WEBVTT - Earth, Wind & Fire 0:00:15.476 --> 0:00:22.756 Pushkin Earthreine Fire have a wonderful new documentary out now 0:00:22.796 --> 0:00:26.236 on HBO and just before premiered at Tribeca and New York. 0:00:26.396 --> 0:00:29.156 The three OG's of the group, vocalist Philip Bailey, singer 0:00:29.156 --> 0:00:32.836 percussionist Ralph Johnson, and bass player Verdin White, stop by 0:00:32.836 --> 0:00:36.476 a broken record for a chat. As a music podcaster, 0:00:36.676 --> 0:00:39.156 I always had that famous old saying swirling around my 0:00:39.156 --> 0:00:42.596 head that talking about music is like dancing about architecture, 0:00:43.196 --> 0:00:46.556 and none more so than during this particular conversation. I mean, 0:00:46.596 --> 0:00:49.236 Earthwreine Fire is a music that, in all my experience 0:00:49.276 --> 0:00:53.556 of it is just impossible to intellectualize. It exists in us, 0:00:53.716 --> 0:00:57.076 and likely in them too, on a spiritual level and 0:00:57.116 --> 0:00:59.996 therefore also on an emotional level, and I don't think 0:01:00.036 --> 0:01:02.116 any amount of talking about their music could make us 0:01:02.196 --> 0:01:04.836 understand any better where it comes from or why it 0:01:04.956 --> 0:01:07.436 impacts us the way it does. What you can glean 0:01:07.476 --> 0:01:11.196 from talking about them, though, is they're beautiful people, warm, 0:01:11.396 --> 0:01:14.676 well adorned and committed, and I'm sure that's a big 0:01:14.716 --> 0:01:18.156 part of what makes the records deeply impactful and enduring. 0:01:18.916 --> 0:01:21.836 In our conversation, we talk about Maurice White, the founder 0:01:21.876 --> 0:01:24.076 of spiritual and musical leader of the group, who also 0:01:24.156 --> 0:01:26.836 is Verdein's brother. We listen to some of their music 0:01:26.876 --> 0:01:29.996 together and Phillip spills on what the song Reasons is 0:01:30.076 --> 0:01:40.356 actually all about. This is broken record, real musicians, real conversations. 0:01:43.676 --> 0:01:46.836 Here's my interview with Philip Bailey, Ralph Johnson, and Verdan 0:01:46.916 --> 0:01:50.196 White of Earthwin and Fire from Amazon Music Studio one 0:01:50.356 --> 0:01:51.236 twenty six. 0:01:53.276 --> 0:01:58.956 Man, earth Wind and Fire. That's it, Life and living Colors? 0:01:59.036 --> 0:01:59.316 Are you? 0:02:00.676 --> 0:02:03.836 I'm amazing, I'm amazing. I got done watching you guys 0:02:03.876 --> 0:02:04.956 documentary yesterday. 0:02:05.276 --> 0:02:05.516 Wow. 0:02:05.636 --> 0:02:07.476 I got to flip through your book, Ralph. I it 0:02:07.516 --> 0:02:09.236 was only sent to me yesterday, so I got to 0:02:09.276 --> 0:02:11.236 go through the full thing. Yet I read your book 0:02:11.236 --> 0:02:14.596 a long time ago, so we'll covered there. So I'm Steve. 0:02:14.636 --> 0:02:16.356 I've been listening to the music for a week. My 0:02:16.396 --> 0:02:20.316 spirit's high. Good deal, My spirits hi very good, very good. 0:02:20.316 --> 0:02:24.396 How you guys feeling feeling good, feeling fantastic. 0:02:23.996 --> 0:02:26.836 Enjoying this time, you know, at home, and then all 0:02:26.876 --> 0:02:31.196 the activities surrounding the documentary and the book, and so 0:02:31.316 --> 0:02:33.236 there's a lot going on right through here, and we're 0:02:33.236 --> 0:02:34.076 trying to keep it moving. 0:02:34.396 --> 0:02:36.756 Yeah, it's amazing earth through the fire. It feels like 0:02:36.836 --> 0:02:40.356 you guys are ever present always, but it feels extra 0:02:40.356 --> 0:02:43.436 special right now with you guys, since the doc is 0:02:43.436 --> 0:02:44.876 coming out and I know it's premiering in a couple 0:02:44.956 --> 0:02:45.356 of weeks. 0:02:45.716 --> 0:02:47.996 It does. I mean, and you know, like I've been 0:02:47.996 --> 0:02:51.636 saying to the guys, because we're used to a lot 0:02:51.676 --> 0:02:54.716 of things, a lot of stuff happening, but I said, 0:02:55.516 --> 0:02:58.236 this is special. You know, you got to you gotta 0:02:58.396 --> 0:03:02.596 slow down and take a breath because this is special. 0:03:02.636 --> 0:03:06.636 You know, uh, not very many people get a chance 0:03:06.716 --> 0:03:14.276 to witness their body work done in a documentary. You know, Questlove. 0:03:15.436 --> 0:03:17.316 You know he's gonna you know, he knocks it out 0:03:17.356 --> 0:03:22.596 the park. You know, he's a music historian. Yep. And 0:03:23.196 --> 0:03:26.916 so yeah, we're just gonna take a breath and really 0:03:27.036 --> 0:03:27.596 enjoy this. 0:03:27.836 --> 0:03:29.636 You guys have had a lot of big moments throughout 0:03:29.636 --> 0:03:31.756 your career, but at this point you can feel when 0:03:31.796 --> 0:03:34.356 it is particularly big moments still. 0:03:34.116 --> 0:03:37.436 Exactly right, I mean, we're here because of that, right right? 0:03:38.636 --> 0:03:41.276 You know what are we talking about? You know, exactly exactly? 0:03:42.036 --> 0:03:44.756 Not have you guys every week if you want no doc? 0:03:44.956 --> 0:03:47.996 You know, open door for y'all. You know, The amazing 0:03:47.996 --> 0:03:51.996 thing about earthwin Fire is you guys are ever present. 0:03:52.836 --> 0:03:58.716 But because the music was always so, it wasn't even futuristic. 0:03:58.876 --> 0:04:02.116 It was just timeless in the real sense of the word, 0:04:02.476 --> 0:04:05.196 like like it could have existed in the sixteen hundreds 0:04:05.316 --> 0:04:10.316 or in three thy thirty or so. It never it's 0:04:10.356 --> 0:04:12.756 never felt like it's always felt. And I know they've 0:04:12.756 --> 0:04:14.396 tried to label at various times that I heard in 0:04:14.436 --> 0:04:17.356 the documentary progressive, soul, the different things. But you guys 0:04:17.396 --> 0:04:19.756 have always just sounded like yourselves. You guys have always 0:04:20.556 --> 0:04:27.316 had this uncannyability, unlike anyone else, to blend a bunch 0:04:27.356 --> 0:04:29.396 of styles in a way that just feels coherent and 0:04:29.476 --> 0:04:32.356 just feels soulful and beautiful. I just I don't know 0:04:32.356 --> 0:04:35.356 how you guys did that. Like, the documentary gave me 0:04:35.396 --> 0:04:40.836 a hint when it talked about Maurice journaling and his 0:04:41.076 --> 0:04:45.476 goals were to be, in just a paraphrase, his first 0:04:45.516 --> 0:04:47.916 goal was to be a band that can connect to everyone. 0:04:48.716 --> 0:04:51.356 Two number two was to be big. Three was to 0:04:51.436 --> 0:04:55.556 change the world. And I was like, that explains maybe 0:04:55.756 --> 0:04:57.516 why you guys sounded the way send But did that 0:04:57.556 --> 0:04:59.716 sound crazy to you when you heard it? From Maurice 0:04:59.756 --> 0:05:00.156 back then. 0:05:00.316 --> 0:05:05.796 You know, Maurice's vision was too one render a service 0:05:05.836 --> 0:05:10.116 to humanity, you know, so there was a a reason 0:05:10.196 --> 0:05:14.356 for doing the music that was bigger than himself are ourselves. 0:05:15.236 --> 0:05:21.556 And then you know, next it was to bring different 0:05:21.636 --> 0:05:28.596 genres of music together and make them commercial, so you know, 0:05:28.716 --> 0:05:33.916 you're there's something in there for everyone, you know, not 0:05:34.036 --> 0:05:37.316 on one particular song, but in the body of work, 0:05:38.236 --> 0:05:40.916 you know. So, and then the other thing was to 0:05:40.996 --> 0:05:46.276 bring Broadway to the stage, you know, to the concert stage. 0:05:46.396 --> 0:05:50.756 You know. The other one was to elevate the consciousness 0:05:50.796 --> 0:05:57.196 of you know, our listeners and to have a high 0:05:57.236 --> 0:06:02.316 degree of integrity as a musician, because he was like, 0:06:02.876 --> 0:06:08.596 he didn't want to further stereotype great musicianship. But we're 0:06:08.636 --> 0:06:10.636 all strong out you know. 0:06:10.916 --> 0:06:13.396 Yeah, yeah, yeah, So all. 0:06:13.196 --> 0:06:16.476 Those things were and I you know, it was really 0:06:16.556 --> 0:06:24.916 really inspired. All those very clear, distinctive directions were something 0:06:24.996 --> 0:06:31.236 that he went about writing out and and and living out, 0:06:31.636 --> 0:06:34.716 you know, and we were young enough to buy into it, 0:06:35.836 --> 0:06:38.876 and uh, and then we were fortunate enough to work 0:06:38.916 --> 0:06:44.796 with a cast of so many talented people, from the 0:06:44.836 --> 0:06:48.836 record company to the writers, to the arrange arrangers, to 0:06:48.956 --> 0:06:50.396 the musicians. 