NEWS & INFO

NEW SINGLE DISC COLLECTION REVEALS A-LIST FAVORITES + NEW SONG

Sony Legacy Recordings has announced the release of Now, Then & Forever, the ultimate celebration of EW&F, the band  which Rolling Stone said "...changed the sound of black pop". Now, Then & Forever will be released in spring 2012 and contains favorite tracks hand-picked by A-list celebrity friends and fans of the band; Andre 3000, Lenny Kravitz, Pharrell, Raphael Saadiq, will.i.am and David Foster, among others. In addition it will premiere "Guiding Lights," an avidly awaited brand-new EWF song, as well as a new remix by will.i.am. "Guiding Lights" provides a hint of things to come from EWF, who're preparing a full-on new studio album for fall 2012.
[Listen to the new song Guiding Lights]

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND CONCERT DATES IN APRIL

EWF will be playing three live concerts in Australia and one in New Zealand this spring.[Details]

SOUL TRAIN LEGEND AWARD 2011

Earth Wind & Fire received the prestigious Soul Train Legend Award, November 17th in Atlanta, Georgia. This year is EW&F 40th anniversary and what a fitting way to celebrate. With six Grammy awards under their belt, the recognition by Soul Train of the legendary status is well deserved.
Receiving the award were; Verdine White, Phillip Bailey, Ralph Johnson who accepted the award on behalf of the band.
Earth Wind & Fire has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, proving that their success is long standing.

THE COLUMBIA MASTERS BOX SET

15+1 newly mastered CDs from EWF's career on Columbia Records. Plus bonus disk of rarities, instrumentals and unreleased tracks. Supervised by EW&F's founder Maurice White. Each album packaged in a replica mini-LP sleeve reproducing that album’s original cover art.

Earth, Wind & Fire's horn-powered hit machine represents the best in pop melodies, harmonizing voices, funky syncopation and rhythms of the world. During their heyday in the 70s, they became one of music's most beloved groups with catchy songs like "September," "Shining Star," "Let's Groove," "Boogie Wonderland," "Sing a Song," "Can't Hide Love," "Reasons" and "After the Love Is Gone." EWF was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and The Columbia Masters demonstrates why the group became the soundtrack for 20th century American life.

The box set includes:
- 15 of the band's classic albums, newly mastered for superior sound.
- Original LP jackets.
- 40-page booklet with photos and commentary by Maurice White.
- Newly compiled bonus disk with:
- 2 unreleased tracks from the Touch The World sessions
- 2 live performances ("Getaway" and "In the Stone") recorded in Rio de Janeiro in 1980.
- Rare instrumental versions of "Let's Groove" and "Boogie Wonderland".
- Maurice White's unmistakable productions for Neil Diamond, Ramsey Lewis, Jennifer Holiday and Barbra Streisand.
EWF Columbia albums:
01. Last Days and Time
02. Head to the Sky
03. Open Our Eyes
04. That's the Way of the World
05. Gratitude
06. Spirit
07. All 'N All
08. Best of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. 1
09. I Am
10. Faces
11. Raise!
12. Powerlight
13. Electric Universe
14. Touch the World
15. Heritage
Bonus disc
16. Constellations - The Universe of Earth, Wind & Fire

AL MCKAY ALL-STARS
 LIVE IN MARBELLA REVIEW

The Al McKay AllStars presenting The Earth Wind & Fire Experience showed the around 3000 strong crowd at the open air Puente Romano Tennis Club in Marbella what soulful jazz-funk is all about! Read the review.

THE AL MCKAY ALL-STARS
 SUMMER TOUR 2011

The Al McKay AllStars presenting The Earth Wind & Fire Experience will be playing trough out Europe this summer. Al McKay was guitarist and song writer in EWF between 1973 and 1981 and he is responsible for many of the classic EWF songs.
01. Jun. Moscow, Russia
24. Jun. Hamar Festival, Sweden
25. Jun. Marseilles, France
04. Aug. Radltour, Bavaria, Germany
06. Aug. Kalinigrad, Germany
10. Aug. Zoffingen, Switzerland
12. Aug. Lichtensteig, Switzerland
13. Aug. Puente Romano, Marbella, Spain
16. Aug. Ferienzauber, Rottweil, Germany
17. Aug. Kulturzelt, Kassel, Germany
18. Aug. Kulturzelt, Kassel, Germany
19. Aug. Kulturarena, Jena, Germany
21. Aug. Rewind Festival, Henley, UK

