Dwight Brooks: To say that Earth Wind & Fire was created in Chicago is a bit of a misnomer. Only five musicians, including Maurice White, made the voyage from Chicago to Los Angeles. Earth Wind & Fire existed primarily in the mind and heart of Maurice White. And here is part of his story. Greetings, welcome and thanks for tuning in to Tracking Earth, Wind and Fire. I'm your host, Doc Brooks. I want to earn your subscription and support for my podcasts. So please subscribe on YouTube and follow each episode on Apple as we now are in video. you can also follow our playlist of great songs that I've put together from this and all episodes on Spotify. I welcome your emails at T-R-A-C-K-I-N-G-EWF at gmail.com. even Maurice White claims that on April 3rd, 1970, the original, his words, Earth Wind and Fire, left for Los Angeles from Chicago. However, in reality, These five musicians constituted only half of what would become the original Earth, Wind and Fire. So here they are: Maurice White, as you know, vocalist, percussion, and kalimba. Wade Flemings was the vocalist, Don Whitehead, keyboardist, and Yaakov Ben Israel, drummer. Those four members were all a part of the Salty Peppers. Plus Sherry Scott. She was a vocalist. So those are the five musicians. And even Maurice White's concept of Earth Wind & Fire was probably still a work in progress. They didn't even have a manager. They didn't have a label, as we will learn, to release their songs. So this episode provides another deep dive into the formation of the original Earth Wind & Fire. So get your goggles, because we're gonna go scuba diving deep. You know, I've always found Maurice White's decision to leave Chicago for Los Angeles a bit intriguing given his strong Chicago musical roots and the network he had built in the Windy City. In addition, Chicago had a stronger black music culture than LA, and White's family still lived in Chicago. On the other hand, Los Angeles had become the fastest rising music capital in the United States, overtaking New York due to its booming entertainment economy, modern recording culture, and dense collaborative artist communities. It created an ideal environment for experimental sounds and new bands like Earth, Wind and Fire. And most importantly, it provided a wonderful culture for ambitious musicians like Maurice White. As White was well aware, black music in the 1970s was uncharted waters. In his view, the industry still had the what he called race record mentality of the 1950s. And so most of the large labels that were based there did not even have black music divisions. And if they did, they were small. Even Barry Gordy would move Motown's operations to LA in 1972. Maurice White felt he could fill the void for a new audience brimming with musical, technological, and cultural opportunities. And so he believed that LA offered him direct access to those plus. The music industry gatekeepers, something Chicago just couldn't match. So he was supremely self-confident. We know he was very talented as a musician, and he knew exactly what he wanted. He just had to convince others about his concept of Earth, Wind, and Fire, and perhaps most importantly, find the musical team to execute his vision. So Earth, Wind and Fire was a Chicago creation in the sense that in the late 60s, Maurice White, then, as you know, a drummer for the Ramsey Lewis trio, formed a songwriting trio with two musicians who had become the earliest architects of the group. Wade Flemons we already mentioned him, the soul RB singer who had national chart success, and Don Whitehead, a keyboardist and composer deeply rooted in Chicago's soul and jazz scenes. And we know from previous episodes of tracking Earth, Wind and Fire. The trio wrote songs, recorded demos, and released singles under a band named The Salty Peppers. That band laid the foundation for what Reese White envisioned as a spiritually driven, musically expansive ensemble that he named Earth, Wind and Fire. Let me introduce you to the band members. First, the ones who traveled to LA with White, beginning with a young lady who Who would become the first female vocalist of the band? Sherry Scott had no previous association with White or the Salty Peppers, at least not one that we are aware of. Sherry Scott was a jazz-inflected vocalist from Chicago's South Side, and she was already preparing her own move for California around 1970 when Maurice White called her for a female member of his new band. And that's about all we know about Cherie Scott before she joined Earth, Wind and Fire. But according to White's memoir, she and Maurice rode in his sloped back, pointy tailed burgundy 1966 Buick Rivera. From Chicago to LA. And I'll talk about Scott's work with Earth, Wind and Fire and her career after Earth, Wind and Fire in later episodes. So I've already introduced you to in previous episodes to the other musicians who travel with White to LA. So here's a brief recap just in case you forgot or missed it. Phillard Williams, who adopted the name Yaakov Ben Israel, was a drummer and percussionist connected to Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. He was steeped in the spiritual and cultural movements that were reshaping black music at that time. Now, most photos and concert footage show Yaakov ben Israel wearing a red