SoulAlive said:

One interesting thing: the song “Let Your Feelings Show” was originally planned as the first single.

yep...but but Columbia wanted to cash in on the disco wave with "Boogie Wonderland"...

RJOrion said:

SoulAlive said:

One interesting thing: the song “Let Your Feelings Show” was originally planned as the first single.

yep...but but Columbia wanted to cash in on the disco wave with "Boogie Wonderland"...

Oh yeah, I forgot that song was on there...Hated it!

RJOrion said:

"Love's Holiday" is just one of many excellent EW&F slow jams

^^

One of my fave from them. I loved Deniece Williams' version too.

Released in November 1972,Last Days And Time is Earth Wind & Fire's third album.The notable thing about this album is that it's the first EW&F album to feature vocalist Philip Bailey.At this point,the band was still searching for their "sound".The album has some great moments,but it's not an outstanding album.Highlights include "Time Is On Your Time","Where Have All The Flowers Gone","Power" and a lovely ballad "I'd Rather Have You",sung by their female vocalist Jessica Cleaves (yes,during this early period,the band had a female member).

SoulAlive said:

Released in November 1972,Last Days And Time is Earth Wind & Fire's third album.The notable thing about this album is that it's the first EW&F album to feature vocalist Philip Bailey.At this point,the band was still searching for their "sound".The album has some great moments,but it's not an outstanding album.Highlights include "Time Is On Your Time","Where Have All The Flowers Gone","Power" and a lovely ballad "I'd Rather Have You",sung by their female vocalist Jessica Cleaves (yes,during this early period,the band had a female member).

SoulAlive, I also agree with your assessment of this album and the songs you reference as those you like.

I discovered these earlier albums (thru Head to the Sky) later in life as I was a huge fan from TTWOTW onwards.....and probably during their 83-87 hiatus took the time to investigate all the earlier stuff I didnt really hear on the radio as a child (living in Jamaica).

I have read some fans who weigh in on whether they preferred the harder edge in their earlier work prior to 1975 or all the greatness that came afterwards......the Charles Stepney period, if you will.....the best I can do is say I prefer the albums as a whole, that came later....Allnall, I Am, FACES, The Promise, but, there is legendary material that came 1974 and earlier.....when Maurice was at the helm on drums.....

It's all good......relevant and influential......to this day......a testament to having a dream, and working so hard to stay as close as possible to what you want to convey.....positivity, Universal Love for Mankind, empowerment for taking on those tough times, and just sheer joy.

You really cant ask for much more from one Band or artist over 46 or so years...

[Edited 4/5/18 9:55am]

SoulAlive said:

I'm thinking that,this weekend,I may pull out all their albums and listen to 'em all

SoulAlive said:

I'm thinking that,this weekend,I may pull out all their albums and listen to 'em all

and there lies the greatness of Earth Wind & Fire ...listening to their albums and realizing that alot of the album cuts that werent released as singles, were as good as, or better than the singles...songs like:

from the "Open Our Eyes" lp

Drum Song

Fair But So Uncool

Caribou

from the "Thats The Way Of The World" lp

Yearnin Learnin

All About Love

See The Light

from the "Gratitude" lp

Celebrate

New World Symphony

from the "Spirit "lp

Imagination

Earth Wind & Fire

Burnin Bush

from the "All N All" lp

Magic Mind

Loves Holiday

Ill Write A Song For You

Runnin'

from "The Best Of EWF vol. 1" lp

Love Music

from "I Am" lp

You & I

Star

Wait

Let Your Feelings Show

from the "Faces" lp

Turn It Into Something Good (my favorite EWF song of all time)

Song In My Heart

In Time

You Went Away

Sparkle

Share Your Love

from the "Raise" lp

Lady Sun

My Love

The Changing Times

You Are A Winner

...after this run of classic great albums, and songs, things changed for the worse....smh...

mrwiggles said:

So I was never really a fan of the band. Yeah I grooved along with a few of the hit singles but never dove really deeply. I picked up Maurice White's memoirs last week. I gotta give him his props on what he accomplished and the band must have my total respect. The uplifting spiritual vibe was like nothing else in music. I also find it ironic that as much as he championed clean living, diet, all of that. He got sick and is no longer with us. It's all a total crap shoot. That being said, I'm finding that I can only get to 'em in small bits. After a while I grow tired of the sound. I get bored with it. It comes off as somewhat formulatic, like it's designed to hit pop. I know it's a musically rich stew, but for some reason it hits me more as "product" after repeated listenings. Although the story of White and his band makes for an incredible read, I find Clinton and PF a much more compelling and challenging listen. [Edited 3/12/18 16:21pm] [Edited 3/12/18 16:24pm]

I'm good for about 1976 thru 1980......after or before that, not so much.

