1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.BZ 2 00:00:04,796 --> 00:00:08,509 - This is the Home Box Office television network. 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.BZ 4 00:00:22,481 --> 00:00:24,149 And we love you. 5 00:00:26,860 --> 00:00:28,570 Let me hear you say, oh, yeah. 6 00:00:28,654 --> 00:00:29,780 audience: Yeah! 7 00:00:29,863 --> 00:00:31,823 Let me hear you say yeah! 8 00:00:31,907 --> 00:00:33,283 audience: Yeah! 9 00:00:33,325 --> 00:00:35,285 Yeah! audience: Yeah! 10 00:00:35,327 --> 00:00:37,079 Yeah! audience: Yeah! 11 00:00:37,162 --> 00:00:39,665 Yeah. Yeah! 12 00:00:39,748 --> 00:00:41,416 Yeah! 13 00:01:05,566 --> 00:01:08,026 - Earth, Wind and Fire kind of said, I have joy, 14 00:01:08,110 --> 00:01:09,945 and I have imagination, 15 00:01:10,028 --> 00:01:14,783 and I will force that onto the world, 16 00:01:14,825 --> 00:01:16,702 whether they are ready for it or not. 17 00:01:20,664 --> 00:01:22,332 - Maurice White and Earth, Wind and Fire 18 00:01:22,416 --> 00:01:26,169 really embraced that music could have a higher purpose. 19 00:01:26,211 --> 00:01:28,046 ♪ Gonna bring it down ♪ 20 00:01:28,130 --> 00:01:29,840 - I always thought of Earth, Wind and Fire 21 00:01:29,923 --> 00:01:32,050 as Jesus-less gospel music. 22 00:01:32,134 --> 00:01:33,594 ♪ All night long ♪ 23 00:01:33,677 --> 00:01:35,012 The funk was the funk, 24 00:01:35,095 --> 00:01:36,513 but the chords were jazz, classical. 25 00:01:36,597 --> 00:01:42,686 Meanwhile, it's sitting on this tribal African beat. 26 00:01:42,728 --> 00:01:46,064 - Maurice wanted to show that it is not just Black. 27 00:01:46,148 --> 00:01:47,482 It is not just white. 28 00:01:47,566 --> 00:01:49,484 We are all one. 29 00:01:49,568 --> 00:01:52,029 - They were reflecting back the joy 30 00:01:52,070 --> 00:01:54,615 that we felt in our lives. 31 00:01:54,698 --> 00:01:57,826 It made you feel like anything was possible. 32 00:01:57,909 --> 00:02:00,287 From 1971 through 1983, 33 00:02:00,370 --> 00:02:03,373 the group Earth, Wind and Fire sold 40 million albums, 34 00:02:03,415 --> 00:02:05,709 had 30 hit singles, and won six Grammys. 35 00:02:05,751 --> 00:02:09,504 It's just like a whole world that they created. 36 00:02:09,588 --> 00:02:12,799 Astrology and numerology and mysticism. 37 00:02:12,883 --> 00:02:14,718 It was magic. 38 00:02:14,801 --> 00:02:16,178 It was theater. 39 00:02:16,261 --> 00:02:17,971 You're thinking they're coming from Africa, 40 00:02:18,055 --> 00:02:19,431 or they're coming from outer space. 41 00:02:24,686 --> 00:02:26,229 It was really ahead of its time. 42 00:02:26,313 --> 00:02:27,898 I think it took a moment 43 00:02:27,939 --> 00:02:29,816 for everyone to go, what the heck? 44 00:02:29,900 --> 00:02:31,276 What is--what is this? 45 00:02:32,611 --> 00:02:34,655 Like, where did these people come from 46 00:02:34,738 --> 00:02:37,199 with this music that sounds like this? 47 00:02:37,282 --> 00:02:39,785 ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ 48 00:02:40,952 --> 00:02:44,414 Ignition, liftoff. 49 00:02:44,456 --> 00:02:46,583 Liftoff. 50 00:03:04,601 --> 00:03:06,770 Hey. 51 00:03:06,853 --> 00:03:10,107 ♪ They got your name today ♪ 52 00:03:10,190 --> 00:03:12,275 ♪ We got to get away ♪ 53 00:03:12,317 --> 00:03:17,739 - There's nothing like an idea whose time has come. 54 00:03:17,823 --> 00:03:20,367 ♪ Yeah, yeah, away ♪ 55 00:03:20,450 --> 00:03:24,413 ♪ We've got to get away ♪ 56 00:03:24,496 --> 00:03:25,664 I'm serious, man. 57 00:03:25,747 --> 00:03:28,083 Then you're all in focus. 58 00:03:28,166 --> 00:03:29,793 Okay, do you want some direction, 59 00:03:29,835 --> 00:03:30,877 or do you to just hang out, 60 00:03:30,961 --> 00:03:32,754 and we'll do whatever comes up? 61 00:03:32,838 --> 00:03:33,630 Direct us for a while, 62 00:03:33,672 --> 00:03:35,006 then we'll just hang out. Let's do it all. 63 00:03:35,090 --> 00:03:37,259 Okay. Get tighter. 