Dwight Brooks: In the words of funk music scholar Ricky Vincent, Do You Remember is an essential breakthrough installment in what should be a generation of thoughtful reappraisals of the band that is Earth, Wind & and Fire. Greetings. Thanks for tuning in to tracking Earth, Wind & and Fire, the ultimate deep dive into the music, musicians, and the enduring legacy of Earth, Wind & and Fire. I'm your host, Doc Brooks. I hope to earn your subscription for my podcast. Hit that subscribe, like, follow button, to keep track of all the episodes. Send an email with any suggestions you have at tracking T-R-A-C-K-I-N-G EWF at gmail.com. And don't forget to follow our podcast playlist on Spotify. I'm honored to have as my guest on this special episode Dr. Trenton Bailey, a historian from Memphis, Tennessee. All right, say it with me. The hometown of Maurice White. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Hometown of Maurice White. Dwight Brooks: And let's title this episode the same as his book Do You Remember? So welcome to the podcast, Professor Bailey. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Thanks for having me, Brother Brooks. Dwight Brooks: Good. Before we discuss your book, tell us a little bit about yourself, your academic career, and how and when you became interested in Earth, Wind & Fire. Trenton Bailey, PhD: I grew up, listening to Earth, Wind & and Fire. I'm the youngest of five siblings. So I had, you know, some older siblings who were in high school when I was a toddler. You know, they listened to all the good music on the radio. we all watch Soul Train on Saturdays. Earth Wind & and Fire was always my favorite. You know, I remember Devotion and Shining Star. I think those are the first songs I remember, by name. Dwight Brooks: Mm. Trenton Bailey, PhD: So, you know, I've always been a a fan of Earth, Wind & and Fire, you know, when I was Dwight Brooks: You know they played Mighty Mighty and they did the Soul Train dance line to Mighty Mighty. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Right, exactly, exactly. And my when I was a kid when September came out that was my favorite song, And the first cassettes I bought was the best of Earth, Wind & and Fire volumes one and two. So I think God kinda pointed me towards what I was supposed to do, which is be a scholar on the history of Earth, Wind & and Fire. I decided, When I f first began college, that I wanted to major in African American studies. So I eventually got my bachelor's degree from Morehouse College in African American Studies. I wanted to keep going, got my master's and doctorate at Clark Atlanta University. My master's is in African American Studies. My doctorate is in humanities with the concentration in African American Studies. And of course, you know, in order to get, a PhD, you have to do dissertation after you finish your coursework and comprehensive exams. at first I couldn't figure out what I was gonna write about 'cause a lot of people try to do things like case studies, like behavior, you know, what makes people do this and that. But I wanted to do something that would be interesting to me that I would, stay on it and I wouldn't be in school for a long how can I write about Earth Wind & and Fire? how could I, spin that So I decided well one thing about Earth Wind & and Fire is that they always use Egyptian symbols in their, artwork and even in the concerts. I'm saying maybe I could, examine that so I decided to focus on their classic period from nineteen seventy three to nineteen eighty three. My dissertation is entitled Kemetic Consciousness, a study of ancient Egyptian themes in the lyrics and visual art of Earth, Wind & and Fire, 1973 to 1983. So once that was done, I wanted to turn that into a book. So when I contacted my publisher, they were saying that, ten years is kind of short. why don't you just go ahead on and do the full history? So I started back writing a little bit more for like an maybe another two more years. So I went back to 1970 to 2020, which is fifty years. Of course I, Dwight Brooks: Mm-hmm. Trenton Bailey, PhD: went further back Maurice White's childhood and background, but this is an extensive history of Earth Wind and Fire. It's titled, Do You Remember Celebrating Fifty Years of Earth Wind and Fire? And I go into details about their, albums, the lyrics, the chart, success, the personnel. So it's just a complete, almost like an encyclopedia of Earth Wind and Fire. Dwight Brooks: Fascinating journey. Now you you've already mentioned a little bit about the book, but I wanna get into if you can reiterate the book's purpose if you have an overarching purpose, how you approach researching and writing it, and what you want readers to take away from the book. