Tuesday 4/26/22 9pm ET: Feature LP: Earth, Wind & Fire – Raise! (1981)

Raise! is the eleventh studio album by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on November 14, 1981, by ARC/Columbia Records. The album spent 11 weeks atop the Billboard Top R&B albums chart and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart. Raise! has been certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA, Gold in the UK by the BPI and Gold in Canada by Music Canada.

1. “Let’s Groove” 5:37
2. “Lady Sun” 3:39
3. “My Love” 4:35
4. “Evolution Orange” 4:37
5. “Kalimba Tree” 0:25
6. “You Are a Winner” 4:09
7. “I’ve Had Enough” 4:36
8. “Wanna Be with You” 4:36
9. “The Changing Times” 5:54
10. “Wanna Be with You” (single version) 3:58
11. “Kalimba Tree” (12″ long version) 3:49
12. “Let’s Groove” (special remixed holiday version) 6:44
13. “Let’s Groove” (single version) 4:07
14. “Let’s Groove” (instrumental) 4:01
15. “I’ve Had Enough” (7″ version) 3:53
16. “The Changing Times” (7″ version) 4:45

Maurice White – lead vocals, background vocals, kalimba, drums
Philip Bailey – lead vocals, background vocals, percussion
Ms. Pluto – additional background vocals
Michael Boddicker – vocoder, synthesizer, keyboards
Verdine White – bass guitar, additional background vocals
Selene Burford – cello
Larry Corbett – cello
Paula Hochhalter – cello
Jerome Kessler – cello
Frederick Seykora – cello
Mary Louise Zeyen – cello
Assa Drori – concertmaster
James Getzoff – concertmaster
Ralph Johnson – drums, percussion, additional background vocals
Fred White – drums, percussion
Roland Bautista – guitar
Johnny Graham – guitar
Marlo Henderson – guitar
Beloyd Taylor – guitar, additional background vocals
Larry Dunn – keyboards, piano, synthesizer, synthesizer programming
Greg Phillinganes – keyboards
David Foster – keyboards
Billy Meyers – keyboards
Wayne Vaughn – keyboards
Paulinho Da Costa – percussion
Don Myrick – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
Tom Saviano – additional saxophone
Andrew Woolfolk – tenor saxophone
Bill Reichenbach – trombone
Charles Loper – trombone
Dick Hyde – trombone
George Bohanon – trombone
Lew McCreary – trombone
Louis Satterfield – trombone
Chuck Findley – trumpet
Gary Grant – trumpet
Jerry Hey – trumpet
Larry G. Hall – trumpet
Michael Harris – trumpet
Oscar Brashear – trumpet
Rahmlee Michael Davis – trumpet
Alan DeVeritch – viola
Pamela Goldsmith – viola
Allan Harshman – viola
Virginia Majewski – viola
Gareth Nuttycombe – viola
Arnold Belnick – violin
Denyse Buffum – violin
Thomas Buffum – violin
Henry Ferber – violin
Ronald Folsom – violin
Irving Geller – violin
Endre Granat – violin
Reginald Hill – violin
William Hymanson – violin
Myra Kestenbaum – violin
William Kurasch – violin
Betty LaMagna – violin
Brian Leonard – violin
Norman Leonard – violin
Marvin Limonick – violin
Jerome Reisler – violin
Nathan Ross – violin
Sheldon Sanov – violin
Anton Sen – violin
Arkady Shindelman – violin
Haim Shtrum – violin
Mari Tsumura-Botnick – violin
John Wittenbert – violin

Tuesday 4/12/22 10pm ET: Feature LP: Earth, Wind & Fire – All ‘n All (1977)

All ‘n All is the eighth studio album by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released November 21, 1977 by Columbia Records. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. All ‘n All has also been certified Triple Platinum in the US by the RIAA, Gold in Canada by Music Canada and Silver in the UK by the BPI.

All ‘n All was produced by Maurice White for Kalimba Productions. His inspiration for the album was a month-long trip to Argentina and Brazil.