0:06:49.956 --> 0:06:50.596 Engineer, you know. 0:06:50.756 --> 0:06:53.116 So it was it was a lot of things had 0:06:53.156 --> 0:06:55.476 to connect at the same time and they did. 0:06:55.756 --> 0:06:57.636 Yeah, and we were in the right place at the 0:06:57.716 --> 0:07:00.596 right time, in front of the right people with the 0:07:00.676 --> 0:07:05.516 right music, you know. And and the thing about it is, uh, 0:07:05.596 --> 0:07:08.556 the three of us who were sitting here, as Phillip said, 0:07:08.556 --> 0:07:10.676 we were young enough to buy into it and to 0:07:10.716 --> 0:07:13.316 be part of it and to grow within it and 0:07:14.116 --> 0:07:15.836 be able to express ourselves as well. 0:07:15.956 --> 0:07:18.876 And Philip said something about and I think they talk 0:07:18.916 --> 0:07:21.196 about it in the documentaries, you didn't want to be 0:07:21.196 --> 0:07:24.676 strung out. So no drugs, I mean being healthy and 0:07:24.716 --> 0:07:26.716 no drugs was part of that. 0:07:27.036 --> 0:07:29.036 It was more of a thing not to cut you off. 0:07:29.076 --> 0:07:33.796 But it wasn't something that was like, you know, everybody 0:07:33.956 --> 0:07:38.236 was squeaky clean or whatever. But Maurice led by example, 0:07:39.956 --> 0:07:42.436 and we were young enough for him to be an 0:07:42.436 --> 0:07:47.316 example to us, you know, and it was worth you know, 0:07:47.636 --> 0:07:52.156 we were looking at him and you know, you know, 0:07:52.356 --> 0:07:55.196 he didn't have to say do this or do that. 0:07:55.316 --> 0:07:58.956 It was like the proof was in the pudding, you know, 0:07:59.196 --> 0:08:04.276 like his actions were speaking louder than any words, you know, 0:08:04.316 --> 0:08:06.396 and so it's like, well, give me some of that 0:08:06.716 --> 0:08:09.796 vegetable suit. You know, you know what, let me let 0:08:09.796 --> 0:08:12.876 me check that out, you know at Johnny Wise miller 0:08:12.956 --> 0:08:18.956 on on Hollywood Boulevard, you know, and I had I 0:08:18.996 --> 0:08:22.116 was like, whoa, I felt a little light headed. 0:08:22.196 --> 0:08:25.876 You know, first protein drum. 0:08:27.316 --> 0:08:30.796 My, first healthy shake and stuff for healthy food. 0:08:31.196 --> 0:08:31.956 But it paid off. 0:08:32.116 --> 0:08:35.956 Hey, yes, it was wonderful. You know, it could have win. 0:08:36.116 --> 0:08:39.396 It could have been the opposite, you know, like you know, 0:08:39.876 --> 0:08:45.036 follow me this way led to nothing, but it was productive. 0:08:45.196 --> 0:08:48.396 Yeah, it was very positive, indeed, you know, and we 0:08:48.516 --> 0:08:50.276 just kind of continued on along those lines. 0:08:50.596 --> 0:08:52.356 It made it easy to maybe to buy Ino to 0:08:52.476 --> 0:08:56.196 Maurice because he had had that success early with Chess 0:08:56.436 --> 0:08:58.836 being a drummer, right, which was no small thing. I'm 0:08:58.836 --> 0:09:01.076 sure you know Verdin havn't been there like just to 0:09:01.756 --> 0:09:04.076 he's your brother one day and the next day he's 0:09:04.156 --> 0:09:07.036 drumming on these hit records and he's making a name 0:09:07.076 --> 0:09:09.556 for something. Moving to LA and starting to oh. 0:09:09.476 --> 0:09:11.076 Yeah, you know, I was in college. I had it 0:09:11.116 --> 0:09:13.036 all planned. I was going to be a doctor. I 0:09:13.076 --> 0:09:14.316 was going to do this, I was going to do that. 0:09:14.396 --> 0:09:17.116 Then he called me one day after he had moved 0:09:17.116 --> 0:09:20.316 to California. After leaving the Ramsey Lewis Tree and said, 0:09:20.596 --> 0:09:23.156 you want to come to California, man, And that sounded 0:09:23.196 --> 0:09:25.876 like a little girl. I said sure, and I got 0:09:25.916 --> 0:09:29.556 the first thing smoking about a month later. I came 0:09:29.556 --> 0:09:31.956 out here in California was so different. It was just 0:09:32.036 --> 0:09:35.236 so different. I had never seen so many people, and 0:09:35.876 --> 0:09:39.716 I saw everybody, all the hippies and the music and 0:09:40.876 --> 0:09:44.156 boulevard oh yeah, all that stuff. And so it was 0:09:44.156 --> 0:09:47.756 a great learning experience as well, you know, and as 0:09:47.796 --> 0:09:50.756 I said before in some of our other interviews, the 0:09:50.796 --> 0:09:52.276 three of us became adults together. 0:09:52.516 --> 0:09:53.796 We grew up together. Yeah. 0:09:54.676 --> 0:09:59.036 Yeah, What year did you come to la Verdin June sixth, 0:09:59.196 --> 0:10:01.476 nineteen seventy, nineteen seventy. 0:10:02.036 --> 0:10:04.036 And what did it look like to you? Coming from Chicago? 0:10:04.116 --> 0:10:06.036 What did it? What did la look like? 0:10:06.996 --> 0:10:11.476 Totally different? Everybody friendly, everybody's saying hello, because you know, 0:10:11.516 --> 0:10:13.636 we come out of Chicago. Everybody you know, you know, 0:10:14.676 --> 0:10:17.036 holding their chest, you know, nobody they didn't open up 0:10:17.036 --> 0:10:20.036 to you. But California was like, it was just a 0:10:20.116 --> 0:10:22.956 totally different thing. You know. I'd wave to everybody, Hi, 0:10:22.996 --> 0:10:23.956 how are you? How are you doing? 0:10:23.996 --> 0:10:24.196 Hey? 0:10:24.196 --> 0:10:26.396 How are you? Because they were they were waving right back, 0:10:26.596 --> 0:10:29.236 you know, and so so. 0:10:29.116 --> 0:10:31.556 It was it was different consciousness. 0:10:32.356 --> 0:10:35.676 It was good. It was a great feeling. And and 0:10:35.556 --> 0:10:38.116 H and I also traveled. I was around an adult Maurice, 0:10:38.596 --> 0:10:41.516 who led me the right way, particularly in California, because 0:10:41.516 --> 0:10:43.036 I had never been anywhere. I had never been on 0:10:43.076 --> 0:10:46.156 a plane, I had never I never left home that 0:10:46.196 --> 0:10:47.116 that never did anything. 0:10:47.436 --> 0:10:49.676 And when you got here, you you were already and 0:10:49.716 --> 0:10:52.076 you joined the band. Were they already with Warner Records? 0:10:52.956 --> 0:10:55.596 Had that band with Warner with Warner Brothers? Right? 0:10:55.676 --> 0:10:55.836 Yeah? 0:10:55.916 --> 0:10:58.916 Yeah, so you you come out even been anywhere, you 0:10:58.916 --> 0:11:01.676 come to California and you are you're playing base for 0:11:01.716 --> 0:11:04.276 a band that signed a major label. You're playing with 0:11:04.316 --> 0:11:07.636 your brother. I mean, it had to be a dream 0:11:07.676 --> 0:11:08.116 come true. 0:11:08.316 --> 0:11:10.396 We did the True records on Warner Brothers. And I 0:11:10.396 --> 0:11:12.556 didn't even look at it. I was so young, I 0:11:12.556 --> 0:11:15.276 didn't even look at it as a major label. I 0:11:15.316 --> 0:11:16.756 just look at it. We're going to make a record, 0:11:17.036 --> 0:11:20.636 you know, And and then you know, we just kept 0:11:20.676 --> 0:11:25.636 doing it, and you know, of course that evolved and 0:11:25.796 --> 0:11:30.156 out here in California, you know, that's where I met Philip, Yeah, 0:11:30.436 --> 0:11:31.676 an Ralph, do you guys. 0:11:31.476 --> 0:11:33.156 Want to talk about how you guys joined the band. 0:11:33.356 --> 0:11:36.396 I was playing at a club down on crunch t 0:11:36.396 --> 0:11:39.196 Ofu Boulevard. The building is still there, was called Maverick's Flat. 0:11:39.436 --> 0:11:42.196 I was playing at a club and uh, oh you know, 0:11:43.156 --> 0:11:47.236 you know famous, uh, the famous spot. And I was 0:11:47.276 --> 0:11:50.196 playing there and Dean and Maurice came into town. They 0:11:50.196 --> 0:11:53.036 saw me playing with this group called the Master's Children. 0:11:53.436 --> 0:11:55.556 And the next thing I knew, the guitar player at 0:11:55.556 --> 0:11:57.676 that time with the group, his name was Michael Beal, 0:11:57.796 --> 0:12:00.356 called me up and asked me if I wanted to audition. 0:12:00.436 --> 0:12:03.596 I said yeah, sure, so I did the audition and 0:12:03.676 --> 0:12:06.996 after the audition Verdeen called Maurice and Maurice said, well 0:12:06.996 --> 0:12:09.996 what do you think and verdein so, yeah, he's the cat, 0:12:10.076 --> 0:12:12.156 And we just kind of went on from there and 0:12:13.156 --> 0:12:13.716 kept going. 