The Promise (Earth, Wind & Fire album)

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The Promise
Studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire
Released	May 20th, 2003
Genre	R&B, Funk
Length	56:42
Label	Kalimba
Producer	Maurice White Phillip Bailey Tim & Bob
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Blender link People (Critic's Choice) link Yahoo Music (favourable) link
Earth, Wind & Fire chronology
Live in Rio (2002) The Promise (2003) Love Songs (2004)
Reissue cover
2009 Reissue Cover

The Promise is a 2003 album by Earth, Wind & Fire. Released on Maurice White's label Kalimba Records the album was their first of new material in six years. The album reached number 5 on the Top Independent Album Chart and number 19 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album Chart. It also featured collaborations with Angie Stone, The Emotions, Gerald Albright and Paulinho Da Costa. The album's cover art was designed by Morito Suzuki. The track All About Love is remade from the original from their album That's the Way of the World.

The album cut produced by Tim & Bob Hold Me was Grammy nominated for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance.^[1]

On February 24, 2009 The Promise was re-released on Kalimba Music.^[2].

[edit] Reception

Allmusic.com in its review of the album declares that "a certain everence needs to be paid toward a group that can manage to still produce interesting, soulful music well into a third decade" and that the album is "extremely soulful and soothing" while People Magazine calls The Promise "musically rich".^[3][4]

[edit] Track Listing

^[3]

[edit] Japan Bonus Tracks

^[3]

[edit] Performers

• Maurice White - Vocals, Vocals (bckgr), Kalimba, Producer, Executive Producer, Horn Arrangements, Vocal Producer

• Tim Kelley - Mixer, Arranger, Producer, Keyboards, Drum Programming

• Bob Robinson - Arranger, Producer, Piano, Guitar

• Verdine White - Bass

• Philip Bailey - Vocals, Vocals (bckgr), Executive Producer

• Ralph Johnson - Percussion, Vocals (bckgr), Producer, Drum Programming

• B. David Whitworth - Vocals (bckgr)

• John Paris - Drums

• Greg "G-Mo" Moore - Guitar

• Robert Brookins - Keyboards, Producer, Drum Programming

• Daniel de los Reyes - Percussion

• Gary Bias - Flute, Saxophone

• Reggie Young - Trombone

• Ray Brown - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Horn Arrangements, Soloist

• Darrell Crooks - Guitar

• Paulinho Da Costa - Percussion

• Gary Grant - Trumpet

• Jerry Hey - Trumpet, Horn Arrangements

• Sheila Hutchinson - Vocals (bckgr)

• Tollak Ollestad - Harmonica

• Wayne Linsey - Keyboards

• Raymond Crossley - Keyboards

• Gregory Curtis - Keyboards, Vocals (bckgr), Producer, Engineer, Drum Programming

• Greg Curtis - Vocals (bckgr)

• Andy Martin - Trombone

• Howard McCrary - Vocals (bckgr)

• Michael "Patches" Stewart - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

• Wanda Vaughn - Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)

• Wayne Vaughn - Drums, Keyboards, Vocals (bckgr), Producer, Engineer, Horn Arrangements, Vocal Producer

• Eric Walls - Guitar

[edit] Production

• Myron McKinley - Rhythm Arrangements

• Dave Dolimar - Engineer

• Preston Glass - Producer, Keyboard Programming

• Steve Hall - Mastering

• Andy Haller - Engineer

• Cameron Marcarelli - Engineer, Drum Programming, Assistant Engineer

• Wallace Mercer - Engineer

• Tom Mgrdichian - Keyboards, String Arrangements

• Richard Salvato - Production Coordination

• Dexter Simmons - Mixing

• Ben Wright - Horn Arrangements

^[5]

[edit] Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Singles - Billboard (North America)

^[6]

[edit] References