| Powerlight | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 3, 1983 | |||
| Recorded | July–November 1982 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:23 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Maurice White | |||
| Earth, Wind & Fire chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Powerlight | ||||
| ||||
Powerlight is the twelfth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in February 1983 by Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 4 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart. [1] [2] Powerlight was also certified Gold in the US by the RIAA. [3]
Powerlight was produced by EWF leader Maurice White. According to White the LP's title has to do with "the chakras -- the centers of the body that connect us with cosmic power." Artists such as Robert Greenidge, Maxayn Lewis and Zakir Hussain also appeared on the album. [4]
The album cut "Fall in Love with Me" rose to No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 4 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart. "Fall in Love with Me" was also Grammy nominated for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. [5]
"Side by Side" got to No. 15 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart. [6] "Straight from the Heart" was released as a single in the Netherlands. [7]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| Knight Ridder | 7/10 [9] |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | [10] |
| Rolling Stone | [11] |
| Smash Hits | 8/10 [12] |
| Stereo Review | (favourable) [13] |
| The Village Voice | A− [14] |
Robert Palmer of The New York Times noted "Mr. (Milton) Nascimento, and Brazilian pop in general, combine African-derived rhythms that tend to be more flowing and buoyant than their North American funk counterparts with a melodious pop lyricism based on relatively complex, jazzy harmonies, and Maurice White has done something very similar on Earth, Wind and Fire's Powerlight album." [15] Vanity Fair found that "Earth, Wind & Fire's oddysey of uplift, Powerlight is, impossible as it may seem, even more relentlessly cheerful than its predecessor Raise!, a concoction designed to do precisely that to listeners' spirit". [16] Tony Prince of the Daily Mirror called Powerlight the album of the week exclaiming "The worst you can say about Earth, Wind & Fire are their high standards of arrangements are predictable. They just can't get any better!" [17] Robert Christgau of The Village Voice proclaimed with an A− grade that "Their sonic affluence and showtime groove encompass whispering strings no less perfect than their JB guitar beats, Funkafunnies harmonies no less schmaltzy than their Lionel Richie homages, and when the synthesis is this catchy it's the best argument for universalism they'll ever make." [14] Craig Lytle of AllMusic in a four out of 5 star review found "Many groups lose the steam that propelled them to the top; Earth, Wind & Fire, contemporary sound and all, were still blazing when this album was released." Lytle continued saying "Throughout the entire album, White's unifying message is fueled by the aggressive rhythms and relaxing melodies." [8] Connie Johnson of the Los Angeles Times wrote that Powerlight "does show why EWF is one of the masters of studio pop." Johnson added that "EWF mostly keeps the rhetoric in check focusing instead on assertive rockers that give everyone in this nine-member unit a chance to flex his muscles There is less cosmic emphasis but the EWF formula—heavy on the richly textured vocals horns and rhythm—is still intact. And surprisingly still fresh." [18] [19]
With a 3 out of 5 stars rating, Ken Tucker of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote "Earth, Wind and Fire's new collection of Utopian funk, "Powerlight" (Columbia), has a glossy sheen that manages to coat even the banal songs with a pretty surface that's pleasing." [10] Rick Shefchik of Knight Ridder in a 7/10 review wrote, "The title suggests a further descent into hip spiritualism, but the record itself has all the elements of E,W&F's best work - punchy horns, clean riffs, hard dance rhythms and soaring group vocals." [9] Chip Stern of Musician claimed "Powerlight stands both as a testament to White's absolute mastery of production and EW&F's renewed vigour as a band." [20] Dave Marsh gave Powerlight 4 out of 5 stars and claimed that it's mostly "notable for the power of the playing." [21] David Hepworth of Smash Hits gave the album an 8/10 rating and declared EWF are "firing on all cylinders." Hepworth added "They weld their massive sound together with such precision that their whole ensemble can provide a rhythm as spare and compulsive as a snapping finger, they write production numbers instead of songs and never allow the momentum to flag for a second, they're soppy as hell and, when they produce records like 'Powerlight', there's absolutely nothing wrong with that". [12] Hugh Wyatt of the New York Daily News found "Earth, Wind & Fire gives new meaning to the word classy, and I like it". [22]
Issac Hayes called Powerlight one of Earth, Wind & Fire's five essential recordings. [23] Powerlight was also placed by music critic Robert Christgau of The Village Voice at No. 36 on his dean's list of 1983. [24]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fall in Love with Me" | Maurice White, Wayne Vaughn, Wanda Vaughn | 5:54 |
| 2. | "Spread Your Love" | Maurice White, Beloyd Taylor, Azar Lawrence | 3:51 |
| 3. | "Side by Side" | Maurice White, Wayne Vaughn, Wanda Vaughn | 5:57 |
| 4. | "Straight from the Heart" | Philip Bailey, Eduardo del Barrio, Roxanne Seeman, Freddie Washington | 4:42 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "The Speed of Love" | Maurice White, Wayne Vaughn, Wanda Vaughn, Tony Haynes | 3:36 |
| 6. | "Freedom of Choice" | Maurice White, Beloyd Taylor, Azar Lawrence | 4:10 |
| 7. | "Something Special" | Maurice White, Wayne Vaughn, Wanda Vaughn | 4:23 |
| 8. | "Hearts to Heart" | Maurice White, Beloyd Taylor, Azar Lawrence | 3:45 |
| 9. | "Miracles" | Maurice White, Eddie Del Barrio, Jon Lind, Mary D'Astgues | 4:58 |
Earth, Wind & Fire
Additional musicians
Horns
Strings
| Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | US Top LPs & Tape [2] | 12 |
| US Top Soul LPs [1] | 4 | |
| Sweden Albums (Veckolista Album) [27] | 2 | |
| Dutch Albums Dutch Album Top 100 [28] | 6 | |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) [29] | 6 | |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-Lista) [30] | 7 | |
| German Albums | 13 | |
| UK Pop Albums [32] | 22 | |
| CA RPM Canadian Pop Albums [33] | 24 | |
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | "Fall in Love with Me" | US Hot R&B Singles | 4 [34] |
| US Dance Club Play | 31 [35] | ||
| US Hot 100 | 17 [36] | ||
| CA RPM Canadian Pop Singles | 14 [37] | ||
| UK Pop Songs | 47 | ||
| Blues & Soul Top British Soul Singles | 20 [38] | ||
| "Side by Side" | US Hot R&B Singles | 15 [39] | |
| US Hot 100 | 76 | ||
| "Spread Your Love" | US Hot R&B Singles | 57 | |
| Dutch Singles | 48 [40] |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | — | 141,730 [41] |
| United States (RIAA) [3] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Publication | Country | Accolade [24] | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Village Voice | U.S | Dean's List | 1983 | 36 |
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million records worldwide.