64 00:03:40,011 --> 00:03:43,348 Maybe put a mic on Maurice. 65 00:03:44,433 --> 00:03:46,852 - I think Earth, Wind and Fire came out of a need, 66 00:03:46,935 --> 00:03:51,273 a dual need, a need for myself as an individual 67 00:03:51,356 --> 00:03:55,444 to realize my total potential 68 00:03:55,527 --> 00:03:57,154 in a sense of speaking. 69 00:03:57,195 --> 00:04:00,198 And also, from another sense, 70 00:04:00,282 --> 00:04:03,243 it came from a part of me 71 00:04:03,326 --> 00:04:06,371 wanting to render itself to humanity. 72 00:04:08,248 --> 00:04:10,125 Maurice was very driven, 73 00:04:10,208 --> 00:04:16,381 very committed to the music and the concept of this group. 74 00:04:16,465 --> 00:04:19,217 - Maurice, he was the visionary. 75 00:04:19,301 --> 00:04:22,262 And the power belongs to the visionary. 76 00:04:24,431 --> 00:04:26,516 We'll take a break, and we'll do another one. 77 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:28,518 - People can't lead themselves. 78 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:30,395 They've gotta have somebody to lead them 79 00:04:30,479 --> 00:04:32,063 to the promised land. 80 00:04:33,356 --> 00:04:35,066 That's what it's all about, 81 00:04:35,150 --> 00:04:37,194 reaching for new things, you know? 82 00:04:37,235 --> 00:04:39,488 Life was about discovery for me. 83 00:04:39,571 --> 00:04:41,990 I was always in search of myself. 84 00:04:48,205 --> 00:04:50,040 I was born in Memphis, Tennessee. 85 00:04:50,081 --> 00:04:52,876 I was raised in Memphis, Tennessee. 86 00:04:52,959 --> 00:04:55,337 It was a good beginning for me because it gave me 87 00:04:55,420 --> 00:04:57,464 an opportunity to understand the balance 88 00:04:57,547 --> 00:05:00,550 between good and bad. 89 00:05:00,592 --> 00:05:04,304 There was a lot of separation in town. 90 00:05:04,387 --> 00:05:08,892 - His birth mother, Edna, was his only family. 91 00:05:08,975 --> 00:05:12,437 She was a wonderful mother, but a young mother. 92 00:05:12,521 --> 00:05:14,940 I think she had Maurice at 17. 93 00:05:15,023 --> 00:05:16,691 My mother was a singer, 94 00:05:16,775 --> 00:05:19,027 singing around the house and all that. 95 00:05:19,110 --> 00:05:23,740 She was very encouraging in the sense of pushing me. 96 00:05:23,782 --> 00:05:26,576 - In Memphis, there was not enough opportunity 97 00:05:26,618 --> 00:05:28,745 for Black women, and his mother 98 00:05:28,829 --> 00:05:31,706 could not make enough money for both of them to live. 99 00:05:33,875 --> 00:05:37,128 - When Maurice was not more than five years old, 100 00:05:37,212 --> 00:05:39,631 his mother sits him down and says, 101 00:05:39,714 --> 00:05:42,801 look, I wanna make a better life for you. 102 00:05:42,884 --> 00:05:47,639 The best I can do here is to scrub white folks' floors. 103 00:05:49,266 --> 00:05:53,144 - So she left Maurice to go to Chicago 104 00:05:53,228 --> 00:05:56,189 in order to survive. 105 00:05:56,273 --> 00:06:00,861 To not have a mother at that age, it's just so difficult. 106 00:06:03,154 --> 00:06:05,156 There was a large void there. 107 00:06:08,952 --> 00:06:14,124 That scar that his mom did like that, 108 00:06:14,207 --> 00:06:16,835 that did a number on him. 109 00:06:16,918 --> 00:06:20,422 He ended up staying with this lady named Big Mama. 110 00:06:20,505 --> 00:06:24,301 - She wasn't family, but she took him in. 111 00:06:24,384 --> 00:06:26,887 He owed her everything. 112 00:06:26,970 --> 00:06:28,388 - It was just her and I, basically, 113 00:06:28,471 --> 00:06:31,391 as I coming up in the ghetto, you know. 114 00:06:35,645 --> 00:06:39,316 They did what they had to do in Memphis to get by. 115 00:06:39,357 --> 00:06:41,651 Maurice started a newspaper route 116 00:06:41,693 --> 00:06:43,695 in white Memphis in the morning. 117 00:06:43,778 --> 00:06:46,990 - Way across town in a white area. 118 00:06:48,283 --> 00:06:50,577 One day, white policemen 119 00:06:50,660 --> 00:06:54,581 stopped him and harassed him for so long 120 00:06:54,664 --> 00:07:01,087 and so much and beat him up so badly. 