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Well, I first how did I research of course, newspaper articles. I wanted to get some primary sources. The albums themselves, I knew a lot of the s songs already, so I then I went back and, studied the album covers and the gate folds But the purpose of the book is just to, let everyone know the history of Earth, Wind & and Fire and let them know what those symbols represent and why Maurice White chose to use those symbols, and what was his, mission for his band and his music. So that's pretty much why I wrote the book. In addition to being Earth Wind & and Fire's number one fan, I may you I know you may try to, take that claim, but I think I feel that I am Earth Wind & and Fire's number one fan. Dwight Brooks: See I I wasn't gonna go there 'cause I know in our offline conversation you had mentioned you're a number one fan. Now, I got at least twenty years on you in in in in dog years and I was a fan back before they were even created. I mean I saw them back in seventy two as I told you. So just the years alone would certainly Trenton Bailey, PhD: Okay. Dwight Brooks: disqualify you from being a a greater fan than than I. But I digress and you know I'm just joking, I know many of the Earth When and Fire fans are Giving their deep thoughts and prayers to the current drummer of the band, John Parris, Trenton Bailey, PhD: Yeah, yes. Dwight Brooks: his wife and family have been by his side since this occurred. So I know you will join me and all the fans to continue to pray for Brother John Paris, the current Trenton Bailey, PhD: Right. Dwight Brooks: drummer of Earth Wind & and Fire. And he's been with him for a while. Trenton Bailey, PhD: So yeah. Dwight Brooks: I'm not sure the exact time he joined in. So Let's talk about Do you remember celebrating fifty years of Earth Wind & and Fire? Your book examines what you call a term that that that I think is interesting, the artistic life of Earth Wind & and Fire, and as you mentioned from nineteen seventy to twenty Trenton Bailey, PhD: Twenty twenty. Twenty twenty. Dwight Brooks: twenty. And so you trace the Earth Wind & Fire history, basically album by album. You write about the band's personnel, the music, paying close attention to how well the songs did on the charts, and their concerts, You also detail the various album covers and gatefolds that you mentioned. So we're gonna talk about that. But if we can begin, you talk about the role that Afro futurism plays with Earth, Wind & and Fire. And I know you've talked about a book coming out on Afro Futurism. So can you tell us first of all what you mean by artistic life and then explain a little bit more about Afro Futurism and how it connects to Earth, Wind & and Fire? Trenton Bailey, PhD: Yeah, when I say artistic life, not just the music but the visual art also and the live concerts, you know, I want to focus on, those things, not necessarily their personal lives. Cause I didn't feel that is important because we we love them for their art, for their music, their visual arts, their stage presence. So I just wanted to focus on primarily the art of Earth Wind & Fire And Afrofuturism. Afrofuturism is black people imagining an alternate universe in which we are not bound by oppression, which we in which we are liberated and doing what we want to do. We are in power. And Afrofuturism usually deals with looking back to the past, especially to Khemet, which which we call ancient Egypt, because there was a time when black folks were very powerful, you know, it's a a great civilization. Also we look to the future. We imagine ourselves doing the same thing that we did in the past. And Afrofuturism usually involves, traveling to to outer space, advanced technology or magic. A Afrofuturism is like science fiction for black peoples, so to speak. Dwight Brooks: Fascinating, before we get into the album covers, Gatefold's use of these Kemetic symbols that are tied to the notion of Afrofuturism as well. You note that Earth Wind & and Fire was actually criticized for using these Egyptian and African symbols. can you talk a little bit about that criticism? I'm sure I'm our audience would love to hear a little bit more about some of the hits they took. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Yeah you back in the day, I think it was like the late seventies, early eighties, they tried to say that Earth, Wind & and Fire was using subliminal messages. Like if you played the records back, you would hear, evil messages. And I think like you said, because they use ancient Egyptian, symbols. We live in a Judeo Christian society, And we as, Bible readers and Christians, a lot of people tend to think that, Egypt was such a wicked and bad place, that's where the children of Israel were enslaved and God delivered them from. So naturally they think Israel is the good, Egypt is the bad. So if you use Egyptian symbols, there are dark messages there, but that is not the case because Egypt is mentioned I think like over seven hundred times in the Bible. God told the the angel told Joseph, Mary, and Jesus to go hide in Egypt. and the children of Israel prospered in Egypt for a while until a certain king, who didn't know their ancestor Joseph decided to enslave them. So Egypt was not necessarily a bad place. They had a a moral system. I don't know if you know about the forty two principles of Maat. Dwight Brooks: Hmm. No. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Okay, when you get a chance, I want you to look up the 42 principles of Ma'at. Now we Dwight Brooks: Mm-hmm. Trenton Bailey, PhD: know about the Ten Commandments, but they had like 42 principles, like saying, I have not, you know, stolen, I have not committed adultery. So they had a moral system in Kemet which you all call ancient Egypt. So I want people to know that. So I discussed that a little bit in the book also. Dwight Brooks: You said forty-two? Forty R Principles, okay. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Forty two principles of my M A A T. Dwight Brooks: Wow. Well let's start talking about these Kemetic symbols. and the first album that I think really deployed these were was Spirit, which most people see correctly as a tribute to Charles Stepney, who died during the recording of Spirit. and just to say as an aside, hopefully you're watching on YouTube because I will display the album's covers and gatefolds as we talk. And if you're listening, it'll be a little harder to to visualize that, but so we're not gonna get really too deeply 'cause we want you to get the details from Dr. Bailey's book. So so we'll talk in general terms about the album, then we'll talk about some of the songs. Spirit. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Spirit. Of course you see the three large white pyramids, which are reminiscent of the three pyramids at Giza, Egypt. And Mauri said the three pyramids are a tribute to Charles Stephanie Stephanie sending him on his way. You know, it's been long believed that pyramids were tombs for the pharaohs, in which they leave this world and travel to the afterlife. So that's what these three pyramids represent. Spirit. Dwight Brooks: it's interesting because I'm sure you know and many of our audience members know that I think it was in seventy nine he took the entire band and crew to Egypt and I reread his memoir a couple of days ago, reread that section he noted that not all of the members were really into it. he said a lot just stayed in a hotel. But Trenton Bailey, PhD: Right. Right. Dwight Brooks: then he went back. I don't know the year that he went back, but he said only five band members Trenton Bailey, PhD: Mm. Dwight Brooks: went when he returned a few years later and I think he was expressing disappointment in that. And Trenton Bailey, PhD: Right. Dwight Brooks: I know as just as you said the the band was criticized for some of those symbols. I know some of the band members had some issues with Maurice's what he called universalism and his embracing of all religions and not putting, you Trenton Bailey, PhD: Mm-hmm. Right. Right. Dwight Brooks: know, Christianity ahead of Buddhism or ahead of Islam. So it's a interesting approach that he had, growing up, as you know, in the Christian church. but he broadened his view of religious doctrine to include all religions. And I think that's a very noble way. But I know there there was some some resistance from band members. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Philip Bailey had become a Christian and the song Diana, I think that was an an ode to the Greek goddess Diana. But I will say this when I was interviewing Sheldon Reynolds, you know, he he was a member for f for a long time. He passed a couple of years ago. Dwight Brooks: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Rest in peace. But he said, I think one of the last conversations he had with Maurice White, Maurice White told him, Always take Jesus with you. so it's good to know that Maurice went back to his Christian roots, and was a follower of Jesus Christ in the end. I Dwight Brooks: So, Spirit's one of my favorites. the songs, Getaway, that up tempo lead song, On Your Face, Saturday Night, my favorite, Imagination. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Or the night. Yeah, that's map. Dwight Brooks: Philip Bailey, you it's if there's any song that that rivals Reasons, Imagination to me, in terms of his vocal quality, that Trenton Bailey, PhD: Right. Dwight Brooks: smoothness, it has that Charles Stepney orchestral sound to it. I love Imagination, but tell me which songs you like and Let's talk about some of the music on Spirit. Trenton Bailey, PhD: I agree with you. On spirit, I think Imagination is is probably my favorite from that album. I also like, getaway the message and the up tempo and the horns. and On Your Face I love that too. On your face. But I think from that particular album, Imagination, because like you said, Dwight Brooks: Mm-hmm. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Philip Bailey's voice takes you to another stratosphere. Dwight Brooks: Alright, given what you said earlier about Afrofuturism, would getaway be a part of that notion of of leaving, just as we'll talk later about fantasy? Trenton Bailey, PhD: course. Of course. Yeah, get yeah. Getaway is about escaping by using your mind. releasing all your troubles, imagining yourself in a better place. So yeah. And the song say, so come, take me by the hand, we'll leave this troubled land. Let's get away. Dwight Brooks: Right, right. Trenton Bailey, PhD: So yeah, that would definitely be in the category of Afrofuturism. Escaping this trouble or if that exists, an alternate reality. Dwight Brooks: You know, when I talk about Earth Wind & and Fire's music, when we talk about the lyrics, I always wanna say what how can you not and when you were doing that verse, I'm thinking about that great music behind it, you know, the and I'm not a musician so I can't replicate it, that's the to me the beauty, the magic of them is that the chord progressions, the bridges work so beautifully with the lyrics and the and the singing that it's just wonderful. Okay, let's move on to the next album. all in all, in my opinion, the most elaborate display Trenton Bailey, PhD: Yes. Dwight Brooks: of Kemetic symbols, that's just my opinion, as well as these various world religions, what Maurice White and others would call universalism. so let's talk about this this Trenton Bailey, PhD: Yeah. Dwight Brooks: this cover, the gatefold, all in all. again display the cover as well as the inside gratefold for all in all. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Okay. Okay. like as we know, Maurice White, was fascinated with Khemet. I don't I don't like calling it ancient Egypt, because Egypt is a Greek word. The Africans called it Khemet. and this symbol on the front, this is the Abu symbol temple, the large temple, which was built by Ramses the Great. As you can see on top of on top of the temple, you know, there's a pyramid with the with this vortex lighted, lit, and that represents enlightenment. On the back of the album cover, back at the gatefold, you see pyramids that look like spaceships. So that represents Dwight Brooks: Mm-hmm. Trenton Bailey, PhD: man's ability to travel through the cosmos physically and spiritually. And in on the inner sleeve of the gatefold, you see all these symbols. You see the Christian Bible, you see the pyramid, hangs in the back. But all these symbols are set atop candles. You know, at the top of a candle, it's always light. So these all these symbols represent enlightenment. you have the Jupiter symbol, you have the Christian cross, the Ankh The Star David, the Kalimba, you know, you have a lot of different symbols Dwight Brooks: Mm-hmm. Trenton Bailey, PhD: and I break those symbols down in the book. So if you wanna know what all those symbols mean, make sure you go out and buy the book. I break it down Dwight Brooks: Mm-hmm. Trenton Bailey, PhD: plainly. Dwight Brooks: the one symbol that I didn't even notice and never knew until reading your book was the symbol of Shakespeare. not obviously a religious figure, but one, knowledge and it's Trenton Bailey, PhD: Right, right. Knowledge, yeah. Dwight Brooks: theater, some people might think of it as theater. So again, these have such broad meanings and so they are open to various interpretations, but my interpretation doesn't necessarily negate yours. as I I think about these album covers. but yours brings to light what I would consider to be very, common, interpretations. All right, let's talk about some of the songs. again, great album. We got Serpentine Fire. I gotta get you to talk about that because I learned something from reading your book. Lyrics that many people did not understand. I mean, I've looked at the lyrics so many times and some of it just didn't connect. so have at it. Serpentine fire. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Serpentine fire is about yoga. The word serpentines comes from serpent. If you look at the human spine it kinda looks like a serpent. So that's where the word serpentine fire comes from, but it's about yoga. Dwight Brooks: Wow, I was thinking battling with some serpent. That's how I thought of it. Trenton Bailey, PhD: But so check it out check out the book. I go into more detail, but it's about yoga. Dwight Brooks: The beautiful Fantasy. Philip Bailey's what I call Velvet Falsetto Guiding Listeners to this world of fantasy. Say a little bit about fantasy. Trenton Bailey, PhD: As you know as you may know, Maurice White was intrigued by the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, leaving this world and going somewhere else. So fantasy is also about escaping a world that is unjust and untrue. he wrote that song about, just leaving. every man has a place in his heart, there's a space, and the world can't erase his fantasy. We all have a fantasy we all fantasize about being happy, being in a a better world. So that song is also about escape, Afrofuturism, 'cause it says, Take a r take a ride in the sky on our ship Fantasi So not just in your mind, an actual ship, leaving Dwight Brooks: Mm-hmm. Trenton Bailey, PhD: this world by vehicle. So Afrofuturism, another example. Dwight Brooks: Interesting. as Philip Bailey said repeatedly, we're not a funk band. But they had some funky tunes, you know. I go back Trenton Bailey, PhD: That's right. That's right. Dwight Brooks: to Shining Star, and Verdeen Mighty Trenton Bailey, PhD: Mighty Mighty. Dwight Brooks: Jupiter, funk laden. again, sort of this Trenton Bailey, PhD: Jubil And now that's definitely Dwight Brooks: fits into your Afro futurism theme. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Yeah, that's definitely a funk song. You know, it's about a man named Jupiter. He comes from a distant planet. Dwight Brooks: Right. Trenton Bailey, PhD: You know, like he's bringing knowledge. when I went to their concert a few years ago when they performed Jupiter, they showed pyramids as spaceships on the screen behind them. So this is definitely a Kemetic laden song. Afrofuturism, about traveling through space and time. So read the book. Dwight Brooks: two of my favorite songs, and I again great album. They're all great during this period they were at their height. Magic mind, and if you haven't seen it, go watch that concert footage. Magic Mind with those horns, that's Trenton Bailey, PhD: Mm. Dwight Brooks: Satterfield and the f and the Phenix horns. So Magic Mind, one of my favorites. I let you talk about yours, Brazilian Rhyme, which a classic or the interlude. And I talk Trenton Bailey, PhD: Yeah, in a loom. Dwight Brooks: in my little book about Earth Under Fire about how which focused on on that's the way of the world, shameless plug. as you mentioned, Beijo means kiss, but Brazilian rhyme was listed, number two in Rolling Stones all time Trenton Bailey, PhD: Mm. Dwight Brooks: top interludes. Trenton Bailey, PhD: okay. Dwight Brooks: which weren't as uncommon as we may think. Lots of bands incorporated, Trenton Bailey, PhD: Right. Dwight Brooks: particularly in in concept albums. But anyway, with the fingers snapping, the Larry Dunn coming in with his chords there. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Such a catchy my my my favorites my favorites from all in all are Love's Holiday and Fantasy. Those are my two favorites. I can't pick between those two. But yeah, Dwight Brooks: Mm-hmm. Trenton Bailey, PhD: those are my two favorites 'cause Philip Bailey's falsetto and then on Love's Holiday you have Maurice White's tenor. So I like both of those equally. Dwight Brooks: Exactly. Yeah, yeah. A tenor that he developed over time. Trenton Bailey, PhD: No hay. Dwight Brooks: you know, actually he developed his tenor into a falsetto, which he combined with Philip Bailey. and he also was able to do a little bit of a baritone. So he developed his vocal range as he grew older. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Right. Yeah, he was a good speaker. Mm-hmm. Dwight Brooks: which, you know, some musicians do. I know Curtis Mayfield did this similar things. Best of Earth, Wind & Fire Let's talk about the cover real quick. Trenton Bailey, PhD: That's like Volume one, yeah. On the this is like a coin, the front side of a coin you have the e Kemetic god Haru, who is called Horus in Greek. Dwight Brooks: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Trenton Bailey, PhD: But he represents he he is the supreme God and he's holding the shin rings with the Ankhs So that symbolize that he is the protector of life because the Ankh represents eternal life or life or rebirth. And on the back is the flip side of the coin. You have an Egyptian or Pharaoh with his headdress in front of a pyramid on top above the Jupiter symbol. So I mean I I discussed that more in the book. So if y'all want to know what these represent in full Dwight Brooks: Mm-hmm. Trenton Bailey, PhD: detail, check it out. Dwight Brooks: Alright. So, you know, obviously a greatest hits has greatest hits. But in Trenton Bailey, PhD: Of course. Dwight Brooks: true Earth Wind and Fire fashion, we have new releases. the iconic September. I'll talk a little bit more about that in future episodes as well as maybe say a few things about that song, which you said was your favorite, I believe. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Right. Dwight Brooks: but one that To me as entrancing was their cover of The Beatles, Got to Get You Into My Life, became a huge hit when the film Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band failed as a film. The other artists, the Bee Gees and all that, they didn't, get any real mileage out of that. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Dwight Brooks: it was just to me as ironic, if not just fascinating, that their cover of the Beatles becomes one of their most popular recordings. So, Trenton Bailey, PhD: Right. Grammy for that. Yeah, they won a Grammy for it. And they had a Dwight Brooks: Right, right. Trenton Bailey, PhD: second Grammy nomination. But yeah, and Paul McCartney said it. That's his favorite Beatles cover. The introduction, Dwight Brooks: Right. Yeah. Yeah. Trenton Bailey, PhD: yeah, I mean Maurice White could Dwight Brooks: Those horns. Trenton Bailey, PhD: do no wrong, yeah. Dwight Brooks: Now, of course, September has its own history in and of itself. I don't know if I learned it from your book, but I want to point out that that September was the American Recording Company's, the the label he started, distributed by CBS, ARC Trenton Bailey, PhD: What? Dwight Brooks: that's their their first release, the single September became the first single release under that label. and Maurice White acknowledged the recording as the band's most memorable songs. we have to give a shout out Trenton Bailey, PhD: It's technically. Dwight Brooks: to Al McKay's distinctive guitar introduction. Tom Tom Washington, who worked a lot with Maurice White in the band, did the horn arrangement, which gave it sort of a Latin flavor. and many of the Earth Wind & and Fire songs, going back to the original Earth, Wind & and Fire members, had a Latin maybe Trenton Bailey, PhD: Madden, yeah. Dwight Brooks: sometimes it's just the bridge part or just a certain part of it. and I learned that Maurice White thought that that little Latin flavor was the perfect complement to what many call the nonsensical lyrics, Ba-de-ya that melody, which is the signature I I mean, you know September because of the Ba-de-ya Trenton Bailey, PhD: Well yeah. Yeah. Dwight Brooks: and all he was looking for was the groove, the feel-good quality. right? You know, Allee Willis, who who co wrote September, Trenton Bailey, PhD: That's sounding good, yeah. Mm-hmm. Allie Willis what, yeah. Dwight Brooks: couldn't figure out what this ba-de-ya So I can't use ba-de-ya he says, hey, don't let the lyrics get in the way of a good groove. Trenton Bailey, PhD: quite, yeah. Dwight Brooks: so he's looking for this broad appeal, what he called spectrum music. And I have a graphic that that that captures that. because it touched all the music of the world, people trying to figure out well, what is the 21st of September? That's not the point. Use your own date. You know Follow the groove, enjoy the music. So I mean, I just found his philosophy of music making so powerful and I think it goes a long way in explaining the success of the band. Trenton Bailey, PhD: And I I also want to mention There's another song that was not released, a newer song that was recorded for the album called Love Music. And Dwight Brooks: Right. Love yeah. Trenton Bailey, PhD: it also has the ba-de-ya eye, ba-de-ya eye Dwight Brooks: Right. Trenton Bailey, PhD: in there. So if you all haven't heard that song, please go listen to it because that is one of my favorites by Earth Wind and Fire. It's called Love Music on the Best of Earth Wind and Fire, volume one. It wasn't released as a single, but it could have done very well if it had. Dwight Brooks: and I always like to quote Ralph Johnson who says, Maurice White didn't just hear music, he saw music and I think that's is a wonderful way to express it. let's talk about I Am, released in nineteen seventy nine. and I love your discussion here. The obviously connection with disco and Maurice White was resistant to do a disco song. And many of the members Philip Bailey and Larry Dunn both said we we're not we're not doing disco. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Just move. Dwight Brooks: But let's talk about the album cover before we get into the actual song. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Okay. Okay. Up in the light or in front of the sun you have a fetus. I think there's also a man in there. I can't tell you. A top of Kemetic columns of a temple. And the columns represent the connection between earth and heaven. that's the little bit I'm gonna give right now. But y'all Dwight Brooks: Okay. Trenton Bailey, PhD: go ahead and and read about the album cover, Now on the back of the gatefold, you see a cometic landscape. the pyramids and different types of buildings. Of course, Maurice White was fascinated with Kemet. And I am, the title I am represents the Hebrew God. That's who God revealed himself to Moses in the book of Exodus. Dwight Brooks: Mm-hmm. Trenton Bailey, PhD: And On the inside sleeve you see the band dressed in Kemetic style costumes. You see the Jupiter symbol up top in front of the sun. So Dwight Brooks: Mm-hmm. Trenton Bailey, PhD: check it out. Do some reading. Dwight Brooks: Sun and Light is is almost a constant theme Trenton Bailey, PhD: Mm-hmm. Dwight Brooks: of not just the album covers, but many of their songs. Praise the Sun, whether it's Sun Goddess, which had no title when Maurice White gave Trenton Bailey, PhD: Right. Dwight Brooks: it to Ramsey Lewis to record. and one of my favorite songs from That's the way of the World is See the Light. we can't survive in this in this plane without light and sun. Anyway. Trenton Bailey, PhD: If you don't have the sun, all the energy comes from the sun. Dwight Brooks: Boogie Wonderland, as I said, not a disco song. It has certain components of disco, but as you note, the orchestration was much more than most disco or any disco songs. The lyrics Trenton Bailey, PhD: Yeah. Yeah. Dwight Brooks: didn't celebrate disco. It was a warning, not just about disco, but the warning of the dangers of clubbing or nightclubbing in general. Maurice White, I again found in rereading his memoir, he was proud. Of Boogie Wonderlands because he called it, and the words he used I found interesting. what he called burning masculinity and virtuosity. the lyrics rejected what some saw as the hedonism and narcissism that disco represented. like September, co written by Allee Willis and also John Lind who wrote several recordings for Earth Wind & and Fire. Willis was also, as we said, the writer of September. So Boogie Wonderland, what's your take? Trenton Bailey, PhD: But I would call it a disco song because of the word boogie. Like a taste of honey, Dwight Brooks: Yeah. Trenton Bailey, PhD: boogie yoiggy yoiggy, heat wave, boogie nights, and I think Dwight Brooks: Yeah. Trenton Bailey, PhD: it's the speed of the song. And they constantly saying dance, boogie wanna land. So that's why you know people call it a disco song. Dwight Brooks: Yeah. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Because y in the in in the lyrics, this person It's a dark message. It's not about happiness. This person is dealing with the troubles of the world and the only way to cope, they go out every night to the disco Dwight Brooks: Mm-hmm. Trenton Bailey, PhD: hoping to escape what's really going on in their mind and in their world. So they go into a discotheque, every night, and Maury says, You dance and shake the hurt, but you really can't shake the hurt. Dwight Brooks: right. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Well, so th I think it's called a a disco song because of the Dwight Brooks: Yeah, but the lyrics definitely don't celebrate disco. And I Trenton Bailey, PhD: Right. And if you look at the Dwight Brooks: think for a lot of people we went to disco's to avoid, real life issues and things. So I Trenton Bailey, PhD: Right. And if if you look at the promotional clip, what it was called before it was called a music video in nineteen seventy nine, all they doing is dancing on stage and having a good time. Dwight Brooks: Mm-hmm. Trenton Bailey, PhD: it's about, dancing, so disco, Yeah. Right. Dwight Brooks: Nothing wrong with having a good time, but what happens when the music fades, as they say, or when the music ends? right? It's a short-lived, you know, Trenton Bailey, PhD: Mm. Mm. Back to life, back to reality. Yeah. Right. Dwight Brooks: high, if you will. But besides Boogie Wonderland, which I love, you know, and the emotions do a great job Trenton Bailey, PhD: Yeah, I love it too. Yeah. huh. Dwight Brooks: with their parts in it. but the other great songs from that album, I am, include In the Stone. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Stone. Dwight Brooks: And you talk about the sort of adoption of it by many I won't even say I was gonna say HBCU bands, but but marching bands in general. Can't Let Go, and of course the beautiful Trenton Bailey, PhD: Yes. multiple man, yes. Can't let it go. I let that. Dwight Brooks: ballad After the Love Is Gone, written by David Foster, who worked with them on this album, as well as some other albums, Jay Gaydon and Bill Champlain of Chicago. so talk about I loved your discussion of In the Stone, besides the Trenton Bailey, PhD: In the stone. Dwight Brooks: great horns and vocals. Talk about the lyrics a little bit, if you will, and their meaning. Trenton Bailey, PhD: The lyrics. In this in the stone, okay. You know, in the stone is a metaphor for the hieroglyphics that were written in the stones on the monuments and the temple. And Sheldon Reynolds told me that it's it was about one of the meanings it was about reaching back to the past, reclaiming our history and knowing how they did things back then, the knowledge and the mysticism. And also it's about looking beyond the physical and looking into the spirit, into the heart of a person, because truth, love and strength can be h found on the inside in the heart of a person. It can't be taken away. Like you can't just walk up to a stone and erase what is written. It's set in stone, so it's gonna be there for a long time. It can't be erased. But that's basically what that is about. Dwight Brooks: Great, wonderful. So as you note and many of us know, when we were around in nineteen seventy nine, I am was at the top of the charts. I remember that summer, but sad note, and I just made this connection recently, that same summer in which it was released and at the top of the charts, July sixteenth, nineteen seventy nine, when Maurice White, brothers Verdeen and Freddie lost Mother Dear Trenton Bailey, PhD: Mm. Dwight Brooks: Yeah, Maurice White's mother died on July sixteenth, seventy nine, at the Trenton Bailey, PhD: yeah. Dwight Brooks: tender age of fifty six. and he talks a little bit about losing her and the impact that it had, in his memoir. And I'll talk about that in a later episode, but I I wanted to point that out. Trenton Bailey, PhD: In 79, I thought I thought you were gonna mention the night that disco died. You remember at the baseball game they gathered all the disco records? And they should probably Dwight Brooks: Chicago. Kamisky Park in Chicago. Trenton Bailey, PhD: talk about that. But they said that there was a night that disco died, but it didn't really die that night 'cause there still s some more disco hits, you know, coming after that. And after disco it became like just dance music and then house music. So Dwight Brooks: Yeah, basically. Trenton Bailey, PhD: It never died. Dwight Brooks: Yeah, disco took a lot of hits and you know, I was doing a lot of DJing and radio stations and clubs at that time and You had to play. w got people to dance, I don't bemoan the music of Chic and you know there are a lot of sort of phony bands that at that time Trenton Bailey, PhD: Yeah. Dwight Brooks: but but a lot of good music was created around disco music and Boogie Wonderland Trenton Bailey, PhD: Good meeting, yeah. Right. Dwight Brooks: as we mentioned would be one of those. we've gone longer than I expected, but certainly worth, as I'm sure everybody who's watching or listening will attest to. So we'll pick up with part two and deal with the albums of the nineteen eighties and beyond. thanks. For tuning in to tracking Earth, Wind & and Fire we'll return next episode with more from Dr. Trenton Bailey, author of Do You Remember? Celebrating 50 Years of Earth Wind & and Fire. Leave your comments, suggestions, criticisms, praise. tracking Earth, Wind & and Fire at gmail.com. Check out this episode's playlist on Spotify. I've selected a lot of great songs from all the albums we discussed. So until our next deep dive, you know what to do. Keep your head to the sky. Trenton Bailey, PhD: Peace.