Spirit (Earth, Wind & Fire album)

Spirit is the seventh studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire, released on September 28, 1976 by Columbia Records.[1] The album rose to No. 2 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Soul Albums charts.[2][3] Spirit has also been certified Double Platinum in the US by the RIAA.[4]

Spirit
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 28, 1976
Recorded1976
Studio
GenreSoul, funk
Length36:32
LabelColumbia
ProducerMaurice White, Charles Stepney
Earth, Wind & Fire chronology
Gratitude
(1975)
Spirit
(1976)
All 'N All
(1977)
Singles from Spirit
  1. "Getaway"
    Released: July 7, 1976
  2. "Saturday Nite"
    Released: November 13, 1976
  3. "On Your Face"
    Released: April 6, 1977

Overview

As long time collaborator Charles Stepney died in the midst of its recording sessions, Maurice White went on to mostly arrange and produce the album. The LP was entitled Spirit in dedication to Stepney.[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[6]
New York Times(favourable)[7]
Stereo Review(favourable)[8]
Music Week(favourable)[9]
Village Voice(B)[10]
Billboard(favourable)[11]
Rolling Stone(favourable)[12]
Vibe[13]
Variety(favourable)[14]
The Record(favourable)[15]

Craig Werner of Vibe gave a 4.5 out fo 5 rating, calling Spirit "one of the group's defining moments" and "gospel soul for the ages".[13] Billboard found that the album's "arrangements, songs, sweet floating vocal harmonies and punching instrumental phrases are all best described as impeccable".[11] Joe McEwen of Rolling Stone exclaimed "Though most of Spirit maintains a high level of artistic competence, I find the new album to be like a bean-sprout salad — undeniably nutritious, but hardly filling."[12] With a 4.5 out of 5 stars rating Alex Henderson of Allmusic called the record "outstanding". Henderson added "Maurice White's message and vision (an interesting blend of Afro-American Christianity and Eastern philosophy) was as positive and uplifting as ever, and as always, EWF expressed this positivity without being Pollyanna-ish or corny. And even if one didn't take EWF's calls for unity, hard work, self-respect, and faith in God to heart, they had no problem with their solid grooves."[6] Robert Christgau of the Village Voice gave a B grade saying "Most of these songs are fun to listen to."[10] Music Week proclaimed "With a more spiritual, ethereal feel than the six albums that had already cut to that point, it really marks a turning point in their career and is crammed with excellent tunes."[9] Rick Atkinson of The Record wrote "Any album that can hit the album charts, the single charts, and discos all at once is a guaranteed success.[15] John Rockwell of The New York Times declared that "What is most interesting about Maurice White and his musicians..is their refusal to be locked into any stylistic format Mr. White's record will be labeled 'disco' in some quarters, and indeed parts of if, would not sound out of place in a disco. But, generally, Earth, Wind and Fire is closer to jazz, or to jazz‐rock, than to the thumping formulas of disco. And yet the group isn't afraid to slip in a ballad, either."[7] Variety also described the album as "Another solid rhythm and blues session with one of the slickest acts of the genre, Earth, Wind & Fire, which always keeps it together. "A couple of instrumentals break up a lot of smooth, polished vocal instrumental trips."[14]

Issac Hayes called Spirit one of Earth, Wind & Fire's five essential recordings.[16] Rick Atkinson of The Record placed Spirit at number 5 on his list of the top 15 albums of 1976.[15] Spirit was also nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Album.[17] A song from the album called Earth, Wind and Fire was also Grammy nominated in the category of Best Instrumental Composition.[18]

Singles

"Getaway" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart.[19] The single also rose to No. 12 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Disco Action Top 30 charts.[20][21] "Saturday Nite, peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[22][23] The song also reached No. 12 on Billboard's Disco Action Top 30 chart and No. 17 on the UK Pop Singles chart.[24][25]

Track listing

Original release

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Getaway"Peter Cor, Bernard “Beloyd” Taylor3:47
2."On Your Face"Charles Stepney, Maurice White, Philip Bailey4:34
3."Imagination"Charles Stepney, Maurice White, Philip Bailey5:15
4."Spirit"Larry Dunn, Maurice White3:12
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Saturday Nite"Al McKay, Maurice White, Philip Bailey4:03
6."Earth, Wind & Fire"Skip Scarborough, Maurice White4:40
7."Departure"Larry Dunn, Maurice White0:27
8."Biyo"Maurice White, Al McKay3:37
9."Burnin' Bush"Jerry Peters6:46

[26]