0:12:14.236 --> 0:12:17.996 Did you know Maurice was a drummer when play with 0:12:18.396 --> 0:12:19.596 Ramsey Lewis you did? 0:12:19.796 --> 0:12:20.956 Yeah? Live? 0:12:21.356 --> 0:12:24.116 Not live? No, I saw it on TV. But I mean, 0:12:24.196 --> 0:12:28.836 but think about this though. A jazz drummer wakes up 0:12:28.876 --> 0:12:32.236 one day and says, hmm, I'm going to start a pop, 0:12:32.316 --> 0:12:34.156 some pop R and B thing. I don't know what 0:12:34.196 --> 0:12:36.516 it's going to be, but I'm starting it and this 0:12:36.596 --> 0:12:38.756 is what it is today. Yeah, who does that? 0:12:40.276 --> 0:12:44.836 He was specific about what he wanted to do, you know, 0:12:45.436 --> 0:12:49.676 because and this was what was interesting on the documentary 0:12:50.516 --> 0:12:56.876 that when Bob Cavallo and uh, several other people talk 0:12:56.956 --> 0:13:02.236 to Maurice about, you know, the vision that he had 0:13:03.236 --> 0:13:09.116 was going to be better realized by having some younger guys. Yeah, 0:13:09.196 --> 0:13:16.636 everybody being Verdine's age, you know. Then you know, that's 0:13:16.676 --> 0:13:20.636 when they began to look around. And they had met 0:13:20.676 --> 0:13:24.876 me in Denver, where you grew up, right, yep. And 0:13:25.916 --> 0:13:31.236 the first band, our band had opened the show for 0:13:31.236 --> 0:13:36.476 for them their promotion show, and uh, through you know, 0:13:36.916 --> 0:13:42.316 Perry Jones, who was a mentor of ours. But yeah, 0:13:42.556 --> 0:13:47.116 you know, we were able to meet Maurice had Maurice 0:13:47.116 --> 0:13:51.236 had on bell bottom pants and he smelled like coconut oil. 0:13:52.796 --> 0:13:54.956 I remember that so distinctly because I'm a you know, 0:13:55.356 --> 0:13:59.316 a hick town called Denver boy, and we don't know 0:13:59.356 --> 0:14:03.756 nothing about no no, you know, send it oils. 0:14:03.876 --> 0:14:05.316 You know. 0:14:05.396 --> 0:14:08.156 So it's like I knew I could, I could. I 0:14:08.196 --> 0:14:10.356 smelled it cocainut, you know. 0:14:10.436 --> 0:14:14.356 Which also had hippies out, and yeah, you're right, Yeah, heck, yeah, 0:14:14.556 --> 0:14:18.156 that was hippie Nation. Were you into rock music at all? 0:14:18.916 --> 0:14:21.956 Yeah, yeah, I mean very much. So, you know, being 0:14:21.956 --> 0:14:28.556 from Colorado, it was you know a plethora of music 0:14:29.476 --> 0:14:33.876 from indigenous music to you know, country to popped rocked 0:14:34.756 --> 0:14:40.316 very little R and B music on the radio that 0:14:40.556 --> 0:14:44.476 we only had it from certain hours of the day, 0:14:44.956 --> 0:14:48.156 you know, and then later on it became twenty four 0:14:48.196 --> 0:14:52.596 hours on one of the stations. But yeah, my education 0:14:53.196 --> 0:15:02.396 really in cultural music grew being in the fire. Yeah. Yeah. 0:15:02.836 --> 0:15:05.596 Would you guys listen to music together? Pick out what 0:15:06.676 --> 0:15:06.956 it was. 0:15:06.996 --> 0:15:09.036 Like a college? It was like being in a universe 0:15:09.956 --> 0:15:17.356 because you had Maurice's comrades, Don Myrek and Saderfield and 0:15:17.356 --> 0:15:21.196 and so they were they were older than us and 0:15:21.476 --> 0:15:28.916 had had a lot more experience overall musically, so they 0:15:28.956 --> 0:15:33.316 would you know, take us under their wing and mentor us, 0:15:33.356 --> 0:15:38.516 you know, and you know, into the music, and you know, 0:15:38.596 --> 0:15:43.516 so it was and we were always together. So it 0:15:43.636 --> 0:15:46.556 was like being on a traveling school. 0:15:47.676 --> 0:15:49.116 You just want to play two things, maybe just to 0:15:49.116 --> 0:15:52.476 illustrate the way the band evolved from those first couple 0:15:52.476 --> 0:15:55.396 of Warner records where you guys aren't involved yet and 0:15:55.396 --> 0:15:58.196 then and then kind of where the sound goes pretty quickly. 0:16:09.156 --> 0:16:12.956 Get it and let's stick back because that, yeah, I 0:16:13.156 --> 0:16:13.716 remember that. 0:16:13.836 --> 0:16:24.156 Yeah, Handwriting's on the Wall. 0:16:22.996 --> 0:16:24.276 Was that sweep? 0:16:24.636 --> 0:16:28.516 This came out on uh after you guys left Warner 0:16:28.516 --> 0:16:32.076 they put out the greatest Hits album look like that. 0:16:32.436 --> 0:16:36.036 It's never but yeah, yeah, yeah, and this, and it's 0:16:36.076 --> 0:16:38.196 just most like early on, you guys have more of 0:16:38.236 --> 0:16:41.596 a almost just kind of you guys are more funk 0:16:41.716 --> 0:16:45.836 and kind of in the in the it's it's less jazzy, 0:16:46.036 --> 0:16:50.196 you know, it's a little less jazzy blues rooted music. 0:16:50.516 --> 0:16:53.356 Not that the kids away from the blues, but this 0:16:53.436 --> 0:16:54.956 is great. But you go from like this kind of 0:16:54.956 --> 0:17:00.236 a thing and sweet sweet back with Melvin van Peebles 0:17:00.756 --> 0:17:04.916 to something like this, which is just one two years later. 0:17:37.036 --> 0:17:38.396 I want to wait for the vocal to come in 0:17:38.436 --> 0:17:38.836 real quick. 0:17:45.476 --> 0:17:54.996 Lesa to he wand I find in every week. 0:17:56.516 --> 0:17:58.956 Burd inside for. 0:17:59.556 --> 0:18:07.436 The clue no thing that was bound to do. Keep 0:18:07.596 --> 0:18:09.996 my head. It's like you you can hear the old 0:18:10.116 --> 0:18:14.156 band and then you can hear how it filled out 0:18:14.196 --> 0:18:15.276 even more with you guys. 0:18:15.676 --> 0:18:18.836 Theis is there, the genesis, You're there all the things 0:18:19.316 --> 0:18:22.156 in the beginning you know, you know, had it was growing, 0:18:22.276 --> 0:18:24.836 but the genesis of Earth Winning Fire was there. 0:18:25.036 --> 0:18:27.676 Yeah, with this right here is denying. This is the 0:18:27.716 --> 0:18:30.876 group that would go on to conquer the world. 0:18:31.116 --> 0:18:35.756 Yeah yeah, you know yeah, conceptually you can hear that 0:18:35.996 --> 0:18:42.556 Maurice uh had a vision for the music from the 0:18:43.396 --> 0:18:47.236 first Earth Winding Fire because when you listen to Sherry Scott, 0:18:47.836 --> 0:18:50.636 you know, I think about loving you and all that 0:18:50.796 --> 0:18:55.316 kind of stuff. Well, you know, I'm I'm the second generation, 0:18:56.196 --> 0:18:58.596 you know, so like you listen ahead to the sky, 0:18:59.316 --> 0:19:02.036 you know, you can hear that it's not so out 0:19:02.116 --> 0:19:05.796 of the blue because it you know, it was there 0:19:06.036 --> 0:19:10.156 with those records that they were doing one you know, 0:19:10.276 --> 0:19:14.036 but this is just a different you know, it's like 0:19:14.076 --> 0:19:15.276 an extension extension. 0:19:15.356 --> 0:19:17.356 It really almost feels like it's like almost just like 0:19:17.396 --> 0:19:19.476 a music. It's like a chord, regular chord. Then you 0:19:19.596 --> 0:19:21.916 just had the ninth eleventh. 0:19:23.516 --> 0:19:24.036 Analogy. 0:19:24.716 --> 0:19:27.036 Who were the not you said that those were you 0:19:27.076 --> 0:19:27.796 know you want to say that. 0:19:28.356 --> 0:19:34.156 Well, you had Maurice Dean Phil, you had Johnny al 0:19:35.196 --> 0:19:38.356 Both on guitar, right right, You had Larry on keyboards. Yeah, 0:19:38.556 --> 0:19:41.156 you had myself from Freddy and then Andrew. 0:19:41.436 --> 0:19:44.436 Yeah, the nine yeah, and then even beyond that, then 0:19:44.796 --> 0:19:48.516 someone like on that Jessica Cleaves is on there too, 0:19:48.876 --> 0:19:50.956 but Jessica would leave and we would be left with 0:19:51.036 --> 0:19:53.076 the nine guys, you know. 0:19:53.436 --> 0:19:55.436 So it's just an unbelievable how did you guys? So, 0:19:55.956 --> 0:19:58.836 just like you said, this is a band. Maurice is 0:19:58.836 --> 0:20:04.476 a drummer, You're a drummer. D Phillips a drummer, Verdin 0:20:04.556 --> 0:20:06.876 and Maurice's brother Fred is a drummer. 0:20:07.196 --> 0:20:10.356 And Al McKay was a drummer, right, mkay was a drummer. 0:20:10.596 --> 0:20:13.516 You're a singer. Maurice is a singer. You're a singer. 0:20:14.956 --> 0:20:18.156 Jessica Scleeves is the singer. It's like a how did 0:20:18.196 --> 0:20:21.676 you guys balance the embarrassment of riches you guys had 0:20:21.716 --> 0:20:24.476 in the group? How did you orchestrate? How did you 0:20:24.676 --> 0:20:26.756 know if someone came in the study with the song? 0:20:26.916 --> 0:20:29.076 How did you know who was going to do what? 0:20:29.556 --> 0:20:34.196 Well? It kind of evolved, you know, and Maurice being 0:20:34.516 --> 0:20:39.996 the spearhead, he he didn't always know exactly what he wanted, 0:20:40.276 --> 0:20:43.996 but he knew what he didn't want, you know, and 0:20:44.436 --> 0:20:50.636 so you know, if there were ideas that that fit 0:20:50.716 --> 0:20:54.636 into you know, the consciousness of where he was going 0:20:54.716 --> 0:20:58.876 for the band, he would develop those ideas. 