1. “Serpentine Fire” 3:51
2. “Fantasy” 4:38
3. “In the Marketplace (Interlude)” 0:43
4. “Jupiter” 3:11
5. “Love’s Holiday” 4:22
6. “Brazilian Rhyme (Beijo)” 1:20
7. “I’ll Write a Song For You” 5:23
8. “Magic Mind” 3:38
9. “Runnin'” 5:50
10. “Brazilian Rhyme (Ponta de Areia)” 0:53
11. “Be Ever Wonderful” 5:07
12. “Would You Mind (Demo version of ‘Love’s Holiday’)” 2:21
13. “Runnin’ (Original Hollywood Mix)” 3:19
14. “Brazilian Rhyme (Beijo) (Recorded Live)” 2:32
15. “Fantasy” 12″ 8:53

Dorothy Ashby – harp
Phil Ayling – flute
Philip Bailey – vocals, percussion, congas
Blanche Belnick – violin
Roger Bobo – tuba
George Bohanon – trombone
Oscar Brashear – trumpet
Garnett Brown – trombone
Ronald Clark – violin
Ronald Cooper – cello
Paulinho Da Costa – percussion
Eduardo del Barrio – piano
Eumir Deodato – horn arrangement, string arrangement (7, 10)
Warren Dewey – additional recording engineer
David Duke – French horn
Larry Dunn – assistant producer, piano, Moog synthesizer, Oberheim synthesizer
Chuck Findley – trumpet
Norman Forrest – viola
Harris Goldman – violin
Jack Gootkin – violin
Janice Gower – violin, concertmaster
Johnny Graham – guitar solo (5), additional guitars
Terry Harrington – flute
Michael Harris – trumpet solo (9), additional trumpets
Ruth Henry – violin
Fred Jackson, Jr. – flute
Ralph Johnson – drums
Jan Kelly – cello
Richard Klein – French horn
Paul Klingberg – audio mixing (12-14)
Renita Koven – viola
Betty LaMagna – violin
Carl LaMagna – violin
Mary D. Lindquist – violin
Linda Lipsett – viola
Art Macnow – direction
Steve Madaio – trumpet
Cameron Marcarelli – mixing assistant (12-14)
George Massenburg – recording engineer
James M. McGee – French horn
Al McKay – guitar solo (9), additional guitars
Abe Most – flute
Don Myrick – saxophone solo (9), alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone
Susan Ranney – acoustic bass
Alan Robinson – French horn
Gale Robinson – French horn
Marilyn Robinson – French horn
Jack Rouben – assistant recording engineer
Meyer Rubin – acoustic bass
Leo Sacks – audio mixing (12-14), reissue producer
Richard Salvato – direction
Sheldon Sanov – violin
Louis Satterfield – trombone
Skip Scarborough – piano
Haim Shtrum – violin
Daniel Smith – cello
Barry Socher – violin
Lya Stern – violin
David Stockhammer – violin
Barbara Thomason – viola
Tom Tom 84 – horn arrangement, string arrangement
Marcia Van Dyke – violin
Fred White – drums
Maurice White – audio mixing (12-14), original recording producer, vocals, drums, kalimba
Verdine White – assistant producer, vocals, electric bass
Mark Wilder – mastering
Andrew Woolfolk – tenor saxophone

Monday 12/20/21 1pm ET: Feature Artist: Earth, Wind & Fire

Earth, Wind & Fire is an American band that has spanned the musical genres of R&B, soul, funk, jazz, disco, pop, dance, Latin, and Afro pop. They have been described as one of the most innovative and are among the most commercially successful acts of all time. With sales of over 90 million records, they are one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time.

The band was founded in Chicago by Maurice White in 1969, having grown out of a previous band known as the Salty Peppers. Other prominent members of EWF have included Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Ralph Johnson, Larry Dunn, Al McKay, Roland Bautista, Robert Brookins, Sonny Emory, Fred Ravel, Ronnie Laws, Sheldon Reynolds and Andrew Woolfolk. The band is known for its kalimba sound, dynamic horn section, energetic and elaborate stage shows, and the contrast between Philip Bailey’s falsetto vocals and Maurice White’s baritone.

