Legendary band Earth, Wind & Fire will release their 23rd career album, Illumination, through Sanctuary Records Group on September 20, 2005.
Anchored by founding members Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Verdine White and
Ralph Johnson, Illumination offers an array of stellar producers and guest artists
that have appreciated and gleaned profound inspiration from Earth, Wind &
Fire's extraordinary career.
The influence and timeless signature sound of Earth, Wind & Fire is crystal
clear with the single releases. Black Eyed Peas leader Wil I Am wrote and produced
the rousing "Lovely People" complete with peppery horn and kalimba
lines. Super producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis tip their trademark hats
in tribute to the horn-laced ensemble sound of The Fire with the gently uplifting
"Pure Gold."
The seeds of Illumination's origin sprang from an idea lead singer Philip Bailey
had of collaborating with a new generation of soul artists for his next solo
album. "The idea of illumination is vibrant and positive," states
EWF's Philip Bailey. "Earth Wind & Fire collaborating with the new
soul movement made sense because the thrust of their music is still about playing
instruments and utilizing vintage sounds, only in today's setting."
Jam & Lewis' sexy flirtation "Love Dance" on Illumination was
playfully utilized in the 2005 animated film release, Robots. Grammy Award winner
Raphael Saadiq(Tony! Toni! Tone!; Lucy Pearl) produced four songs on Illumination,
including "Show Me the Way" - a duet he sings with EWF leader Maurice
White and that earned a 2004 Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal by a Duo
or Group. He also contributes the samba-rooted "Work it Out;" a fitting
showcase for Philip's falsetto titled "Pass You By;" and the vibrant
opening track "Love Together."
For Illumination's star-studded track, EWF bounces to the ATL for the hip hop-laced
party joint "This Is How I Feel," produced by Organized Noize and
featuring rapper Big Boi of OutKast, and singers Sleepy Brown and Kelly Rowland
of Destiny's Child in a duet with EWF lead singer Philip Bailey. This steamy
invitation to boogie was also used this year in the Will Smith romantic comedy,
Hitch.
Crooner Brian McKnight's fusion of key elements from past Earth, Wind &
Fire's classic ballads creates his own epic, "To You." Acclaimed female
poetry/soul duo Floetry bring their conscience cleansing balm to the soothing
motivator "Elevated" (produced by Darren Henson and Keith Pelzer).
R&B futurist Vikter Duplaix laces the joyously tropical instrumental "Liberation,"
which features tantalizing bursts of EWF's wondrous wordless vocal melodies.
As a bonus, the pied piper of soprano sax Kenny G guests on a cover of OutKast's
infectious, instant club classic, "The Way You Move."
Earth, Wind & Fire is simply one of the most important, influential, innovative
and commercially omnipotent contemporary pop music bands of the 20th century.
Their 35-year history produced million and millions of albums sold worldwide
(including eight double-platinum albums, two platinum albums and three gold
albums). Five #1 R&B albums, one #1 Pop and eight Top 10 Pop albums, and
eight #1 R&B singles.
Earth, Wind & Fire and the founding members have eight Grammy Awards, four
American Music Awards, honors from the NAACP and BET and a Star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame. The coup de grace: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2000.
Earth Wind & Fire remains to this day one of the top globally popular touring
attractions with a catalog of mega-hits spanning over three decades.
ILLUMINATION - Track listing:
1. LOVE TOGETHER Produced by Raphael Saadiq (Written by R. Saadiq, K. Wooten)
2. PURE GOLD Produced & Written by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
3. LOVE'S DANCE Produced & Written by Jimmy & Terry Lewis
4. SHOW ME THE WAY- FEAT. RAPHAEL SAADIQ Produced by R. Saadiq (Written by
R. Saadiq, T. Jackson)
5. THIS IS HOW I FEEL - FEAT. SLEEPY BROWN, BIG BOI & KELLY ROWLAND (Written
and Produced by Organized Noize)
6. LOVELY PEOPLE - FEAT. WIL I AM of THE BLACK EYED PEAS (Produced & Written
by WIL I AM)
7. PASS YOU BY Produced by Raphael Saadiq (Written by R. Saadiq, T. Jackson)
8. THE ONE Produced by Organized Noize (Written by P. Brown, R. Murray, R.
Wade)
9. TO YOU - FEAT. BRIAN MCKNIGHT Produced & Written by Brian McKnight
10. ELEVATED - FEAT. FLOETRY Produced By Darren Henson & Keith Pelzer (Written
by M. Ambrosius, N. Stewart, D. Henson, K. Pelzer)
11. LIBERATION Produced & Written by Vikter Duplaix
12. WORK IT OUT Produced by Raphael Saadiq (Written by R. Saadiq, T. Jackson,
S. Bailey, K. Wooten)
BONUS TRACK - THE WAY YOU MOVE - Kenny G & Earth, Wind & Fire