0:20:59.036 --> 0:21:01.476 Would you guys just try to if he knew what 0:21:01.556 --> 0:21:04.796 he didn't necessarily always know exactly what he wanted, but 0:21:04.876 --> 0:21:06.556 knew what he didn't want. Would that mean that you 0:21:06.596 --> 0:21:08.236 guys would just try to contribute things. 0:21:09.196 --> 0:21:14.796 Funny thing though, you could always tell when he didn't 0:21:14.916 --> 0:21:23.636 like something. He goes, yeah, yeah, pretty pretty nice little 0:21:24.076 --> 0:21:27.276 piece you got there. You know, he would say very 0:21:27.316 --> 0:21:30.516 little about it. He would call it, or he would 0:21:30.556 --> 0:21:37.916 say pretty nice little that was like that was like 0:21:38.156 --> 0:21:42.756 you know that, you know, that was a bless not yet, 0:21:42.996 --> 0:21:47.156 not yet. But if he if if there was something 0:21:47.556 --> 0:21:51.236 that you know, that you that you brought that you know, 0:21:52.756 --> 0:21:55.516 clicks with him, he would jump right he would jump 0:21:55.596 --> 0:21:55.996 right on it. 0:21:56.316 --> 0:21:56.476 You know. 0:21:56.676 --> 0:22:00.476 Like my first collaboration was evil, you know, and it 0:22:00.636 --> 0:22:03.516 was like it was surreal to me because I had 0:22:03.716 --> 0:22:06.356 this idea and I showed it to him, and then 0:22:06.396 --> 0:22:08.956 the next thing I knew, he said, you know that 0:22:09.236 --> 0:22:12.076 you know that little piece showing me, Oh, this is 0:22:12.116 --> 0:22:12.916 what I did with it? 0:22:15.196 --> 0:22:17.356 What how did you bring evil to him? 0:22:17.356 --> 0:22:22.836 What did you I had the sea plot, the evil thing, 0:22:22.916 --> 0:22:27.036 and I had lyrics and I had a melody and stuff, 0:22:27.116 --> 0:22:30.996 but he flipped. He flipped all that. He really heard 0:22:31.796 --> 0:22:36.036 you know what I was trying to do, you know, yeah, 0:22:36.396 --> 0:22:40.956 and it was inspiring to him enough to take the 0:22:41.076 --> 0:22:43.556 situation and flip it. Wow. 0:22:43.796 --> 0:22:45.636 Here's the question. So, at the time that you started 0:22:45.676 --> 0:22:48.876 writing with him, did you really really understand the value 0:22:48.916 --> 0:22:50.596 of the writing and the publishing side of it. 0:22:50.716 --> 0:22:54.476 Oh heck no, okay, yeah i't. I ain't understand that 0:22:54.596 --> 0:22:55.276 till yesterday. 0:23:00.476 --> 0:23:04.356 Oh man, Oh wow, okay, yeah, I'm still waiting to 0:23:04.796 --> 0:23:08.116 some money out there waiting for you to explain all that. 0:23:08.196 --> 0:23:08.876 Oh my god. 0:23:09.156 --> 0:23:10.396 Okay, yes, but you. 0:23:10.436 --> 0:23:13.236 Were code writer on that, right, You did get credit 0:23:13.276 --> 0:23:14.596 on yeah, ye yeah. 0:23:14.476 --> 0:23:16.596 That's why I said that was my first you know, 0:23:17.476 --> 0:23:19.996 real co written ye venture. 0:23:20.276 --> 0:23:20.476 Yeah. 0:23:21.996 --> 0:23:24.036 We'll be back with more from Earthen and Fire after 0:23:24.116 --> 0:23:30.516 the break. And for Dean, how did you? You are 0:23:30.636 --> 0:23:34.396 such a unique bass player. I mean, you have the 0:23:34.476 --> 0:23:37.316 lowen thing going, You kind of have that cool James 0:23:37.396 --> 0:23:41.636 Jamerson melodic harmonic complexity thing going like I mean, but 0:23:42.436 --> 0:23:45.516 you're almost like the best of all basis, like you 0:23:45.636 --> 0:23:48.156 have a little bit of everything of all those different 0:23:48.156 --> 0:23:49.556 styles in you, you know what I mean? 0:23:49.836 --> 0:23:51.396 Well, for me, first of all, you know, I love 0:23:51.436 --> 0:23:54.436 the bass. You know, I love the sound of it. 0:23:54.676 --> 0:23:57.756 When I when I first saw the bass, it spoke 0:23:57.836 --> 0:24:01.156 to me. It spoke to me, you know, you said, 0:24:01.156 --> 0:24:04.476 I want to play this. The bass came at me. Wow, 0:24:04.596 --> 0:24:07.236 you know, and and it was upright, bas basis bigger 0:24:07.276 --> 0:24:10.596 than I was at the time, you know. And uh, 0:24:10.836 --> 0:24:13.036 and then I was able to like really coming out 0:24:13.076 --> 0:24:15.556 of Chicago, you know, you know, you were you were 0:24:15.596 --> 0:24:19.876 talking earlier, the different genres of music coming out of Chicago, 0:24:20.436 --> 0:24:25.076 you know, R and B, jazz, pop. You know, there 0:24:25.156 --> 0:24:27.476 was a lot of different genres for me to pull from. 0:24:28.116 --> 0:24:31.076 So when I would hear something, I automatically hurt the 0:24:31.116 --> 0:24:34.836 bass within it. And then when I came to California, 0:24:36.036 --> 0:24:39.076 it really crystallized because we were able to I was 0:24:39.076 --> 0:24:44.236 able to really concentrate on on music, on the bass, 0:24:44.316 --> 0:24:47.316 and then later on putting the bass where the where 0:24:47.316 --> 0:24:50.116 the bass fit? Yeah, you know, you know, because at 0:24:50.156 --> 0:24:52.196 first when I started started playing, cut the bass up, 0:24:52.196 --> 0:24:54.476 cut the bass up. Well, you have to put the 0:24:54.476 --> 0:24:58.316 bass within the track of what it sounds like. In 0:24:58.316 --> 0:25:00.196 other words, you don't want to just to stand out right. 0:25:00.276 --> 0:25:02.356 You wanted to stand out in a certain way, but 0:25:02.476 --> 0:25:05.116 you wanted to be part of the song. 0:25:05.476 --> 0:25:06.076 Yeah, you know. 0:25:06.316 --> 0:25:08.196 And that's that's what I learned when I came here 0:25:08.316 --> 0:25:13.676 and you played earlier two songs. But for me, the 0:25:13.756 --> 0:25:15.636 first two Earth Winy five records, I was sort of 0:25:15.716 --> 0:25:18.716 like winging it a little bit, you know, winging. But 0:25:18.876 --> 0:25:22.316 the record that crystallized from me was the Need of 0:25:22.396 --> 0:25:28.796 Love album really from me, the tune Energy, I'm gonna 0:25:28.796 --> 0:25:31.396 play That's what that's really when it came together for 0:25:31.556 --> 0:25:36.716 me because the records much more looser. You know, I 0:25:36.876 --> 0:25:40.356 was really hearing growing into it, growing into it, whereas 0:25:40.356 --> 0:25:41.996 I was just trying to hang on on the first record. 0:25:42.356 --> 0:25:46.276 You know, I did a record, whereas now I'm doing 0:25:46.316 --> 0:25:48.676 a record. So how do I how do I implant 0:25:48.716 --> 0:25:51.316 myself within the record. And the tune that did it 0:25:51.436 --> 0:25:53.916 for me was a tune called Energy. 0:25:54.596 --> 0:25:56.316 Was that I could feel it in my bones. 0:26:01.916 --> 0:26:04.156 Right right right, and then it then it goes left, 0:26:05.236 --> 0:26:09.236 It goes left into some Miles David stuff and I 0:26:09.356 --> 0:26:11.276 was right there with it too, man, you know, And 0:26:11.396 --> 0:26:14.756 that was those were those were things that couldn't be explained. Yeah, 0:26:14.796 --> 0:26:16.556 when you get to this section, you gotta do this here. 0:26:16.916 --> 0:26:19.276 It was like it just you just knew you had 0:26:19.316 --> 0:26:22.116 to hear it. It just it just switched, It just went, 0:26:22.236 --> 0:26:24.076 you know, because it started off as a drum solo 0:26:24.156 --> 0:26:26.676 with Maurice doing it, then got into the tunes and 0:26:26.716 --> 0:26:28.916 all of a sudden it just turned and it just 0:26:29.036 --> 0:26:31.316 kept it kept it kept going. 0:26:31.676 --> 0:26:34.836 Yeah. But you know, it's a you know that story. 0:26:34.916 --> 0:26:39.716 It's a testament to the fact that Verting was not 0:26:39.876 --> 0:26:46.116 only really really gifted as a musician basis, but he 0:26:46.436 --> 0:26:51.876 was destined. It was destiny, you know, because when you 0:26:52.036 --> 0:26:54.556 tell when he tells that story and you think about, 0:26:55.196 --> 0:27:01.036 you know, the what most musicians know at a certain 0:27:01.076 --> 0:27:04.876 point in their in their careers and their recording careers. 0:27:05.596 --> 0:27:10.036 He was so young to it, you know. Yeah, and 0:27:10.436 --> 0:27:13.836 and laying it down in a fashion in which he 0:27:13.996 --> 0:27:18.516 did was just very extraordinary. 