The band has won 6 Grammys from their 17 nominations and four American Music Awards out of 12 nominations. They have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the NAACP Image Award Hall of Fame, and Hollywood’s Rockwalk, in addition to receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The band has also received an ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award, BET Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Soul Train Legend Award, as well as a NARAS Signature Governor’s Award, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2012 Congressional Horizon Award, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2019. Rolling Stone called them “innovative, precise yet sensual, calculated yet galvanizing” and declared that the band “changed the sound of black pop”. VH1 has also described EWF as “one of the greatest bands” ever.

Friday 12/3/21 12am ET: Feature LP: Earth, Wind & Fire – Raise! (1981)

Raise! is the eleventh studio album by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on November 14, 1981, by ARC/Columbia Records. The album spent 11 weeks atop the Billboard Top R&B albums chart and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart. Raise! has been certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA, Gold in the UK by the BPI and Gold in Canada by Music Canada.

1. “Let’s Groove” 5:37
2. “Lady Sun” 3:39
3. “My Love” 4:35
4. “Evolution Orange” 4:37
5. “Kalimba Tree” 0:25
6. “You Are a Winner” 4:09
7. “I’ve Had Enough” 4:36
8. “Wanna Be with You” 4:36
9. “The Changing Times” 5:54
10. “Wanna Be with You” (single version) 3:58
11. “Kalimba Tree” (12″ long version) 3:49
12. “Let’s Groove” (special remixed holiday version) 6:44
13. “Let’s Groove” (single version) 4:07
14. “Let’s Groove” (instrumental) 4:01
15. “I’ve Had Enough” (7″ version) 3:53
16. “The Changing Times” (7″ version) 4:45

Maurice White – lead vocals, background vocals, kalimba, drums
Philip Bailey – lead vocals, background vocals, percussion
Ms. Pluto – additional background vocals
Michael Boddicker – vocoder, synthesizer, keyboards
Verdine White – bass guitar, additional background vocals
Selene Burford – cello
Larry Corbett – cello
Paula Hochhalter – cello
Jerome Kessler – cello
Frederick Seykora – cello
Mary Louise Zeyen – cello
Assa Drori – concertmaster
James Getzoff – concertmaster
Ralph Johnson – drums, percussion, additional background vocals
Fred White – drums, percussion
Roland Bautista – guitar
Johnny Graham – guitar
Marlo Henderson – guitar
Beloyd Taylor – guitar, additional background vocals
Larry Dunn – keyboards, piano, synthesizer, synthesizer programming
Greg Phillinganes – keyboards
David Foster – keyboards
Billy Meyers – keyboards
Wayne Vaughn – keyboards
Paulinho Da Costa – percussion
Don Myrick – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
Tom Saviano – additional saxophone
Andrew Woolfolk – tenor saxophone
Bill Reichenbach – trombone
Charles Loper – trombone
Dick Hyde – trombone
George Bohanon – trombone
Lew McCreary – trombone
Louis Satterfield – trombone
Chuck Findley – trumpet
Gary Grant – trumpet
Jerry Hey – trumpet
Larry G. Hall – trumpet
Michael Harris – trumpet
Oscar Brashear – trumpet
Rahmlee Michael Davis – trumpet
Alan DeVeritch – viola
Pamela Goldsmith – viola
Allan Harshman – viola
Virginia Majewski – viola
Gareth Nuttycombe – viola
Arnold Belnick – violin
Denyse Buffum – violin
Thomas Buffum – violin
Henry Ferber – violin
Ronald Folsom – violin
Irving Geller – violin
Endre Granat – violin
Reginald Hill – violin
William Hymanson – violin
Myra Kestenbaum – violin
William Kurasch – violin
Betty LaMagna – violin
Brian Leonard – violin
Norman Leonard – violin
Marvin Limonick – violin
Jerome Reisler – violin
Nathan Ross – violin
Sheldon Sanov – violin
Anton Sen – violin
Arkady Shindelman – violin
Haim Shtrum – violin
Mari Tsumura-Botnick – violin
John Wittenbert – violin

Monday 8/2/21 11pm ET: Feature LP: Earth Wind & Fire – I Am (1979)

I Am is the ninth studio album by the R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire released June 9, 1979 on ARC/Columbia Records. The LP rose to Nos. 1 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. I Am has been certified Double Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA, Platinum in the UK by the BPI and Platinum in Canada by Music Canada. I Am was produced by Maurice White. Artists such as The Emotions and Toto’s Steve Lukather also made guest appearances on the album.