121 00:07:01,171 --> 00:07:04,758 He was so hurt and so alienated. 122 00:07:04,841 --> 00:07:09,596 He was terrified from that point on. 123 00:07:09,679 --> 00:07:13,183 - There was a lot of limitations at that time. 124 00:07:13,224 --> 00:07:16,144 I was alone, 125 00:07:16,227 --> 00:07:18,396 but music saved me. 126 00:07:23,234 --> 00:07:27,155 - Into Memphis to the tempo of "Beale Street Blues." 127 00:07:27,238 --> 00:07:30,492 - Memphis has such a rich musical heritage. 128 00:07:30,533 --> 00:07:34,371 I was influenced by the blues and gospel and jazz. 129 00:07:36,915 --> 00:07:39,709 And I loved every bit of it. 130 00:07:39,751 --> 00:07:43,463 When I was 11 years old, there was a drum and bugle corps 131 00:07:43,546 --> 00:07:44,965 that came through the neighborhood. 132 00:07:45,048 --> 00:07:48,301 And they had these shiny suits on, 133 00:07:48,385 --> 00:07:52,764 and I wanted me a shiny suit at school. 134 00:08:02,649 --> 00:08:06,861 I've always been really fascinated by the beat, 135 00:08:06,945 --> 00:08:09,114 and I got so enthusiastic about it. 136 00:08:11,449 --> 00:08:13,159 Good God, he must have practiced 137 00:08:13,243 --> 00:08:14,911 five hours a day, that guy. 138 00:08:16,788 --> 00:08:19,249 - Music was his first love. It was his everything. 139 00:08:19,332 --> 00:08:20,709 It was his safe space, bro. 140 00:08:20,792 --> 00:08:25,797 Like, it was the one where that could not leave, period. 141 00:08:28,258 --> 00:08:32,429 - When I graduated from high school in Memphis, 142 00:08:32,512 --> 00:08:35,348 finally, my mother came and got me and said, 143 00:08:35,432 --> 00:08:37,934 you're going to Chicago. 144 00:08:37,976 --> 00:08:41,479 - Ten years later, she had reached a place in her life 145 00:08:41,563 --> 00:08:45,608 where she wanted Maurice back with her. 146 00:08:49,946 --> 00:08:52,657 But she had started a new family, 147 00:08:52,741 --> 00:08:54,617 so that's a whole different dynamic. 148 00:08:55,869 --> 00:08:58,955 - Maurice's siblings were really, really excited 149 00:08:58,997 --> 00:09:01,750 that our big brother was there. 150 00:09:01,791 --> 00:09:04,711 I just remember looking at him because I'm thinking, 151 00:09:04,794 --> 00:09:06,713 wow, he really does exist. 152 00:09:06,796 --> 00:09:08,798 It was great because 153 00:09:08,882 --> 00:09:10,967 I was spending the day with my big brother. 154 00:09:11,009 --> 00:09:13,928 - We had eight brothers and sisters. 155 00:09:14,012 --> 00:09:16,347 Our mother was a teacher's aide, 156 00:09:16,431 --> 00:09:18,308 housewife, school teacher. 157 00:09:18,349 --> 00:09:20,185 Father was a doctor. 158 00:09:20,268 --> 00:09:24,814 - Maurice was very much aware that this wasn't his family. 159 00:09:24,898 --> 00:09:29,694 It was the family that he never had. 160 00:09:29,778 --> 00:09:33,239 I think he thought, in some way, he was forgotten-- 161 00:09:33,323 --> 00:09:36,242 issues of abandonment. 162 00:09:36,326 --> 00:09:39,329 Maurice had some guard up. 163 00:09:39,370 --> 00:09:43,625 He felt like if you let people get too close, they leave you. 164 00:09:47,212 --> 00:09:50,340 - It was during the time moving to Chicago, 165 00:09:50,381 --> 00:09:53,468 I enrolled in the conservatory. 166 00:09:53,551 --> 00:09:55,178 Eventually, I found that I had talent, 167 00:09:55,220 --> 00:09:58,056 and so I went after pursuing it, you know. 168 00:10:03,103 --> 00:10:06,022 As a result of me trying to find my way 169 00:10:06,064 --> 00:10:08,525 and having faith in what I was doing, 170 00:10:08,566 --> 00:10:10,902 I got a job at Chess as a studio drummer. 