EARTH, WIND & FIRE                         

R&B’s legendary performers revisit their iconic sound on a new set  

 

“It was a totally different thing, and when you have the right thing at the right time, you can’t stop it,” says Ralph Johnson, who’s been Earth, Wind & Fire’s percussionist since 1971, just two years after the group formed.

Earth, Wind & Fire was a force of nature through the 1970s and ’80s, racking up a string of Top 10 hits including “Shining Star,” “Sing a Song,” and “September” while becoming one of music’s most exciting live acts. An irrepressible mix of soul and funk drove their success and acclaim. They’ve been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, won a half-dozen Grammys, and have sold more than 90 million albums worldwide.

Still a powerful draw on the touring circuit, EWF had been absent from the recording studio for eight years until the recent release of Now, Then & Forever, an album that recalls their classic sound while bringing the group squarely into the present. The group’s founder, producer, chief songwriter and guiding light, Maurice White, has been sidelined by Parkinson’s disease, which forced him to withdraw from touring in 1994. Today White serves mainly as a consultant and spiritual center to the group, which still includes three early members: his brother, bassist Verdine White, vocalist Philip Bailey, who now produces the band, and Johnson, who brought us up to date on EWF.

Why so long between albums?

We are in the enviable position of not having to do a new record. Our audience is so locked in and so loyal that if we never do another record, they’re happy with us playing the hits they grew up with. But because we’re artists, and we’re driven to create, we thought we’d come up with some new music.

 

What’s behind the album’s title?

It talks about the Earth, Wind & Fire music that has come before, with Maurice White at the production helm. It talks about this project now, and it talks about Earth, Wind & Fire music long after all of us are gone.

What was the goal in the studio?

The album was two years in the making, and we started with a whole other batch of material. Then we scrapped it, and Philip went back and listened to everything we had done up through the [1980] Faces album. We decided we were going to start over, and that’s how we arrived at Now, Then & Forever.

 

How were the new songs better?

These were the songs that made sense in terms of what we had done in the past. They spoke to our spirits in terms of the task that was set before us. They passed the test.

 

How was the album recorded?

Back in the day when we were all recording we would put the whole band in the studio and just go. Well, that’s exactly what we did again: Put the band in the studio, count it off, and work out the ideas. That, along with modern recording technology like Pro Tools software, you put together with your organics, and you have quite a sound. It’s a much better process because you’re more connected to the music and yourselves. Once we got in the studio it was a matter of sitting down and doing what worked, what was going to be best for the production at that moment.

 

What’s changed most with Philip taking over the production duties?

The biggest change is obvious, Maurice is not there. But we huddled up, gathered together, and just got going. What hasn’t changed is that Maurice always wanted a band that could play all genres of music and could put on an incredible live performance. And the message in the music hasn’t changed: the uplifting of consciousness and the respect and love for your fellow man.

 

How does the band’s message always remain positive?

Well, somebody had to keep it positive! You have a choice in life—be positive or negative. For me, the glass is always half full.

 

What kind of bandleader was Maurice?

He was cracking the whip and ran a tight ship. We still run a very tight ship. Professionalism is definitely a vital part of the game.

 

Does he still have an active role?

He is the commander in chief. He’s just going to sit back and watch what he created continue to evolve.

 

Did early funk play a role in EWF’s sound?

It definitely played a strong role—you had Sly and the Family Stone, James Brown and others layin’ it down. Funk was always going to be a part of it.

 

When did you know the band had truly found success?

Chronologically, I suppose around 1975 we began to get an inkling that we were on to something. That’s when “Shining Star” took off. That song really resonated with people, and at that point I began to feel that we might have a shot at this.

 

How would you characterize Clive Davis’ role in Earth, Wind & Fire’s success?

He was absolutely instrumental. Clive was hands-on with us from the very beginning. He was a great song man—still is—and he is the reason there’s an Earth, Wind & Fire still going strong today. He put his ear on it and loved what he heard and was super-supportive. I remember auditioning in December 1971, and by July of ’72 Clive presented Earth, Wind & Fire to CBS Records overseas. So it was on from that point forward.

 

Was there ever a time when you thought the band might be on the wrong track?

As we evolved and grew and as Maurice grew as a producer and writer, of course we wanted to try other things, and we got away from the concept of having the band live in the studio. It became electronic at some point. We got away from our formula, and that’s why the new album is so important: We’ve gotten back to basics.

 

EWF contributed to the much-maligned 1978 film version of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. 

Well, all I can tell you is that the movie flopped, but we got a major hit out of that, “Got to Get You Into My Life.” That was a lot of fun, and a very different cover for a Beatles tune.

 

Why has EWF been so influential?

I think you really have to give thanks to Maurice and his original concept. Earth, Wind & Fire is like a fusion band gone commercial, with some R&B and other elements mixed in. Maurice wanted to push the envelope in terms of what R&B could do. Here comes Earth, Wind & Fire with these chord changes and rhythms that are different from anything that had been previously heard. Then you add super-articulated horn lines.

 

What’s the group’s legacy?

I’d like to see us remembered for musical innovation, and the enhancement of the consciousness of mankind.

–Jeff Tamarkin