Maurice White was first and foremost a jazz musician. EW&F came straight out of that tradition, overlaid with church music underpinnings, classic R&B, kickass rhythms and amazing vocal arrangements.
Nobody but Maurice could have created that band, (Lawd knows I tried. The 70s were a really creative time for me as well but I’m just journeyman, not genius and that level of forever music escaped me.)
Thank you Maurice. I’m glad to have lived in the same time with you, Stevie Wonder and the others who essentially made me a far better musician than I’d ever have been without you.
Rest In Peace, Brother. You earned it.
And a shout out to Philip Bailey and Verdine White who keep the magic going after all these years!!
Maurice is gone and Dick Cheney is still shambling on. There ain’t no god.
7.
gogol's wife
Rest in peace. Great music.
8.
mark
Serpentine Fire! Loved that song. Earth, Wind, and Fire contributed a great deal to the sound of those times.
Every time I hear one of their songs it takes me back to a cherished time, despite the flaws of those times.
It was my time of coming of age.
RIP buddy. You were a great American!
9.
mclaren
The sheer godawfulness of cruddy music like this could peel paint from the walls.
If you put this song on a set of speakers, the cones would implode into black holes of craptasticality and disappear into another space-time continuum.
10.
Waspuppet
I feel now like a lot of people felt when Bowie died. I really felt like when I first heard those guys, I was finally listening to people who saw the world the way I did.
The hits are all great, and I’m on my phone so I can’t get YouTube links, but look for “In the Stone,” “Can’t Let Go” and “Let Your Feelings Show.” Put those together with “After the Love Has Gone” and that’s a pretty goddamn not-shabby album side.
Once again, you prove how truly stupid and worthless you opinions are. You have no soul. I’d slit my wrists if I was that stupid and lacking in any joy.
13.
Emma
Lord. Another one. I am getting old.
14.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@geg6: I’ll second that. And your next comment, also, too.
I set my ringtone to the intro of “September”, last September, because there’s nothing like the anticipation of Maurice asking us if we remember the 21st day of September. Bowie is assembling a helluva band up there, waiting for us olds.
17.
FridayNext
This song should serve to remind us that though Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was an absolutely shitty movie, some of the tunes that came from were not half bad.
18.
Evap
I always thought that the EW&F version of Got To Get You Into My Life was one of the few great Beatles covers. And dancing to September is one of my fondest memories from college days.
19.
Scamp Dog
@mclaren: I attempted to verify your claim. I found that the speakers survived, the paint on the walls remains intact, and I felt happier (groovier, even!) as well. Perhaps there’s something else wrong with your stereo equipment? Or your ears? Wait, maybe your heart.
@geg6: I remember real good. I loved top 40 music, disco, rock, pop music, whatever. I wasn’t a purist of any genre. I loved it all. Great days.
22.
PJ
@mclaren: God, you’re a tool. But your inability to experience or appreciate joy does go some way to explaining your behavior
23.
mark
This is a big country and we have plenty of room for our African brothers, they’ve been a huge part of our history!
24.
Death Panel Truck
@mclaren: Hey, mclaren, I’ve got an idea: why don’t you go out to the garage and huff some gas fumes out of your lawn mower?
Oh, wait…you’ve done that already.
25.
oldster
I’d also like to point out that Maurice White and Louis Satterfield, the rhythm section that started EWF, are also the rhythm section behind the greatest James Jamerson bass-line not written by James Jamerson, backing the greatest Aretha Franklin song not recorded by Aretha Franklin, on one of the greatest Motown hits not recorded by Motown.
I mean “Rescue Me,” of course, by Fontella Bass. She’s a great singer, but my god that groove. Even the Funk Brothers would have been proud to call that their own.
And then they went off and started EWF.
RIP Maurice White–so many gifts you gave to our country and the world.
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Sad_Dem
Goodbye, you shining star.
WereBear
Most awesome. They were like no other. Thank you, Mr. White.
Bill E Pilgrim
After Maurice is gone.
Co-written by the great Bill Champlin.
This is my other favorite.
Nothing better.
Sigh. That’s the way of the world.
