Fyre Album Download
Elis Riebow
The band's self-titled debut album was released in February 1971 on Warner Bros. The album got to No. 24 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and was certified Gold in France by the SNEP.[21][22][23]
EWF went on to supply the entire soundtrack of the Melvin Van Peebles feature film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. The soundtrack, composed by Van Peebles, was released in April 1971 on Stax Records.[26] Ian McCann of udiscovermusic.com found "Today, though, you couldn't find a record, soundtrack, or otherwise, as freewheelin' and funky as this." Jamie Atkins of Record Collector also found the soundtrack is "Well worth checking out."[27][28] The album reached No. 13 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart.[29]
In November 1971, EWF's second album, titled The Need of Love, was issued. The LP got to No. 35 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart.[30][31] Bruce Lindsay of Jazz Journal said "as evidence of a tight, stylish, band in the early stages of its career this is a worthwhile album".[32] Al Rudis of The Chicago Sun-Times wrote "Their second album, The Need of Love again displays some unusual music that might be called avant garde were it not so melodic and entrancing. The nine-member group mixes excellent jazzy instrumentals with harmony singing and chanting, some big band sounds and some free-form parts as well as solid soul beats. It all works beautifully, and while the elements of Earth, Wind and Fire aren't new, this mixture of them is a unique sound".[33]
Their debut album on CBS/Columbia Records, Last Days and Time, was issued in October 1972. The album got to No. 15 on the US Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 9 on the UK Blues & Soul Top British Soul Albums chart.[37][38][39] Paul Sexton of Record Mirror proclaimed "Musical historians and EWF fans alike will welcome (Last Days and Time)".[40] Ovid Goode Jr. of The Los Angeles Daily News declared "Last Days and Time, sprouts forth with a fresh sound that sets it apart from many of the ho-hum aggregations around today. The album consists of eight moving tunes".[41] Hip Hop artist Nas was also inspired by the album's cover art while British singer Gabrielle also named Last Days and Time as one of her favorites.[42][43]
EWF's fourth studio album, Head to the Sky, was released in May 1973. The album rose to No. 2 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 27 on the Billboard 200 chart.[45][46][47] Head to the Sky was certified US Platinum by the RIAA.[48]
Vince Aletti of Rolling Stone declared "Been having a lot of music dreams lately but this one's not too surprising since I've been playing the Earth, Wind & Fire album pretty constantly for the past week, certainly beyond all expectations". Aletti also noted EWF "sound like a cosmic choir and generate a Sly Stone effect" on the album.[49] Tony Palermo of the Pittsburgh Press wrote "Folks like to compare this bunch with War, but the first difference that hits you with E,W&F's brand of jazz-rhythm and blues is the smoothness of Jessica Cleaves' vocal work. Then, the extra slug of R&B in their style".[50]
A single off the LP titled "Evil" got to No. 19 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Songs and No. 25 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs charts respectively.[51][52] Another single called"Keep Your Head to the Sky" rose to No. 23 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart.[53] Jessica Cleaves left after the album release.[12]
The band's follow-up album was co-produced by Maurice and Wissert. This LP was recorded at James William Guercio's Caribou Ranch Studio and Open Our Eyes was released in March 1974.[54] Ken Emerson of Rolling Stone called Open Our Eyes "a pleasant miscellany of Africana, Latin rhythms, well-mannered funk, smooth jazz, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder and the Fifth Dimension". The Village Voice's Robert Christgau described the album as a complete "tour de force".[55][56] The album rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 15 on the Billboard 200 chart.[57][58] Open Our Eyes was certified US Platinum.[59]
In September 1974, a compilation double album titled Another Time, comprising songs from EWF's first two studio albums, was released by Warner Bros. The album got to No. 29 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart.[64][65]
The band collaborated with Ramsey Lewis on his album Sun Goddess, which was produced by Maurice and issued in late 1974 by Columbia. The album got to No. 1 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart.[66][67][68] The LP's title track rose to No. 20 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart.[69]Sun Goddess was certified US Gold.[70]
