On June 9, 1979, “CBS” label released “I Am”, the ninth Earth, Wind & Fire studio album. It was recorded September 1978, at “Hollywood Sound Recorders”, “Sunset Sound Studio”, “Davlen Studio” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Maurice White and Al McKay. “I Am” has been certified 2 x Platinum in the US by the “RIAA”, Platinum in the UK by the “BPI”, and in Canada by “Music Canada”.
Personnel:
- Philip Bailey – vocals, congas, percussion
- Maurice White – vocals, drums, kalimba
- Al McKay – guitar
- Larry Dunn – piano, Oberheimand Moog synthesizer
- Johnny Graham, Marlo Henderson, Sir Alexander Dutkewych , Steve Lukather – guitar
- The Emotions- backing vocals
- Verdine White – bass
- Fred White – drums
- Barbara Korn, Marilyn Robinson, Richard Perissi, Sidney Muldrow – French horn
- Dorothy Jeanne Ashby – harp
- Billy Myers, David Foster, Eddie Del Barrio – keyboards
- Paulinho Da Costa, Ralph Johnson – percussion
- Richard Lepore – timpani
- Fred Jackson, Jr., Herman Riley, Jerome Richardson – saxophone
- Don Myrick – alto, tenor and baritone saxophones
- Andrew Woolfolk – tenor saxophone
- Benjamin Powell, William Reichenbach, Garnett Brown, George Bohanon, Louis Satterfield, Maurice Spears – trombone
- Bobby Bryant, Jerry Hey, Michael Harris, Oscar Brashear, Rahmlee Michael Davis, Steve Madaio – trumpet
- James Ross, Laurie Woods, Linda Lipsett, Marilyn Baker, Rollice Dale, Virginia Majewski – viola
- Anton Sen, Sherman Bryana, Carl LaMagna, Cynthia Kovaks, Gina Kronstadt, Haim Shtrum, Harris Goldman, Henry Ferber, Henry Roth, Ilkka Talvi, Jack Gootkin, Jerome Reisler, Jerome Webster, Joseph Goodman, Joseph Livoti, Judith Talvi, Leeana Sherman, Marcy Dicterow, Pamela Gates, Pavel Farkas, Ronald Clarck, Rosmen Torfeh, Sheldon Sanov, William Henderson – violin
- Daniel Smith, Delores Bing, Jacqueline Lustgarten, Jan Kelley, John Walz, Kevan Torfeh, Larry Corbett, Miguel Martinez – cello
- Steven Porcaro – synthesizer programming
- Janice Gower – concertmaster
- Tom Perry – engineer
- George Massenburg – engineer, mixing
- Craig Widby, Ross Pallone – engineer assistant
- Michael Reese – mastering
- Roger Carpenter – design
- Shusei Nagaoka – illustration
Track listing:
- In the Stone – Maurice White, Allee Willis, David Foster
- Can’t Let Go – Bill Meyers, Maurice White, Allee Willis
- After the Love Has Gone – David Foster, Jay Graydon, Bill Champlin
- Let Your Feelings Show – Maurice White, Allee Willis, David Foster
- Boogie Wonderland – Jon Lind, Allee Willis
- Star – Eddie Del Barrio, Maurice White, Allee Willis
- Wait – Maurice White, Allee Willis, David Foster
- Rock That! – Maurice White, David Foster
- You and I – Maurice White, Allee Willis, David Foster