had done and it was a beautiful record to
make. The Spirit record was great and I
loved All ‘N All, which was a very creative and very raw record. I Am from
1979 was a classic [with "After The Love
Has Gone" and "Boogie Wonderland"]. It
was ten years from when we made our
first record and it showed our growth
and maturity.
IE: What is it about the Earth, Wind &
Fire sound that's so immediately identifiable?
you seem to be regulars at Ravinia. What
keeps you coming back to that venue?
VW: It's a really wonderful venue and it
sounds great. This will be our third time
there. It's in Highland Park, which is further out than Chicago, but it's still in my
hometown.
IE: What are your memories of the band's
earliest roots here in town?
VW: Well of course all praise has to be
given to my brother Maurice (White)
because he started the band. The genesis
07•2014
VW: I think it's just the chemistry of what
it sounds like. You've got the great
rhythm section, the horns and just the
combination of it all. We've always tried
hard on the musicality end.
IE: What classic songs do you simply
have to play live? And have you started
incorporating the new ones into the set?
VW: Well, you know, you can't not do
"September," you can't not do "Boogie
Wonderland" and you can't not do
"Fantasy." You have to do those three,
and if you don't do "September" especially, they won't be coming back…It's
always high energy and the new songs
are also flowing really well. "My
Promise," "Love Is Law" and "Dance
Floor" are great ones to do.
IE: When it comes to the Chicago area,
10 illinoisentertainer.com july 2014
of the group started in Chicago…I was a
teenager at the time listening to Jimi
Hendrix, the Beatles, Motown and all
that stuff as you're trying to find your
direction. We're on the other side of our
career now, so there's more of a history.
But back then, we were still trying to find
those definite sounds and I was a teenager, so I didn't know what was going on. I
think about that often, then realize, "wel