FACES (1980) REMASTERED W/ 3 BONUS TRACKS

BBR (Big Break Records) in the UK, which specializes in rereleasing 60's to 80's black dance dance music, have remastered EWF's 1980 release "Faces" and included 3 bonus tracks and expanded liner notes with interviews/insights from Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Larry Dunn, Al McKay and others. Bonus tracks are: "Let Me Talk" (12" Version), "You" (Alternative Mix) and "And Love Goes On" (Alternative Mix).

PHILIP BAILEY RELEASED "LOVE IS REAL" EP ON JUNE 29. 2010

Singer, songwriter, producer, Hall of Famer and Grammy Award winner, Philip Bailey, released a new EP, "Love Is Real" on June 29 2010. It's released through P.Bailey Entertainment Group and available exclusively as a digital download on iTunes and Amazon and disc format at concert tour locations. A bonus track is available for free download at www.philipbailey.com .
"Love is Real" is Bailey's 12th solo project and will mark his first in eight years. Featuring five new original tracks that showcase his remarkable falsetto and multiple-octave vocal range. Mixing that sonic power and a smooth fusion of music genres from jazz to acoustic to R&B the project was "electronic" inspired after first listening to a Moby album.
Bailey penned the lyrics and arranged the music on all the songs collaborating with a list of talented songwriters, producers and musicians including John Paris, Myron McKinley, Ryan McDermott, Joseph Wolfe, Philip Doron Bailey, Nancy "Rosey" Kaye and re-mixer Carmen Rizzo (Paul Oakenfold, Alanis Morissette).

EWF INDUCTED INTO THE
 SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME

June 17. 2010. Earth, Wind & Fire's Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Larry Dunn and Al McKay were inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. Read more...

ROBERT BROOKINS 1962-2009

Born 7th October 1962, Sacramento, California.
Died 15th April 2009.

Robert Brookins, musical director, keyboardist and co-lead vocalist of Earth, Wind & Fire between 1999 and 2008, passed away from a heart attack 15th April 2009. Robert’s work in the studio made him an in-demand producer/writer/artist on the musical scene. “She’s On The Left”, co-written and co-produced by Robert, gave Jeffrey Osborne his first #1 Black Music hit. He also managed to garner a #1 hit with the first single “Innocent” from The Whisper’s “More of the Night” album. Robert, as a keyboardist/vocalist, has toured with Patti Labelle, Stanley Clarke, George Duke, Stephanie Mills, Philip Bailey, Bobby Brown and Wayman Tisdale, to name a few.

EWF AT THE WHITE HOUSE

EWF performed at the White House on 22. Feb. 2009 at the Governors' Dinner which was the first formal White House dinner hosted by President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. More info and pictures at www.facebook.com/pages/Earth-Wind-Fire

NEW GUITAR PLAYER

For reasons unknown, Vadim Zilberstein has left EWF. Replacing him on guitar is Morris O'Connor. O'Connor has been recording with artists like Stevie Wonder, Gap Band, Booker T Jones, Grover Washington Jr., Teena Marie, Montel Jordan, Gladys Knight, Patti Labelle, Oleta Adams, Jazz Crusaders, Teddy Pendergrass, Jody Watley, Snoop Doggie Dog, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez. He has also  recorded with former EWF guitarist Al McKay's L.A. All Star Band.

DOCTOR OF MUSIC DEGREE

Maurice White & Philip Bailey + Steve Winwood and film composer Howard Shore are to receive honorary Doctor of Music degrees at Berklee College of Music 8. May 2008. Roger Brown, the president of the revered Massachusetts music school will hand out the top accolades and Bailey will give the commencement address to more than 800 Berklee graduates and invited guests. The honorary doctorate recipients are being honored for their achievements in the world of music, and for their enduring contributions to American and international culture. Past recipients include Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Patti LaBelle, Steven Tyler, Aretha Franklin and David Bowie. The event will be extra special for Shore - as he actually attended Berklee.