171 00:10:10,985 --> 00:10:13,238 - ♪ Like a sound you hear that lingers in your ear ♪ 172 00:10:13,321 --> 00:10:14,239 ♪ But you can't... ♪ 173 00:10:14,322 --> 00:10:17,909 Chess records was one of the most successful 174 00:10:17,992 --> 00:10:21,996 record labels for Black America in the 1960s. 175 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:23,581 ♪ You hear it everywhere ♪ 176 00:10:23,665 --> 00:10:24,916 ♪ No matter what you do ♪ 177 00:10:24,999 --> 00:10:29,712 ♪ It's gonna grab a hold on you ♪ 178 00:10:29,754 --> 00:10:32,132 - It played on everybody's record-- 179 00:10:32,215 --> 00:10:36,094 Fontella Bass, Etta James, Chuck Berry, 180 00:10:36,177 --> 00:10:39,430 Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Billy Stewart, 181 00:10:39,514 --> 00:10:41,641 some of the great. 182 00:10:41,724 --> 00:10:46,563 - 666 on drums and 666r on the bass drum. 183 00:10:46,604 --> 00:10:48,815 - Charles Stepney, he had constantly 184 00:10:48,898 --> 00:10:50,817 been a teacher of mine. 185 00:10:50,900 --> 00:10:53,820 His approach to production was really unique, 186 00:10:53,903 --> 00:10:58,449 taught me how to feel the music and get inside the song, 187 00:10:58,533 --> 00:11:00,034 how to produce records. 188 00:11:00,118 --> 00:11:04,038 It was like Chess University to me. 189 00:11:04,122 --> 00:11:06,082 Those things that I learned from Charles, 190 00:11:06,124 --> 00:11:07,709 I'll never forget. 191 00:11:09,419 --> 00:11:12,839 I started doing things I couldn't believe. 192 00:11:12,922 --> 00:11:16,634 From that point on, I met Ramsey Lewis at Chess. 193 00:11:16,718 --> 00:11:18,595 The man who had the ninth most popular hit 194 00:11:18,678 --> 00:11:20,513 of the past year, Mr. Ramsey Lewis. 195 00:11:33,359 --> 00:11:35,486 Ramsey Lewis, he was huge. 196 00:11:35,570 --> 00:11:37,197 They were like rock stars. 197 00:11:38,823 --> 00:11:41,075 He had one of the first million-selling records 198 00:11:41,159 --> 00:11:43,077 for a jazz trio. 199 00:11:43,161 --> 00:11:46,623 - Ramsey brought jazz to the forefront 200 00:11:46,664 --> 00:11:48,124 for the masses. 201 00:11:48,208 --> 00:11:50,877 Eventually, he asked me to join the band. 202 00:11:56,049 --> 00:11:57,800 I'd get really close to the radio 203 00:11:57,842 --> 00:11:59,969 and try to listen for him. 204 00:12:00,011 --> 00:12:01,512 I knew if I was hearing it, 205 00:12:01,596 --> 00:12:03,306 other people were hearing it too. 206 00:12:05,308 --> 00:12:08,728 - Ramsey exposed me to a wider universe. 207 00:12:08,811 --> 00:12:10,855 But I was very shy. 208 00:12:10,939 --> 00:12:15,443 He would set his cymbals up like this, flat, 209 00:12:15,526 --> 00:12:16,861 so they would cover his face. 210 00:12:16,945 --> 00:12:18,655 And he was kind of hiding behind there, 211 00:12:18,696 --> 00:12:20,073 playing his drums. 212 00:12:20,156 --> 00:12:23,117 And Ramsey told him, hey, man, 213 00:12:23,201 --> 00:12:25,161 the crowd has to see your face. 214 00:12:27,747 --> 00:12:29,457 - Ramsey was a role model for me, 215 00:12:29,540 --> 00:12:31,876 and he taught me presentation. 216 00:12:32,877 --> 00:12:37,632 Maurice became the great drummer live. 217 00:12:58,903 --> 00:13:03,408 The first time I met Maurice White was actually 218 00:13:03,491 --> 00:13:06,369 at a Ramsey Lewis performance. 219 00:13:06,411 --> 00:13:09,038 And I was impressed with the drumming, 220 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:12,959 and Maurice gave me drumsticks. 221 00:13:13,042 --> 00:13:16,421 I may have played some sessions with him. 222 00:13:16,504 --> 00:13:20,550 I was playing so hard, I broke the sticks, okay? 223 00:13:20,591 --> 00:13:21,592 I did. 224 00:13:24,595 --> 00:13:25,972 During the period of time 225 00:13:26,055 --> 00:13:27,473 where I was working with Ramsey... 226 00:13:27,557 --> 00:13:28,850 all: We are the people! 227 00:13:28,933 --> 00:13:33,396 As a peace officer, I hereby command you... 228 00:13:33,438 --> 00:13:37,233 - There was a pain that I felt in the community. 229 00:13:37,275 --> 00:13:39,902 It all kind of converged at the same time, 230 00:13:39,986 --> 00:13:43,406 the assassinations of our leaders. 