0:27:18.196 --> 0:27:19.996 I think. Just to illustrate that too, and what what 0:27:20.236 --> 0:27:22.556 Maurice brought to a song and what you guys also 0:27:22.596 --> 0:27:24.716 collectively as a group brought to a song, I want 0:27:24.756 --> 0:27:27.476 to play a little bit of the creative source version 0:27:27.516 --> 0:27:30.636 of you can't high Love version. You can just hear 0:27:30.676 --> 0:27:32.996 the difference between how you guys get ahold. 0:27:32.756 --> 0:27:49.116 Of a song and you know, no, he wasn't in it, okay, 0:28:15.676 --> 0:28:20.876 and it's it's cool, but it's not a classic until. 0:28:23.836 --> 0:28:27.836 Right right, step got a whole Well, Charles Stephane, you 0:28:27.916 --> 0:28:28.876 saying yeah. 0:28:43.196 --> 0:28:44.836 And then res on the times I think coming. 0:28:44.636 --> 0:28:44.996 To him. 0:28:47.756 --> 0:28:50.516 You want my love and you have an. 0:28:54.236 --> 0:28:55.236 You know it's true. 0:28:55.996 --> 0:29:00.236 Try it's like you can hear the song actually now yeah, 0:29:00.396 --> 0:29:02.556 and there's still this crazy arrangement around it, but it 0:29:02.596 --> 0:29:03.916 doesn't distract from the song. 0:29:04.236 --> 0:29:05.916 That other version, where as we called it, it was 0:29:05.956 --> 0:29:06.796 a hippo version. 0:29:07.076 --> 0:29:07.996 Yeah, it was hip. 0:29:08.156 --> 0:29:11.276 Where's the other version of Can't Handle? Kind of remind 0:29:11.316 --> 0:29:12.836 me of a Fifth Dimensions? 0:29:13.116 --> 0:29:13.876 It was very much a. 0:29:15.516 --> 0:29:15.876 Concept. 0:29:16.476 --> 0:29:18.396 Yeah, yeah, that's the way it was. 0:29:18.436 --> 0:29:23.596 Interesting because the because Skip and Jerry and them were there, 0:29:23.836 --> 0:29:27.036 they were working with you know, the Fifth Dimensions writing 0:29:27.196 --> 0:29:30.596 songs and stuff, working with friends and the Friends of 0:29:30.676 --> 0:29:32.756 Distinction and all that kind of stuff. So you can 0:29:32.876 --> 0:29:36.156 kind of see where that where that was going vocal groups. 0:29:36.916 --> 0:29:42.596 But that dog on Charles Stepney was just you know, 0:29:42.956 --> 0:29:45.476 if there wasn't a Charles Stepney, there would not be 0:29:45.556 --> 0:29:49.476 an Earth on fire because he was just he was 0:29:49.676 --> 0:29:54.476 that important to you know, what we were to become 0:29:55.396 --> 0:29:59.956 so Maurice was the visionary, but Charles kitt was able 0:30:00.116 --> 0:30:07.996 to He was the consummate writer, producers, musician, arranger that 0:30:08.196 --> 0:30:13.436 he was able to to really hear where Murice's thought. 0:30:13.516 --> 0:30:16.436 He wanted to go and say, Okay, this is the 0:30:16.476 --> 0:30:19.876 way you arrive at that destination. This is the way 0:30:19.916 --> 0:30:21.596 you do it, and I could show you. 0:30:21.956 --> 0:30:23.676 For people who don't know you guys want to say, 0:30:23.676 --> 0:30:25.956 who Charles Stepney. I don't think it's a name everyone 0:30:26.076 --> 0:30:27.076 readily knows. 0:30:26.916 --> 0:30:28.836 You know, but yeah, and it's you know, it's it's 0:30:28.996 --> 0:30:33.476 it's a shame because Charles Stepney was the co producer 0:30:34.276 --> 0:30:36.756 and I take the co off. You know, he was 0:30:36.836 --> 0:30:38.476 the producer with Maurice on. 0:30:40.276 --> 0:30:43.556 The records, arranger. 0:30:43.716 --> 0:30:47.276 And the and the arranger and you know, and you 0:30:47.396 --> 0:30:51.556 know he he was able to guide me as a 0:30:52.116 --> 0:30:56.716 vocalist on how to sing, reasons and how they record, 0:30:56.836 --> 0:31:01.116 how to think, you know, and and when not to think. 0:31:02.156 --> 0:31:04.836 You know. But he was like a he was like 0:31:04.956 --> 0:31:10.356 a big brother and you know accounts he was. He was, 0:31:10.556 --> 0:31:13.396 he was He could be everything you know to us 0:31:13.476 --> 0:31:14.876 at just the right time. 0:31:15.196 --> 0:31:20.276 He was like our Quincy Jones, our George Martin like that. 0:31:20.356 --> 0:31:23.356 The Beatles had because we had these ideas, but he 0:31:23.596 --> 0:31:26.796 was able to walk us through it and as Phillip said, 0:31:26.836 --> 0:31:29.476 how to get there. But he did it in a 0:31:29.516 --> 0:31:31.916 way he would teach you, you know, like he would 0:31:32.236 --> 0:31:35.116 on basis said, okay, give me a double slop, and 0:31:35.156 --> 0:31:36.996 I didn't know what the double slop was, so we 0:31:37.276 --> 0:31:39.156 so we said, okay, we're gonna put it together. We're 0:31:39.156 --> 0:31:43.756 gonna see g and then you just go down. Then 0:31:43.756 --> 0:31:45.956 we go down to scale, go down, and he would 0:31:45.996 --> 0:31:47.236 teach you why you were doing it. 0:31:47.516 --> 0:31:50.836 He would, he would really teach you, and he would 0:31:50.916 --> 0:31:53.436 and it wouldn't always it wouldn't go above your head, 0:31:53.756 --> 0:31:56.916 you know, because you know, these these progressions and stuff. 0:31:57.996 --> 0:32:01.156 We might have not been a lot of the musicians 0:32:01.276 --> 0:32:03.956 may not have been as sophisticated as the ones they're 0:32:03.956 --> 0:32:08.116 playing in our band today, you know. But Charles was 0:32:08.196 --> 0:32:12.276 able to say, you know, play this triad and leave 0:32:12.396 --> 0:32:15.516 this out. You know, you play this and leave this, 0:32:15.916 --> 0:32:19.836 you know, and and derived at what he wanted to 0:32:19.916 --> 0:32:23.916 hear without overwhelming the musicians with the theory. 0:32:24.716 --> 0:32:28.356 And that's and that's a big part of the arrangements 0:32:28.356 --> 0:32:31.316 are such a crucial part of you guys, because just 0:32:31.396 --> 0:32:34.916 like in that song. It's like the arrangement is really insane, 0:32:35.076 --> 0:32:38.036 it's really crazy. It's a wild arrangement, but it doesn't 0:32:38.076 --> 0:32:40.316 obscure the song. It doesn't obscure what you guys are 0:32:40.356 --> 0:32:43.636 doing with the song exactly. It's very similar to Quincy 0:32:43.956 --> 0:32:46.516 or George Martin right like the way it's he could 0:32:46.556 --> 0:32:50.796 really take musicians and teach them something different, but not 0:32:50.956 --> 0:32:54.156 take away from the song. There was an album Charles 0:32:54.156 --> 0:32:57.236 step News his family put out an album of some 0:32:57.316 --> 0:33:00.596 of his stuff before and on it a couple of 0:33:00.676 --> 0:33:03.156 years ago. They have the early demo of That's the 0:33:03.196 --> 0:33:05.276 Way of the World on there. Oh and play a 0:33:05.316 --> 0:33:05.796 little bit of that? 0:33:07.196 --> 0:33:09.356 Is it like a salsa kind of thing? 0:33:10.076 --> 0:33:11.116 Whoa really? 0:33:11.276 --> 0:33:14.516 Because I remember I remember hearing That's the Way of 0:33:14.596 --> 0:33:20.716 the World, but it was a different groove. Okay, see 0:33:20.836 --> 0:33:25.276 go see. And this is how we would hear stuff 0:33:25.596 --> 0:33:28.996 that Charles would bring because he would be down there 0:33:29.196 --> 0:33:33.956 in that day basement tickering and stuff and he would. 0:33:36.156 --> 0:33:42.516 That's got how Larry started on that move synthesizer, and 0:33:42.636 --> 0:33:43.956 Larry took it and ran with it. 0:34:01.676 --> 0:34:04.436 But as cool as that is, I mean to to 0:34:04.876 --> 0:34:08.796 for for to turn up for this to be the 0:34:08.876 --> 0:34:09.996 fire result. 0:34:13.356 --> 0:34:17.036 Unbelievable. That's what the production is about, Yeah, finding it, 0:34:17.836 --> 0:34:18.276 and then it. 0:34:18.396 --> 0:34:20.916 Was about it was about the fact that we had 0:34:21.356 --> 0:34:24.996 all the right people at the right time, you know, 0:34:25.436 --> 0:34:28.876 like you know, if you take any of those ingredients out, 0:34:29.276 --> 0:34:32.996 it couldn't have been what it was. Al Macay it's 0:34:33.116 --> 0:34:38.116 so much a part of the greatness of what the 0:34:38.636 --> 0:34:43.476 earth Fire became because he was the guy who could 0:34:43.556 --> 0:34:50.436 take whatever idea and make it funky, you know, really 0:34:50.556 --> 0:34:54.676 really put a groove on it, you know, and uh 0:34:55.476 --> 0:35:00.436 you know, and because him and Vertein worked so closely together. 