The Promise (Earth, Wind & Fire album)

The Promise
Studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire
Released	May 20, 2003
Recorded	2002–2003
Studio	Magnet Vision Studios (Santa Monica, CA) Record Plant and Gold Rush Studios (Los Angeles, California) The Enterprise (Burbank, California) Cardraygee Studios (Oak Park, California) Pacifique Studios (North Hollywood, California)
Genre	R&B funk neo soul hip hop soul
Length	56:42
Label	Kalimba
Producer	Maurice White, Tim & Bob
Earth, Wind & Fire chronology
Live in Rio (2002) The Promise (2003) Love Songs (2004)
Reissue cover
2009 reissue cover

The Promise track listing ^[1]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"All in the Way" (featuring The Emotions)	Wayne Vaughn, Wanda Vaughn, Maurice White	4:28
2.	"Betcha'"	Preston Glass, Maurice White	3:43
3.	"Wiggle"	Preston Glass	0:39
4.	"Why?"	Gregory Curtis, Maurice White	4:04
5.	"Wonderland"" (featuring Angie Stone)	Chris Rodriguez, Tommy Sims	4:05
6.	"Where Do We Go from Here?"	Bill Meyers, Ross Vannelli	5:21
7.	"Freedom"	Maurice White	0:42
8.	"Hold Me"	Tim Kelley, Bob Robinson	4:37
9.	"Never"	Gregory Curtis, Maurice White	5:08
10.	"Prelude"		0:40
11.	"All About Love"	Sheila Hutchinson, Wanda Vaughn, Wayne Vaughn	4:24
12.	"Suppose You Like Me"	Scott Storch, Pino Palladino, James Poyser, Questlove, Sir James Bailey	4:37
13.	"The Promise"	Raymond Crossley, Ralph Johnson, Maurice White	0:27
14.	"She Waits"	Marc Harris, Tommy Sims	5:09
15.	"The Promise (Continued)"	Maurice White, Ralph Johnson	0:51
16.	"Let Me Love You"	Gregory Curtis	4:17
17.	"Dirty"	Maurice White	3:47

Japan bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"Soul"	Maurice White, Ralph Johnson, Carlos Rios	3:48
18.	"So Lucky"	Scott Storch, Questlove, Sir James Bailey	4:44

Personnel

^[1]

Earth, Wind & Fire

• Philip Bailey – backing vocals (1, 2, 16), lead vocals (2, 5, 8, 9, 12)
• Maurice White – lead vocals (1, 4, 5, 8, 11, 14, 16), backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 16), kalimba (1, 13, 15), horn arrangements (1, 14), vocals (13, 15)
• Verdine White – bass (1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16)
• Ralph Johnson – percussion, backing vocals, drum programming (13, 15)

Additional musicians

• Wayne Vaughn – keyboards (1, 11), drums (1, 11), backing vocals, horn arrangements
• Gregory Curtis – backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 16), keyboards (2, 4, 5, 9, 16), drum programming (2, 4, 9, 16)
• Preston Glass – keyboard programming (3)
• Robert Brookins – backing vocals (5, 12), keyboards (12), drum programming (12)
• Alan Hewitt – keyboards (6)
• Bill Meyers – acoustic piano solo (6)
• Tim Kelley – keyboards (8), bass (8), drums (8), drum programming (8), arrangements (8)
• Freddie Ravel – acoustic piano (9)
• Raymond Crossley – keyboards (13, 15)
• Wayne Linsey – keyboards (13, 15)
• Myron McKinley – keyboards (14), rhythm section arrangements (14)
• Tom Mgrdichian – keyboards (14), string arrangements (14)
• Greg "G-Mo" Moore – guitars (1, 11, 12)
• Eric Walls – guitars (2, 16)
• Darrell Crooks – guitars (4, 9)
• Chris Rodriguez – guitars (5)
• Bob Robinson – guitars (8)
• Carlos Rios – guitars (14)
• Cameron Marcarelli – additional drum programming (3, 5)
• John Paris – drums (5, 12, 14)
• Daniel de los Reyes – percussion (2, 16)
• Paulinho da Costa – percussion (4, 9)
• Daryl "Munyungo" Jackson – percussion (11)
• Gary Bias – saxophones (1, 5, 9, 11, 12), flute (11)
• Gerald Albright – alto sax solo (4, 9)
• Valerie King – flute (11)
• George Bohanon – trombone (1, 11)
• Reggie Young – trombone (1, 5, 9, 11, 12, 14)
• Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone (5, 9, 12)
• Andy Martin – trombone (14)
• Ray Brown – trumpet (1, 11, 12, 14), horn arrangements (1, 5, 14), flugelhorn solo (12), flugelhorn (14)
• Michael "Patches" Stewart – trumpet (1, 11, 14), flugelhorn (14)
• Gary Grant – trumpet (5, 9, 12)
• Jerry Hey – trumpet (5, 9, 12), horn arrangements (5, 9, 12)
• Oscar Brashear – trumpet (14), flugelhorn (14)
• Tollak Ollestad – harmonica (12, 14)
• Benjamin Wright – horn arrangements (11)
• Sheila Hutchinson – backing vocals (1, 4, 11)
• Howard McCrary – backing vocals (1, 11)
• Wanda Vaughn – backing vocals (1, 5, 11)
• Fred White – backing vocals (4, 12, 14)
• Angie Stone – lead vocals (5)
• B. David Whitworth – backing vocals (5, 12)
• Krystal Johnson – backing vocals (8)