231 00:13:43,448 --> 00:13:47,410 - It was just all around us in Chicago. 232 00:13:47,493 --> 00:13:49,704 In December, police raided 233 00:13:49,787 --> 00:13:52,248 Black Panther headquarters in Chicago. 234 00:13:52,290 --> 00:13:54,667 They have murdered Fred Hampton. 235 00:13:54,751 --> 00:13:56,586 They are out to murder me. 236 00:13:56,627 --> 00:13:57,712 It's like they'll murder anybody 237 00:13:57,795 --> 00:14:00,256 that's Black in this country. 238 00:14:00,298 --> 00:14:02,925 - Maurice was part of a generation 239 00:14:03,009 --> 00:14:08,181 born into deprivation, discrimination. 240 00:14:08,264 --> 00:14:11,642 The world is sending you a message that you don't count. 241 00:14:11,726 --> 00:14:16,397 But you have to remember one thing, and that's be strong. 242 00:14:16,481 --> 00:14:17,774 We spend more time-- 243 00:14:17,815 --> 00:14:19,692 - Black advancement was under fire. 244 00:14:19,776 --> 00:14:25,114 But even in the midst of all of that, it fired Blacks up. 245 00:14:25,156 --> 00:14:26,741 For the quick solution. 246 00:14:26,824 --> 00:14:28,868 - On the South Side of Chicago, 247 00:14:28,951 --> 00:14:33,539 there was a Black Arts Movement using Afrocentricity, 248 00:14:33,623 --> 00:14:38,711 reimagining Blackness through a connection to Africa, 249 00:14:38,795 --> 00:14:41,005 defining Blackness on its own terms. 250 00:14:45,051 --> 00:14:48,221 - It kind of inspired me to get a bead 251 00:14:48,304 --> 00:14:50,807 on my own African evolution. 252 00:14:52,642 --> 00:14:54,936 I got exposed to the kalimba, 253 00:14:55,019 --> 00:14:57,188 or I just started fooling around with it. 254 00:14:58,898 --> 00:15:01,109 - The kalimba is the thumb piano 255 00:15:01,150 --> 00:15:05,154 used by some African poets, storytellers, 256 00:15:05,238 --> 00:15:09,283 keepers of history for meaningful connections 257 00:15:09,367 --> 00:15:10,368 in the universe. 258 00:15:15,164 --> 00:15:17,917 - One night, when I was with Ramsey Lewis, 259 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,461 I picked up the kalimba and started to play, 260 00:15:20,545 --> 00:15:22,422 and they liked it. 261 00:15:30,054 --> 00:15:33,266 - That was amazing because it brought me closer 262 00:15:33,349 --> 00:15:37,687 to knowing more about what I was so curious about. 263 00:15:37,728 --> 00:15:39,480 And that was Africa. 264 00:15:41,732 --> 00:15:42,984 Say, I'm gonna teach you some very 265 00:15:43,067 --> 00:15:44,944 important words in Swahili. 266 00:15:45,027 --> 00:15:47,113 I want you to repeat after me. 267 00:15:47,196 --> 00:15:49,490 Me and Maurice, we were a songwriting team. 268 00:15:49,574 --> 00:15:52,034 We got aware that you could make money with jingles. 269 00:15:52,076 --> 00:15:53,536 Love is upendo. 270 00:15:53,619 --> 00:15:54,745 all: Love is upendo. 271 00:15:54,829 --> 00:15:56,080 Pride is kiburi. 272 00:15:56,164 --> 00:15:57,331 all: Pride is kiburi. 273 00:15:57,415 --> 00:15:58,541 Watu wazuri. 274 00:15:58,624 --> 00:16:01,919 all: Use Afro Sheen, Afro Sheen, Afro Sheen, Afro Sheen. 275 00:16:02,003 --> 00:16:05,548 - ♪ Watu wazuri use Afro Sheen ♪ 276 00:16:05,631 --> 00:16:08,176 You do the watu wazuri, use Afro Sheen commercials? 277 00:16:08,217 --> 00:16:09,218 Yeah. 278 00:16:09,302 --> 00:16:11,637 Oh, I'm sorry, yo. I got super--wait a minute. 279 00:16:13,097 --> 00:16:16,559 - ♪ Watu wazuri use Afro Sheen ♪ 280 00:16:16,601 --> 00:16:20,730 - The watu wazuri means beautiful people. 281 00:16:20,771 --> 00:16:23,274 - ♪ Watu wazuri, use Afro Sheen ♪ 282 00:16:23,357 --> 00:16:26,360 The message that Black is beautiful... 283 00:16:26,444 --> 00:16:28,404 all: ♪ Black is beautiful ♪ 284 00:16:28,446 --> 00:16:30,615 And our beautiful Black African history. 285 00:16:30,698 --> 00:16:31,657 - Isn't it beautiful? - Yes. 286 00:16:31,741 --> 00:16:33,242 All right. 287 00:16:33,284 --> 00:16:37,330 We had not heard anything like that before. 