fez that is associated with select African American spiritual movements and Hebrew Israelite identity. And in my research, I found that Discogs and a few other profiles conflate him with Yehuda ben Israel, of the pharaohs. And apparently they are different musicians. So while documentation on the percussionists is sparse, I can confirm the following. Later in life, he used the name Afifi Fillard, suggesting a shift toward Islamic or even perhaps Moorish identity. Yaakov Ben Israel's spiritual presence and percussion work really helped shape the earliest version of Earth, Wind, and Fire. And like several others, I'm going to explore his work as a drummer on the first two EWF albums. Don Whitehead, or as they call him Head, was one of the three original architects of Earth Wind and Fire. And so before the band was even formed and had its name, Whitehead wrote songs and commercials in Chicago with Maurice White and Wade Flemons as part of the Salty Peppers. Whitehead played piano, acoustic piano, that is, electric guitar, and sang on the band's first two Warner Bros albums as well as performing with them in live performances. As a keyboardist, vocalist, and songwriter, Whitehead's Impact helped shape the foundation of Earth, Wind and Fire's unique sound. Now, we've talked about Wade Flemons but let me just give you a brief recap because he had a great career. He was a charting RB/slash soul singer, prolific Chicago songwriter. Long before he became Maurice White's perhaps closest creative partner. Flemons early hits, like Here I Stand, and he did this when he was in high school. And that made him a teenage star. And his songwriting legacy spans more than 200 compositions. And as I've mentioned before, most notably one of my favorite slow jams, The Dell's Stay in My Corner. The founding member of Earth Wind and Fire, Wade Flemons sang, wrote, and even played a little harmonica after settling in Los Angeles with the band in 1970. So with those introductions of the four musicians who travel with White to LA, here's one of the few things we know about their actual trip from Chicago to LA. Wade Flemons Don Whitehead, and Jakov Van Israel drove a raggedy Volkswagen bus that Maurice White had purchased for $150. And to no surprise, the VW bus broke down in the mountainous Utah area. And so White had to use some of the $3,000 that he took with him to pay the mechanic. They had an interesting exchange. And here is that exchange after a day-long repair was complete. And this is according to Maurice White's memoir. And so White sensed that the mechanic was a little nervous or on edge. So he said, Did you have trouble fixing our bus? The mechanic rubbed his head. Man, I'm just trying to get you boys out of here before dark. To which Maurice joked, Haha! Well, the Mormons are gonna get us? He shot back. Boy the Mormons are the least of your worries. And with that, the five musicians sped away as fast as they could into the Utah dusk. So that's what Maurice White wrote about the trip. Once in LA, Maurice moved into the landmark hotel alongside entertainers such as Archie Bell of Archie Bell and the Drells, you know that Tighten' up Joe Zawinuh before he started Weather Report the Chambers Brothers, Time, you know that song, and the legendary Janice Joplin. These stars would be joined by Gurus, Psychics, and even Reverend Ike Alright, young heads, after you watch or listen to this podcast, go Google Reverend Icke and some of the other names that you may not be familiar with. These are some fascinating people with very interesting life stories. Alongside these folks were a collection of unnamed pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers, and drug users. But Maurice White had work to do. He had a band, well, sort of. He needed a manager, and more important, as he would soon discover, a record label to distribute his band's music. He left Chicago under the impression that a record deal was already in the works. With Capitol Records, Because Capitol Records was the label that released the songs of the Salty Peppers. And with La La Time having some regional success, White assumed they would give him a new contract with his new band. So Maurice White visited the iconic Capitol Records Tower, and after waiting for more than an hour, he was called into the office and met with a group of men. And here's how White recalled that conversation. We're not picking up your contract. Waha, waha, what you're kidding, right? We're not picking up your contract. All right, not for an album, but a single, right? Not for an album. Not for a single or anything else. But our decision is final. White doesn't indicate if his former chess colleague who worked at Capitol at the time, Phil Wright. was present at this humiliating meeting. Probably not because White claims that he exited the meeting without shaking hands. No contract, no nothing. What would he tell the other members of his band? Yet Maurice still loved LA for its vibe, eclectic and diverse. The four men of Earth, Wind, and Fire, all contemporaries of White, would eat at a place called Organicville. You remember Questlove's documentary, Whitehead talked a little bit about Organicville. For White, this was his introduction to a higher level of healthy eating. And that gave him permission to call