Maurice White was a kalimba-playing drummer, a lead singer, a songwriter, a producer, and the man who controlled the always vibrant yet quite eclectic genre-spanning sound of the Earth, Wind & Fire band over many decades. Having set sail with a vision for a nine-piece band, he steered their recordings through rough waters of personnel changes, tacking to catch the wind of disco and electronic as audience preferences drifted away from the band’s original sound (which one early reviewer tried to sum up as “Afro-gospel-jazz-blues-rock”).
As well as charting the band’s chart and touring prowess, new documentary Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs That's the Weight of the World) focuses on White’s contribution to their successes … and failures. His concepts overruled the other band members. His financial reward seems to have outweighed their more modest pay packets. His vision for elaborate stage shows and costumes meant that their extensive tours operated at a deficit. And his on the road philandering fathered at least two children that his wife wasn’t aware of. His ego swelled, yet the band had to go to ever more extreme lengths to reinvent themselves as the music market changed around them.
White’s story arc begins with his tough upbringing in Memphis and links his “abandonment” as a child (when his mother left him behind with a friend and moved state to get work … and a whole new family in Chicago) with his decision to abruptly put the band into a three-year hiatus from 1984–1987. His darker character traits are fulsomely acknowledged, though kept clear from the final scenes which allow the band’s legacy to be gloriously celebrated.
Directed by Questlove (Ahmir Khalib Thompson), the talking heads of band members and contemporary artists are accompanied by extensive footage from tours, and (far too) prominently bookmarked by contributions from superfans former President Barack and Michelle Obama: EWF were the first band to perform in the White House after Obama took office, playing at the Governors’ Dinner.
Some of the best moments come when fellow artists critique why EWF’s sound was so distinctive. Lionel Richie summed it up: “The funk was the funk, but the chords were jazz, classical. Meanwhile, it’s sitting on this tribal African beat.”
The editing is sharp, intercutting different performances of the same song to add sparkle and energy to less dynamic footage. Though perhaps more groundwork is laid than absolutely necessary in the first third of this two-hour long film that sometimes risks being led by the set list over the story. Maurice White reckoned that “music saved me” from his Memphis experience of poverty and brutality at the hands of the (white) police. This new documentary certainly captures his spirit and his drive. I look forward to a week when Radio Ulster’s Steven Rainey showcases Earth, Wind & Fire on his Sunday afternoon Long Player programme.
Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs That's the Weight of the World) was screened in Queen’s Film Theatre on Sunday 21 June as part of the Docs Ireland festival. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t seem to be getting a wider cinema release and will instead be available on the small screen on HBO Max. Turn your volume up loud if you’re watching it at home!
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