288 00:16:38,831 --> 00:16:41,250 You know, we are somebody. 289 00:16:41,334 --> 00:16:44,837 We can feel good about ourselves. 290 00:16:44,921 --> 00:16:48,633 It was feeding into little souls like mine. 291 00:16:48,716 --> 00:16:51,302 It was Black positivity. 292 00:16:52,637 --> 00:16:55,806 - For brothers and sisters, it was a revolution. 293 00:16:55,890 --> 00:16:58,100 It was just time to shine. 294 00:17:00,853 --> 00:17:06,067 ♪ ♪ 295 00:17:06,150 --> 00:17:09,695 Hey, on a solo. 296 00:17:09,779 --> 00:17:11,781 - So I started having visions of this group 297 00:17:11,822 --> 00:17:16,953 and create this music to see ourselves in a different way. 298 00:17:17,036 --> 00:17:19,622 I was inspired by reading a book 299 00:17:19,664 --> 00:17:22,792 called "Laws of Success" by Napoleon Hill. 300 00:17:30,132 --> 00:17:34,095 It introduced me to a new form of awareness, 301 00:17:34,178 --> 00:17:36,681 positive thinking. 302 00:17:36,764 --> 00:17:40,059 Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, 303 00:17:40,142 --> 00:17:41,435 it can achieve. 304 00:17:41,519 --> 00:17:43,854 You're capable of doing anything. 305 00:17:43,938 --> 00:17:45,982 Napoleon Hill said, when you want 306 00:17:46,065 --> 00:17:48,985 to manifest something into reality, 307 00:17:49,026 --> 00:17:50,528 there is a process for it. 308 00:17:51,904 --> 00:17:53,656 Write it out clearly. 309 00:17:53,739 --> 00:17:58,202 Tell the mind what you want over and over and over again. 310 00:17:58,286 --> 00:18:01,831 - It's like this thing kept on formulating in my mind. 311 00:18:04,458 --> 00:18:08,087 I wanted to reach a universal audience. 312 00:18:10,214 --> 00:18:13,593 To evolve consciousness through the music. 313 00:18:16,929 --> 00:18:18,556 And change the world. 314 00:18:20,891 --> 00:18:25,021 I finally drew a picture of my vision of this group. 315 00:18:28,065 --> 00:18:31,110 ♪ ♪ 316 00:18:31,193 --> 00:18:34,196 And that's what I set out to do. 317 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:38,534 So he decided to leave Ramsey Lewis. 318 00:18:38,576 --> 00:18:40,786 To give up the height of success, 319 00:18:40,870 --> 00:18:47,668 touring around the world, for the harebrained idea 320 00:18:47,752 --> 00:18:54,508 of achieving an artistic dream is almost unthinkable. 321 00:18:55,301 --> 00:18:56,677 - You have to follow your heart 322 00:18:56,761 --> 00:18:59,430 and follow what's important for you. 323 00:18:59,513 --> 00:19:03,934 And don't be afraid to do that, to take chances. 324 00:19:07,688 --> 00:19:11,901 - Maurice said, I wanna go out to California to start a band. 325 00:19:11,942 --> 00:19:14,236 Are you interested? 326 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:15,655 I said, hell, yeah. 327 00:19:17,323 --> 00:19:20,910 - California was a whole different thing. 328 00:19:20,951 --> 00:19:22,411 I played tennis. 329 00:19:22,453 --> 00:19:25,748 I'd ride horses, go out driving in my Jeep. 330 00:19:29,460 --> 00:19:32,338 - In the early '70s, Black people are really 331 00:19:32,421 --> 00:19:33,964 stretching out and growing. 332 00:19:34,048 --> 00:19:35,091 There are countercultures. 333 00:19:35,132 --> 00:19:37,510 There are Black hippies now. 334 00:19:37,593 --> 00:19:39,303 - Mostly new-age consciousness 335 00:19:39,387 --> 00:19:42,348 and eating right and living right. 336 00:19:42,431 --> 00:19:44,183 - There was a health store, so we used to 337 00:19:44,266 --> 00:19:45,685 go there and eat all the time-- 338 00:19:45,768 --> 00:19:48,354 Organicville. 339 00:19:48,437 --> 00:19:51,607 - One day, Maurice White came in, 340 00:19:51,691 --> 00:19:52,817 and we locked eyes. 341 00:19:56,278 --> 00:20:00,199 And all of a sudden, I heard music. 342 00:20:00,282 --> 00:20:02,451 And I got chills. 343 00:20:02,535 --> 00:20:08,999 And he flashed me his smile, and it was over. 344 00:20:09,083 --> 00:20:11,961 I told my mom, I met someone. 