When the band saw the film they were convinced that it would become a box office bomb, which it eventually was.[20] They therefore released the film's soundtrack before the film's premiere. The LP was produced by White and Charles Stepney and recorded at the Caribou Ranch Studio. Stepney had previously worked with artists such as the Dells, Terry Callier and Minnie Riperton and the Rotary Connection, of which Riperton was a member. Stepney's writing and production style included a more ornate, orchestral flourish, which influenced the soundtrack album.[72]
That's the Way of the World was eventually issued in March 1975 by Columbia. The album rose to No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top Soul Albums charts.[73][74][75] Stephen Curwood of The Boston Globe called the LP "a sound you shouldn't miss." Daryl Easlea of the BBC described That's the Way of the World as a "soul masterpiece". The album was certified US triple platinum.[76][77][78]
From the LP came the single "Shining Star", which rose to No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles charts. This made EWF the first black act to top both the Billboard album and singles charts. The song won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.[13][73][77][79][80] The album's second single was title track "That's the Way of the World". It reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart and No. 12 on the Hot 100 chart.[81][82]
With the album's success the band was able to hire their own horn section, dubbed the Phenix Horns. They were composed of saxophonist Don Myrick, trombonist Louis Satterfield, and trumpeters Rahmlee Davis and Michael Harris. Myrick and Satterfield had both previously worked with White during his days as a session drummer at Chess Records.[83]
After their first European tour, EWF returned to the studio in June 1975. The band eventually came away with an album of mostly live concert material together with some new tracks. As a double LP Gratitude was issued in November 1975.[84] It rose to No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Soul Albums charts respectively.[85][86] Kit Aiken of Uncut called Gratitude "a kicking live album". Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune found "an Ellingtonian fusion of styles on this live masterpiece."[87][88] The album was certified US triple platinum.[89]
With the LP came "Sing a Song", which rose to numbers 1 and 5 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs and Hot 100 charts, respectively.[90][91] "Can't Hide Love" got to No. 11 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart.[92] "Can't Hide Love" was Grammy nominated for Best Arrangement For Voices. The album's title track was also nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.[13]
While co-producing and arranging EWF's follow-up LP, Williams's debut album, This Is Niecy, Ramsey Lewis's Salongo, and the Emotions' Flowers, their first album on Columbia Records, Charles Stepney died of a heart attack on May 17, 1976, in Chicago at the age of 45.
With Stepney's death, White went on to produce the band's new LP, Spirit, which was issued in October 1976. The album's title paid tribute to Stepney.[93][94] The LP rose to No. 2 on both the Billboard Top Pop Albums and Top Soul Albums charts.[95][96] Music Week commented "With a more spiritual, ethereal feel than the six albums they had already cut to that point, it really marks a turning point in their career and is crammed with excellent tunes."John Abbey of Blues & Soul described Spirit as "a mighty, mighty album" which shows "the power of the nine-piece Earth Wind & Fire conglomeration."[97][98] Spirit was certified US double platinum.[99]
In 1978, White established a subsidiary label of CBS titled The American Record Company (ARC). Soon afterwards he launched, alongside sound engineer George Massenburg, a new recording studio dubbed The Complex in West Los Angeles.[12] In November 1978, EWF issued a compilation album entitled The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 on ARC/Columbia.[124] It rose to No. 3 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart.[125][126] The New York Daily News claimed "this record is a well-paced showcase."[127] Crispin Cioe of High Fidelity wrote "For pop/r&b mavens, this one's a must."[128] The album was certified quintuple platinum in the US by the RIAA.[129]
During June 1979, EWF issued their ninth studio album, I Am. The LP rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart.[135][136] I Am was certified US double platinum.[137]
Eric Sieger of The Baltimore Sun called I Am "faultlessly produced."[138] James Johnson of the Evening Standard scribed "On I Am..the band's flashy staccato rhythms, their smooth melodies and precise production adds up to another majestic album".[139]
During October 1980, EWF issued a double album titled Faces. This LP was in the emerging post-disco style and was partly recorded on the Caribbean island of Montserrat.[145][146] The album rose to No. 2 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 10 on both the Billboard 200 and UK Albums charts.[106][147][148] Faces was certified US gold.[149]
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