| Spirit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 28, 1976 | |||
| Recorded | 1976 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 36:32 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Maurice White, Charles Stepney | |||
| Earth, Wind & Fire chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Spirit | ||||
| ||||
Spirit is the seventh studio album by American band 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]
"Getaway" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart. [5] The single also rose to No. 12 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Disco Action Top 30 charts. [6] [7] "Saturday Nite" peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. [8] [9] The song also reached No. 12 on Billboard's Disco Action Top 30 chart and No. 17 on the UK Pop Singles chart. [10] [11]
The band's 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. [12]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [13] |
| New York Times | (favourable) [14] |
| PopMatters | (favourable) [15] |
| Music Week | (favourable) [16] |
| Village Voice | (B) [17] |
| Blues & Soul | (favourable) [18] |
| Rolling Stone | (favourable) [19] |
| Vibe | [20] |
| Variety | (favourable) [21] |
| The Record | (favourable) [22] |
John Abbey of Blues & Soul described Spirit as "a mighty, mighty album" which shows "the power of the nine-piece Earth Wind & Fire conglomeration." [18] Billboard found that the album's "arrangements, songs, sweet floating vocal harmonies and punching instrumental phrases are all best described as impeccable". [23] 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." [19] Craig Werner of Vibe in a 4.5 out of 5 review, called Spirit "one of the group's defining moments" and "gospel soul for the ages". [20] With a 4.5 out of 5 stars review Alex Henderson of Allmusic called the album "outstanding". Henderson continued saying "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." [13] Joel Vance of Stereo Review dismissed the album opining "Maybe the members of the band are sincere in their beliefs, but they come across here as a sappy group with hackneyed arrangements, fey vocals, and songs loaded with the usual hey -baby -let's -get -it -on -in -the -cosmos twaddle." [24] Robert Christgau of the Village Voice gave a B grade saying "Most of these songs are fun to listen to." [17]
Music Week proclaimed "With a more spiritual, ethereal feel than the six albums they had already cut to that point, it really marks a turning point in their career and is crammed with excellent tunes." [16] Simon Warner of PopMatters hailed the album's "ear-catching repertoire" and noted Spirit "would confirm E,W&F as a world talent, yet its shiny production and its impeccable vocal layering lacks the surprises that Open Our Eyes provides." [15] 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. [22] 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." [14] 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." [21]
Isaac Hayes called Spirit one of Earth, Wind & Fire's five essential recordings. [25] Rick Atkinson of The Record placed Spirit at number 5 on his list of the top 15 albums of 1976. [22] Spirit was also nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Album. [26] A song from the album called Earth, Wind and Fire was also Grammy nominated in the category of Best Instrumental Composition. [27]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Getaway" | Peter Cor, Bernard “Beloyd” Taylor | 3:47 |
| 2. | "On Your Face" | Charles Stepney, Maurice White, Philip Bailey | 4:34 |
| 3. | "Imagination" | Charles Stepney, Maurice White, Philip Bailey | 5:15 |
| 4. | "Spirit" | Larry Dunn, Maurice White | 3:12 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Saturday Nite" | Al McKay, Maurice White, Philip Bailey | 4:03 |
| 6. | "Earth, Wind & Fire" | Skip Scarborough, Maurice White | 4:40 |
| 7. | "Departure" | Larry Dunn, Maurice White | 0:27 |
| 8. | "Biyo" | Maurice White, Al McKay | 3:37 |
| 9. | "Burnin' Bush" | Jerry Peters | 6:46 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Getaway" | Peter Cor, Bernard “Beloyd” Taylor | 3:47 |
| 2. | "On Your Face" | Charles Stepney, Maurice White, Philip Bailey | 4:34 |
| 3. | "Imagination" | Charles Stepney, Maurice White, Philip Bailey | 5:15 |
| 4. | "Spirit" | Larry Dunn, Maurice White | 3:12 |
| 5. | "Saturday Nite" | Al McKay, Maurice White, Philip Bailey | 4:03 |
| 6. | "Earth, Wind and Fire" | Skip Scarborough, Maurice White | 4:40 |
| 7. | "Departure" | Larry Dunn, Maurice White | 0:27 |
| 8. | "Biyo" | Maurice White, Al McKay | 3:37 |
| 9. | "Burnin' Bush" | Jerry Peters | 6:46 |
| 10. | "Saturday Nite (Alternate Mix)" | Maurice White, Al McKay, Philip Bailey | 4:55 |
| 11. | "Seraphim" | Maurice White, Al McKay, Ph Bailey, Larry Dunn | 2:06 |
| 12. | "Imagination (Angels Mix)" | Charles Stepney, Maurice White, Philip Bailey | 1:02 |
| 13. | "Departure (The Traveler)" | Larry Dunn, Maurice White | 3:37 |
| 14. | "African Symphony" | Larry Dunn, Maurice White | 1:52 |
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | US Billboard Top Soul Albums | 2 |
| US Billboard 200 | 2 | |
| UK Blues & Soul Top British Soul Albums | 2 [28] | |
| New Zealand Albums (RIANZ) | 33 [29] | |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) | 59 [30] | |
| Chart (1977) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Soul Albums [31] | 11 |
| 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 | ||
| New Zealand Singles | 34 | ||
| Country | Award |
|---|---|
| US (RIAA) | Double Platinum [4] |
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.
The Emotions are an American soul/R&B vocal group from Chicago. The group started out in gospel music but transitioned into R&B and disco music. The Emotions were named by VH1 as one of the 18 most influential girl groups of all time.
Maurice White was an American musician, best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter and chief producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, also serving as the band's co-lead singer with Philip Bailey.
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.
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.
Open Our Eyes is the fifth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in March 1974 on Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 15 on the Top Pop Albums chart. Open Our Eyes has been certified 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.
Sun Goddess is a jazz album by Ramsey Lewis, released on Columbia Records in 1974. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 12 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. Sun Goddess was also certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.
"Getaway" is a song by R&B/funk band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in 1976 on Columbia Records as the first single from the band's seventh studio album Spirit. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Getaway" also peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Dance Singles charts. A remixed version appears on the soundtrack for Gran Turismo 4.
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. Powerlight was also certified Gold 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.
Flowers is a studio album by the American girl group The Emotions, released in 1976 by Columbia Records. The album reached No. 5 on the Billboard Top R&B albums chart. Flowers has been certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.
"Saturday Nite" is a song by R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire which was issued as a single in 1976 by Columbia Records. The song reached numbers 4 and 21 on Billboard Hot Soul Songs and Hot 100 charts, respectively. "Saturday Nite" also rose to No. 17 on the UK Singles chart - their first hit in the United Kingdom.
"Mighty Mighty" is a song by R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire, released as a single in 1974 on Columbia Records. The single reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart and No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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.
"Keep Your Head to the Sky" is a song recorded by American R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire for their 1973 album, Head to the Sky. It was released as a single by Columbia Records, peaking at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart.
"Wanna Be with You" is a song by R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire issued as a single in December 1981 by ARC/Columbia Records. The single rose to No. 15 on the US Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart, No. 7 on the UK Blues & Soul Top British Soul Singles chart and No. 40 on the RPM Canadian Pop Singles Chart.
"Sun Goddess" is a smooth soul song by jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis featuring the band Earth, Wind & Fire issued as a single in 1975 on Columbia Records. The song peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot Soul 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.
