Folk
EARTH, WIND & FIRE
Earth, Wind & Fire were one of the most musically accomplished, critically acclaimed, and commercially popular funk bands of the '70s. Conceived by drummer, bandleader, songwriter, kalimba player, and occasional vocalist Maurice White, EWF's all-encompassing musical vision used funk as its foundation, but also incorporated jazz, smooth soul, gospel, pop, rock & roll, psychedelia, blues, folk, African music, and, later on, disco. Lead singer Philip Bailey gave EWF an extra dimension with his talent for crooning sentimental ballads in addition to funk workouts; behind him, the band could harmonize like a smooth Motown group, work a simmering groove like the J.B.'s, or improvise like a jazz fusion outfit. Plus, their stage shows were often just as elaborate and dynamic as George Clinton's P-Funk empire. More than just versatility for its own sake, EWF's eclecticism was part of a broader concept informed by a cosmic, mystical spirituality and an uplifting positivity the likes of which hadn't been seen since the early days of Sly & the Family Stone. Tying it all together was the accomplished songwriting of Maurice White, whose intricate, unpredictable arrangements and firm grasp of hooks and structure made EWF one of the tightest bands in funk when they wanted to be. Not everything they tried worked, but at their best, Earth, Wind & Fire seemingly took all that came before them and wrapped it up into one dizzying, spectacular package.
White founded Earth, Wind & Fire in Chicago in 1969. He had previously honed his chops as a session drummer for Chess Records, where he played on songs by the likes of Fontella Bass, Billy Stewart, and Etta James, among others. In 1967, he'd replaced Redd Holt in the popular jazz group the Ramsey Lewis Trio, where he was introduced to the kalimba, an African thumb piano he would use extensively in future projects. In 1969, he left Lewis' group to form a songwriting partnership with keyboardist Don Whitehead and singer Wade Flemons. This quickly evolved into a band dubbed the Salty Peppers, which signed with Capitol and scored a regional hit with "La La Time." When a follow-up flopped, White decided to move to Los Angeles, and took most of the band with him; he also renamed them Earth, Wind & Fire, after the three elements in his astrological charts. By the time White convinced his brother, bassist Verdine White, to join him on the West Coast in 1970, the lineup also consisted of Whitehead, Flemons, female singer Sherry Scott, guitarist Michael Beal, tenor saxophonist Chet Washington, trombonist Alex Thomas, and percussionist Yackov Ben Israel. This aggregate signed a new deal with Warner Bros. and issued its self-titled debut album in late 1970. Many critics found it intriguing and ambitious, much like the 1971 follow-up, The Need of Love, but neither attracted much commercial attention, despite a growing following on college campuses and a high-profile gig performing the soundtrack to Melvin Van Peebles' groundbreaking black independent film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song.
Dissatisfied with the results, White dismantled the first version of EWF in 1972, retaining only brother Verdine. He built a new lineup with female vocalist Jessica Cleaves, flute/sax player Ronnie Laws, guitarist Roland Bautista, keyboardist Larry Dunn, and percussionist Ralph Johnson; the most important new addition, however, was singer Philip Bailey, recruited from a Denver R&B band called Friends & Love. After seeing the group open for John Sebastian in New York, Clive Davis signed them to CBS, where they debuted in 1972 with Last Days and Time. Further personnel changes ensued; Laws and Bautista were all gone by year's end, replaced by reedman Andrew Woolfolk and guitarists Al McKay and Johnny Graham. It was then that EWF truly began to hit their stride. 1973's Head to the Sky (Cleaves' last album with the group) significantly broadened their cult following, and the 1974 follow-up, Open Our Eyes, was their first genuine hit. It marked their first collaboration with producer, arranger, and sometime songwriting collaborator Charles Stepney, who helped streamline their sound for wider acceptance; it also featured another White brother, Fred, brought in as a second drummer. The single "Mighty Mighty" became EWF's first Top Ten hit on the R&B charts, although pop radio shied away from its black-pride subtext, and the minor hit "Kalimba Story" brought Maurice White's infatuation with African sounds to the airwaves. Open Our Eyes went gold, setting the stage for the band's blockbuster breakthrough.
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In 1975, EWF completed work on another movie soundtrack, this time to a music-biz drama called That's the Way of the World. Not optimistic about the film's commercial prospects, the group rushed out their soundtrack album of the same name (unlike Sweet Sweetback, they composed all the music themselves) in advance. The film flopped, but the album took off; its lead single, the love-and-encouragement anthem "Shining Star," shot to the top of both the R&B and pop charts, making Earth, Wind & Fire mainstream stars; it later won a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group. The album also hit number one on both the pop and R&B charts, and went double platinum; its title track went Top Five on the R&B side, and it also contained Bailey's signature ballad in the album cut "Reasons." White used the new income to develop EWF's live show into a lavish, effects-filled extravaganza, which eventually grew to include stunts designed by magician Doug Henning. The band was also augmented by a regular horn section, the Phoenix Horns, headed by saxophonist Don Myrick. Their emerging concert experience was chronicled later that year on the double-LP set Gratitude, which became their second straight number one album and featured one side of new studio tracks. Of those, "Sing a Song" reached the pop Top Ten and the R&B Top Five, and the ballad "Can't Hide Love" and the title track were also successful.