0:35:01.396 --> 0:35:04.956 If you got Verdein and al going in this in 0:35:05.316 --> 0:35:09.396 a certain direction, you got half the band is yeah, 0:35:09.556 --> 0:35:10.876 half the work is done. 0:35:12.316 --> 0:35:14.636 And Sweets would say, it's right here, it's right here, 0:35:14.836 --> 0:35:17.116 don't go nowhere. And he could hold that groove man 0:35:17.196 --> 0:35:18.676 for an hour and a half and it would just 0:35:18.756 --> 0:35:22.956 get better and better and better better. I mean uh 0:35:23.596 --> 0:35:26.516 like like like Philip said, you know, uh, shake up, 0:35:29.356 --> 0:35:33.636 I mean all those things that you can't put on paper. Yeah, 0:35:35.516 --> 0:35:37.196 so you and you would you and him would really 0:35:37.676 --> 0:35:40.476 like that. Yeah, we had like a sixth sense where 0:35:40.516 --> 0:35:42.476 it was gonna go wow. And even if the notes 0:35:42.516 --> 0:35:44.396 are wrong. They sounded good after you played it with him. 0:35:46.716 --> 0:35:51.556 That's amazing. More from Earth Wound and Fire after the break, 0:35:55.676 --> 0:35:58.996 I want to play a little bit of your point 0:35:59.036 --> 0:36:01.636 of like how a mkay could make anything funky when 0:36:01.676 --> 0:36:04.996 you stripped back. And also this Shining Star goes back 0:36:05.036 --> 0:36:08.036 to Colorado also because I didn't know until I saw 0:36:08.076 --> 0:36:10.636 the doc that you guys are out recording at Caribou 0:36:10.716 --> 0:36:13.476 ranching in Colorado and Maurice goes out for a walk 0:36:13.556 --> 0:36:16.516 and sees the stars and comes up that day for 0:36:16.556 --> 0:36:19.916 Shining Star. But for this opening groove, I mean, it's 0:36:19.956 --> 0:36:22.996 such a funky song, such a classic funk song, but 0:36:23.076 --> 0:36:29.996 when you listen to that opening, it really is just 0:36:30.076 --> 0:36:36.876 like a boogie woogie blues, like a like that opening man, 0:36:37.076 --> 0:36:45.556 just I mean, he made it so funky, and you 0:36:45.876 --> 0:36:48.076 right in there with the interplay with them Verdin, But 0:36:48.196 --> 0:36:49.796 it's just a blue. It's really just like a blues. 0:36:49.916 --> 0:36:52.516 It's like a fast waller, kind of like a riff 0:36:52.636 --> 0:36:52.996 or something. 0:36:53.156 --> 0:36:56.356 Also, to Philip had said earlier, there were so many 0:36:56.396 --> 0:37:00.276 people that helped us. Another major component was George Massenberg 0:37:01.236 --> 0:37:03.156 in terms of that sound. To get the sound out 0:37:03.156 --> 0:37:08.676 of those instruments, you know, particularly for Black Group sonically 0:37:09.276 --> 0:37:11.716 that when you heard it you would say, oh my god. 0:37:12.476 --> 0:37:13.476 George was a big, big. 0:37:13.396 --> 0:37:16.156 Part of that. It was inspiring his his what he 0:37:16.196 --> 0:37:18.156 would bring would inspire other stuff. 0:37:18.916 --> 0:37:19.196 Really. 0:37:20.276 --> 0:37:22.676 And he was an electrical engineer. He had a George 0:37:22.716 --> 0:37:26.356 had a room at the complex in the back where 0:37:26.356 --> 0:37:28.636 he would just if he wasn't in the studio working 0:37:28.676 --> 0:37:32.476 on music, he was back there tinkering outsider and iron 0:37:32.596 --> 0:37:36.076 and a transistor here, dialed over here. You know, he 0:37:36.236 --> 0:37:37.036 was always back there. 0:37:37.356 --> 0:37:40.036 And he has a I mean, his name in the 0:37:40.276 --> 0:37:45.996 engineering world is unimpeachable, but he wasn't George Massenberg. When 0:37:45.996 --> 0:37:47.236 you guys were starting with. 0:37:48.076 --> 0:37:52.076 Maurice hunted him down. He found he was I don't 0:37:52.596 --> 0:37:57.076 remember the exact story, but but when he when he 0:37:57.356 --> 0:38:00.916 heard about George, and I think he was living in 0:38:01.236 --> 0:38:06.716 the Washington D C. Area of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maurice actually 0:38:07.236 --> 0:38:11.796 you know, sought him out, you know, and uh brought 0:38:11.836 --> 0:38:13.116 him into into the fold. 0:38:13.636 --> 0:38:15.956 Iways wanted to ask you guys about We talked about 0:38:16.956 --> 0:38:19.916 Charles Stepney when an influence he had, but you know, 0:38:20.076 --> 0:38:22.156 he he died too soon, too young. 0:38:22.516 --> 0:38:25.676 And you in the middle of making Spirit on Spirit. 0:38:26.676 --> 0:38:28.196 As a matter of fact, we were about to cut 0:38:28.276 --> 0:38:32.316 the track Spirit. I was on the drums and Maurice 0:38:32.356 --> 0:38:35.676 got the phone call that Stepney had just passed, and 0:38:35.876 --> 0:38:39.316 we just went on and cut that track. But that's 0:38:39.756 --> 0:38:43.796 right after we got the news. I remember that clearly, Wow, clearly, 0:38:44.796 --> 0:38:46.196 And that and the man that had to be heavy, 0:38:47.036 --> 0:38:47.996 well yeah it was. 0:38:48.676 --> 0:38:50.836 It was very earth shattering. 0:38:51.116 --> 0:38:54.116 Yeah, I mean, but you know, the thing that amazes 0:38:54.196 --> 0:38:57.396 me is like the next record you guys do after Spirit, 0:38:57.476 --> 0:39:00.716 all in all, he wasn't there to help guide you guys, 0:39:01.476 --> 0:39:05.116 and it is just one of the all time in 0:39:05.236 --> 0:39:07.916 my mind. Like it's hard to pick a favorite Earth 0:39:07.956 --> 0:39:10.316 Wind and Fire album, but all in all, the fact 0:39:10.356 --> 0:39:14.116 that you guys, it's not just you guys, and you're 0:39:14.316 --> 0:39:16.996 kind of mentor or maybe Maurice's mentor is not there, 0:39:17.276 --> 0:39:20.156 and you guys go in and cut, you know, I mean, 0:39:21.116 --> 0:39:23.836 all all in all starts off with serpenting Fire, goes 0:39:23.876 --> 0:39:29.956 into fantasy, Jupiter loves Holiday, Beijo, I'll write a song 0:39:30.036 --> 0:39:32.476 for you, which is a great feature for you. Philip 0:39:32.556 --> 0:39:36.556 and Magic Mind running Brazil doing Wayne Shorter's pont Day area, 0:39:36.676 --> 0:39:39.556 like just put an insane album. So you guys didn't 0:39:39.596 --> 0:39:43.156 miss a beat really, you know musically Yeah, well I'm 0:39:43.196 --> 0:39:45.916 sure you missed him obviously, but musically you guys were 0:39:45.996 --> 0:39:47.516 just you know. 0:39:49.236 --> 0:39:55.396 You can't take anything away from from Maurice's genius. And 0:39:56.356 --> 0:39:58.396 you know when we when we talk about step, it 0:39:58.436 --> 0:40:01.996 doesn't take anything away from from Maurice. It just gives 0:40:02.196 --> 0:40:07.316 Charles what he deserves. You know, it was very important 0:40:07.556 --> 0:40:09.476 that that we that we do that cause he meant 0:40:09.556 --> 0:40:10.236 that much to us. 0:40:10.436 --> 0:40:13.396 Yeah, do you remember the idea of having to make 0:40:13.436 --> 0:40:14.596 a record without him being around? 0:40:16.116 --> 0:40:20.596 Yeah? We were fortunate, like I said, not to be redundant. 0:40:20.836 --> 0:40:24.236 We're fortunate enough that if you work with us, it 0:40:24.436 --> 0:40:30.036 was you were accomplished in your craft. Reese didn't pick 0:40:30.916 --> 0:40:35.836 people to work with that were, you know, not excellent 0:40:35.916 --> 0:40:38.756 and what they and what they did. So all of 0:40:38.836 --> 0:40:44.676 the major people we knew, and you know, he would 0:40:45.036 --> 0:40:49.796 go after whatever he was hearing in his head. He 0:40:49.836 --> 0:40:54.076 would go after the right ingredients to add in there. 0:40:54.556 --> 0:40:56.796 Do you guys have a favorite Earth Wind and Fire album? 0:40:57.196 --> 0:41:00.276 There are kids, man, you know you're not thinking I 0:41:00.356 --> 0:41:02.556 would say this if you asked us, maybe ten twenty 0:41:02.636 --> 0:41:05.036 years ago, we could give you like one, yeah, but 0:41:05.196 --> 0:41:06.316 now the time is past. 0:41:06.876 --> 0:41:09.876 There's just so many of them and you love them 0:41:09.956 --> 0:41:12.836 all for different reasons of what they brought. I was 0:41:13.036 --> 0:41:18.756 heartbroken that Faces was did not do any you know what. 0:41:19.156 --> 0:41:23.316 The underrated because great material. There's a lot of. 0:41:23.356 --> 0:41:26.556 Great material on that on that record. I think some 0:41:26.756 --> 0:41:30.716 of the greatest works that that we did collectively, some 0:41:30.916 --> 0:41:32.036 of it are on Faces. 0:41:32.596 --> 0:41:33.716 That's a really good record. 0:41:33.916 --> 0:41:35.156 It really sail away. 0:41:35.596 --> 0:41:35.796 Yeah. 0:41:35.916 --> 0:41:37.636 Yeah, one of my favorites offa there. 