himself a vegetarian. It also Allowed him to meet his longtime partner, Marilyn. In fact, Marilyn named White's Buick Rivera Jerome. Why is anyone's guess, but most importantly, White needed musicians. although Don Whitehead had played a little bass guitar, White's five piece band did not have a fully dedicated bass player. So White thought that perhaps his 19 year old younger brother Verdine might be up to the task. White's words were what Verdine lacked in maturity, he made up in enthusiasm. And because they were not raised together, they really didn't know each other that well. But Maurice was able to convince Verdine and his family to come to LA and Verdine Adams, dropped the Adams and became Verdine White. Apparently, Verdine Adams White came to LA ready and eager for anything. He came with his Ampeg B50 bass amp and his eggshell colored Fender Telecaster bass. And if you're watching, you can see from this early photo of the bass guitarists. Performing with Earth, Wind and Fire, how the huge telecaster bass against Verdine's skinny frame made a distinct image on stage, especially when he and the bass were in constant motion. In fact, as you know, Verdine's on stage energy would become one of his and the band's trademarks. But as Maurice introduced Verdine to his new LA world, he also was recruiting musicians and play. As they could find work anywhere in that area. With six members, Earth Wind and Fire added a guitarist from Southern California named Michael Beale. He also played harmonica. Unfortunately, there's not much out there about Michael Beale. I'm still looking. His large round afro, or what we called back then a fro, is as distinguishable as Don Whitehead's beard. Beale appears to be one of those musicians who helped build the foundation of a legendary band and then sort of step back into the shadows. I could not even find a confirmed birthplace or detailed biography for him in the usual places that I get my information. There are no interviews, no major retrospectives. We do know that That Michael Beal recommended Ralph Johnson as a drummer to the White Brothers before he departed in 1971, maybe early 72. Maurice White completed his original Earth, Wind and Fire with a horn section, consisting of the following three musicians who gave Earth, Wind on Fire the big sound that Maurice White desired. First, Alex Thomas was the original trombonist in Earth, Wind and Fire's first LA lineup. He played on the band's 1971 Warner Brother releases and contributed to early horn arrangements. He continued working as a trombonist on jazz, soul, and RB recordings through the 1970s. And his credits show a career there after Earth, Wind and Fire included work with Genie Brown and the Blackbirds. Chester Chet Washington was a tenor saxophonist who actually really did help shape the woodwind and horn sound of the band's early jazz vibe. Even after Maurice White dissolved the original lineup in 1972, Washington continued working as a reed player in the Los Angeles soul and jazz scenes. Leslie Drayton is a Los Angeles-born trumpeter, arranger, and composer. And he played trumpet and arranged Earth, Wind & Fires horn charts. Drayton's father was a bassist for Lewis Jordan and Lena Horn. And his mother was actually the hairdresser, I'm told, for Pearl Bailey. Drayton started music at the age of five, playing the piano, bongos, and clarinet. He received his first trumpet from Benny Carter when he was 11 years old. And he was trained formerly in composition and arranging, and he was a member of various youth bands. His post-Earth Wind & Fire career is far more documented than some of the other members Therefore, I will detail Leslie Drayton's work in a later episode. I'm even trying to track him down as a guest on the podcast because apparently he's still active in music. But let me briefly note here that besides his big band and arranging work, Drayton formed a big band, the Leslie Drayton Orchestra. And he also collaborated with some of the biggest names in Seoul RB and Jazz that include Marvin Gaye, Sylvester, The Gap Band, Jimmy Smith, and Leslie Gore. And he remains, as I said, fairly active in music and in academia. Our next episode, will continue the story of Earth, Wind and Fire's early days in LA with Maurice White's biggest coup to date. His successful search for a manager landed ex-NFL great and actor Jim Brown. We'll also learn that Maurice White shared his concept of Earth Wind and Fire with almost anyone he encountered. And he also was distributing demo tapes of his new band. So I'll tell you about his new label. and the other people he assembled to help promote earth, wind, and fire. And of course, we will discuss in detail their debut album. Thank you for tuning in to Tracking Earth, Wind, and Fire, my deep dive podcast. A reminder: subscribe to my podcast, especially on YouTube. You can also follow the podcast on Apple and now watch on Apple Podcasts. Don't forget to check out my playlist. I have one that I do for each episode. You can find those on Spotify. You'll hear songs from Earth, Wind and Fire's first album, along with some songs from the era, as well as a few songs associated with LA around 1970. So let's bring this episode to a rhythmic close with the original music of award-winning producer-songwriter D-Mile.