Sadly, during the 1976 sessions for EWF's next studio album, Spirit, Charles Stepney died suddenly of a heart attack. Maurice White took over the arranging chores, but the Stepney-produced "Getaway" managed to top the R&B charts posthumously. Spirit naturally performed well on the charts, topping out at number two. In the meantime, White was taking a hand in producing other acts; in addition to working with his old boss Ramsey Lewis, he helped kick start the careers of the Emotions and Deniece Williams. 1977's All n' All was another strong effort that charted at number three and spawned the R&B smashes "Fantasy" and the chart-topping "Serpentine Fire"; meanwhile, the Emotions topped the pop charts with the White-helmed smash "Best of My Love." The following year, White founded his own label, ARC, and EWF appeared in the mostly disastrous film version of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, turning in a fine cover of the Beatles' "Got to Get You Into My Life" that became their first Top Ten pop hit since "Sing a Song." Released before year's end, The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 produced another Top Ten hit (and R&B number one) in the newly recorded "September."
1979's I Am contained EWF's most explicit nod to disco, a smash collaboration with the Emotions called "Boogie Wonderland" that climbed into the Top Ten. The ballad "After the Love Has Gone" did even better, falling one spot short of the top. Although I Am became EWF's sixth straight multi-platinum album, there were signs that the group's explosion of creativity over the past few years was beginning to wane. 1980's Faces broke that string, after which guitarist McKay departed. While 1981's Raise brought them a Top Five hit and R&B chart-topper in "Let's Groove," an overall decline in consistency was becoming apparent. By the time EWF issued its next album, 1983's Powerlight, ARC had folded, and the Phoenix Horns had been cut loose to save money. After the lackluster Electric Universe appeared at the end of the year, White disbanded the group to simply take a break. In the meantime, Verdine White became a producer and video director, while Philip Bailey embarked on a solo career and scored a pop smash with the Phil Collins duet "Easy Lover." Collins also made frequent use of the Phoenix Horns on his '80s records, both solo and with Genesis.
Bailey reunited with the White brothers, plus Andrew Woolfolk, Ralph Johnson, and new guitarist Sheldon Reynolds, in 1987 for the album Touch the World. It was surprisingly successful, producing two R&B smashes in "Thinking of You" and the number one "System of Survival." Released in 1990, Heritage was a forced attempt to contemporize the group's sound, with guest appearances from Sly Stone and MC Hammer; its failure led to the end of the group's relationship with Columbia. They returned on Reprise with the more traditional-sounding Millennium in 1993, but were dropped when the record failed to recapture their commercial standing despite a Grammy nomination for "Sunday Morning"; tragedy struck that year when onetime horn leader Don Myrick was murdered in Los Angeles. Bailey and the White brothers returned once again in 1997 on the small Pyramid label with In the Name of Love. After 2003's The Promise, the group realigned itself with several top-shelf adult contemporary artists and released 2005's Illumination, which featured a much-publicized collaboration with smooth jazz juggernaut Kenny G.
For The Record
Original members include Michael Beale, guitar; Leslie Drayton, horns; Wade Flemons,electric piano; Sherry Scott, vocals; Alex Thomas, horns; Chester Washington, horns;Maurice White (born December 19, 1941, in Chicago, IL), vocals, drums, kalimba; Verdine White (born July 25, 1951), bass; Donald Whitehead, keyboards; and Phillard Williams,percussion.
Discography:
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Incredible String Band
60's psychedelic folk band the Incredible String Band are celebrated not only for their music but their innovative stage shows that featured poems, sketches and dancing. The band formed in Scotland in 1965, and reformed in 1999 for another 7 musical years.
For the Incredible String Band, the line-up was at first the trio of Robin Williamson, Clive Palmer and Mike Heron, but the band split up and continued as a duo (Williamson and Heron).
The line-up was altered occasionally, most notably when the duo's girlfriends Licorice McKechnie and Rose Simpson, joined them in the band.
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Incredible String Band's most celebrated albums were: ''The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter'' and ''Wee Jam and the Big Huge'' a double LP.
By 1968, the group were filling huge venues in the UK, including the Royal Festival Hall and were part of the legendary hippy festival Woodstock.
Their first album: ''The Incredible String Band'' was given the accolade of ''Folk Album of the Year'' in Melody Maker's annual poll, in 1966.
They split up in 1974 but reformed in 1999 and performed until 2006.
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Danny Ellis to perform one off London show
Danny Ellis is coming to the UK next week to do a one off show at the Union Chapel.
Born and raised in Dublin, Danny blends his Celtic roots with rock and modern influences, creating a vital and soulful sound, with a gentle Irish edge.