1. “In the Stone” 4:48
2. “Can’t Let Go” 3:28
3. “After the Love Is Gone” 4:26
4. “Let Your Feelings Show” 5:24
5. “Boogie Wonderland” (featuring The Emotions) 4:48
6. “Star” 4:23
7. “Wait” 3:39
8. “Rock That!” 3:07
9. “You and I” 3:34
10. “Boogie Wonderland” (featuring The Emotions) 12″ 8:11

Lead Vocals – Junior Wells (additional on 11), Philip Bailey, Maurice White
Background Vocals – The Emotions (additional on 5), Philip Bailey, Maurice White
Bass – Verdine White
Cello – Daniel Smith, Delores Bing, Jacqueline Lustgarten, Jan Kelley, John Walz, Kevan Torfeh, Larry Corbett, Miguel Martinez
Congas – Philip Bailey
Drums – Fred White, Maurice White
French horn – Barbara Korn, Sidney Muldrow, Richard Perissi, Marilyn Robinson
Guitar – Johnny Graham (1-9, 11), Marlo Henderson, Steve Lukather, Al McKay
Harmonica – Junior Wells (11)
Harp – Sir Alexander Dutkewych (12), Dorothy Ashby
Kalimba – Maurice White
Keyboards – David Foster, Eduardo del Barrio, Bill Meyers
Percussion – Philip Bailey, Paulinho Da Costa, Ralph Johnson
Piano, Oberheim and Moog Synthesizers – Larry Dunn
Synthesizer programming – Steve Porcaro
Alto and Baritone Saxophones – Don Myrick
Tenor Saxophone – Andrew Woolfolk, Don Myrick
Saxophone Solo – Don Myrick (3)
Additional Saxophones – Fred Jackson, Jr., Herman Riley, Jerome Richardson
Timpani – Richard Lepore
Trombone – George Bohanon, Garnett Brown, Bill Reichenbach Jr., Louis Satterfield, Benjamin Powell, Maurice Spears
Trumpet Solo – Rahmlee Michael Davis (6)
Trumpets – Oscar Brashear, Bobby Bryant, Michael Harris, Jerry Hey, Elmer Brown, Rahmlee Michael Davis, Steve Madaio
Viola – James Ross, Laurie Woods, Linda Lipsett, Marilyn Baker, Rollice Dale, Virginia Majewski
Violin – Anton Sen, Sherman Bryana, Carl LaMagna, Cynthia Kovaks, Gina Kronstadt, Haim Shtrum, Harris Goldman, Henry Ferber, Henry Roth, Ilkka Talvi, Jack Gootkin, Jerome Reisler, Jerome Webster, Joseph Goodman, Joseph Livoti, Judith Talvi, Leeana Sherman, Marcy Dicterow, Pamela Gates, Pavel Farkas, Ronald Clarck, Rosmen Torfeh, Sheldon Sanov, William Henderson
Production

In Memoriam: Maurice White (1941 – 2016)

Maurice “Moe” White (December 19, 1941 – February 4, 2016) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger and bandleader. He was the founder of the band Earth, Wind & Fire. He was also the older brother of current Earth, Wind & Fire member Verdine White, and former member Fred White. He served as the band’s main songwriter and record producer, and was co-lead singer along with Philip Bailey.

He won seven Grammys, and was nominated for a total of twenty Grammys. White was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame as a member of Earth, Wind & Fire, and was also inducted individually into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Also known by his nickname “Reece”, he worked with several famous recording artists, including Deniece Williams, the Emotions, Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond. White was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the late 1980s, which led him eventually to stop touring with Earth, Wind & Fire in 1994. He retained executive control of the band, and remained active in the music business. – Wikipedia

The founder of soul group Earth, Wind & Fire, Maurice White, has died in the US, his brother has said. White, 74, died in his sleep in Los Angeles on Thursday morning. He suffered from Parkinson’s Disease. His band had a series of hits including September, Boogie Wonderland, Shining Star and After the Love has Gone. The singer-songwriter was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1992 but his condition was reported to have got worse in recent months.

Maurice White Dies At 74. http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35499149