0:41:37.996 --> 0:41:39.396 I always wonderful I had to do with this, one 0:41:39.436 --> 0:41:42.716 of the first records where in a while where it 0:41:42.836 --> 0:41:46.236 wasn't the cover wasn't like psychedelic, It wasn't like the 0:41:46.356 --> 0:41:48.156 cover was it was just face. It was people. It 0:41:48.236 --> 0:41:50.396 was really simple and really it was beautiful in this way, 0:41:50.436 --> 0:41:52.316 but it was really simple, and you guys had these 0:41:52.396 --> 0:41:56.516 really almost like Funkadelic. You guys had really signature album 0:41:56.596 --> 0:41:58.276 covers for for for such a stretch. 0:41:58.436 --> 0:42:02.676 You know, in Faces, there was a young man with 0:42:02.796 --> 0:42:08.916 a boombox that was Chaka Khan's brother. Really yeah, yeah, 0:42:09.156 --> 0:42:15.316 you know, random shots of people and it was Faces. 0:42:15.636 --> 0:42:15.836 Yeah. 0:42:17.116 --> 0:42:20.316 How much were you guys like connected to the other 0:42:20.436 --> 0:42:24.156 artists around like Shaka or even like you know, you 0:42:24.236 --> 0:42:26.796 guys do like a Wayne Shorter song. He's around with 0:42:26.916 --> 0:42:29.436 Herbie Quincy's making stuff like. 0:42:29.476 --> 0:42:32.836 Are you guys? We were managed by the same management 0:42:32.916 --> 0:42:39.036 group as Weather Report, and so we did several stints 0:42:39.076 --> 0:42:44.796 where we'd gig together. Whether that was fantastic just to 0:42:44.956 --> 0:42:49.236 hear you know, jos Avenue and Wayne and then you know, 0:42:49.516 --> 0:42:53.596 like play before us. It was like it was crazy. 0:42:53.716 --> 0:42:57.916 We played some colleges and stuff together, you know, but 0:42:59.316 --> 0:43:04.516 you know, interestingly enough, we were kind of in a bubble, right. 0:43:04.876 --> 0:43:09.716 I didn't really begin to really branch out, know people, 0:43:09.836 --> 0:43:12.476 till we got it. We broke up, you know, for 0:43:12.596 --> 0:43:15.956 those you a couple of years, and because we were 0:43:16.116 --> 0:43:21.676 just we're always working, always planning the work on tour 0:43:22.076 --> 0:43:24.196 and on tour. And you gotta have to understand that 0:43:24.516 --> 0:43:28.916 we went from mama's house to Earth went Fire, that's right, 0:43:29.996 --> 0:43:30.356 that's right. 0:43:30.436 --> 0:43:31.996 Yeah, you guys got plucked right out of home, right 0:43:32.276 --> 0:43:36.636 and then coming from my house, h I met a 0:43:36.716 --> 0:43:41.476 new brother, Philip and another brother, Ralph, so it's like 0:43:42.076 --> 0:43:44.356 it was just like an extension, so we didn't know 0:43:44.396 --> 0:43:45.796 anybody but us. 0:43:46.156 --> 0:43:49.396 Yeah, it's amazing. I was reading through your book a 0:43:49.436 --> 0:43:51.716 bit last night and reading in a little bit about 0:43:51.716 --> 0:43:54.716 that that period where you guys you know, went separate, 0:43:54.796 --> 0:43:57.476 raised as a group for a while, and in it 0:43:57.596 --> 0:44:00.116 you really talk about wrestling with is this a break? 0:44:00.236 --> 0:44:02.116 Is this the rest of my life? And my am 0:44:02.156 --> 0:44:02.956 I doing music and. 0:44:02.996 --> 0:44:03.796 All that kind of break. 0:44:03.836 --> 0:44:07.596 The way it was done would cause you to think that, yeah, yeah, 0:44:08.076 --> 0:44:11.956 you know, yeah, it was just like a meeting and 0:44:12.036 --> 0:44:16.116 then okay, run a break. That's how quickly it happened, 0:44:16.156 --> 0:44:18.276 and that's the way it happened, you know, So it 0:44:18.316 --> 0:44:20.996 would caused you to, you know, pause about your future. 0:44:21.316 --> 0:44:24.116 And you have success producing with Al McKay the Tempts, 0:44:24.596 --> 0:44:27.316 but then you also start doing construction and you're working 0:44:27.356 --> 0:44:28.436 at a stereo. 0:44:28.196 --> 0:44:30.476 Store federated Stereos Lebria. 0:44:30.716 --> 0:44:32.796 When I was reading through that, what struck me was 0:44:33.436 --> 0:44:36.836 now forty years later, you guys are it's like you 0:44:36.916 --> 0:44:40.436 guys never It's like that window, as probably emotionally fraud 0:44:40.436 --> 0:44:42.116 as it was at the at that point, was such 0:44:42.116 --> 0:44:43.196 a small window in the. 0:44:43.236 --> 0:44:46.356 Overall, the overall picture, the overall picture of the group, 0:44:46.716 --> 0:44:47.236 just the moment. 0:44:47.316 --> 0:44:49.276 You would never know that that moment happened, and the 0:44:49.356 --> 0:44:53.396 fact that the three of you without Maurice now sadly 0:44:53.516 --> 0:44:56.076 without so many people that we've lost, that you guys 0:44:56.116 --> 0:45:00.316 are able to continue to give the gift of earth 0:45:00.316 --> 0:45:03.716 when and fire to the world forty years after you 0:45:03.796 --> 0:45:06.396 guys coming back together in around nineteen eighty six, nineteen 0:45:06.396 --> 0:45:08.996 eighty seven. That it's just it's it's mind. 0:45:09.716 --> 0:45:12.076 Well, one of the things that the book talks about 0:45:12.196 --> 0:45:16.556 is resilience and to bounce back. Yeah, you got. 0:45:17.556 --> 0:45:20.596 But in those forty years and those little glitches, you know, 0:45:21.676 --> 0:45:24.836 you know, it all wasn't roses. You know, we were growing, 0:45:24.956 --> 0:45:29.116 we were we were discovering ourselves, you know, and then, 0:45:29.116 --> 0:45:31.516 as I mentioned in the doc a lot of the 0:45:32.076 --> 0:45:36.156 bigger things that happened for us happened later. 0:45:36.956 --> 0:45:37.116 You know. 0:45:37.236 --> 0:45:39.876 Normally a lot of people would get accolades up at 0:45:39.916 --> 0:45:42.916 the top. We got a lot of ours on the 0:45:43.036 --> 0:45:45.676 back end, you know, as we call it, the back nine, 0:45:46.356 --> 0:45:48.396 you know. And part of that had a lot to 0:45:48.476 --> 0:45:52.236 do with, I think, with the technology of sampling of 0:45:52.316 --> 0:45:56.836 the artists coming along discovering us and and sampling our 0:45:56.916 --> 0:46:00.156 music in their music. H and so and the parents, 0:46:00.396 --> 0:46:02.716 you know, like your parents was telling you about us, 0:46:03.356 --> 0:46:06.836 and it started working that way, you know, like when 0:46:06.876 --> 0:46:09.316 we first started, you know how people say I love 0:46:09.356 --> 0:46:12.436 your music, we think your music's great. Now they come 0:46:12.516 --> 0:46:15.316 up to us and they thank us for making the music. Yeah, 0:46:15.396 --> 0:46:18.796 it's like a big thank you. Yeah, you know, well 0:46:18.836 --> 0:46:20.756 because it really is. And I'm embarrassed to say too. 0:46:20.956 --> 0:46:22.516 My first the first time I figured out who you 0:46:22.556 --> 0:46:24.796 guys were was from watching Fresh Prince of bel Air 0:46:24.956 --> 0:46:27.396 when I was a young kid, and they had a 0:46:27.556 --> 0:46:29.596 joke with the law firm that the dad worked for 0:46:29.796 --> 0:46:32.436 was first Win Admire, and I was like, that's so 0:46:32.636 --> 0:46:35.036 like first Win Amire. And then as you grow and 0:46:35.116 --> 0:46:37.316 you grow older and you just you absorb your music 0:46:37.356 --> 0:46:40.276 through the radio, through buying the records, through streaming, through 0:46:40.676 --> 0:46:43.316 hearing them in films or commercials or whatever, you just 0:46:43.436 --> 0:46:45.996 realize it's almost as if all that stuff that we 0:46:46.076 --> 0:46:49.076 were a top. We were kind of joking about about Maurice, 0:46:49.116 --> 0:46:51.796 where he was living healthy and drinking smoothies and proaching 0:46:51.796 --> 0:46:54.076 the shakes and eating healthy. And there's a great story 0:46:54.116 --> 0:46:58.796 in the dock about you guys meditating before the show. Yeah, 0:46:59.236 --> 0:47:02.036 like just insane, and the audience is losing their minds 0:47:02.036 --> 0:47:04.516 and you guys are just sitting there meditating for five, six, seven, 0:47:04.516 --> 0:47:08.236 eight minutes. But it's almost like all of that went 0:47:08.356 --> 0:47:10.956 into the music. And for those of us who weren't 0:47:10.956 --> 0:47:12.956 there while it was being made, while was being released, 0:47:13.516 --> 0:47:16.996 hearing it after the fact, it really does transmit, you 0:47:17.076 --> 0:47:19.476 know all it feels like all that spiritual work, it 0:47:19.596 --> 0:47:22.396 really does transmit. I think that's people relate to start. 0:47:22.596 --> 0:47:25.316 But then, but when Maurice passed, you know, we're gone 0:47:25.356 --> 0:47:27.196 a lot. You know, we travel a lot, so we're 0:47:27.236 --> 0:47:31.676 not home as as as much, you know, as a 0:47:31.716 --> 0:47:32.236 lot of people. 