2001 Legacy reissue (CK 65739)

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Getaway"Peter Cor, Bernard “Beloyd” Taylor3:47
2."On Your Face"Charles Stepney, Maurice White, Philip Bailey4:34
3."Imagination"Charles Stepney, Maurice White, Philip Bailey5:15
4."Spirit"Larry Dunn, Maurice White3:12
5."Saturday Nite"Al McKay, Maurice White, Philip Bailey4:03
6."Earth, Wind and Fire"Skip Scarborough, Maurice White4:40
7."Departure"Larry Dunn, Maurice White0:27
8."Biyo"Maurice White, Al McKay3:37
9."Burnin' Bush"Jerry Peters6:46
10."Saturday Nite (Alternate Mix)"Maurice White, Al McKay, Philip Bailey4:55
11."Seraphim"Maurice White, Al McKay, Ph Bailey, Larry Dunn2:06
12."Imagination (Angels Mix)"Charles Stepney, Maurice White, Philip Bailey1:02
13."Departure (The Traveler)"Larry Dunn, Maurice White3:37
14."African Symphony"Larry Dunn, Maurice White1:52

[5]

Personnel

Production

Charts and certifications

Charts

Album
Year Chart Position
1976 US Billboard Top Soul Albums 2
US Billboard 200 2
UK Blues & Soul Top British Soul Albums 2[27]
New Zealand Albums (RIANZ) 33[28]
Japanese Albums (Oricon) 59[29]
Singles
Year Single Chart Position
1976 "Getaway/Saturday Nite" Billboard Dance Club Songs 9
"Getaway" Billboard Hot Soul Songs 1
Billboard Hot 100 12
"On Your Face" Billboard Hot Soul Songs 26
"Saturday Nite" Billboard Hot Soul Songs 4
Billboard Hot 100 21
UK Pop Singles 17[25]
New Zealand Singles 34[30]

Certifications

Country Award
US (RIAA) Double Platinum[4]

References

  1. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Spirit". 45worlds.com.
  2. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Spirit (Top Pop Albums)". billboard.com.
  3. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Spirit (Top Soul Albums)". billboard.com.
  4. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Spirit". riaa.com. RIAA.
  5. Earth, Wind & Fire. “Spirit” (Remastered). Legacy’s Rhythm Soul Series. Columbia / Legacy. 2001.
  6. Henderson, Alex. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Spirit". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
  7. Rockwell, John (October 22, 1976). "The Pop Life". nytimes.com. New York Times.
  8. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Spirit". Vol. 38. Stereo Review. February 1977. p. 94. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  9. "Product Reissues". proquest.com. Music Week. September 26, 2014. p. 53. ProQuest 1693679438.
  10. Christgau, Robert. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Spirit". robertchristgau.com. The Village Voice.
  11. "Billboard's Top Album Picks". Billboard Magazine. Vol. 88 no. 41. October 9, 1976. ISSN 0006-2510.
  12. McEwen, Joe (December 16, 1976). "Earth, Wind & Fire: Spirit". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone.
  13. Werner, Craig (March 2001). "Earth, Wind & Fire: Spirit". Vol. 9 no. 3. Vibe Magazine. p. 200. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  14. "Music Records: Harrison, EW&F, Purple, Ash, Engelbert, Foghat, Lee, Bishop, Kooper, Cliff, Kinky Top LPs". proquest.com. Vol. 285 no. 4. Variety. December 1, 1975. p. 58. ProQuest 1401298805.
  15. Atkinson, Rick (December 26, 1976). "Charting the stars of '76". The Record. p. 56.
  16. Hayes, Issac (July 7, 1995). Essentials: Issac Hayes on Earth, Wind & Fire. The Guardian. p. 39.
  17. "earthwindandfire.com/bio_awards". Archived from the original on 2009-03-07.
  18. "Maurice White". Grammy.com. The Recording Academy.
  19. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Getaway (Hot Soul Songs)". billboard.com.
  20. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Getaway (Hot 100)". billboard.com.
  21. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Getaway (Dance Club Songs)". billboard.com.
  22. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Saturday Nite (Hot Soul Songs)". billboard.com.
  23. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Saturday Nite (Hot 100)". billboard.com.
  24. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Saturday Nite (Dance Club Songs)". billboard.com.
  25. "Earth Wind & Fire - Full Official Chart History". officialcharts.com. Official Charts Company.
  26. Earth, Wind & Fire. “Spirit”. Columbia. 1976.
  27. "Top British Soul Albums". No. 215. Blues & Soul. December 14, 1976. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  28. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Spirit". charts.nz. RIANZ.
  29. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  30. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Saturday Nite". charts.nz. RIANZ.
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