EARTH, WIND AND FIRE-THAT’S THE WAY OF THE WORLD.

dereksmusicblog ♦ June 9, 2012 ♦ Leave a comment

EARTH, WIND AND FIRE-THAT’S THE WAY OF THE WORLD.

If I were to ask which group during a ten year period between 1973 and 1983 released nine albums in the US, resulting in two album certified gold, plus three platinum, two double platinum and two triple platinum in the US, how many people answer Earth, Wind and Fire? However, between 1973 and 1983 that’s the unparalleled level of success Earth, Wind and Fire enjoyed. They were going through the hottest period of their career, where one commercially successful album followed hard on the heels of another. This run of commercially successful albums had started with 1973s Head To the Sky, which had reached number twenty-seven in the US Billboard 200 and number two in the US R&B Charts, resulting in the album being certified platinum. Open Your Eyes, released in 1974, would also be certified platinum, reached number fifteen in the US Billboard 200 and number one in the US R&B Charts. However, not only would That’s The Way of The World surpass the success of previous albums, but contained Earth, Wind and Fire’s first number one single. After I’ve told you about the background toThat’s The Way of The World, I’ll tell you about the music on the album.

That’s The Way of The World would be Earth, Wind and Fire’s sixth album since their self-titled debut album Earth, Wind and Fire. However, much had changed since then, with their debut album only reaching number 172 in the US Billboard 200 and number twenty-four in the US R&B Charts. Since then, Earth, Wind and Fire had honed their skills as songwriters, singers and musicians. For their sixth album, the various songwriting teams within the group had written eight new tracks. Phillip Bailey cowrote five tracks, while Maurice White cowrote seven of the eight tracks. Producer Charles Stepney, also a talented and successful songwriter would have three songwriting credits on That’s The Way of The World. With the eight tracks written, the next step was recording what would become That’s The Way of The World.

Recording of the eight tracks that became That’s The Way of The World took place at the Caribou Ranch, Nederland in Colorado. The sessions started on 16th September 1974, finishing on 2nd October 1974. Remarkably, the whole album was recorded in just over two weeks. Nowadays, recording one track can take even longer. With That’s The Way of The World completed, it was set for release in March1975.

Before the release of That’s The Way of The World, Shining Star was released in February 1974. It gave Earth, Wind and Fire a number one single in both the US Billboard 100 and US R&B Charts, resulting in sales of over one-million copies and a gold disc for Earth, Wind and Fire. The following month, March 1975, That’s The Way of The World was released to critical acclaim, replicating the success of Shining Star, reaching number one in the US Billboard 200 and US R&B Charts. Eventually, the album sold over three-million copies, resulting in the album being certified triple platinum. This gave Earth, Wind and Fire the most successful album of their career so far. Later, in June 1975, the title-track That’s The Way of The World was released as a single reaching number twelve in the US R&B Charts, while reaching number five in the US R&B Charts. This helped make That’s The Way of The World such a successful album. However, why was That’s The Way of The World so successful? That’s what I’ll tell you, when I tell you about the music on That’s The Way of The World.

Opening That’s The Way of The World is Shining Star, the number one single in both the US Billboard and US R&B Charts. It was co-written by Phillip Bailey, Maurice White and Larry Dunn. Straight away, the track bursts into life, with the rhythm section driving the track in the direction of funk, albeit with occasional bursts of jazz and rock guitars. When the vocal enters, it’s joyous, delivered in sharp bursts, augmented by harmonies. Keyboards, rocky guitars and dramatic bursts of horns punctuate the arrangement, while a hook is never far away. Although less than three minutes, there three minutes where joy and drama are constant companions.

Horns drift in as the title-track That’s The Way of The World reveals its beauty. The vocal has a tenderness, accompanied by a backdrop of percussion, keyboards and tight, emotive harmonies. Rasping horns and lush strings drift in, as Maurice and Phillip deliver one of their most impassioned, emotive vocals. The rest of the band concentrate on producing a slow, thoughtful and quite beautiful arrangement. It compliments and reflects the beauty and emotion of the vocal, resulting in one of the highlights of That’s The Way of The World.

Earth, Wind and Fire up the tempo on Happy Feelin’ a glorious slice of funky music. From the opening bars, a frantically, funky track unfolds. Percussion, rhythm section and keyboards get the track underway, before bursts of blazing horns signal the arrival of the vocal. It too, is delivered at breakneck speed, while the band fuse jazz and funk. Horns rasp, adding a jazzy sound, while the percussion is equally frenzied, as if the band are taking part in some sort of funk drenched race. Phillip’s falsetto voice soars above the arrangement, before Maurice takes over. Vibes, percussion and drums replace his vocal before the track races to a close. However, who can resist this frenzied funk-laden track, which allows Earth, Wind and Fire to showcase their considerable musical talents?

