Wikipedia

The Promise (Earth, Wind & Fire album)

The Promise is the eighteenth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire released in May 2003 on Kalimba Music.[1] The album peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 5 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums chart.[2][3]

The Promise
Studio album by
Earth, Wind & Fire
ReleasedMay 20, 2003
Recorded2002–2003
StudioMagnet Vision Studios (Santa Monica, CA)
  • Record Plant and Gold Rush Studios (Los Angeles, California)
  • The Enterprise (Burbank, California)
  • Cardraygee Studios (Oak Park, California)
  • Pacifique Studios (North Hollywood, California)
Genre
Length56:42
LabelKalimba
ProducerMaurice White, Tim & Bob
Earth, Wind & Fire chronology
Live in Rio
(2002) 		The Promise
(2003) 		Love Songs
(2004)
Reissue cover
2009 reissue cover
Singles from The Promise
  1. "All in the Way"
    Released: May 2003
  2. "Hold Me"
    Released: August 2003
  3. "Never"
    Released: December 2014
  4. "Why?"
    Released: March 2015

Overview

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The Promise was executively produced by Maurice White. Artists such as Angie Stone, The Emotions, Gerald Albright and Paulinho Da Costa featured on the LP. The album's cover art was also designed by Morito Suzuki.[1]

"Where Do We Go from Here" and "Dirty" were originally recorded during the I Am sessions and remixed for this album. "Dirty", in particular, in its original form with blues legend Junior Wells, already appeared on the 1992 box-set The Eternal Dance.[1]

Singles

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The track "All in the Way" featuring The Emotions reached No. 13 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart and No. 25 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.[4][5]

The songs, "Never" and "Why?" peaked at Nos. 17 and 19, respectively, on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart.[6][7] "Hold Me", produced and written by Tim & Bob, reached No. 28 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart.[8] "Hold Me" was also Grammy nominated for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance.[9]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic     [10]
Blender      [11]
People(favourable)[12]
The Guardian     [13]
USA Today     [14]
Boston Globe(favourable)[15]
Associated Press(favourable)[16]
SF Weekly(favourable)[17]
Washington Post(favourable)[18]
Dayton Daily News(B)[19]

People called The Promise a "musically rich 17-track set (including five trademark instrumental interludes) that blows away most of today’s R&B."[12] With a three out of five star rating Chairman Mao of Blender proclaimed that EWF "maintains their trademark buoyancy on a classy collection of mid-tempo numbers and sweeping ballads."[11] Rob Theakston of AllMusic gave a three out of five star rating and declared the album is "extremely soulful and soothing".[10] With a 3.5 out of five star rating Steve Jones of USA Today wrote "with horn-kissed ballads and infectious jazz funk grooves, the band seems to have regained its spark".[14] Renee Graham of the Boston Globe noted that "unfussy and sincere, this is well-crafted R&B for grown ups".[15] David Peschek of The Guardian also gave a 4 out of five star rating and described The Promise as "17 tracks of immaculately smooth, meticulously detailed mid-tempo pop-soul and thoroughly intoxicating in its lushness."[13]

Track listing

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The Promise track listing[1]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."All in the Way" (featuring The Emotions)Wayne Vaughn, Wanda Vaughn, Maurice White4:28
2."Betcha'"Preston Glass, Maurice White3:43
3."Wiggle"Preston Glass0:39
4."Why?"Gregory Curtis, Maurice White4:04
5."Wonderland"" (featuring Angie Stone)Chris Rodriguez, Tommy Sims4:05
6."Where Do We Go from Here?"Bill Meyers, Ross Vannelli5:21
7."Freedom"Maurice White0:42
8."Hold Me"Tim Kelley, Bob Robinson4:37
9."Never"Gregory Curtis, Maurice White5:08
10."Prelude" 0:40
11."All About Love"Sheila Hutchinson, Wanda Vaughn, Wayne Vaughn4:24
12."Suppose You Like Me"Scott Storch, Pino Palladino, James Poyser, Questlove, Sir James Bailey4:37
13."The Promise"Raymond Crossley, Ralph Johnson, Maurice White0:27
14."She Waits"Marc Harris, Tommy Sims5:09
15."The Promise (Continued)"Maurice White, Ralph Johnson0:51
16."Let Me Love You"Gregory Curtis4:17
17."Dirty"Maurice White3:47
Japan bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Soul"Maurice White, Ralph Johnson, Carlos Rios3:48
18."So Lucky"Scott Storch, Questlove, Sir James Bailey4:44

Personnel

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[1]

Earth, Wind & Fire

  • Philip Bailey – backing vocals (1, 2, 16), lead vocals (2, 5, 8, 9, 12)
  • Maurice White – lead vocals (1, 4, 5, 8, 11, 14, 16), backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 16), kalimba (1, 13, 15), horn arrangements (1, 14), vocals (13, 15)
  • Verdine White – bass (1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16)
  • Ralph Johnson – percussion, backing vocals, drum programming (13, 15)

