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1978 greatest hits album by Earth, Wind & Fire
The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 is an album by the band Earth, Wind & Fire issued in 1978 by Columbia Records .[1] The album rose to Nos. 3 & 6 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums and Billboard 200 charts respectively.[2] [3] The album has been certified Quintuple Platinum in the US by the RIAA ,[4] as well as Platinum in the UK and Canada, by the BPI and Music Canada , respectively.[5]
Singles
The album produced three new songs and two singles. The LP's first single, "Got to Get You into My Life ", preceded the album by a few months and was first included on the 1978 soundtrack Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band from the feature film with the same title . The single reached Nos. 1 & 9 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs and Hot 100 charts respectively.[6] [7] Got to Get You into My Life was Grammy nominated in the category of Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus . The song went on to win a Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) .[8] [9]
The second single, "September " rose to Nos. 1 & 8 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs and Hot 100 respectively.[10] [11] September also got to No. 3 on the UK Pop Singles chart.[12]
Critical reception
The Los Angeles Times called the album "An excellent package with no extraneous or weak tracks".[17] Steve Huey of AllMusic said "But even if it's an incomplete hits collection, The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 still ranks as a strong encapsulation of EWF the funk innovators. The singles gathered here constitute some of the richest, most sophisticated music the funk movement ever produced; when the absolute cream of the group's catalog is heard in such a concentrated fashion, the effect is dazzling." Huey added "1998's Greatest Hits now stands as the definitive single-disc EWF overview, but for the budget-minded and the disco-phobic, this still makes for an excellent listen."[13] Robert Christgau of The Village Voice found "Despite some annoying omissions, notably "Serpentine Fire ," this sums them up--ten exquisitely crafted pop tunes in which all the passion and resonance of black music tradition are blended into a concoction slicker and more sumptuous than any white counterpart since Glenn Miller ".[14] The New York Daily News also claimed "Since its beginning, Earth Wind and Fire have been one of the slickest soul aggregations around, and this record is a well-paced showcase. Sometimes it's hard to believe that the combination of influences, ranging from Sly Stone and Stevie Wonder to the decidedly Chicagoesque horn arrangements, doesn't overcome the group, but its high spirits continually take it over the top. ".[18] Crispin Cioe of High Fidelity wrote "For pop/r&b mavens, this one's a must."[16]
Track listing
Adapted from LP liner notes.[19]
Side two Title Writer(s) 6. "That's the Way of the World " (From That's the Way of the World , 1975) Charles Stepney , Maurice White, Verdine White5:46 7. "September " (Previously unreleased) Al McKay , Allee Willis , Maurice White3:36 8. "Shining Star " (From That's the Way of the World , 1975) Philip Bailey , Larry Dunn , Maurice White2:50 9. "Reasons " (From That's the Way of the World , 1975) Philip Bailey, Charles Stepney, Maurice White 4:59 10. "Sing a Song " (From Gratitude , 1975) Al McKay, Maurice White 3:23
Reissue bonus tracks[19] [20] Title Writer(s) 11. "MegaMix 2000" Wayne Vaughn, Al McKay, Maurice White, Allee Willis 7:38 12. "MegaMix (Radio Edit)" Al McKay, Maurice White 3:23
Personnel
Performance
Philip Bailey – vocals , congas , percussion
Rhamlee Michael Davis – trumpet , flugelhorn
Larry Dunn – Moog synthesizer , piano , organ
Johnny Graham – guitar , percussion
Michael Harris – trumpet, flugelhorn
Alan Hewitt – keyboards (11)
Ralph Johnson – drums , percussion
Al McKay – vocals, guitar, percussion
Don Myrick – additional saxophone
Louis Satterfield – trombone
Dick Smith – guitar
Charles Stepney - piano
Fred White – drums
Maurice White – vocals, drums, kalimba
Verdine White – vocals, bass guitar , percussion
Andrew Woolfolk – soprano saxophone , flute [19] [20]
Production