EWF AT NOBEL PIECE PRICE CONCERT IN OSLO

EWF played several songs at the 2007 Peace Prize Concert on 11. December at the Spektrum Arean in Oslo, Norway The show also feat. performances by Alicia Keys, Melissa Etheridge, Annie Lennox among others.
The prestigious prize went to Al Gore and the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Hollywood actor Tommy Lee Jones, who was former US vice president Al Gore's roommate at Harvard, co-hosted the event. See EWF in Oslo om YouTube

VERDINE TO FORM NEW ARTIST MANAGEMENT AND MUSIC PRODUCTION COMPANY

Multi-Grammy Award winner Verdine White and businessman Scott Julion, have teamed up and formed J.E.P. Entertainment, a new Artist Management/Music Production Company. Julion is a fashion industry veteran whose clients have included Eddie Murphy, Chris Tucker, Halle Berry, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler and Arsenio Hall, just to name a few as well as corporate giant SEARS. The company will be based in Los Angeles.
"Scott and I have over 25 years of experience in the entertainment business," stated White. "J.E.P. will develop the raw talent of vocalists and musicians in order to prepare them for today's competitive and ever- evolving music market."
The first release from J.E.P. will be a six piece band from Orange County, California, SlapBak. "When Scott and I heard SlapBak's music and saw them perform, we knew they had the talent and passion that we were looking for. We are proud to present them as the first release from J.E.P. Rooted in old-school musicianship, SlapBak is bringing back the funk for the new millennium. With three critically-acclaimed underground CDs under their belt, their music returns to their roots of funky grooves and melodic hooks, revitalizing a genre that is still in demand."
SlapBak is a six piece band headed by singer/songwriter/musician Jara Harris (drums, bass, guitar and keyboards), rapper/vocalist TJ Quake, co-lead singer Aleida, guitarist Jeff "J-Rok" Harris, drummer M.A.T.T. and turntablist DJ Ruffnek. Their new CD, "The Key," contains 16 tracks including the first single, a funky remake of the WAR classic, "Lowrider."

"ILLUMINATION"

Earth, Wind & Fire's 23rd career album, Illumination, is out through Sanctuary Records. Anchored by founding members Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson, Illumination offers producers and guest artists that have appreciated inspiration from EWF’s extraordinary career.
Black Eyed Peas leader Wil I Am wrote and produced “Lovely People” complete with horn and kalimba lines. Super producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, tip their trademark hats in tribute to the horn-laced ensemble sound of EWF with “Pure Gold” . Jam & Lewis’ “Love Dance” was utilized in the 2005 animated film Robots. Raphael Saadiq, (Tony! Toni! Tone!; Lucy Pearl), produced four songs, including “Show Me the Way” – a duet he sings with Maurice White and earned a 2004 Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal by a Duo or Group. He also contributes the samba-rooted “Work it Out,” plus “Pass You By,” and “Love Together”. “This Is How I Feel,” is produced by Organized Noize, feat. rapper Big Boi of OutKast, singers Sleepy Brown and Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child in a duet with Philip Bailey. This was also used this year in the Will Smith romantic comedy Hitch.   “Elevated” features female poetry/soul duo Floetry. Vikter Duplaix laces the joyously tropical instrumental “Liberation,” which features classic EWF wordless vocal melodies. Brian McKnight’s uses key elements from past EWF’s ballads for the track “To You.” Soprano sax player Kenny G guests on a cover of OutKast’s “The Way You Move.” [Tracklist] [Illumination Biography]

TTWOTW 30th ANNIVERSARY SACD

Sony/Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab has issued a new Hybrid Stereo SACD of the classic "That's The Way of the World". The new SACD is an "Audiophile Limited Edition" SACD release which celebrates the 30th Anniversary of both this album and the 1975 movie of the same name starring Harvey Keitel that it was featured in.

