on hiatus in 1984.  During the hiatus, Maurice produced successful albums for Barbra Streisand, Ramsey Lewis, Dream, and Neil Diamond.  White also released a self-titled solo album in 1985 on Columbia. The album rose to #12 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart.  A cover of Ben E. King's "Stand by Me" got to #6 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and #11 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Songs chart.  Another single, "I Need You", rose to #20 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Songs chart and #30 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart.   

Other band members were also busy during the break.  Ralph Johnson produced The Temptations on their 1984 album Truly for You.  Verdine White became a successful producer and video director.  Philip Bailey issued a few albums, highlighted by his second solo album, 1984's Chinese Wall.  For Chinese Wall Bailey earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male.  That LP included the hit single, "Easy Lover", a duet with Phil Collins, who also produced the album.  "Easy Lover" was a #1 hit in several countries, including Canada, the Netherlands, Ireland, and the UK.   In the U.S. it peaked at #2, spending 23 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including 7 weeks in the top 10.  "Easy Lover" won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Overall Performance in a Video in 1985, was nominated for an American Music Award in the category of Favorite Pop/Rock Video, and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals.  Philip Bailey's solo career would continue to flourish for years to come.    

In 1987 Earth, Wind & Fire reunited for the album Touch the World.  The LP, which reached #3 on Billboard Top Soul Albums chart, produced two R&B smash hits in the #3 "Thinking of You" and the #1 "System of Survival."  The band would release a few more albums, but none would see the commercial success that they had achieved in the 1970's and 1980's.  Earth, Wind & Fire continued to tour, and in 2010 Maurice White, Verdine White, Philip Bailey, Larry Dunn, and Al McKay were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.  The band released Now, Then & Forever, their first album in five years, in 2013. Three years later, on February 3rd, 2016, Maurice White died in Los Angeles at the age of 74 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

Earth, Wind & Fire has influenced many artists and has won numerous awards and accolades.  The band won six Grammy Awards out of 17 nominations and four American Music Awards out of 12 nominations.   In the year 2000 Earth, Wind & Fire was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  The band has been inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the NAACP Image Award Hall of Fame, and Hollywood's Rockwalk, and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  EWF has also received an ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award, a BET Lifetime Achievement Award, a Soul Train Legend Award, a NARAS Signature Governor's Award, the 2012 Congressional Horizon Award, a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement in 2016, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2019.

Despite the brief hiatus during the 1980's, Earth, Wind & Fire remained an international stage attraction well into the 21st century.   Over the years the group was known for spectacular concerts that featured gigantic stage props, elaborate costumes, grand illusions, and frenetic musical energy.  Amazingly, EWF is still touring with their dynamic stage performances.  In 2026 they are co-headlining with Lionel Richie and touring arenas across the U.S. and Canada.  The 26-city run is being called the Sing A Song All Night Long tour.  Earth, Wind & Fire is currently led by founding bassist Verdine White, alongside longtime vocalists and percussionists Philip Bailey and Ralph Johnson.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Rock and Roll Flashback, Earth, Wind & Fire, Part 2, where I discussed the band's career from 1978 to present day!   Be sure to check out our companion podcast Earth, Wind & Fire, Part 1, where I discuss the band's career from its inception through early 1978!  I will close out this podcast with Earth, Wind & Fire's lovely version of "After the Love Has Gone".  So, fellow travelers, may your path be smooth and your music always be rockin'!  And until next time...Rock On!