Earth, Wind & Fire is the debut studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in March 1971 by Warner Bros. Records. The album peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart.
That's the Way of the World is the sixth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on March 3, 1975, by Columbia Records. This was also the soundtrack for a 1975 motion picture of the same name. The album rose to No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Soul Albums charts. That's the Way of the World has also been certified Triple Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA.
Raise! is the eleventh studio album by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on November 14, 1981, by ARC/Columbia Records. The album spent 11 weeks atop the Billboard Top R&B albums chart and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart. Raise! has been certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA, Gold in the UK by the BPI and Gold in Canada by Music Canada.
Gratitude is a double live album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, issued in November 1975 by Columbia Records. The album spent six weeks atop the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and three weeks atop the Billboard 200 chart. Gratitude has also been certified Triple Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
Spirit is the seventh studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on September 28, 1976, by Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 2 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Soul Albums charts. Spirit has also been certified Double Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
Faces is the tenth studio album by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire released on October 14, 1980, on ARC/Columbia Records. The album reached number 10 on the Billboard Top LPs chart, number 2 on the Billboard Top Soul albums chart and number 10 on the UK Albums Chart. Faces was certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.
I Am is the ninth studio album by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in June 1979 by ARC/Columbia Records. The LP rose to number one on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and number three on the Billboard 200 chart. I Am has been certified Double Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA, Platinum in the UK by the BPI, and Platinum in Canada by Music Canada.
Rejoice is an album by American vocal group the Emotions, issued in June 1977 by Columbia Records. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and No. 7 on the Billboard 200 chart. Rejoice has also been certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
Head to the Sky is the fourth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in May 1973 on Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 2 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 27 on the Billboard 200 chart. Head to the Sky has also been certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 is the first greatest hits album by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire issued on November 23, 1978 by ARC/Columbia Records. The album peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 6 on the Top LPs chart. The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 has been certified Quintuple Platinum in the US by the RIAA. As well Platinum in both the UK and Canada, by the BPI and Music Canada, respectively.
Touch the World is the fourteenth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in November 1987 on Columbia Records. The album reached No. 3 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and No. 33 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. Touch the World was certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.
Millennium is the sixteenth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire released in September 1993 on Warner Bros. Records. The album reached No. 8 on the US Billboard Top R&B Albums chart, No. 39 on the US Billboard 200, No. 18 on the Japanese Pop Albums chart and No. 29 on the Dutch Album Top 100. Millennium has also been certified Gold in Japan by the RIAJ.
"Fall in Love with Me" is a song by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in November 1982 upon Columbia Records as the first single from their twelfth album, Powerlight (1983). It rose to No. 4 on the US Billboard R&B Singles chart, No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and No. 14 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart. "Fall In Love With Me" was Grammy nominated for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
"System of Survival" is a song by the band Earth, Wind & Fire issued as a single in October 1987 on Columbia Records. The single reached number one on both the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart and Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart. "System of Survival" also reached No. 9 on the New Zealand Pop Singles chart, No. 14 on the Dutch Pop Singles chart and No. 25 on the Belgian Pop Singles chart.
"Let Me Talk" is a song by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in August 1980 by ARC/Columbia Records as the first single from their tenth album, Faces (1980). It reached No. 8 on the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and No. 29 on the UK Pop Singles chart.
Electric Universe is the thirteenth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in November 1983 on Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 8 on the US Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 40 on the US Billboard 200 chart. Electric Universe also reached No. 17 on the Swedish Pop Albums chart, No. 18 on the UK Blues & Soul Top British Soul Albums chart, No. 20 on the Japanese Pop Albums chart and No. 22 on both the Dutch Pop Albums and Swiss Pop Albums charts.
"Spread Your Love" is a song recorded by R&B/funk band Earth, Wind & Fire and released as a single in June 1983 by Columbia Records. The single reached No. 48 on the Dutch Pop Singles chart and No. 57 on the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart.
"Magnetic" is a song by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in November 1983 on Columbia Records as the first single from their thirteenth studio album, Electric Universe (1983). It reached No. 10 on the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, No. 36 on the Billboard Dance Club Play chart and No. 23 on the UK Blues & Soul Top British Soul Singles chart. "Magnetic" also reached No. 16 on the Belgian Pop Singles chart and No. 18 on the Dutch Pop Singles chart.
"Side by Side" is a song by the band Earth, Wind & Fire released as a single in April 1983 on Columbia Records. The song reached No. 15 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart.
