Maps of Music

Earth, Wind & Fire (1971)

Where the lyrics of Earth, Wind & Fire take you, and where it was really made.

The debut sold modestly and peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart, yet a hip-hop artist later named it among his five favorite records.

Key places

Recorded at Sunset Sound (1971)

Recording site Sunset Sound — The page lists Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles as the recording studio. The pin marks the listed site, not a confirmed studio room. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Debut studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire
• Released March 1971 by Warner Bros. Records
• Produced by Joe Wissert
• Peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart
• Recording location listed as Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles

Background

• Recorded when the band had nine members
• Maurice White, Wade Flemons and Don Whitehead wrote the songs unless otherwise noted
• Musicians credited include Michael Beal on guitars and Verdine White on bass
• Chet Washington on reeds, Doug Carn on Hammond organ, Phillard Williams on percussion and conga

Recording

• Recording engineer: Bruce Botnick
• The band itself is credited as arranger
• Horn arrangements by Leslie Drayton

Cover

• Art direction by Ed Thrasher, design by Mary Ann Dibs, artwork by Russ Smith
• Front cover text reads EARTH WIND AND FIRE in all caps

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Maurice White, originating out of the Salty Peppers.
• Known for a kalimba sound, a dynamic horn section, elaborate stage shows, and the contrast between Philip Bailey's falsetto and Maurice White's tenor.
• Music spans jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop.

Members

• Prominent members include Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Ralph Johnson, Larry Dunn, Al McKay, Roland Bautista, Robert Brookins, Sonny Emory, Ronnie Laws, Sheldon Reynolds and Andrew Woolfolk.
• Maurice White, the founder, died on February 4, 2016.

Career

• Among the best-selling bands ever, with sales of over 90 million records worldwide.
• Won six Grammy Awards out of 17 nominations and four American Music Awards out of 12 nominations.
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.
• Received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2019, becoming the first Black group to be inducted.
• Had a hiatus from mid-1984 to mid-1987.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Lester Bangs of Rolling Stone found a heavy Sly influence and the smooth harmonies of The Fifth Dimension on the album
• Robert Christgau of The Village Voice gave a C+ and wrote that the expert vocal harmonies neither fit the concept nor asserted a personality of their own
• Larry Ridley of DownBeat gave 5 out of 5 stars and praised a tight, well-knit instrumental and vocal group
• John Bush of AllMusic gave 4.5 out of 5 stars and said the debut was as assured as that of any rock band from the 60s and early 70s
• Al Rudis of the Chicago Sun Times linked the sound to Bossa nova, Sly and the Family Stone, Ray Conniff, Afro-Cuban music and The 5th Dimension
• Bob Talbert of the Detroit Free Press wrote that the group could be a forerunner of musical styles

Records

• Peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart
• The track Love Is Life reached No. 43 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart
• Gold certification in France from SNEP

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ko.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Hip hop artist Ludacris named this album as one of his five favorite records, which he considers forerunners of hip-hop
• Isaac Hayes called the album one of the band's five essential recordings
• Bob Talbert of the Detroit Free Press compared the group to Blood, Sweat and Tears with soul and asked whether the sound needed a label
• The album credits the band itself as arranger, with horn arrangements by Leslie Drayton
• The cover text reads EARTH WIND AND FIRE in all caps, while the disc face reads Earth, Wind & Fire

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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