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2003 studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire
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]
Overview
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
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
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
The Promise track listing
[1] Title Writer(s) 1. "
All in the Way " (featuring
The Emotions ) Wayne Vaughn, Wanda Vaughn,
Maurice White 4:28 2. "Betcha' "
Preston Glass , Maurice White 3:43 3. "Wiggle" Preston Glass 0:39 4. "Why?" Gregory Curtis, Maurice White 4:04 5. "Wonderland"" (featuring
Angie Stone ) Chris Rodriguez,
Tommy Sims 4:05 6. "Where Do We Go from Here?" Bill Meyers, Ross Vannelli 5:21 7. "Freedom" Maurice White 0:42 8. "Hold Me"
Tim Kelley, Bob Robinson 4:37 9. "Never" Gregory Curtis, Maurice White 5:08 10. "Prelude" 0:40 11. "All About Love" Sheila Hutchinson, Wanda Vaughn, Wayne Vaughn 4:24 12. "Suppose You Like Me"
Scott Storch ,
Pino Palladino ,
James Poyser ,
Questlove , Sir James Bailey 4:37 13. "The Promise" Raymond Crossley, Ralph Johnson, Maurice White 0:27 14. "She Waits" Marc Harris, Tommy Sims 5:09 15. "The Promise (Continued)" Maurice White, Ralph Johnson 0:51 16. "Let Me Love You" Gregory Curtis 4:17 17. "Dirty" Maurice White 3:47
Japan bonus tracks Title Writer(s) 12. "Soul" Maurice White, Ralph Johnson, Carlos Rios 3:48 18. "So Lucky"
Scott Storch , Questlove, Sir James Bailey 4:44
Personnel
[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
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
Singles
References
^
a
b
c
d
e Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise .
Kalimba Music . May 2003.
^
a
b
"Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album)" . billboard.com .
^
a
b
"Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise (Top Independent Albums)" .
Billboard .
^
a
b
"Earth, Wind & Fire: All In The Way Chart History (Adult R&B)" . Billboard .
^
a
b
"Earth, Wind & Fire: All In The Way Chart History (Adult Contemporary)" . Billboard .
^
a
b
"Earth, Wind & Fire: Never (Smooth Jazz Songs)" . Billboard .
^
a
b
"Earth, Wind & Fire: Why? (Smooth Jazz Songs)" . Billboard .
^
a
b
"Earth, Wind & Fire: Hold Me (Adult R&B Songs)" .
Billboard .
^
"Earth, Wind & Fire" . grammy.com .
The Recording Academy .
^
a
b Theakston, Rob.
"Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise" . allmusic.com .
Allmusic .
^
a
b Mao, Chairman.
"Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise" . blender.com .
Blender . Archived from
the original on 2009-05-10.
^
a
b Picks and Pans Main: Song .
People . May 26, 2003.
^
a
b Peschek, David (April 9, 2004).
"Earth, Wind and Fire, The Promise" . theguardian.com .
The Guardian .
^
a
b Burton, Steve (May 23, 2003).
"Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise" .
Cincinnati Enquirer .
USA Today – via newspaper.com.
^
a
b Graham, Renee (June 6, 2003).
"Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise" . newspaper.com .
Boston Globe . p. 62.
^
"Turn up sound for 'Deftones' – Self-titled CD really rocks" . newsbank.com .
Telegraph Herald . Associated Press. May 25, 2003. p. f8.
^ Palmer, Tamera (May 28, 2003).
"Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise" . sfweekly.com .
SF Weekly .
^ Joyce, Mike.
"Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise" .
Washington Post .
^ Ali, Derek (June 6, 2003).
"Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise" . newspapers.com .
Dayton Daily News . p. 58.
^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 .
Roppongi ,
Tokyo : Oricon Entertainment. 2006.
ISBN
4-87131-077-9 .
^
"Official Independent Singles Chart" . officialcharts.com .
Official Charts . May 1, 2004.
Notable members
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