EW&F LIGHTS UP NEW ALBUM WITH BIG BOI,WIL.I.AM


BY Jonathan Cohen,N.Y.
Billboard News



After numerous release date changes,the new album from legendary R&B outfit Earth Wind and Fire, 'Illumination' is set for a Sep.20 release via Sanctuary.The 12-track set is the follow-up to 2003's 'The Promise',which broke a six-year EW&F studio silence.

A number of high-profile artists and producers have left their fingerprints on 'Illumination',including the Black Eyed Peas's Wil.I.Am,who wrote and produced "Lovely People".Raphael Saadiq produced "Love Together","Pass You By","Work It Out" and "Show Me The Way",a pre-release single that was nominated for a 2004 Grammy for Best R&B vocal by a duo or group.

"Earth Wind and Fire collaborating with the new soul movement made sense because the thrust of their music is still about playing instruments and utilizing vintage sounds,only in today's setting", group member Philip Bailey says.

Two songs have already appeared in films: the Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis-produced "Love's Dance" in "Robots" and the Big Boi/Sleepy Brown/Kelly Rowland collaboration "This Is How I Feel" in "Hitch".

Other artists appearing on 'Illumination' include Brian McKnight,Floetry,and on a bonus cover of Outkast's "The Way You Move",saxophonist Kenny G.

The group will begin a summer North American tour with Chicago on June 24 in,appropriately,Chicago.

Here is the track list for 'Illumination':

Love Together
Pure Gold
Love's Dance
Show Me The Way featuring Raphael Saadiq
This Is How I Feel featuring Sleepy Brown,Big Boi,Kelly Rowland
Lovely People featuring Wil.I.Am
Pass You By
The One
To You featuring Brian McKnight
Elevated featuring Floetry
Liberation
Work It Out
The Way You Move featuring Kenny G

Do I smell hints of Stevie Wonder's new album release pattern in here?

RipHer2Shreds said:

http://home.businesswire....ewsLang=en

Here is more info on the songs on the album

Earth, Wind & Fire Celebrates 35 Years of Making Music With the September 20, 2005 Release of Illumination; Illumination Offers an Array of Award-Winning and Acclaimed Producers and Guest Artists

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 13, 2005--Legendary band Earth, Wind & Fire will release their 23rd career album, Illumination, through Sanctuary Records Group on September 20, 2005. Anchored by founding members Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson, Illumination offers an array of stellar producers and guest artists that have appreciated and gleaned profound inspiration from Earth, Wind & Fire's extraordinary career.


The influence and timeless signature sound of Earth, Wind & Fire is crystal clear with the single releases. Black Eyed Peas leader Wil I Am wrote and produced the rousing "Lovely People" complete with peppery horn and kalimba lines. Super producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis tip their trademark hats in tribute to the horn-laced ensemble sound of The Fire with the gently uplifting "Pure Gold."

The seeds of Illumination's origin sprang from an idea lead singer Philip Bailey had of collaborating with a new generation of soul artists for his next solo album. "The idea of illumination is vibrant and positive," states EWF's Philip Bailey. "Earth Wind & Fire collaborating with the new soul movement made sense because the thrust of their music is still about playing instruments and utilizing vintage sounds, only in today's setting."

Jam & Lewis' sexy flirtation "Love Dance" on Illumination was playfully utilized in the 2005 animated film release, Robots. Grammy Award winner Raphael Saadiq(Tony! Toni! Tone!; Lucy Pearl) produced four songs on Illumination, including "Show Me the Way" - a duet he sings with EWF leader Maurice White and that earned a 2004 Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal by a Duo or Group. He also contributes the samba-rooted "Work it Out;" a fitting showcase for Philip's falsetto titled "Pass You By;" and the vibrant opening track "Love Together."

For Illumination's star-studded track, EWF bounces to the ATL for the hip hop-laced party joint "This Is How I Feel," produced by Organized Noize and featuring rapper Big Boi of OutKast, and singers Sleepy Brown and Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child in a duet with EWF lead singer Philip Bailey. This steamy invitation to boogie was also used this year in the Will Smith romantic comedy, Hitch.