0:47:32.596 --> 0:47:36.436 When Maurice passed. When I got back, I had the 0:47:36.556 --> 0:47:41.756 biggest card, like from here to here from your neighbors. 0:47:43.276 --> 0:47:47.716 The neighbors had all signed a card because when you know, 0:47:47.796 --> 0:47:49.596 when the news hit, it was all over the world, 0:47:49.636 --> 0:47:52.436 of course. Yeah, and but my neighbors had signed this 0:47:52.636 --> 0:47:53.276 big card. 0:47:53.916 --> 0:47:56.476 That must have been a lot. Yeah, that must have 0:47:56.516 --> 0:47:58.996 been a lot. I mean, Maurice been a lot, and 0:47:59.036 --> 0:48:03.516 you guys all do man, you know absolutely, I was fortunately. 0:48:03.516 --> 0:48:05.116 I think the first Earth Wind and Fire show I 0:48:05.156 --> 0:48:08.236 saw was around two thousand and nine at the Hollywood Bowl. 0:48:08.876 --> 0:48:11.356 Marie just came out on stage for a seconds, right right. 0:48:11.556 --> 0:48:12.676 I was like Wow, it's amazing. 0:48:12.796 --> 0:48:15.516 You know, that's when he decided to write his book. 0:48:15.996 --> 0:48:21.156 I think was it before we wrap Philip, I'm gonna ask, 0:48:21.956 --> 0:48:23.836 would you mind telling the story of reasons? 0:48:25.516 --> 0:48:25.676 Oh? 0:48:26.356 --> 0:48:27.956 Well, here we go, here we go. 0:48:29.996 --> 0:48:32.876 You know, we were on the road and we were 0:48:33.076 --> 0:48:35.756 in we had just landed and I think it was 0:48:35.836 --> 0:48:38.756 at Philly or Atlanta. It's one of them. How much 0:48:38.796 --> 0:48:39.716 of issue you want to know? 0:48:39.916 --> 0:48:43.796 This is good for you, it's with the world. 0:48:43.916 --> 0:48:45.076 So are we recording this? 0:48:45.236 --> 0:48:49.036 Wait a minute, it's in the dock. It's in the docks. 0:48:49.116 --> 0:48:50.836 In the dock, I said, okay, if you've already put 0:48:50.836 --> 0:48:51.636 it in the doc failure. 0:48:52.156 --> 0:48:55.076 Well, we all, you know, like bands have groupies, you know, 0:48:55.436 --> 0:48:58.156 And so we were on a plane and uh there 0:48:58.236 --> 0:49:01.076 was this fine lady that was on the plane, and 0:49:01.196 --> 0:49:04.996 so like you know, like everybody like all the all 0:49:05.076 --> 0:49:11.276 the the the women chasing members who have their eyes 0:49:11.436 --> 0:49:12.796 on this particular lady. 0:49:13.316 --> 0:49:13.476 Right. 0:49:14.236 --> 0:49:18.556 So it just so happened that when we got off 0:49:18.636 --> 0:49:23.836 the plane, you know, our road manager, Leonard, you know, 0:49:23.956 --> 0:49:27.076 we had you know, eye signals. We know, we had 0:49:27.156 --> 0:49:31.716 our signals where we go, dude, So I gave him 0:49:31.756 --> 0:49:36.436 the signal we get to the hotel. She's in the 0:49:36.836 --> 0:49:39.756 in the in the lobby. I go to the room, 0:49:40.556 --> 0:49:44.756 Leonard hooks up. She's in the room, okay, And so 0:49:45.796 --> 0:49:49.876 you know, we have an evening together and the whole thing. 0:49:50.516 --> 0:49:55.236 And the next morning, you know how guys think that 0:49:56.676 --> 0:50:02.916 I conquered. The next morning, you know, I got up 0:50:02.956 --> 0:50:04.476 to go to the bathroom or something, but I hear 0:50:04.876 --> 0:50:08.196 her on the phone. She's talking to her baby, talking 0:50:08.316 --> 0:50:11.876 to her boo. You know, Oh yeah, I got, you know, 0:50:12.316 --> 0:50:16.596 giving him this story of what happened, you know, why 0:50:16.796 --> 0:50:21.596 she ain't home and stuff, you know. And so I 0:50:21.716 --> 0:50:24.436 get out the bathroom and she says to me, you know, 0:50:24.596 --> 0:50:26.996 something to the fact like, yeah, when I saw you, 0:50:27.316 --> 0:50:31.956 I just said this had to go down. So, you know, 0:50:32.196 --> 0:50:43.756 like my ego was like, okay, so that happened. So 0:50:43.836 --> 0:50:47.916 I'm having this conversation with Maurice, you know, on the 0:50:47.996 --> 0:50:51.716 plane and stuff. We're talking about this situation and stuff. 0:50:52.156 --> 0:50:59.796 And that's how the whole Reasons thing came about. That's 0:50:59.876 --> 0:51:04.076 how the whole the lyrics for Reasons and that whole concept. 0:51:06.516 --> 0:51:08.996 I mean for that to be one of the most 0:51:09.796 --> 0:51:18.476 romantic songs of all time. People playing their wettings anniversary. 0:51:18.076 --> 0:51:22.396 In the morning when I rise, you know, no longer 0:51:22.476 --> 0:51:26.516 feeling no, yeah, no longer feeling hypnotized. I find our 0:51:26.596 --> 0:51:30.956 reason had no pride, you know, and they were a lie. 0:51:31.876 --> 0:51:32.036 You know. 0:51:32.156 --> 0:51:34.356 It's like, dude, that kind of says it all right, 0:51:34.596 --> 0:51:38.156 kind of says it all right. But people were talking 0:51:38.156 --> 0:51:41.756 about I used that on our wedding. I said, huh, 0:51:43.836 --> 0:51:45.396 do you remember the first time you heard that? That's 0:51:45.436 --> 0:51:48.716 I'm like, man, I've heard that so many times up 0:51:48.756 --> 0:51:51.556 that I was going, But did you listen to the lyrics, 0:51:52.556 --> 0:51:53.716 take a moment and read them. 0:51:55.676 --> 0:51:56.916 People hear what they want to hear. 0:51:57.236 --> 0:51:57.916 Yeah, you know what. 0:51:57.956 --> 0:51:59.596 I was shocked actually in hindsight to find out that 0:51:59.676 --> 0:52:03.356 wasn't even a single, right, No, it never was. Do 0:52:03.396 --> 0:52:04.836 you remember when did that start getting. 0:52:04.876 --> 0:52:07.236 Like so it just I guess album cuts in the 0:52:07.276 --> 0:52:10.796 seventh it was jumped that it was the live record. 0:52:10.916 --> 0:52:14.076 If you're listening to that, that that the record they 0:52:14.236 --> 0:52:16.076 roar when it first comes on. But that came home 0:52:16.156 --> 0:52:17.156 on the Gratitude Reil on. 0:52:17.156 --> 0:52:19.516 The Gratitude Gratitude, and it's the live version you always 0:52:19.556 --> 0:52:23.276 would hear on the radio a lot with yeah, yeah, yeah, 0:52:23.876 --> 0:52:25.836 But but that was a big song already even before 0:52:25.836 --> 0:52:27.916 the live one came out, because, like you say, when 0:52:27.956 --> 0:52:28.796 the audience. 0:52:30.396 --> 0:52:31.836 It's pandemonium, they were crazy. 0:52:31.876 --> 0:52:34.116 I'm shocked it was never a single off of the 0:52:34.196 --> 0:52:36.756 previous album. Uh, that's the way of the world. 0:52:36.996 --> 0:52:37.236 Shot. 0:52:37.676 --> 0:52:41.116 Thanks for telling the truth all these years later. There 0:52:41.196 --> 0:52:44.876 it is, oh Man, appreciate you guys, Thank you, Thank you. 0:52:45.196 --> 0:52:48.116 Congratulations on the documentary. That's going to be exciting to 0:52:48.516 --> 0:52:50.876 be out in the world and we're excited HBO and 0:52:50.956 --> 0:52:53.116 quest love and thanks for all the years of music. 0:52:53.236 --> 0:52:56.396 Man, Thank you, thank you, Thanks for having us great interview. 0:52:56.516 --> 0:52:56.716 Thank you. 0:53:00.116 --> 0:53:02.636 Thanks so much to Philip Bailey, Verdin White, and Ralph 0:53:02.676 --> 0:53:05.076 Johnson earth Wing and Fire for joining us on the podcast. 0:53:05.276 --> 0:53:07.196 Be sure to check out their great new documentary on 0:53:07.436 --> 0:53:10.076 HBO now, and be sure to check us out at 0:53:10.116 --> 0:53:12.596 YouTube dot com slash Broken Record Podcast to see our 0:53:12.676 --> 0:53:15.556 video interviews and check the link in the description for 0:53:15.596 --> 0:53:18.236 a playlist of some of our favorite Earthwind and Fire songs, 0:53:18.676 --> 0:53:20.676 and be sure to follow us on Instagram at the 0:53:20.716 --> 0:53:23.276 Broken Record Pod. You can follow us on Twitter at 0:53:23.356 --> 0:53:26.436 Broken Record. Broken Record is produced and edited by Leah 0:53:26.516 --> 0:53:29.356 Rose with marketing help from Eric Sandler and Jordan McMillan. 0:53:29.516 --> 0:53:32.956 Our engineer is Ben Tolladay. Broken Record is a production 0:53:33.036 --> 0:53:35.716 of Pushkin Industries. If you love this show and others 0:53:35.756 --> 0:53:39.396 from Pushkin, consider subscribing to Pushkin Plus. Pushkin Plus is 0:53:39.396 --> 0:53:42.316 a podcast subscription that offers bonus content and ad free 0:53:42.356 --> 0:53:44.956 listening for four ninety nine a month. Look for Pushkin 0:53:44.956 --> 0:53:48.316 Plus on Apple podcast subscriptions. And if you like this show, 0:53:48.476 --> 0:53:50.396 please remember to share, rate, and review us on your 0:53:50.436 --> 0:53:53.996 podcast app Our theme musics by Kenny Beats. I'm justin Richmond.