Aleta
Here’s a couple songs with Maurice White drum solos and fantastic thumb piano (marimbula) solos (from before EWFire began).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZplRqjs3JE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FcySx5jusk
gwangung
Sigh.
Ajabu
Maurice White was first and foremost a jazz musician. EW&F came straight out of that tradition, overlaid with church music underpinnings, classic R&B, kickass rhythms and amazing vocal arrangements.
Nobody but Maurice could have created that band, (Lawd knows I tried. The 70s were a really creative time for me as well but I’m just journeyman, not genius and that level of forever music escaped me.)
Thank you Maurice. I’m glad to have lived in the same time with you, Stevie Wonder and the others who essentially made me a far better musician than I’d ever have been without you.
Rest In Peace, Brother. You earned it.
And a shout out to Philip Bailey and Verdine White who keep the magic going after all these years!!
Maurice is gone and Dick Cheney is still shambling on. There ain’t no god.
gogol's wife
Rest in peace. Great music.
mark
Serpentine Fire! Loved that song. Earth, Wind, and Fire contributed a great deal to the sound of those times.
Every time I hear one of their songs it takes me back to a cherished time, despite the flaws of those times.
It was my time of coming of age.
RIP buddy. You were a great American!
mclaren
The sheer godawfulness of cruddy music like this could peel paint from the walls.
If you put this song on a set of speakers, the cones would implode into black holes of craptasticality and disappear into another space-time continuum.
Waspuppet
I feel now like a lot of people felt when Bowie died. I really felt like when I first heard those guys, I was finally listening to people who saw the world the way I did.
The hits are all great, and I’m on my phone so I can’t get YouTube links, but look for “In the Stone,” “Can’t Let Go” and “Let Your Feelings Show.” Put those together with “After the Love Has Gone” and that’s a pretty goddamn not-shabby album side.
geg6
@mark:
I couldn’t say any better. Music of my teen/young adult years. Loved EW&F. Do you remember?
geg6
@mclaren:
Once again, you prove how truly stupid and worthless you opinions are. You have no soul. I’d slit my wrists if I was that stupid and lacking in any joy.
Emma
Lord. Another one. I am getting old.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@geg6: I’ll second that. And your next comment, also, too.
chopper
@mclaren:
hey look, “a dude on the Internet with opinions”.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
I set my ringtone to the intro of “September”, last September, because there’s nothing like the anticipation of Maurice asking us if we remember the 21st day of September. Bowie is assembling a helluva band up there, waiting for us olds.
FridayNext
This song should serve to remind us that though Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was an absolutely shitty movie, some of the tunes that came from were not half bad.
Evap
I always thought that the EW&F version of Got To Get You Into My Life was one of the few great Beatles covers. And dancing to September is one of my fondest memories from college days.
Scamp Dog
@mclaren: I attempted to verify your claim. I found that the speakers survived, the paint on the walls remains intact, and I felt happier (groovier, even!) as well. Perhaps there’s something else wrong with your stereo equipment? Or your ears? Wait, maybe your heart.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@Scamp Dog:
FTW
mark
@geg6: I remember real good. I loved top 40 music, disco, rock, pop music, whatever. I wasn’t a purist of any genre. I loved it all. Great days.
PJ
@mclaren: God, you’re a tool. But your inability to experience or appreciate joy does go some way to explaining your behavior
mark
This is a big country and we have plenty of room for our African brothers, they’ve been a huge part of our history!
Death Panel Truck
@mclaren: Hey, mclaren, I’ve got an idea: why don’t you go out to the garage and huff some gas fumes out of your lawn mower?
Oh, wait…you’ve done that already.
oldster
I’d also like to point out that Maurice White and Louis Satterfield, the rhythm section that started EWF, are also the rhythm section behind the greatest James Jamerson bass-line not written by James Jamerson, backing the greatest Aretha Franklin song not recorded by Aretha Franklin, on one of the greatest Motown hits not recorded by Motown.
I mean “Rescue Me,” of course, by Fontella Bass. She’s a great singer, but my god that groove. Even the Funk Brothers would have been proud to call that their own.
And then they went off and started EWF.
RIP Maurice White–so many gifts you gave to our country and the world.