After their initial formation in Chicago in 1969, Earth, Wind & Fire would go on to produce many a dance hit. Here are some of the grooviest songs from the catalog of this group, whose genre touches disco, soul, funk, and more.
“September”
Like, who doesn’t love a little bit of “September”? As Allee Willis, who wrote the song with members of the band, shared with Songfacts, “September” was written after months of spiritual reflection. It was the first song she wrote with the group, and she knew it was a hit.
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“…So ‘September’ was fantastic and thrilling, and they had started the intro of it by the time I had walked into the studio to meet everyone,” she shared. “Just as I opened the door and I heard that little guitar intro, I thought, ‘Oh God, please let this be what they want to work with me on’, because it was so obviously a hit.”
“Let’s Groove”
This one is just plain fun. “Let’s Groove” was written by Maurice White and Wayne Vaughn. White used “Let’s Groove” as an example in an interview with NME, per Songfacts: “It’s really just knowing the feelings and fundamentals involved in producing a hit. Just like writing a story. It’s not less honest than a piece of jazz. Take the new record, ‘Lets Groove’. It’s real honest. We just went in and done it, a natural giving thing. Just saying, ‘Hey man, enjoy this with me. Share this with us.’”
“Boogie Wonderland”
“Boogie Wonderland” is escapism in a song at its finest. Apparently, Allee Willis wrote the lyrics for this one after seeing the film Looking For Mr. Goodbar. It’s supposed to be about the temporary relief that can be found in drugs, sex, alcohol, and the like. Looking at the lyrics, the song’s message feels surprisingly dark. You would never know that from its groove, though.
Midnight creeps so slowly into hearts of men
Who need more than they get
Daylight deals a bad hand to a woman
Who has laid too many bets
The mirror stares you in the face
And says ‘Baby, uh, uh, it don’t work’
You say your prayers though you don’t care
You dance and shake the hurt.
Photo by: Michael Putland/Getty Images
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