Today we remember Maurice White who passed away for years ago this week with a look back from our archives. —Ed.
Of all the things I’ve loved during my tenure on this planet, it’s hard to beat Earth, Wind & Fire’s Maurice White. And not because he’s a musical genius and head honcho of one of the Seventies’ best soul/funk outfits. No, I love him because he’s the guy who sings, “Yowl!” on several occasions on the great “That’s the Way of the World.” They never fail to thrill me, those yowls, not since I was a young sprog and loved the hell out of MFSB’s “T.S.O.P.”
EWF’s songs dominated Top 40 radio when I was young, because unlike Sly and the Family Stone and Parliament/Funkadelic they were unapologetically middle of the road. But that doesn’t mean that their songs weren’t great, just that they were more like the black equivalent of Elton John than, say, Randy Newman. As the critic Robert Christgau noted about one of their prime LPs, “Most of these songs are fun to listen to. But they’re still MOR–the only risk they take is running headlong into somebody coming down the middle of the road in the opposite direction. Like The Carpenters.”
But so what? Earth, Wind & Fire have produced their fair share of timeless songs, and if they’re slick, the slickness works. Under the direction of White, EWF’s drummer, songwriter, and vocalist, the band’s sound was—and still is—an eclectic brew of funk, jazz, gospel, rock, smooth soul, blues, folk, African music, and disco, and what made them particularly remarkable were their group vocals, and especially the vocals of Maurice White and Philip Bailey. Unrelentingly positive, their songs were a balm for the soul, and I for one think “That’s the Way of the World” is a slice of mystical brilliance and a song for the ages. All of those vocalists throwing in; it’s a sound so soulful I sprout an Afro every time I listen to it. And their horn section, the four-member Phenix Horns, also merits special attention; one listen to the opening of “Shining Star” and you know you’re in the presence of genius.
Which is not to say I like all their songs. The ones on which Bailey handles lead vocals in particular tend to be too slick for my tastes, what with his high-pitched vocals and their tendency to wander into romantic schlock. But hey, he can hardly be blamed for crooning; people love a good crooner. They’re good songs, just not my cup of soul.
The LP opens on an odd note, with EWF covering the Beatles’ “Got to Get You Into My Life.” The song was from 1978’s soundtrack to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and it’s a stroke of genius; the horns are over the top, and the Fire slick up the original, playing it at a faster tempo and in general kicking the ass of the original. Bailey (falsetto) and White (tenor) swap vocals, White plays the kalimba (or African thumb piano), and the guitarist wails, and what you’ve got is one perky slice of eminently likable funk, lightweight division. “Fantasy” opens on a slow note, and then the band comes funking in, playing a catchy riff while Bailey handles lead vocals. It’s a catchy number, if a bit too smooth for my likes and lacking in the vocal give and take I love so much, but it sounds great coming out of a car radio. More to my liking is “Can’t Hide Love,” which features White on lead vocals and Bailey joining in on backing vocals. It’s a slow, funky thang, with the horns filling the background and some super-smooth group vocals taking the song out.
The R&B groove of “Love Music” is my idea of a good time; it opens with horns and group vocals, features lots of big horn blare, and will funk you up with its invitation to get together and get down. It reminds me, oddly enough, of a Steely Dan song, at least at its opening, and remains tightly bound to its melody throughout. No big guitar blowouts or vocal swapping; yet it still works, because it has a melody that can’t be beat. Except maybe by follow-up “Getaway,” a stone classic that is cool from the get-go. Great horns, happening group vocals, and a slinky melody all serve as a great backdrop for White and Bailey, who jump in and out, Bailey’s falsetto meriting special mention for its sheer bravado. And all the while those horns are playing a staccato riff that perfectly fits the song’s super-funky groove.
As for “That’s the Way of the World,” what can I say about it? It’s brilliant, as brilliant as anything by Sly or Parliament/Funkadelic or Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes’ remarkable “Wake Up Everybody,” and you can’t find better company than that. From its mellow keyboard intro to the horns that come in, slick as margarine, to Philip Bailey’s lead vocals, it’s totally captivating. And things get even better when White begins tossing in words and lines to form one of the best one-two vocal punches in soul history. There’s a great guitar solo, and then Bailey climbs the ladder to the furthest heights of falsetto, while White continues to jump in, asking us to look way down in our hearts and souls, god bless him, that is when he isn’t singing, “Yowl, yowl,” and making my heart go pitter patter. And I don’t know about you but I’ve crossed over into mystical territory, and that intersection where heart meets soul and love is real, as real Sly Stone’s riot goin’ on, if not as dangerous.
Next up comes “September,” a spritely tune with a great falsetto chorus and a glorious groove spurred on by one funky rhythm section, some understated horns, and another wonderful “yowl” from White. This is a feel-good party tune if ever there ever was one—no big message or spiritual tilt, but as danceadelic as anything by KC and The Sunshine Band and guaranteed to get you off your ass and onto the Studio 54 dance floor, glitter ball throwing mad shadows over Andy Warhol and maybe later you’ll do a bump of cocaine in the bathroom with David Lee Roth. “Shining Star” is the LP’s second best track, inspirational and eminently catchy. It opens with some funky guitar, then the horns deliver a mighty blast and in come the vocalists, as funky as the organ and guitar that deliver a pair of short solos and White’s supernaturally deep-throated, “Make your body big and strong, yeah.” Bailey’s at the top of his game on this one, the chorus is a winner, and the singers who repeat the lines, “Shining Star for you to see/What your life can truly be,” which take the song out, are simply wonderful.
“Reasons” is a soul number and another showcase for Bailey, and I’m not wild about it for that reason. This is MOR in the pejorative sense, and too super smooth for words. Nothing much happens, the horns are buried, and unless you’re a hardcore fan of sweet soul singing this one will leave you cold. Fortunately it’s followed by LP closer “Sing a Song,” a perky horn-based number on which White handles lead. This one swings, boasts a great chorus, and those horns just won’t let up as Bailey backs White in some cool jive give and take. The ending is especially cool; the vocalists really let loose before the horns take it out, and you really can’t go wrong, soul brothers and sisters.
Bottom line: “That’s the Way of the World” and “Shining Star” alone make this an LP worth owning, and by themselves justify Earth, Wind & Fire’s tenure on this planet. They made riding the middle of the road cool, just as Elton John did, and I rate Earth, Wind & Fire right behind Sly and the Family Stone and Parliament/Funkadelic, two bands that had much higher cool quotients and that you’ll find in every hip white kid’s record collection. I understand that “September” will never be as groovy as “Stand!” or “Maggot Brain,” but I’ll put “That’s the Way of the World” against anybody, anywhere, anytime. Ditto “Shining Star.” Yowl, everybody. Yowl.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
B+