Guy Fletcher OBE says: “Danny’s performance is one of the best shows of song writing brilliance I have ever seen - audiences in America have been blown away by this man's story and his songs”.
Simon And Garfunkel
Pioneers of folk rock Simon and Garfunkel grew up in the same neighbourhood in New York and attended the same schools. They began writing songs in 1957 and scored a minor hit as Tom (Art Garfunkel) and Jerry (Paul Simon) with ‘Hey, Schoolgirl’.
They reverted to their real names when they released the album ‘Wednesday Morning 3 A.M.’ in 1964. Originally, the album flopped and the duo disbanded for over a year. However, radio stations in Florida and Boston began receiving requests for album track ‘The Sound of Silence’. At the time, Paul Simon was living in the UK and touring England’s folk clubs while Art Garfunkel was carving out a career as an actor. Simon came back to the US the following year and the pair reunited.
The next album mostly consisted of adaptations of Simon’s solo material, some of which went on to be huge hits for the duo like ‘I Am a Rock’ and ‘Kathy’s Song’. Simon’s time in England seemed to have a big impact on his music. ‘Scarborough Fair/Canticle’ and ‘Homeward Bound’ became big hits, the latter a song about Simon being stranded overnight in Widnes train station.
Simon and Garfunkel had overwhelming success with their contribution to the soundtrack for ‘The Graduate’ in 1968. The song ‘Mrs Robinson’ became their most successful hit to date, but soon afterwards, tensions set in.
‘Bridge over Troubled Water’ was their final studio album, spawning more hits such as ‘The Boxer’, ‘Cecilia’ and, of course, the title track. Shortly after the release of the album in 1970, the pair went their separate ways.
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Simon and Garfunkel have reunited for one-off performances since splitting and have collaborated on each other’s work. Although Art Garfunkel released his solo album ‘Watermarks’ in 1978 to critical acclaim, Paul Simon has enjoyed greater success with albums such as ‘Graceland’ and ‘Still Crazy After All These Years’. They toured Japan, New Zealand and Australia in June and July 2009. In October that year, they participated together in the 25th year anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concerts at Madison Square Garden with other artists such as Bruce Springsteen, U2 and Eric Clapton.
This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com
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VAN MORRISON
Van Morrison, was born George Ivan Morrison on 31st August 1945 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A critically acclaimed singer/songwriter some of Van 'Van the Man' Morrison's albums are considered some of the best ever made including "Moondance", "Astral Weeks" and "It's Too Late to Stop Now". His work came from a number of genres including R&B, soul, Rock 'n' Roll, celtic, blues and jazz. He can play the guitar, saxaphone, harmonica, keyboard, tambourine, drums and ukulele.
Van Morrison achieved considerable international fame, largely as an album artist. In 1993, Morrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2003 the Songwriters Hall of Fame as well. VH1 ranked him No. 25 in their list of "100 Greatest Artists of Rock and Roll". and Rolling Stone magazine rated Morrison No. 42 in their list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".
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His superb albums include "Blowin' Your Mind!", "Moondance", "Astral Weeks", "His Band and the Street Choir", "Saint Dominic's Preview", "Tupelo Honey", "Hard Nose the Highway", "Veedon Fleece", "It's Too Late to Stop Now", "The Healing Game", "Live at Austin City Limits Festival" and the more recent album "Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl".
Van released the majority of albums through Bang, London, Warner Bros, Mercury, Lost Highway Records, Exile/Polydor, Listen to the Lion/EMI and Decca. Now in his 60s Morrison is still active in music.
Albums: (for Warner Brothers, except as noted)
Blowiri Your Mind, Bang, 1967.
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Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield, although only short-lived, had a huge influence on the folk, and country rock scene in America. The band were somewhat thrown together, on the LA Boulevard in 1966 when Stephen Stills (guitar, vocals) and Richie Furay (vocals), two folk refugees from New York City, were stuck in traffic and spotted a hearse with Canadian plates that obviously wasn't headed to a funeral. This hearse belonged to Neil Young (guitar, vocals), and with him was Bruce Palmer, who became the band’s bassist. Dewey Martin was picked up later to be the band’s drummer.
The five rockers named themselves, unusually, after a steamroller, and began to generate a large fan base after just days, playing gigs at Whiskey a Go Go. They were soon picked up by Atlantic Records, and began recording with managers Charles Green and Brian Stone. They release their first, self titled album, which featured there biggest hit ‘For What It’s Worth’, and established them as one of the best folk-rock bands in the country. This song still remains as one of the finest protest anthems of the 60’s.
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The bands second album, ‘Buffalo Springfield Again’ was released in 1967, and only one more album followed, ‘Last Time Around’ in 1968. Despite great success and great reviews, tensions between band members became too much, and despite continual line-up changes, they split in 1968.
Young was the first of the departed band members to launch a successful solo career. Stills was the next to follow, the pair often having worked together.
Although only lasting 2 years, the bands influence was recognised in 1997 when they were given their long overdue induction into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
Carly Page
This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com.
