in Chicago.
erdine
V
For more than 40 years, Earth, Wind
& Fire has been been blurring the boundaries between soul, funk, pop, rock and
R&B, selling over 90 million albums, winning a half-dozen Grammy Awards, getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame and churning out more hits than
Earth, Wind & Fire 2014: (L to R:) Verdine White, Philip Bailey, Ralph Johnson,
Illinois Entertainer: Earth, Wind & Fire
has always remained active on the road,
but it's been eight years between albums.
What accounted for the recording break?
Verdine White: At that particular time we
had done Illumination, which did really
well with guest stars like Raphael Saadiq,
Big Boi [and will.i.am] and after that we
got so busy. Our concert touring schedule
really went up ten fold, plus there were
TV shows and Grammy appearances.
[Late last year] we decided that it's time
to get back at it. It turned out really well
and was a great experience.
IE:
How
would
you
contrast
Illumination with Now, Then & Forever?
07•2014
could even be mentioned. As one of the
hardest working bands in the business to
this very day, hardly a year goes by when
the veterans don't hit the road, though
this season marks a somewhat momentous occasion. Not only are the rhythmic
regulars touring in support of their first
entirely new album in eight years, but
Now, Then & Forever (Legacy Recordings)
just so happens to mark its 20th studio
album and is accompanied by a return to
roots sound. Here are some highlights
from a conversation with original bassist
Verdine White about the trailblazing
journey thus far, which began right here
8 illinoisentertainer.com july 2014
VW: Well this one is the classic sound. It's
definitely all Earth, Wind & Fire, so it
sounds like us and it's very authentic.
With Illumination, it's a really good
record, but I think the fans that maybe
didn't want to see us do records with
other people will find this one more
authentic. The other one was great for it's
time and you've got to make records for
the times. The times were different eight
years ago than they are now…A lot of it
has to do with the parents introducing
the music of their generation [to their
kids].
IE: Are there any newer artists you are
listening to these days?
VW: There are a lot of great new artists
like Bruno Mars, Adele, Lorde and
Mumford & Sons. I really love Mumford,
which is probably totally different than
what people think I would listen to!
IE: Out of all your many iconic albums,
what's been your favorite and why?
VW: I love That's The Way Of The World
because it's the first big record that we