345 00:20:12,044 --> 00:20:13,212 She says, yeah? 346 00:20:13,295 --> 00:20:15,256 Is he Jewish? 347 00:20:15,339 --> 00:20:17,216 And I laughed. 348 00:20:17,299 --> 00:20:21,095 I said, no, Mom, he is not Jewish. 349 00:20:21,178 --> 00:20:23,889 We were interested in learning, 350 00:20:23,973 --> 00:20:26,475 continuously learning. 351 00:20:27,768 --> 00:20:28,811 - Yeah, I was doing a lot of study 352 00:20:28,853 --> 00:20:32,815 about metaphysics, outer space, and inner space. 353 00:20:34,442 --> 00:20:36,986 - Maurice was learning that the universe 354 00:20:37,027 --> 00:20:40,114 is this one powerful force. 355 00:20:40,197 --> 00:20:44,368 But instead of looking up, look in. 356 00:20:44,452 --> 00:20:47,705 We are the vehicle in which the power comes through. 357 00:20:50,458 --> 00:20:52,626 We exist now, on this plane, 358 00:20:52,710 --> 00:20:54,837 which is called a physical plane. 359 00:20:57,381 --> 00:20:59,550 But if you tune in to the universe, 360 00:20:59,633 --> 00:21:03,304 you can more or less elevate yourself consciously. 361 00:21:06,182 --> 00:21:08,517 - He told me he wanted to bring 362 00:21:08,601 --> 00:21:12,855 that mysticism into his band. 363 00:21:12,938 --> 00:21:14,231 I said, cool. 364 00:21:14,315 --> 00:21:16,609 Do you have a name for your band? 365 00:21:16,692 --> 00:21:18,694 - I was into astrology real heavy. 366 00:21:18,736 --> 00:21:22,531 And I was looking at my astrological chart. 367 00:21:22,573 --> 00:21:24,366 I started to put the elements together. 368 00:21:24,450 --> 00:21:31,040 And I had Earth in my chart, fire in my chart, and air. 369 00:21:31,081 --> 00:21:34,251 And I changed air to wind, and the rest is history. 370 00:21:38,088 --> 00:21:40,549 Earth, Wind and Fire is basically 371 00:21:40,591 --> 00:21:42,885 that of the true elements of the universe. 372 00:21:42,927 --> 00:21:44,345 It just had a ring to it. 373 00:21:52,937 --> 00:21:54,730 So I had three songwriters 374 00:21:54,772 --> 00:21:56,524 who worked with me all the time, 375 00:21:56,565 --> 00:22:01,403 Don Whitehead, Wade Flemons, Sherry Scott. 376 00:22:01,487 --> 00:22:03,113 And this is who I formed the group with. 377 00:22:03,197 --> 00:22:07,409 ♪ No man should have to face his problems all alone ♪ 378 00:22:07,451 --> 00:22:09,745 ♪ Alone, alone, oh, no ♪ 379 00:22:09,829 --> 00:22:12,373 ♪ Reach out and help the weak man ♪ 380 00:22:12,456 --> 00:22:15,292 ♪ And make him strong, strong, strong ♪ 381 00:22:15,376 --> 00:22:19,296 ♪ Now, now, now I wanna help somebody ♪ 382 00:22:19,380 --> 00:22:23,467 ♪ I'd like to help you, you, you ♪ 383 00:22:23,551 --> 00:22:27,096 ♪ Now, don't that make you wanna help somebody ♪ 384 00:22:27,179 --> 00:22:31,392 ♪ Too, too, too ♪ 385 00:22:31,475 --> 00:22:33,060 ♪ The love... ♪ 386 00:22:33,143 --> 00:22:36,188 We flowed so effortlessly. 387 00:22:36,272 --> 00:22:37,940 No one had the upper hand. 388 00:22:37,982 --> 00:22:41,944 We were all good at what our particular contribution was. 389 00:22:41,986 --> 00:22:48,409 - ♪ Helping hand will make you a better man ♪ 390 00:22:48,492 --> 00:22:51,954 ♪ Doo wah doo way ♪ 391 00:22:51,996 --> 00:22:53,581 ♪ Let love prevail ♪ 392 00:22:53,664 --> 00:22:55,666 - Verdine, I invited him to come out 393 00:22:55,749 --> 00:22:57,877 and join the band because he started 394 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:02,464 to soar as a bass player after I bought him his first bass. 395 00:23:02,506 --> 00:23:05,718 In high school, I would be the classical bass player, 396 00:23:05,801 --> 00:23:09,346 you know, jazz, lugging it around on the bus. 397 00:23:09,430 --> 00:23:10,848 It just spoke to me. 398 00:23:12,266 --> 00:23:14,977 - When I got to California, I was not well-traveled. 399 00:23:15,060 --> 00:23:16,312 I had never been on a plane. 400 00:23:16,353 --> 00:23:18,105 Maurice looked at me. 401 00:23:18,188 --> 00:23:19,440 I looked like a country bumpkin. 