Earth Wind and Fire-I Am (1979)
Earth Wind and Fire are one of the most popular and unique bands of our time. They balanced a unique message of Afrocentricity, universal concerns with an assiduous, scholarly application of many musical styles. By 1974 they had turned into a high-selling albums act with work like Open Our Eyes, Gratitude and That’s the Way of the World. All wasn’t perfect however. During the Spirit sessions, group mentor and co-producer Charles Stephney passed away at age 45. The musical lessons and excellence Stephney displayed were still apparent on 1977’s All n’ All and the album went triple platinum and contained the EW&F classics like “Serpentine Fire” and “Fantasy.” This was also the point where EWF founder Maurice White took on a more specific, leadership role in the group dynamic.
In 1978 EW&F released the singles, “Got to Get You Into My Life” and “September.” Both tracks ended up on another platinum seller, The Best of Earth Wind and Fire Vol. 1 At this point, the band had released a string of seven platinum and multi-platinum albums. Things were going to be different for I am however.
Unlike previous efforts, I Am, didn’t feature a group collaborative effort in the songwriting process. Maurice White was the chief songwriter of the album. David Foster and Allie Wills both were the co-writers of six and seven songs, respectively. While it may seem disconcerting to some, in regards to the Earth Wind and Fire sound — the results worked especially well.
During the time of the I am sessions, David Foster was quickly rising in the ranks of the West Coast AOR sound. His first production credit was an soulful pop album for singer Jaye P. Morgan. On that album was cover of Earth Wind and Fire’s “Can’t Hide Love.” His pop with R&B leanings intersected with Earth Wind and Fire’s commercial R&B and emerging pop-ish sound.
At its best I Am was brilliant give and take and displayed a certain commerciality without EW&F losing their identity. Fans of the Earth Wind and Fire’s in all of their R&B/pop glory no doubt loved hook-filled tracks like “Can’t Let Go” and “Let Your Feelings Show.” “In The Stone” with its aggressive, heightened percussion kicked up some of their trademark style. At their best these songs were the natural sonic extension of the polished, commercial sound that had typified their sound for half a decade.
Get Jason Elias’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
That said, EW&F new alliance was responsible for one of their most enduring ballads. The near-tragic “After the Love Is Gone” (written by Foster, Jay Graydon and Bill Champlin) has Foster’s style mixing with EWF’s in an eerily good way. For his part, White turns in a soulful yet subdued vocal and that’s what truly brought the track to its greatness.
Given the era, dancefloor concerns are also abound on I Am. The love or loathed “Boogie Wonderland.” is effective and propulsive disco that’s given a sense of gravity by way of EWF’s singular firepower (Verdine White’s bass line in particular), and the great work from the Emotions. The joyous “Star” features one of Philip Bailey’s best and most fun vocals. The album closes with the poignant “You and I” with its haunting Charles Stephney era-like bridge.
I Am was recorded in September of 1978 and was released in June of 1979. The first single “Boogie Wonderland” (#2 R&B, #2 pop) was one of later disco’s biggest and last hits. “After the Love is Gone” (#2 R&B, #2 pop) won a Grammy for Best R&B performance by a duo or group. Later in the year ARC/Columbia released the more R&B-ish singles “In the Stone” (#23 R&B, #58 pop) and “Can’t Let Go” (#46 on the UK). By this point, the core Earth Wind and Fire fans had already bought the album. I Am went double platinum.
In the intervening years, I Am became a part of the classic string of EW&F’s ’70s albums. For some, I Am stands as either Earth Wind and Fire’s peak or the beginning of the end. Still it’s tough to argue with the album’s musically or the lasting impact the album has had. In contrast, later Earth Wind and Fire effort neither attained either the sales or the concerted sense of purpose.
When the album was reissued in 2004, bonus tracks included “Diana” another hooky ballad from David Foster. In recent years it was discovered that EW&F classics, “Love Music” and “September” also came from the I Am sessions. The original release of I Am has proven to be an undeniable work of art and stands tall in Earth Wind and Fire’s catalogue.
Jason Elias
Jason Elias is a pop culture historian and a music journalist.