Mobile Fidelity: "Thirty Years ago in March of 1975 the landmark album That's the Way of the World by Earth, Wind and Fire was released and catapulted the band into super-stardom. That’s the Way of the World features the title track as well as the pop ballad “Reasons”. During the Caribou Ranch recording sessions, Maurice White was so overwhelmed by all the beauty of the stars in the clear mountainous skies of Colorado. It inspired him to write the bands first crossover Number 1 Hit “Shining Star” which White co-wrote with Philip Bailey and Larry Dunn. This Grammy Award-winning album was produced by the bands founder Maurice White and Charles Stepney and engineered by the legendary George Massenburg. This newly remastered Audiophile Limited Edition will be the first time That's the Way of the World will be available on Dual Layer Hybrid SACD featuring original master tape transfers on the GAIN 2™ System and available on the ULTRADISC UHR™ Dual Layer Hybrid SACD format."

That's The Way of the World is one of Earth, Wind and Fire's best known albums. It was the soundtrack of a now out-of-print movie of the same name that featured the group. The first 8 cuts on the album were on the original 1975 edition of this album while the 5 bonus tracks first appeared on a 1999 re-release of the album on the Sony/Columbia Legacy Records label. The Stereo SACD tracks on the new album provide a new appreciation of the songs on the disc. Of particular note is Track 7 (Africano) which features some excellent stereo imaging and transient response. The 5 bonus tracks on the disc also provide a different spin on some familiar favorites including a bossa nova treatment of "That's The Way of the World" and a funky deep bass line at the start of "Happy Feelin'".

RECOMMENDED EWF-ORIENTED ALBUMS

The Recommended EWF-Oriented Albums section has been updated with some albums you might not have in your collection. Some are pretty obscure, but nevertheless well worth checking out. Most are available on CD.

AL MCKAY'S EWF EXPERIENCE SHOW

From time to time, web sites report of upcoming EWF concerts in Europe and Asia. You might want to double check if this is EWF feat. Philip Bailey,  Verdine White and Ralph Johnson, or former EWF guitarist Al McKay and his EWF Experience show. Bailey & Co is of course the original EWF, but you should definitely also check out Al's EWF Experience. This is a great show incl. all the classic songs, many written/co-written by Al.

EWF ON DVD

Below are several excellent reasons to get yourself a good DVD player and maybe a surround sound system. More in the Video Discography

THAT'S THE WAY OF THE WORLD

The 1975 movie That's the Way of the World featuring Harvey Keitel and music by EWF is finally out on DVD. The movie was directed by Sig Shore and is about the record company business. The DVD feat. commentary with Verdine White and Ralph Johnson talking about the film and their 30 year career, plus 8 page booklet. photo gallery, trailers and TV spots. It can be ordered from Amazon US. HD DVD version will be released 29. Aug. 06. [More on the movie]

EWF/CHICAGO CONCERT ON HI-DEF DVD

A double high-definition DVD from two EWF/ Chicago performances  held August 10. and 11. 2004 at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles was released 28. June 2005. The DVD reached Platinum sales after just 2 months! [Tracklist]
The concert was also released on blue-Ray disc summer 2008. It features 1080i video (1.78:1), plus DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio and Dolby Digital tracks in full 5.1 Surround tracks, and PCM 2.0 Stereo. Extras incl. bonus track "Drum Duel".

"AL MCKAY ALLSTARS: LIVE IN KAUNAS
JAZZ 2004" DVD

A kick ass performance by Al and his 13 piece All-Stars band including Michael Harris and Michael Rahmlee Davis of the Phenix Horns. Recorded in the spring 2004 at the Kaunas Jazz Festival in Lithuania. PCM stereo and (a very good) 5.1 surround mix. The playlist is perfect and the concert is an excellent EWF experience indeed! [Tracklist] [www.kaunasjazz.lt]

DVD "IN CONCERT 1981"

"Earth, Wind & Fire in Concert" was recorded live at the Oakland Coliseum, December 30 and 31, 1981, and was released on DVD by Pioneer 25. April 2000. Special features: Interactive menus, scene access. Video format: Standard 1.33:1 [4:3]. Audio tracks: 5.1 Dolby Digital sound and Dolby Digital stereo. [Tracklist]

LOUIS SATTERFIELD 1937-2004

Born 3rd April 1937, Shaw, Mississippi.
Died 27th September 2004, Chicago.

