Earth, Wind and Fire: Return to Boogie Wonderland

Earth, Wind and Fire were in the canguard of 70s black music. Photo / Supplied

When songwriter and band leader Maurice White moved to Los Angeles from Chicago in the late 60s and wanted a bass player to play in his new, as yet un-named band, he called his little brother Verdine.

And now, 42 years on, the band that would become Earth Wind and Fire is still going - though Maurice, who suffers from Parkinsons disease, stopped touring with the band in 1994.

But, says Verdine, he is still very much the spiritual leader of EWF.

"He makes decisions and keeps reminding us to keep the quality of music up," he says in his deep, crispy voice.

Verdine remembers the excitement of leaving his hometown of Chicago as a 19-year-old to join his brother.

"When I first came out to Los Angeles I was just out there to see what was going to happen - and it really worked out for us," he says. "But I had no idea it was going to turn out like this."

By that he means winning six Grammy awards, six top 10 US albums, including the classic 1975 albums That's The Way of the World and Gratitude both hitting No. 1 in the States, their 1979 hit Boogie Wonderland was a classic of the disco era, and more recently they were invited to funk up the White House at the request of Barack Obama.

"Oh yeah, he's pretty cool," chuckles Verdine.

The band, which these days is also made up of long-time members drummer Ralph Johnson and singer Phil Bailey, play the 50th National Jazz Festival in Tauranga from April 5-9. You might also remember Bailey from his 1984 solo hit Easy Lover with Phil Collins.

"There are so many great places to go these days," says Verdine of the band's non-stop touring.

"And the audiences still love it and you know, we've got five generations of kids coming to see us now."

I tell him I was 3 when That's The Way Of the World came out - yet that and Gratitude (a part-studio, part-live album) are now both favourite records of mine.

"You were conceived on that music man," he laughs. "They were really great records. We were really happy to make those records."

The career turning point for the band came with That's the Way of the World, a soundtrack to a bomb of a movie starring Harvey Keitel. The story goes that after seeing the film the band realised it wasn't going to set the box office alight.

"It was not successful. Not successful," Verdine laughs - so they rushed the release of the album.

And it blew up, thanks to classic songs such as the arse-shaking funk and soul of Shining Star and the title track which was poignant and reflective, yet deeply groovy, man.

"We had been playing across the whole country and that album was a special album - and we knew that when we were making it. It become the No. 1 album on all the Billboard charts, and Shining Star was our first No. 1 single. It's a brilliant tune, and people still love it today."

That song is the first track on the album, and perhaps EWF's most famous tune, along with Boogie Wonderland and 1978 single September, with the beautiful first lines, "Do you remember the 21st night of September, love was changing the mind of pretenders ... ".

Meanwhile, songs that were highlights of the band's live shows included the crazed percussion and horn-driven instrumental Africano ("It was just a live groove. It was just what we do, man, you know.") and the nine-minute epic New World Symphony ("That was my song. It was long, huh. But it was great though, you know.")

Back then, as well as being at the forefront of black music along with everyone from the Commodores and Parliament/Funkadelic to Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder ("Talking Book, oh man," he says of Wonder's 1972 classic.), EWF were putting together elaborate and wild live shows which included magicians, pyrotechnics, and the band even disappearing into thin air on occasion.

"Michael Jackson would come to our concerts and watch what we were doing and he would do the same things in his concerts that we were doing. It was innovative stuff and it was great from an audience point of view."

But mostly it was all about "the songs, man, you've got to have great songs and they were great songs."

"It was a very important time for black music and I think what we brought that was unique was the lyrical content and the messages in those songs," he says.

The main songwriter was Maurice, with other band members chipping in along the way, and Verdine remembers his brother always having an ear for a good tune, even when they were growing up.

Maurice used to bring home records for his family to listen to when he was a session drummer at renowned Chicago record label Chess Records, which was home to some of the finest American blues, R&B, soul and gospel music of the 50s and 60s.

"He always knew what a great song was. He knew his stuff. We were spoilt."

And that is manifest in the canon of EWF songs, the legacy of which lives on today reckons Verdine.

"It's still being written.

"The key is good songs, man, good songs.

"We've been around for a long time and I think my job is to remind everybody out there what it is we do and bringing that energy to the group on a consistent basis.

"And I just think people like the work we do. And the songs are timeless. And we still put a lot of effort into the shows."

Jazz festival highlights

Klaus Dolinger's Passport
Where and when: BOP Times Festival Hall, April 7, 7pm
This German jazzman and saxophonist sounds like quite a character. He has scored several films, including The Never Ending Story; when he first toured Australia many years ago his support band were AC/DC, and the Passport live show he brings to Tauranga started in 1971.

Patti Austin
Where and when: Birthday Bash, Tauranga Domain, April 8, 5pm-10pm
The Goddaughter of mega-producer Quincy Jones started singing professionally when she was 5 and hasn't stopped since. As well as singing the duet It's the Falling In Love with Michael Jackson on 1979's Off The Wall, she scored a No. 1 US hit with Baby, Come To Me in 1982.

Keb Mo
Where and when: Birthday Bash, Tauranga Domain, April 8, 5pm-10pm
The American bluesman returns to New Zealand and brings his contemporary Delta-meets-country blues sound to the big concert of the weekend. For what to expect check out his self-titled debut album from 1994.

Kurt Elling
Where and when: Holy Trinity, April 6, 8pm
This Chicago-born jazz vocalist is best known for his rich baritone. Signed to the legendary Blue Note label until 2005, he is now on Concord Records which is home to the likes of Tony Bennett and George Benson.

Hurricane Party
Where and when: Baycourt, April 6, 10pm-1.30am
This knees-up features local acts including percussive and horn heavy Brazilian-style party band Batucada Sound Machine, Wellington supergroup the Eggs (made up of members of Fat Freddys Drop, Phoenix Foundation, and Twinset), and Eru Dangerspiel band leader and former TrinityRoots drummer Riki Gooch and multi-instrumentalist Adam Page are a Band of Thousands.

Lowdown

Who: Earth Wind and Fire
What: Funk soul and disco legends
Where & when: The 50th National Jazz Festival, Tauranga. At various venues from April 5-9. EWF play the Birthday Bash, 5pm-10pm, April 8, Tauranga Domain with Keb Mo, and Patti Austin.
For more info: Go to jazz.org.nz
Listen to: Earth Wind and Fire (1971); That's the Way of the World (1975); Gratitude (1975); Spirit (1976); I Am (1979)

- TimeOut