Maps of Music

Electric Universe (1983)

Where the lyrics of Electric Universe take you, and where it was really made.

Earth, Wind & Fire's thirteenth album brought new wave and synth-pop to the band, yet it reached only No. 40 on the Billboard 200.

Key places

Recorded at The Complex Studios (1983)

Recording site The Complex — The release notes name The Complex Studios in West Los Angeles as the recording site of the album. The point uses the studio's listed coordinates. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Electric Universe is the thirteenth studio album by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire
• Released in November 1983 on Columbia Records
• Produced by Maurice White for Kalimba Productions
• Brought a unique new wave and synth-pop sound to the band
• Guest musicians and singers include David Foster, Martin Page, Michel Colombier, Pamela Hutchinson, and Wanda Vaughn of The Emotions
• Reached No. 40 on the US Billboard 200

Background

• Critics of the period described the record through its synthesizers and new technology, which the review by Roger Catlin of the Omaha World Herald highlights
• The album marked a change in the band's sound, moving toward electronic textures while keeping its vocal core
• The group had been together for more than a decade when the album came out, according to the Pam Lambert review in The Wall Street Journal
• Maurice White's production gave the album a dance and romance focus rather than the cosmic themes the band usually pursued, as Connie Johnson of the Los Angeles Times noted

Recording

• Recorded at The Complex Studios in West Los Angeles, California, according to the release notes
• Mastered at A&M Recording Studios in Hollywood, California
• Bernie Grundman handled mastering at A&M Studios
• Mick Guzauski worked on recording and remixing, and George Massenburg did remixing
• Wayne Vaughn is credited as co-producer on tracks 3 and 6
• Earth, Wind & Fire members Philip Bailey, Maurice White, Larry Dunn, Verdine White, Fred White, and Andrew Woolfolk performed on the album

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

• The San Jose Mercury News's Harry Sumrall called the record engaging from first note to last
• The Detroit Free Press's Gary Graff called it the best disc the group had made in quite some time
• The Los Angeles Times's Connie Johnson said the album focuses on dance and romance and that the band remains a master of the contemporary big-band style, busy but not bloated
• The Dallas Morning News's Lennox Samuels said the album shows the band's resilience and should please fans, unlike the previous album Powerlight
• The Village Voice's Robert Christgau gave the album a B grade and called it a letdown
• The Omaha World Herald's Roger Catlin gave it four out of five stars, noting synthesizers and new technology but also too many ballads
• Rolling Stone's Matty Karas gave it three out of five stars and described sensuous, rock-oriented dance material
• The Wall Street Journal's Pam Lambert said the group continued to chart new ground after more than a decade together
• Stereo Review's Phyl Garland said the album was skilfully crafted and worth a listen, though not among the group's brightest work
• Knight Ridder's Rick Shefchik gave it a 7/10 and noted the shift to concrete R&B on side one
• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Prentis Rogers called it the group's best album in recent years

Records

• US Billboard Top Soul Albums: No. 8
• US Billboard 200: No. 40
• Swedish Pop Albums: No. 17
• UK Blues & Soul Top British Soul Albums: No. 18
• Japanese Pop Albums: No. 20
• Dutch Pop Albums and Swiss Pop Albums: No. 22
• Lead single Magnetic: No. 10 on Hot R&B Singles, No. 36 on Hot Dance Club Play
• Touch: No. 23 on Hot R&B Singles, No. 36 on Adult Contemporary Songs
• More than 100,000 units sold in Japan
• Don McLeese of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it an honourable mention in his 1983 top ten albums list

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The album's release notes say it was made by Sony/CBS in Japan.
• The jewel case has smooth edges and a patent pending relief design.
• Electric Universe was featured in an August 2016 episode of Mass Appeal's YouTube series Rhythm Roulette.
• The copyright line reads 1983 CBS Inc., and the mastering credit goes to A&M Recording Studios in Hollywood.

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

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