Additional musicians

  • Wayne Vaughn – keyboards (1, 11), drums (1, 11), backing vocals, horn arrangements
  • Gregory Curtis – backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 16), keyboards (2, 4, 5, 9, 16), drum programming (2, 4, 9, 16)
  • Preston Glass – keyboard programming (3)
  • Robert Brookins – backing vocals (5, 12), keyboards (12), drum programming (12)
  • Alan Hewitt – keyboards (6)
  • Bill Meyers – acoustic piano solo (6)
  • Tim Kelley – keyboards (8), bass (8), drums (8), drum programming (8), arrangements (8)
  • Freddie Ravel – acoustic piano (9)
  • Raymond Crossley – keyboards (13, 15)
  • Wayne Linsey – keyboards (13, 15)
  • Myron McKinley – keyboards (14), rhythm section arrangements (14)
  • Tom Mgrdichian – keyboards (14), string arrangements (14)
  • Greg "G-Mo" Moore – guitars (1, 11, 12)
  • Eric Walls – guitars (2, 16)
  • Darrell Crooks – guitars (4, 9)
  • Chris Rodriguez – guitars (5)
  • Bob Robinson – guitars (8)
  • Carlos Rios – guitars (14)
  • Cameron Marcarelli – additional drum programming (3, 5)
  • John Paris – drums (5, 12, 14)
  • Daniel de los Reyes – percussion (2, 16)
  • Paulinho da Costa – percussion (4, 9)
  • Daryl "Munyungo" Jackson – percussion (11)
  • Gary Bias – saxophones (1, 5, 9, 11, 12), flute (11)
  • Gerald Albright – alto sax solo (4, 9)
  • Valerie King – flute (11)
  • George Bohanon – trombone (1, 11)
  • Reggie Young – trombone (1, 5, 9, 11, 12, 14)
  • Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone (5, 9, 12)
  • Andy Martin – trombone (14)
  • Ray Brown – trumpet (1, 11, 12, 14), horn arrangements (1, 5, 14), flugelhorn solo (12), flugelhorn (14)
  • Michael "Patches" Stewart – trumpet (1, 11, 14), flugelhorn (14)
  • Gary Grant – trumpet (5, 9, 12)
  • Jerry Hey – trumpet (5, 9, 12), horn arrangements (5, 9, 12)
  • Oscar Brashear – trumpet (14), flugelhorn (14)
  • Tollak Ollestad – harmonica (12, 14)
  • Benjamin Wright – horn arrangements (11)
  • Sheila Hutchinson – backing vocals (1, 4, 11)
  • Howard McCrary – backing vocals (1, 11)
  • Wanda Vaughn – backing vocals (1, 5, 11)
  • Fred White – backing vocals (4, 12, 14)
  • Angie Stone – lead vocals (5)
  • B. David Whitworth – backing vocals (5, 12)
  • Krystal Johnson – backing vocals (8)

Production

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  • Ron Ellison – A&R direction
  • Maurice White – executive producer, producer (1, 2, 4–9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17)
  • Philip Bailey – executive producer (8, 12)
  • Wayne Vaughn – producer (1, 11), additional recording
  • Preston Glass – producer (2, 3)
  • Gregory Curtis – producer (4, 9, 16), additional recording
  • Paul Klingberg – producer (7), additional production (13, 17)
  • Tim Young – producer (8)
  • Bob Robinson – producer (8)
  • Robert Brookins – additional production (12)
  • Ralph Johnson – producer (13)
  • Cameron Marcarelli – recording, assistant engineer
  • Dave Dolimar – additional recording
  • Andrew Haller – additional recording
  • Will Mercer – additional recording
  • Jason Carson – assistant engineer
  • Dmitar Krijnac – assistant engineer
  • Dexter Simmons – mixing (1, 2, 16)
  • Paul Klingberg – mixing (3–7, 9–15, 17)
  • Tim Kelley – mixing (8)
  • Steve Hall – mastering at Future Disc (Hollywood, California)
  • Herb Powell – A&R coordinator
  • Richard Salvato – production coordination, management
  • ja:Morito Suzuki – cover design
  • K.C. Blinn – art direction
  • Art Macnow – management

Charts

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Chart (2003) Peak
position
US Top Independent Albums (Billboard)[3] 5
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[2] 19
US Billboard 200 89
Japan (Oricon)[20] 115

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
2003 "All in the Way" US Billboard Adult R&B Airplay[4] 10
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[5] 25
UK Independent Singles[21] 45
US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 77
"Hold Me" US Billboard Adult R&B Airplay[8] 28
2014 "Never" US Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs[6] 17
2015 "Why?" US Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs[7] 19

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise. Kalimba Music. May 2003.
  2. ^ a b "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album)". billboard.com.
  3. ^ a b "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise (Top Independent Albums)". Billboard.
  4. ^ a b "Earth, Wind & Fire: All In The Way Chart History (Adult R&B)". Billboard.
  5. ^ a b "Earth, Wind & Fire: All In The Way Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  6. ^ a b "Earth, Wind & Fire: Never (Smooth Jazz Songs)". Billboard.
  7. ^ a b "Earth, Wind & Fire: Why? (Smooth Jazz Songs)". Billboard.
  8. ^ a b "Earth, Wind & Fire: Hold Me (Adult R&B Songs)". Billboard.
  9. ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire". grammy.com. The Recording Academy.
  10. ^ a b Theakston, Rob. "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
  11. ^ a b Mao, Chairman. "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise". blender.com. Blender. Archived from the original on 2009-05-10.
  12. ^ a b Picks and Pans Main: Song. People. May 26, 2003.
  13. ^ a b Peschek, David (April 9, 2004). "Earth, Wind and Fire, The Promise". theguardian.com. The Guardian.
  14. ^ a b Burton, Steve (May 23, 2003). "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise". Cincinnati Enquirer. USA Today – via newspaper.com.
  15. ^ a b Graham, Renee (June 6, 2003). "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise". newspaper.com. Boston Globe. p. 62.
  16. ^ "Turn up sound for 'Deftones' – Self-titled CD really rocks". newsbank.com. Telegraph Herald. Associated Press. May 25, 2003. p. f8.
  17. ^ Palmer, Tamera (May 28, 2003). "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise". sfweekly.com. SF Weekly.
  18. ^ Joyce, Mike. "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise". Washington Post.
  19. ^ Ali, Derek (June 6, 2003). "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise". newspapers.com. Dayton Daily News. p. 58.
  20. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  21. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart". officialcharts.com. Official Charts. May 1, 2004.
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