Crooner Brian McKnight's fusion of key elements from past Earth, Wind & Fire's classic ballads creates his own epic, "To You." Acclaimed female poetry/soul duo Floetry bring their conscience cleansing balm to the soothing motivator "Elevated" (produced by Darren Henson and Keith Pelzer). R&B futurist Vikter Duplaix laces the joyously tropical instrumental "Liberation," which features tantalizing bursts of EWF's wondrous wordless vocal melodies. As a bonus, the pied piper of soprano sax Kenny G guests on a cover of OutKast's infectious, instant club classic, "The Way You Move."

Earth, Wind & Fire is simply one of the most important, influential, innovative and commercially omnipotent contemporary pop music bands of the 20th century. Their 35-year history produced million and millions of albums sold worldwide (including eight double-platinum albums, two platinum albums and three gold albums). Five #1 R&B albums, one #1 Pop and eight Top 10 Pop albums, and eight #1 R&B singles.

Earth, Wind & Fire and the founding members have eight Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, honors from the NAACP and BET and a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The coup de grace: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2000. Earth Wind & Fire remains to this day one of the top globally popular touring attractions with a catalog of mega-hits spanning over three decades.

ILLUMINATION - Track listing:

1. LOVE TOGETHER Produced by Raphael Saadiq (Written by R. Saadiq, K. Wooten)

2. PURE GOLD Produced & Written by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis

3. LOVE'S DANCE Produced & Written by Jimmy & Terry Lewis

4. SHOW ME THE WAY- FEAT. RAPHAEL SAADIQ Produced by R. Saadiq (Written by R. Saadiq, T. Jackson)

5. THIS IS HOW I FEEL - FEAT. SLEEPY BROWN, BIG BOI & KELLY ROWLAND (Written and Produced by Organized Noize)

6. LOVELY PEOPLE - FEAT. WIL I AM of THE BLACK EYED PEAS (Produced & Written by WIL I AM)

7. PASS YOU BY Produced by Raphael Saadiq (Written by R. Saadiq, T. Jackson)

8. THE ONE Produced by Organized Noize (Written by P. Brown, R. Murray, R. Wade)

9. TO YOU - FEAT. BRIAN MCKNIGHT Produced & Written by Brian McKnight

10. ELEVATED - FEAT. FLOETRY Produced By Darren Henson & Keith Pelzer (Written by M. Ambrosius, N. Stewart, D. Henson, K. Pelzer)

11. LIBERATION Produced & Written by Vikter Duplaix

12. WORK IT OUT Produced by Raphael Saadiq (Written by R. Saadiq, T. Jackson, S. Bailey, K. Wooten)

BONUS TRACK - THE WAY YOU MOVE - Kenny G & Earth, Wind & Fire

Contacts

can't wait

Why is Maurice not producing any of this?

RipHer2Shreds said:

That's what I was thinking also, this ain't a true EWF album coming out. Too many guest apperances for me

This sounds really good. Crossing my fingers.

I love the idea of them working with Jam & Lewis, Saadiq and Organized Noise. That's a great fit. If you're going to work with newer producers and artists make sure they fit your style (See the mistake that was Heritage) I think they have done this with Illumination. I just wish the release date was sooner.

RipHer2Shreds said:

I would think his illness may have something to do with that.

Abdul said:

Exactly and this is what is wrong with modern day R&B or whatever title you want to give it. Im sick to death of producers and guest stars and believe me the situation isn't gonna get better. Name one decent R&B album thats had multiple guest stars etc on it. There isn't one.

WildheartXXX said:

-----
saxophonist Kenny G. WTF

My understanding is that Maurice is executive producing the material so he is involved, but this is more EWF working with current artists utilising the EWF sound.

I have heard some of the new stuff and I think they have done a great job so far.....It sounds like EWF and not some bastardization of their sound.

Don't think "Heritage" at all.....this is an infinitely better offering than that CD.

Allnall said:

Wow, cool collaboration

Abdul said:

I gotta admit,I'm not too thrilled with all of the guest stars and producers.However,I have heard two tracks from this album ("Show Me The Way" and "This Is How I Feel") and I was impressed.Hopefully,the album won't stray too far from their trademark sound.

intha916 said:

lol...it's a shame that 'Heritage' gets such a bad rap.I don't think it's nearly as bad as it's reputation suggests.Remove the MC Hammer raps (which,thankfully,only appear on two songs) and you got a pretty good album.Not great,mind you,but pretty good.