Earth, Wind & Fire – musical arrangements (3, 6, 8-10)
Philip Bailey – liner notes
George Calle – producer, recording engineer , audio mixing (12)
Mauro DeSantis – producer, recording engineer, audio mixing (12)
Larry Dunn – production assistant (2)
Howard Fritzson – art direction
David Gahr – Photography
Alan Hewitt – music programming, producer, recording engineer, audio mixing (11)
Paul Klingberg – producer, recording engineer, audio mixing (11)
Art Macnow – director
Cameron Marcarelli – assistant engineer (11)
Al McKay – producer
Shusei Nagaoka – artwork
Steve Newman – design
Joseph M. Palmaccio – mastering
Leo Sacks – producer (11), reissue producer, liner notes
Richard Salvato – director
Jim Shea – photography
Charles Stepney – producer, musical arrangements (3, 5-6, 8-10), synthesizer programming
Tom Tom 84 – horn arrangements, string arrangements (2, 4, 7)
Chris Walter – photography
Maurice White – producer (1-11), musical arrangements (1), recording engineer, audio mixing (11), liner notes
Verdine White – production assistant (2), liner notes
Mark Wilder – audio mastering
Joseph Wissert – producer[19] [20]
Charts
Certifications
References
^ "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1" . 45worlds.com .
^ "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 (Top Soul Albums)" . billboard.com . Billboard .
^ "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 (Billboard 200)" . billboard.com . Billboard .
^ "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1" . riaa.com .
^ "British Phonographic Industry certification of The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1" . Bpi.co.uk.
^ "Earth, Wind & Fire: Got to Get You into My Life (Hot R&B Songs)" . Billboard.com .
^ "Earth, Wind & Fire: Got to Get You into My Life (Hot 100)" . Billboard.com .
^ "Earth, Wind & Fire" . grammy.com . The Recording Academy .
^ "Maurice White" . grammy.com . The Recording Academy .
^ "Earth, Wind & Fire: September (Hot 100)" . billboard.com . Billboard .
^ "Earth, Wind & Fire: September (Hot Soul Songs)" . billboard.com .
^ a b c d "Earth, Wind & Fire" . officialcharts.com .
^ a b Huey, Steve. "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1" . allmusic.com . Allmusic .
^ a b Christgau, Robert . "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1" . robertchristgau.com . Village Voice .
^ Earth, Wind & Fire: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. 1 . Rolling Stone Magazine .
^ a b Cioe, Crispin (May 1981). "Backbeat Superior Superdiscs" (PDF) . americanradiohistory.com . Vol. 31, no. 3. High Fidelity . p. 128.
^ a b "Pop Music" . newspapers.com . Los Angeles Times . December 17, 1978. p. 418.
^ a b "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. 1" . newspapers.com . New York Daily News . December 10, 1978. p. 355.
^ a b c d The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. 1 . ARC /Columbia . 1978.
^ a b c “The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. 1” (Reissue). Legacy’s Rhythm & Soul Series. Columbia / Legacy. 1999.
^ a b "Earth, Wind & Fire" . sverigetopplistan.se .
^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005 . Roppongi , Tokyo : Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9 .
^ "Earth, Wind & Fire: Got to Get You into My Life" . dutchcharts.nl .
^ "Canadian album certifications – Earth, Wind and Fire – The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1" . Music Canada .
^ https://www.infodisc.fr/Ventes_Albums_Tout_Temps.php?debut=900
^ "French album certifications – Earth, Wind and Fire – The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique . Retrieved January 5, 2014 .
^ "Dutch album certifications – Earth, Wind and Fire – The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers . Enter The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1980 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen" .
^ "British album certifications – Earth, Wind and Fire – The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1" . British Phonographic Industry . Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
^ "American album certifications – Earth, Wind and Fire – The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1" . Recording Industry Association of America .
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