If you try to get Verdine White to wax nostalgic or talk about the legacy of Earth, Wind & Fire, you won’t get far.
“We don’t do like that,” White said. “We just keep it moving. We’re very appreciative of the past, but we’re not looking back.”
Credit: Sanford Myers
Credit: Sanford Myers
That said, Earth, Wind & Fire can’t help but fill its shows with the songs that got the group in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, earned a lifetime achievement Grammy Award and praise from the likes of Quincy Jones, Alicia Keys and the late Miles Davis, and influenced generations of artists, from Beyonce and Justin Timberlake to Lion Babe’s Jillian Hervey.
Earth, Wind & Fire was founded by White’s older brother Maurice in 1970. By the mid ‘70s, Earth, Wind & Fire was one of the most popular bands in the world, riding a string of hits that ran from 1975′s No. 1 smash “Shining Star” through “Sing a Song,” “Got to Get You into My Life,” “Boogie Wonderland” and “Let’s Groove.”
Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Four decades and 90 million albums sold later, EW&F is still going strong, playing music that still feels fresh and contemporary in widely praised shows around the globe.
“We have to thank my brother Maurice for that,” White said. “He was the originator, the creator of the band. He put something together that ended up being timeless. The music’s been everywhere. It’s part of the soundtrack of our lives, of multiple generations’ lives. We see it every night.”
That music — a mix of pop, funk, soul, R&B and rock with shades of jazz, Latin and Afro-pop — created a revolution in Black pop in the ‘70s and continues to reverberate through pop music today.
“It’s a fusion of styles,” White said. “In the beginning, we actually did more jazz, then put in R&B, then pop, then rock. That came from Maurice. He was definitely the leader, putting it all together made it really sound universal and unique at the same time.”
While White wouldn’t commit to any specifics, he said it’s likely that Earth Wind & Fire will have a new album out sooner rather than later. It would be its first since 2014′s “Holiday” and its first since Maurice White’s 2016 death. So far, though, the only newer music is a single, “You Want My Love.” Produced by Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, it features guest vocals from Lucky Daye.
Maurice had suffered from Parkinson’s disease for several years before his passing and stopped touring with the band. But he continued to have input into the music, his brother said.
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri/AJC
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri/AJC
Now, the remaining members of EW&F don’t have their founder to help create music, but White said Maurice has given the tools they need to carry on the group’s legacy.
“He trained us very well, so we’re very confident,” White said. “He was a great teacher. A great teacher, big brother. He was as cool as they come.”
On tour the three original EW&F members — Verdine, who plays bass, drummer Ralph Johnson and singer Philip Bailey, he of the sky-piercing voice — are joined in the live shows by a three-man horn section, a bunch of percussionists/vocalists, a keyboard player, a pair of guitarists.
And they deliver a tightly rehearsed, choreographed, musically impressive show, whether it’s to a few thousand in a small amphitheater or concert hall or tens of thousands at festivals.
So, in the spirit of keeping moving, what can those who come to see Earth, Wind & Fire expect?
“Tell ‘em they’re going to feel better after than they did coming in and they might not be able to sleep that night,” White said. “We have to have an exciting show. The audience has to enjoy themselves. They will. It will be fun.”
CONCERT PREVIEW
Earth, Wind & Fire with Lionel Richie
7:30 p.m. Aug. 22. $36-$131. State Farm Arena, 1 State Farm Drive, Atlanta. statefarmarena.com.
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