Production

• Ron Ellison – A&R direction
• Maurice White – executive producer, producer (1, 2, 4–9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17)
• Philip Bailey – executive producer (8, 12)
• Wayne Vaughn – producer (1, 11), additional recording
• Preston Glass – producer (2, 3)
• Gregory Curtis – producer (4, 9, 16), additional recording
• Paul Klingberg – producer (7), additional production (13, 17)
• Tim Young – producer (8)
• Bob Robinson – producer (8)
• Robert Brookins – additional production (12)
• Ralph Johnson – producer (13)
• Cameron Marcarelli – recording, assistant engineer
• Dave Dolimar – additional recording
• Andrew Haller – additional recording
• Will Mercer – additional recording
• Jason Carson – assistant engineer
• Dmitar Krijnac – assistant engineer
• Dexter Simmons – mixing (1, 2, 16)
• Paul Klingberg – mixing (3–7, 9–15, 17)
• Tim Kelley – mixing (8)
• Steve Hall – mastering at Future Disc (Hollywood, California)
• Herb Powell – A&R coordinator
• Richard Salvato – production coordination, management
• ja:Morito Suzuki – cover design
• K.C. Blinn – art direction
• Art Macnow – management

Charts

Chart (2003)	Peak position
US Top Independent Albums (Billboard) [3]	5
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [2]	19
US Billboard 200	89
Japan (Oricon) [20]	115

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
2003	"All in the Way"	US Billboard Adult R&B Airplay [4]	10
		US Billboard Adult Contemporary [5]	25
		UK Independent Singles [21]	45
		US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	77
	"Hold Me"	US Billboard Adult R&B Airplay [8]	28
2014	"Never"	US Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs [6]	17
2015	"Why?"	US Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs [7]	19

References

1. Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise. Kalimba Music. May 2003.
2. "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album)". billboard.com.
3. "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise (Top Independent Albums)". Billboard .
4. "Earth, Wind & Fire: All In The Way Chart History (Adult R&B)". Billboard.
5. "Earth, Wind & Fire: All In The Way Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
6. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Never (Smooth Jazz Songs)". Billboard.
7. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Why? (Smooth Jazz Songs)". Billboard.
8. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Hold Me (Adult R&B Songs)". Billboard .
9. "Earth, Wind & Fire". grammy.com. The Recording Academy.
10. Theakston, Rob. "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
11. Mao, Chairman. "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise". blender.com. Blender. Archived from the original on 2009-05-10.
12. Picks and Pans Main: Song. People. May 26, 2003.
13. Peschek, David (April 9, 2004). "Earth, Wind and Fire, The Promise". theguardian.com. The Guardian.
14. Burton, Steve (May 23, 2003). "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise". Cincinnati Enquirer . USA Today – via newspaper.com.
15. Graham, Renee (June 6, 2003). "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise". newspaper.com. Boston Globe. p. 62.
16. "Turn up sound for 'Deftones' – Self-titled CD really rocks". newsbank.com. Telegraph Herald. Associated Press. May 25, 2003. p. f8.
17. Palmer, Tamera (May 28, 2003). "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise". sfweekly.com. SF Weekly.
18. Joyce, Mike. "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise". Washington Post .
19. Ali, Derek (June 6, 2003). "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise". newspapers.com. Dayton Daily News. p. 58.
20. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
21. "Official Independent Singles Chart". officialcharts.com. Official Charts. May 1, 2004.