Tag Archives: Wind & Fire

Earth, Wind & Fire: Spirit

On September 28, 1976, “Columbia” label released “Spirit”, the seventh Earth, Wind & Fire studio album. It was recorded in 1976, at “Burbank Studios” in Burbank, California, “Hollywood Sound Recorders” and “Wally Heider Studios” in Los Angeles, “Westlake Audio” in Hollywood, and was produced by Maurice White and Charles Stepney. The album was certified 2 x Platinum in the US by the “RIAA”.

Personnel:

  • Maurice White – vocals, drums, kalimba, timbales, mixing
  • Al McKay – guitar, percussion
  • Johnny Graham – guitar
  • Larry Dunn – piano, keyboards, organ, Moog synthesizer
  • Jerry Peters – piano, keyboards
  • Verdine White – vocals, bass, percussion
  • Fred White – drums, percussion
  • Ralph Johnson – drums, percussion
  • Philip Bailey – vocals, congas, percussion
  • Harvey Mason – percussion
  • Andrew Woolfolk – saxophone, percussion
  • Don Myrick – saxophone
  • Oscar Brashear – trumpet
  • Charles Findley – trumpet 
  • Michael Harris – trumpet
  • Steve Madaio – trumpet
  • George Bohanon – trombone
  • Louis Satterfield – trombone
  • Charles Loper – trombone
  • Lew McCreary – bass trombone
  • David Duke – Frech horn
  • Arthur Maebe – French horn
  • Sidney Muldrow – French horn
  • Marilyn Robinson – French horn
  • Tommy Johnson – tuba
  • Charles Veal – concertmaster
  • Asa Drori, Winterton Garvey, Harris Goldman, Carl LaMagna, Joy Lyle, Sandy Seemore, Haim Shtrum, Ken Yerke – violin
  • Marilyn Baker, David Campbell, Denyse Buffum, Rollice Dale, James Dunham, Paul Polivnick, Lynn Subotnick, Barbara Thomason – viola
  • Ronald Cooper, Marie Fera, Dennis Karmazyn, Harry Shlutz – cello
  • Dorothy Ashby – harp
  • Jerry Peters, Charles Stepney, Tom Tom 84 – arrangements
  • George Massenburg – engineer, remix
  • Paul Klingberg, Leo Sacks – mixing

Track listing:

  1. Getaway –Peter Cor, Bernard “Beloyd” Taylor
  2. On Your Face – Charles Stepney, Maurice White, Philip Bailey
  3. Imagination – Charles Stepney, Maurice White, Philip Bailey
  4. Spirit – Larry Dunn, Maurice White
  5. Saturday Night – Al McKay, Maurice White, Philip Bailey
  6. Earth, Wind & Fire – Skip Scarborough, Maurice White
  7. Departure – Larry Dunn, Maurice White
  8. Biyo – Maurice White, Al McKay
  9. Burnin’ Bush – Jerry Peters

Earth, Wind & Fire: The Need of Love

In November 1971, “Warner Bros” label released “The Need of Love”, the second Earth, Wind & Fire studio album. It was recorded in 1971, at “Sunset Sound Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Joe Wissert.

Personnel:

  • Michael Beal – guitar, harmonica
  • Don Whitehead – vocals, acoustic and electric pianos
  • Doug Carn– Hammond B3 organ
  • Verdine White- bass
  • Maurice White – vocals, drums, percussion, kalimba
  • Yackov Ben Israel – percussion, congas
  • Sherry Scott – vocals
  • Wade Flemons – vocals
  • Chet Washington – tenor saxophone
  • Oscar Brashear- trumpet solo
  • Alex Thomas – trombone
  • Doug Botnick – engineer, recording
  • Al Schmitt – mixing
  • Roland Charles – photography

Track listing:

  1. Energy – Wade Flemons, Sherry Scott, Maurice White, Don Whitehead
  2. Beauty – Wade Flemons, Maurice White, Don Whitehead
  3. I Can Feel It In My Bones – Wade Flemons, Maurice White, Don Whitehead
  4. I Think About Lovin’ You – Sherry Scott
  5. Everything Is Everything – Richard Evans, Phil Upchurch

Earth, Wind & Fire: Head To The Sky

In May 1973, “Columbia” label released “Head to the Sky”, the fourth Earth, Wind & Fire studio album. It was recorded in 1973, at “Clover Recorders” in Hollywood, and was produced by Joseph Wissert. The album was certified Platinum in US by the “RIIA”.

Personnel:

  • Verdine White – vocals, bass, percussion, arrangements
  • Al McKay – guitar, sitar, percussion, arrangements
  • Larry Dunn– clarinet, piano, organ, arrangements
  • Philip Bailey– vocals, congas, percussion, arrangements
  • Maurice White– vocals, drums, kalimba, leader, arrangements
  • Jessica Cleaves – vocals
  • Johnny Graham – guitar, percussion
  • Ralph Johnson– drums, percussion
  • Andrew Woolfolk– soprano saxophone, flute
  • Oscar Braschear – trumpet
  • Robert Appère – engineer, mixing
  • Lee Lawrence – cover design, photography

Track listing:

  1. Evil – Phillip Bailey, Maurice White
  2. Keep Your Head to the Sky – Maurice White
  3. Build Your Nest – Maurice White, Verdine White
  4. The World’s a Masquerade – Skip Scarborough
  5. Clover – Larry Dunn, Maurice White
  6. Zanzibar – Edu Lobo

earth, Wind & Fire: Same

earth-wind-fire-first-album

In February 1971, “Warner Bros” label released the self-titled debut Earth, Wind & Fire album. It was recorded in 1970, at “Sunset Sound Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Joe Wissert.

Personnel:

  • Sherry Scott – vocals
  • Michael Beal – guitars
  • Wade Flemons – vocals, electric piano
  • Don Whitehead – vocals, acoustic and electric piano
  • Verdine White– bass
  • Maurice White– vocals, percussion, drums, electric kalimba
  • Phillard Williams – percussion,conga
  • Leslie Drayton –trumpet
  • Alexander Thomas –trombone
  • Chet Washington – reeds
  • Leslie Drayton – horn arrangements
  • Bruce Botnick – recording
  • Ed Thrasher – art direction
  • Mary Ann Dibs – design
  • Russ Smith – artwork

Track listing:

  1. Help Somebody – Wade Flemons,Maurice White, Don Whitehead
  2. Moment of Truth – Wade Flemons,Maurice White, Don Whitehead
  3. Love is Life – Wade Flemons,Maurice White, Don Whitehead
  4. Fan is the Fire – Wade Flemons,Maurice White, Don Whitehead
  5. C’mon Children – Michael Beal, Wade Flemons, Maurice White,Verdine White, Don Whitehead
  6. This World Today – Wade Flemons, Maurice White,Don Whitehead
  7. Bad Tune – Michael Beal, Wade Flemons, Maurice White, Verdine White, Don Whitehead

Maurice White

On February 4, 2016, Maurice White died aged 74. He was singer-songwriter, musician, producer, arranger and bandleader, he was the founder of the band Earth, Wind & Fire. White won seven  “Grammys”, and was nominated for 21 Grammys in total. White was inducted into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” and the “Vocal Group Hall of Fame” as a member of Earth, Wind & Fire, and was also individually inducted into the “Songwriters Hall of Fame”. White worked with number of famous artists including Denice Williams, The Emotions, Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond.