Powerlight
Encyclopedia
Powerlight is the twelfth studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire
, produced by the band's leader Maurice White
for Kalimba Productions, and released in February 1983. Powerlight has been certified gold for selling over 500, 000 copies in the US. Powerlight went to number 12 and number 4 on the Pop and R&B album charts and the single "Fall in Love with Me
" reached number 17 and number 4 on the Pop and R&B charts. "Fall in Love with Me" was also Grammy nominated for Best R&B vocal performance by A Duo or group.
says that on the album "we're free to gape at this band's spectacular popcraft" and summed up his review by describing Powerlight as "the best argument for universalism
they'll ever make".
and "Side by Side" has been sampled by Common on Charms Alarm on his album Can I Borrow a Dollar?
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
, produced by the band's leader Maurice White
Maurice White
Maurice White is a Grammy Award–winning American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger. He is the older brother of Verdine White and Fred White and the leader and founder of the band Earth, Wind & Fire...
for Kalimba Productions, and released in February 1983. Powerlight has been certified gold for selling over 500, 000 copies in the US. Powerlight went to number 12 and number 4 on the Pop and R&B album charts and the single "Fall in Love with Me
Fall In Love With Me
"Fall In Love With Me" is a song by Earth, Wind & Fire which was written by Wayne Vaughn and Wanda Vaughn. It was released in 1982 as a single and included on the band's 1983 LP, Powerlight. "Fall In Love With Me " peaked at number 4 and number 17 on the R&B and Pop singles charts...
" reached number 17 and number 4 on the Pop and R&B charts. "Fall in Love with Me" was also Grammy nominated for Best R&B vocal performance by A Duo or group.
Critical reception
Allmusic's Craig Lytle refers to the album as "an entertaining piece" and goes on to say that "Throughout the entire album, White's unifying message is fueled by the aggressive rhythms and relaxing melodies". Robert ChristgauRobert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
says that on the album "we're free to gape at this band's spectacular popcraft" and summed up his review by describing Powerlight as "the best argument for universalism
Universalism
Universalism in its primary meaning refers to religious, theological, and philosophical concepts with universal application or applicability...
they'll ever make".
Track listing
Later samples
"Something Special" has been sampled by Will Smith on the title track of his album Big Willie StyleBig Willie Style
Big Willie Style is the first solo studio album recorded by Will Smith, after spending most of his career as the latter half of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince...
and "Side by Side" has been sampled by Common on Charms Alarm on his album Can I Borrow a Dollar?
Can I Borrow a Dollar?
Can I Borrow a Dollar? is the 1992 debut album by Chicago rapper Common, . released in the U.S on October 6, 1992. The album was entirely produced by No I.D , The Beatnuts and Twilite Tone. It contains guest vocals from Immenslope, Miss Jones and Common's then-girlfriend Rayshel...
Charts
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Black Albums | 4 |
| Pop Albums | 12 |
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
22 |
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | "Fall In Love With Me" | Black Singles | 4 |
| Club Play Singles | 31 | ||
| Pop Singles | 17 | ||
| "Side By Side" | Black Singles | 15 | |
| Pop Singles | 76 | ||
| "Spread Your Love" | Black Singles | 57 |
Performers
- Backing Vocals, Guitar - Beloyd Taylor
- Bass - Verdine WhiteVerdine WhiteVerdine White is the bassist for Earth, Wind & Fire and the younger brother of fellow band member Maurice White. White is known for his high energy and dancing while playing his bass guitar during Earth, Wind & Fire concerts.-Early life:...
- Cello - Douglas Davis, Earl Madison, Frederick Seykora, Larry Corbett, Ronald Cooper, Suzie Katayama
- Double Bass - Arni Egilsson
- Drums, Percussion - Fred White
- Guitar - Roland BautistaRoland BautistaRoland Bautista is a guitar player who has played in the band Earth, Wind & Fire, and also with Tom Waits.-Career:Bautista played on the EWF album Last Days and Time and left the band soon after the album's release....
- Harp - Dorothy Remsen
- Keyboards - Eddie Del Barrio, Rick Kelly, Skip Scarborough, Wayne Vaughn
- Percussion - Paulinho Da CostaPaulinho Da CostaPaulinho da Costa is a Brazilian percussionist born in Rio de Janeiro, considered one of the most recorded musicians of modern times. Playing over two hundred percussion instruments, he has participated in thousands of recording sessions, Grammy Award-winning albums, hit songs, soundtracks, radio...
, Ralph Johnson - Piano - Maxanne Lewis
- Saxophone - Donald Myrick
- Saxophone [Tenor] - Andrew Woolfolk
- Steel Drums - Robert Greenidge
- Tabla - Zakir Hussein
- Trombone - Bill Reichenbach Jr., Charles Lopez* , George Bohanon, Lew McCreary, Louis Satterfield
- Trumpet - Chuck FindleyChuck FindleyChuck Findley is an American session musician. Most widely-known as a trumpet player, he also plays other brass instruments such as flugelhorn and trombone...
, Gary Grant, Michael Harris, Oscar BrashearOscar BrashearOscar Brashear is an American jazz trumpeter and session musician.After studying at DuSable High School he worked briefly with Woody Herman before going on to join Count Basie '68-9, returning to freelance in Chicago with Sonny Stitt, Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon and James Moody...
, Rahmlee Michael Davis - Viola - Alan Deveritch, Allan Harshman, Carole Mukogawa, David Schwartz, Joel Soultanian, Linn Subotnick, Milton Kestenbaum, Pamela Goldsmith, Roland Karo, Rollice Dale
- Violin - Anatol Kaminsky, Arnold Belnick, Bill Hybel, Bob Sanov, Brenton Banks, George Kast, Haim Shtrum, Harold Bluestone, Janet Lakatos, Karen Jones, Marshall Sosson, Miwako Watanabe, Myer Bello, Nathan Ross, Nicole Bush, Pamela Tompkins* , Robert Lipsett, Robert Sushel, Ron Clarck* , Shari Zippert, Sheldon Sanov, Stanley Plummer
- Vocals [Additional] - Ms. Pluto
- Vocals, Percussion - Philip Bailey
Production
- Arranged By [Horns, Strings] - Bill Meyers
- Arranged By [Horns, Strings], Keyboards - George Del Barrio
- Arranged By [Horns], Trumpet - Jerry Hey
- Artwork By [Art Direction] - Monte White, Roger Carpenter
- Artwork By [Illustration] - Shusei Nagaoka
- Concertmaster - Assa Drori, David Frisina
- Engineer [Assistant] - Robert Spano, Steve Crimmel
- Mastered By - Bernie Grundman
- Mixed By [Additional] - Tom Perry
- [Production Staff] - Geri White, Leonard Smith, Monte White
- [Steel Drums Made By] - Rudolph Charles
- Producer, Vocals, Drums, Kalimba - Maurice White
- Recorded By, Mixed By - Mick Guzauki
- Synthesizer [Pianon], Programmed By [Synthesizer] - Larry Dunn
- Synthesizer [Prophet] - Azar Lawrence