In the late 60s, Louis was a member of the group The Pharaohs. He also  often contributed to sessions at Chicago's Chess studios, and when Maurice White recorded a demo for a new band he wanted to form, Louis appeared on it. Maurice's group were later to become EWF, and Louis - together with The Pharaohs Don Myrrick, Yehudah Ben Israel and Rahm Lee, plus Michael Harris - were hired by White as the Phenix Horns.
Louis, along with Rahmlee Davis, have recently been in court with Phil Collins. Collins won the lawsuit he filed against two former backing band members over excessive royalty payments made from his 1990 "Serious Hits"- Live album. 
London High Court Justice Jonathan Parker ruled, however, that defendants Louis Satterfield and Rahmlee Davis - both former members of EWF - would not be responsible for paying back any of the money ($385,000), which were overpaid to them by Collins. Although Collins was not seeking repayment of previously paid-out monies, he was seeking a declaration that no further payments be made to the musicians, and on that front he won.
While defending their case, Satterfield and Rahmlee had claimed they were owed royalties from all 15 tracks on the Serious Hits - Live album as opposed to only the five tracks they performed on. Parker disagreed. 
The original dispute in the case arose after an accounting error was discovered, showing the defendants had been overpaid $345,000. Phil Collins Ltd.'s chief accountant then informed the defendants by letter that said overpayment would be recouped from "future royalties earned." Parker agreed, although he stated Collins' claim was limited to one half of that amount and that it was "highly improbable" that any future royalty payments would ever cover that sum. 

VERDINE INSTRUCTION VIDEO

And here's a note for all EWF-crazy fellow bassists: there's several  instruction videos by Verdine  where he talks about sound, technique, his Peavey-custom basses, his influences etc. There's a booklet included which contains the bass-lines to hits like Getaway, Fantasy, That's the Way of the World, September and others. Also you can see Verdine jamming with a small band, performing the songs mentioned above. It can be purchased through BASS PLAYER and other guitar player magazines. [More instruction videos]

JOHNNY GRAHAM INTERVIEW

Former EWF guitarist (1972-1982) interview done March 2004 for www.digitalprosound.com

DEVOTED SPIRITS

The driving force behind the group Devoted Spirits is producer and former EWF guitarist Sheldon Reynolds, along with keyboardist Larry Dunn and multi-instrumentalist Morris Pleasure. Special guests include drummer Ricky Lawson, guitarist Bobby Watson, Gerald Albright, Norman Brown, Teri Lyn Carrington, Herbie Hancock and former EWF members Johnny Graham, Gary Bias and Ronnie Laws. The 22 track CD "Tribute To EWF" was released March 05. [www.devotedspirits.com]

EWF AT 2005 SUPERBOWL

EWF performed together with Black Eyed Peas during the XXXIX Super Bowl pre-game show in Jacksonville, Florida on Feb. 6, 2005. That was probably a treat for Patriots player Earthwind Moreland, who was named after the group because his mother is a big fan.
(Personally I'm pretty happy that my mother was not a Engelbert Humperdinck fan :-)

MAURICE FOR PRESIDENT?

Okay, not really, but EWF was the special musical guests in Washington, D.C. June 20. 2000 at a White House state dinner. The event, which was held in a tent on the White House lawn, was honoring His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco. The band was first contacted just a week before the show by White House staff, and they quickly agreed to do the show. The entire group flew to Washington June 19, including Maurice White. The guys had just gathered to rehearse the new stage show they'll be doing on the road this year when the call came in, and they were honored by the invitation. According to The Washington Post, President Clinton asked the audience after the show: "Weren't they great?", pointing to the original band members, many his own age. "I was thinking: If a grandfather can do this, maybe there's life after politics". 

MAURICE  REVEALS HE HAS PARKINSON'S

Maurice White told RollingStone.com that he is suffering from Parkinson's Disease. Although the fifty-eight-year-old musician was originally diagnosed with the degenerative neurological disease eight years ago, he opted to keep his condition a secret. But now, with his band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame only a week away, White feels that the time has come to set the record straight. [More...]

FINALLY IN THE HALL OF FAME!

Earth, Wind & Fire was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the fifteenth annual induction dinner on March 6. 2000. [More...]

AGAIN... THANK YOU!