All About Love is a very different track, where the tempo drops way down, with Maurice taking over the lead vocal. His vocal is full of emotion, accompanied by just piano and the lushest of strings. Rasping horns accompany Phillip’s graceful falsetto, before briefly, the drama grow. Still the tempo is slow, Maurice’s vocal even more emotive and impassioned. Tight, elegant harmonies soar above the arrangement, while horns blaze, before Maurice vamp’s his way through the vocal. This is really effective, adding to the drama and emotion of a track that’s full of musical contrasts, and certainly not short of beauty.

Following a somewhat hesitant start, Yearnin’ Learnin’ sees Earth, Wind and Fire up the tempo. Maurice takes charge of the vocal, while the rhythm section, braying horns, guitars and percussion create a backdrop that mixes funk and jazz. This isn’t the constant, full-on funk of Happy Feelin.’ Instead, there’s more space in the track, with the song unfolding in waves. After Maurice’s vocal, the band up their funkometer. Then just when you’re enjoying it, they slow things down, teasing and tantalizing, before the roller-coaster begins it musical journey again.

Although Reasons never charted when released as a single, it’s still one of Earth, Wind and Fire’s most popular songs. It was written by Phillip, Maurice and producer Charles Stepney. The song just glides, elegantly into being, with percussion, subtle horns, keyboards and harmonies giving way to Phillip’s vocal. They’re joined by the rhythm section, lush strings and rasping horns producing a punchy arrangement. Later, Phillip’s scat is augmented by tight harmonies, before the drama grows when strings cascade, horns blaze and the rhythm section combine. Together, with Phillip’s soaring, emotive falsetto vocal, this results in the best track on the album.

A wistful fluttering flute opens Africano, before a myriad of percussion enters accompanied by bursts of vocals. After a brief pause, this gives way to a funky combination of blazing horns, rhythm section, guitars and percussion. They drive the track along, with punchy horns, wah-wah guitars resulting in the kind of track you’d expect to hear in Blaxploitation soundtrack. Instead, That’s The Way of The World was used for the soundtrack to Harvey Keitel’s Sig Shore, a movie about the music industry, which featured Earth, Wind and Fire playing themselves. However, whether used in a Blaxploitation film or one about the record industry, there’s no denying this is a gloriously, funky track..and then some.

Closing That’s The Way of The World is See the Light a six minute track which Larry Dunn, Louise Anglin and Phillip Bailey, who delivers the vocal cowrote. Percussion, soaring, braying horns and the rhythm section combine with Phillip’s vocal, while dramatic harmonies accompany him. Soon, it’s all change. The track settles down, with the arrangement gliding along like a boat on a calm sea. Phillip’s vocal is impassioned and laden with emotion, as keyboards, percussion and the rhythm section produce a flowing arrangement. Even the horns are subtle, while the strings drift along, while tight, subtle harmonies and keyboard solos drift in and out. For six minutes, Earth Wind and Fire combine beauty with occasional bursts of drama, resulting in a track that’s brings That’s The Way of The World to an intriguing, thoughtful and sometimes, quite beautiful ending.

Listening to That’s The Way of The World, you realize just why Earth, Wind and Fire were going through such a commercially successful period. What every successful band needs is good material, and within the band, there were some talented songwriters. Each of the band were talented musicians, while in Phillip Bailey and Maurice White, Earth, Wind and Fire had two equally talented vocalists. Their vocals were accompanied and augmented by some tight harmonies from the rest of the band. Finally, in Charles Stepney Earth, Wind and Fire had not just a talented and experienced producer, but a successful and experienced songwriter. This combination resulted in That’s The Way of The World becoming Earth, Wind and Fire’s most successful album, selling over three-million copies. That’s The Way of The World was also used as the soundtrack to Harvey Keitel’s Sig Shore, a movie about the music industry, which featured Earth, Wind and Fire making a cameo appearance as a band in a film about the music industry. This showed that there were no end to Earth, Wind and Fire’s talents. After the success of That’s The Way of The World, Earth, Wind and Fire would see their next six albums either certified gold, platinum or double or triple platinum, making them one of the most successful groups of the seventies and early eighties. Of all the albums Earth, Wind and Fire released, one of their most critically acclaimed and commercially successful, was That’s The Way of The World where they fuse soul, funk and jazz seamlessly. Standout Tracks: Shining Star, That’s The Way of The World, Reasons and See the Light.

EARTH, WIND AND FIRE-THAT’S THE WAY OF THE WORLD.