RJOrion said:

SoulAlive said:

I'm thinking that,this weekend,I may pull out all their albums and listen to 'em all

and there lies the greatness of Earth Wind & Fire ...listening to their albums and realizing that alot of the album cuts that werent released as singles, were as good as, or better than the singles...songs like:

from the "Open Our Eyes" lp

Drum Song

Fair But So Uncool

Caribou

from the "Thats The Way Of The World" lp

Yearnin Learnin

All About Love

See The Light

from the "Gratitude" lp

Celebrate

New World Symphony

from the "Spirit "lp

Imagination

Earth Wind & Fire

Burnin Bush

from the "All N All" lp

Magic Mind

Loves Holiday

Ill Write A Song For You

Runnin'

from "The Best Of EWF vol. 1" lp

Love Music

from "I Am" lp

You & I

Star

Wait

Let Your Feelings Show

from the "Faces" lp

Turn It Into Something Good (my favorite EWF song of all time)

Song In My Heart

In Time

You Went Away

Sparkle

Share Your Love

from the "Raise" lp

Lady Sun

My Love

The Changing Times

You Are A Winner

...after this run of classic great albums, and songs, things changed for the worse....smh...

yeah it's amazing how many excellent "album tracks" that they have...songs that could have easily been singles.Can you believe that "Reasons" was never actually released as a single? On practically every album that they did,I can name two or three songs that should have been a single.EW&F were definitely an album band,meaning that their singles only tell part of the story.With them,you really gotta dig deeper and check out the entire albums.

and on that note.....here's an excellent track from the Open Our Eyes album....

"Feelin' Blue" (1974)

"Here Today And Gone Tomorrow" (1987),although never released as a single, got alot of airplay on our Quiet Storm station.It's an outstanding track and Philip Bailey gives an incredible vocal performance.

I'm in love with this video

^^ the lady in that video is that dancer from 'Solid Gold',isn't she? I believe she also appeared in Kool & The Gang's "Fresh" video a few years later

"Fall In Love With Me" is a great tune.....seems very underrrated compared to most of their hits,but I love it

I purchased every single cd of them and the Isley Bros.

The Isley's kick their ass in every way possible.

SoulAlive said:

"Getaway" has always been a special song to me.I was a kid when this came out and it reminds me of those wonderful,lazy Saturdays in the 70s a time when funk was king,lol....it's a song that truly sounds like 1976,if you know what I mean.It captures the excitement and vibe of that era.

I know exactly what you mean....I was 15 at the time. I mostly listened to EWF, Ohio Players, P-Funk, Isley Brothers & Stevie. All of them were at their musical height.

[Edited 4/8/18 14:01pm]

^^ did you notice Jody and Jeffrey in that clip? they're the first couple that comes out

SoulAlive said:

^^ the lady in that video is that dancer from 'Solid Gold',isn't she? I believe she also appeared in Kool & The Gang's "Fresh" video a few years later

Yep, that's Darcel Wynne from Solid Gold. I think she was married to Phillipe Wynne of The Spinners at one time too.

[Edited 4/8/18 16:13pm]

[Edited 4/8/18 16:26pm]

My mom killed this album back in the early 80s when I was a little boy in Germany. The bridge
is nothing to fuck with . . .

i just spent some time listening to "Touch The World"....i had forgot how dope "Money Tight" was...."Here Today Gone Tomorrow" is a good song no doubt, but like i said earlier in the thread, this LP came out at a time when alot of bad things were happening all within a few months, and listening to that song in particular is always an emotional experience i usually try to avoid.... but "Money Tight" was my shit regardless, and i remember Soul Train and also radio always playing "Thinking Of You" and "System Of Survival"... also cosign "Sweet Sassy LadY" being somewhat of a hidden gem on "Magnetic"

SoulAlive said:

"Fall In Love With Me" is a great tune.....seems very underrrated compared to most of their hits,but I love it

i agree... i always preferred "Fall In Love With Me' over its predecessor "Lets Groove"....Larry Dunn's synthesizer programming wizardry shined on "Fall In Love With Me"

kitbradley said:

Graycap23 said:

I purchased every single cd of them and the Isley Bros.

The Isley's kick their ass in every way possible.

I'm assuming you don't include that wack ass Mr. Biggs period

I'm good with both. EWF were more diverse imo. The Isleys didn't have a horn

section but Ernie and Marvin both kicked ass on lead and bass repectively. I would

call Marvin and Verdine a draw on bass but I'll take Larry Dunn over Chris Jasper on

keyboards. As great as Graham and McKay were for EWF on lead guitar, Ernie is definitely more boss than they were on lead. Ironically I saw both together on a tour in the mid nineties with EWF headlining. Both were great.

[Edited 4/9/18 15:23pm]

SoulAlive said:

"Here Today And Gone Tomorrow" (1987),although never released as a single, got alot of airplay on our Quiet Storm station.It's an outstanding track and Philip Bailey gives an incredible vocal performance.

Nice tune. This one and You And I which was the 4th single from Touch The World

phunkdaddy said:

This is tough because i damn near worship both these groups:

Verdine White > Marvin Isley.... by alot...stage presence, writing, producing, showmanship, more diverse bassmanship...

Al McKay = Ernie Isley (tie) ... they are both so great its apples and oranges to compare them... McKay is a little better at rhythm guitar and Isley is a more accomplished soloist... but its impossible to call one better than the other...they also both wrote and produced...

Larry Dunn > Chris Jasper...Dunn is a virtuoso keyboardist...Jasper is not...

Maurice White + Philip Bailey or Ronnie Isley?.... a matter of preference...but of course ill take the power and showmanship and writing of Maurice White and Philip Bailey over the great Ronnie Isley...

concerts?...Earth Wind & Fire wins...by alot...

albums? ... "Go All The Way" is The Isleys best lp IMO...and Earth Wind& Fire has several lps that are better... EWF catalog is/was just so much more diverse than The Isleys and their historical reputation as concert Gods and international cross-over artists put them over the top...