NEW YORK (Billboard) - Whether it's the philosophical "That's the Way of the World," the inspirational "Keep Your Head to the Sky" or the infectious "September," there has been an Earth, Wind & Fire song for every occasion.
With six consecutive double-platinum albums to its credit, the veteran R&B group will perform Sunday at the 57th annual Emmy Awards on CBS with the equally colorful Black Eyed Peas. Two days later (September 20), "Illumination," the band's 23rd album, will hit stores through Sanctuary Records Group.
As EWF prepared for its busy week, bassist Verdine White -- the other core members are Maurice White, Philip Bailey and Ralph Johnson -- talked with Billboard about the group's legacy and unending mission to inspire and entertain.
Q: SO MANY LEGENDARY R&B ACTS ARE NO LONGER TOGETHER. HOW
HAVE YOU SURVIVED?
A: The original intention was to make great music and, in our little way, to enlighten the world and raise consciousness. Playing great music and the passion for the work has kept it together. That's always the common denominator. That's really the glue that holds it together, and it's probably bigger than any of us.
Q: HAS THERE BEEN A MOMENT THAT STANDS OUT TO YOU AS ONE OF
YOUR MOST PRECIOUS OR ONE OF YOUR MOST CHALLENGING?
A: We've had so many moments of accomplishment, as well as challenges. They're all different, and the more we go on, they're almost one and the same.
There's sort of a flip side to it. On one side of the coin there's an opportunity or an accomplishment, and on the other side there are challenges. They sort of run together, and it's good, because it keeps you humble. It's like playing great music. Playing great music is not really easy to do all the time.
Q: WHAT MAKES IT HARD?
A: A big part of it is that you have to always challenge yourself and live up to the music that's presented to you and do it in a way that people can actually feel it. You have to actively keep yourself together to meet that challenge.
Q: ON YOUR NEW ALBUM, YOU WORKED WITH PEOPLE LIKE JIMMY JAM
AND TERRY LEWIS, RAPHAEL SAADIQ AND FLOETRY. WHY DO YOU THINK
THESE PEOPLE ARE A GOOD FIT FOR EARTH, WIND & FIRE?
A: Raphael is a die-hard Earth, Wind & Fire fan, so he understood what was going on with us. Floetry kind of reminded me of the '70s, when urban music was really at its infancy. And Jimmy and Terry, in terms of typecasting, you'd never think of them with us because of their work with Janet (Jackson), but you have to remember they were in the Time, so they understood the dynamics of the band. So we were all not that far away from each other.
Q: WAS ANYONE CONCERNED ABOUT WHERE YOU SHOULD FALL ON THE
SCALE BETWEEN OLD AND NEW?
A: Maybe five years ago -- most definitely 10 -- but not now, because we've had a lot of building blocks and a lot of confirmation of our work. In the last five years we've (been inducted into) the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, (received) a BET Award and done the Super Bowl. These things have really enabled us to turn the page. We can really be ourselves.
Q: IT SEEMS THAT THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PHILOSOPHICAL AND
SPIRITUAL STANDARD THAT EWF HAS HAD TO LIVE UP TO. HAS THAT
EVER BECOME BURDENSOME?
A: At times we've had to look at ourselves and say, "Wow, this is almost too big for us." The '80s were an interesting and challenging time for Earth, Wind & Fire. The world has changed quite a bit since then. People are now asking themselves different questions. We've had 9-11, and we're trying to get deeper now. And when people get deeper, they're thinking, "What do we listen to go along with the questions that we're asking?"
Q: AND THAT'S WHERE EWF COMES IN. DO YOU LOOK AT THIS AS A
MINISTRY OF SORTS?
A: Yeah, most definitely. We talk about that in the dressing room all the time, because even after we do the show I'm signing autographs for at least two hours. We often have 300 people just to shake hands with after the show, and we can't even get it all done. People are thanking us for just making the music.
Q: PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE?
A: All colors, all races, all ages. There was a guy the other night whose sister came to the show because he had tickets, but he was waiting for a kidney transplant. She called him from the autograph line, and we talked to him while he was in the hospital. And when we played Chastain Park in Atlanta last year, a lady came to bring her brother's bass that he always wanted me to sign. He bought two tickets to see Earth, Wind & Fire, but he wasn't able to make it because he was killed in a car accident the week before. So she came to the show for him. These are the stories that we get from people.
Q: WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR THE CHEMISTRY AMONG YOU, MAURICE,
PHILIP AND RALPH?
A: We're brothers. We're joined at the hip. Obviously it was the right place at the right time. To work with people and make music with them is another level. Of course Philip, Ralph and I cut our teeth on Earth, Wind & Fire under Maurice's mentorship, so that was big. And we made it when we were young, too, so our whole adult lives we've been successful, and that joins you at the hip, because not very many people have experienced that together.
Q: WHAT IS AHEAD? WHAT IS LEFT FOR YOU GUYS TO CONQUER?
A: I never think about it. I think for us the world is pretty much wide open. I think with African-American groups, people always want to know what the next thing is because there aren't really that many African-American legends, so it sort of makes us stand out. But we're just doing what we're doing. We're going to constantly be bearers of light and be around as long as you guys like us.
Reuters/Billboard |
