Search results
Drawing from this reservoir of great musicians, the Al McKay Allstars have demonstrated the highest regard and commitment to retaining the excellence of the original EWF sound.
May 24, 2017 · Toazted talked with Earth wind & fire legend Al McKay when he played in Alkmaar, Holland and we teamed up for an interview. ...more. Check out this classic interview ...
- 5 min
- 1184
- Toazted
- "Keep Your Head to The Sky"
- "Shining Star"
- "That's The Way of The World"
- "Reasons"
- "l'll Write A Song For You"
- "Fantasy"
- "Got to Get You Into My Life"
- "September"
- "Boogie Wonderland"
- "After The Love Is Gone"
This spiritual — and spirit-lifting — ballad from Head to the Skywas written by White during EWF's "time in the light," says Bailey: "Maurice wanted to use the music in a way to uplift people and 'to render a service to humanity.' That's his direct quote. We wanted to leave positivity and enlightenment." As for the glass-shattering whistle notes he...
EWF's first and only single to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — and the song that won the group its first of six Grammys — had a prophetic title. "'Shining Star' was the song that broke a lot of barriers, that crossed over," says Bailey, who co-wrote the tune with Maurice White and Larry Dunn, the band's former keyboardist. The track — like the...
The title of this song — and its namesake 1975 album, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — comes from a movie starring Harvey Keitel in which Earth, Wind & Fire appeared as a band simply called the Group. Although it was essentially a soundtrack, Maurice didn't want the album to be heavily promoted as such. "He didn't want to put a big banner acr...
The inspiration behind this epic slow jam isn't as romantic as many fans might think it is. "It's funny 'cause people say, 'We played that song at my wedding,' and I'm like, 'Did you listen to the lyrics?' The song is talking about a one-night stand," explains Bailey. "Me and Maurice were talking about the on-the-road life, what was going on at tha...
As lovey-dovey as it sounds, this songwriter's declaration from 1977's All 'n All wasn't penned for that kind of sweetheart. It was written as an ode to Bailey's now 42-year-old daughter Pili — whose mother is the Emotions singer Jeanette Hutchinson — after he found out that he was going to be a dad. "I was in Florida, and I got the news that Jeane...
For this mystical voyage, Maurice took a cue from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. But a close encounter of a different kind almost kept Bailey from singing. "I used to play basketball and run every morning," he says, "and on the day that I had to sing the lead to that, I was playing with my best friend. He elbowed me and knocked my front tooth ...
Johnson stepped up from drummer to hype man, percussionist, and background vocalist thanks to this hit 1978 Beatles' cover. "We were asked to participate in a movie called Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and each band that was performing was asked to cover a Beatles tune," he says. "So we covered 'Got to Get You Into My Life,' and we're on t...
"What was great about that song is that Al — we called him Sweets — always was working on this lick," says Verdine White. "Al always was in the pocket." But when Maurice and co-writer Allee Willis were having trouble coming up with lyrics for the chorus, they decided to just "let it be a vibe," as White says, with that famous "ba-dee-ya" hook. "Whe...
Although it had people kicking up their boogie shoes, this hit from I Amwasn't designed to be the disco anthem that it became. "We were not chasing after the disco trend. We cared less [about that]," says Johnson. "Matter of fact, that tune was cut for another group — Curtis, the Brothers — that Al McKay was producing. Maurice heard it, and he said...
Before legendary producer-writer David Foster worked with superstar divas like Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, and Celine Dion, he co-wrote this EWF ballad that found big love on both the pop and R&B charts. "Foster was one of the biggest session piano players in the game; he met Maurice and had 'After the Love Is Gone,' " says White. "But we we...
- Chuck Arnold
The Al McKay All Stars’ live show, led by Al McKay, the talented former EWF guitar player and one of their songwriters, showered the crowd with songs from the years when Earth, Wind & Fire were at the top of their game.
Earth, Wind & Fire ( EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin, and Afro-pop. [4] [5] They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million records worldwide. [6] [7] [8]
Mar 24, 2008 · Al McKay was a vital member of Earth Wind & Fire and has every right in the world to perform the hits September, Sing a Song, etc. because he wrote them together with Maurice White, recorded, arranged and performed them, too.
People also ask
Who are Al McKay & Earth Wind & Fire?
Who is Al McKay?
Who are Al McKay Allstars?
Where did EWF perform?
McKay continues the tradition of greatness with his new single, “Heed The Message,” a song with a message and a full sound that harken to his days with EWF. “The song’s message is ‘Do the best you can,’” McKay explains.