402 00:23:19,481 --> 00:23:20,649 He said, we gotta go get you some clothes. 403 00:23:20,691 --> 00:23:23,736 ♪ Reach out your hand and help somebody ♪ 404 00:23:23,819 --> 00:23:26,488 - And don't forget, now, I'm 18, 19. 405 00:23:26,572 --> 00:23:28,240 The band, they were older. 406 00:23:28,324 --> 00:23:30,075 They knew so much. 407 00:23:30,159 --> 00:23:31,702 I didn't wanna blow it, 408 00:23:31,785 --> 00:23:33,579 or Reese might get another bass player. 409 00:23:35,164 --> 00:23:37,875 ♪ Help somebody today ♪ 410 00:23:44,548 --> 00:23:49,219 As we float through time 411 00:23:49,303 --> 00:23:51,805 as energy... 412 00:23:51,889 --> 00:23:54,224 - We were, like, preoccupied with innovating 413 00:23:54,308 --> 00:23:56,518 new sounds, trying new things, 414 00:23:56,602 --> 00:23:59,021 Filling all space... 415 00:23:59,063 --> 00:24:02,524 - The vibe was just experimental jazz, 416 00:24:02,566 --> 00:24:05,527 wasn't designed to be commercial. 417 00:24:05,611 --> 00:24:08,322 We would just go wherever the spirit led us. 418 00:24:08,405 --> 00:24:13,869 - Breathing air filled with prana. 419 00:24:13,911 --> 00:24:18,207 Awaiting the timeless times of nirvana. 420 00:24:18,248 --> 00:24:20,125 - Maurice was doing the hustling, 421 00:24:20,209 --> 00:24:22,044 pushing us out there. 422 00:24:22,127 --> 00:24:25,547 Eventually, we got a contract with Warner Brothers. 423 00:24:25,631 --> 00:24:28,926 We call on you because we 424 00:24:29,009 --> 00:24:34,139 love you. 425 00:24:37,393 --> 00:24:39,144 - We were playing Black colleges. 426 00:24:39,228 --> 00:24:40,854 We were a college group first. 427 00:24:43,023 --> 00:24:48,237 At the time, I was in the band called Friends and Love. 428 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:50,447 We opened for Earth, Wind and Fire. 429 00:24:50,531 --> 00:24:52,199 I had never heard no Black people 430 00:24:52,282 --> 00:24:54,159 playing no music like that. 431 00:24:56,120 --> 00:24:59,581 Dressed like little jazz geek kids, you know, 432 00:24:59,623 --> 00:25:01,667 looked up to him because it was harmonically complex 433 00:25:01,750 --> 00:25:04,294 and exciting and orchestrated. 434 00:25:04,378 --> 00:25:05,671 And it was just banging. 435 00:25:08,924 --> 00:25:10,426 ♪ ♪ 436 00:25:10,467 --> 00:25:12,094 We were a niche band, 437 00:25:12,136 --> 00:25:15,014 but we weren't connecting with the wider audience 438 00:25:15,097 --> 00:25:16,724 that Maurice wanted. 439 00:25:21,186 --> 00:25:23,772 We didn't sell very well. 440 00:25:23,856 --> 00:25:25,941 The record companies didn't know what to do with us 441 00:25:26,025 --> 00:25:30,279 because we wasn't your usual RandB Black band. 442 00:25:30,362 --> 00:25:32,239 - We struggled for about 18 months, 443 00:25:32,322 --> 00:25:34,324 trying to get it together. 444 00:25:34,408 --> 00:25:37,453 There was some resentment being built. 445 00:25:37,494 --> 00:25:39,121 When we gonna get some more work, 446 00:25:39,163 --> 00:25:41,040 so we can make some money? 447 00:25:41,123 --> 00:25:43,792 Some of the guys were much older with the attitude, 448 00:25:43,876 --> 00:25:48,839 well, look, I know as much as you do, business-wise. 449 00:25:48,922 --> 00:25:52,092 I don't think they wanted Maurice to be the leader. 450 00:25:52,176 --> 00:25:55,179 I think that was a problem amongst them. 451 00:25:55,262 --> 00:25:58,140 They all wanted to be the leader, you know. 452 00:25:58,223 --> 00:26:00,059 But it was Maurice's group. 453 00:26:25,584 --> 00:26:28,670 We were called into a meeting, 454 00:26:28,754 --> 00:26:32,758 and everything was up in smoke. 455 00:26:32,841 --> 00:26:37,304 What I noticed, Verdine wasn't there, 456 00:26:37,387 --> 00:26:40,349 and Maurice wasn't there. 457 00:26:41,767 --> 00:26:45,562 Maurice did not like confrontation. 458 00:26:45,646 --> 00:26:49,108 He did not like uncomfortable conversations. 459 00:26:49,191 --> 00:26:50,692 He-- 460 00:26:50,734 --> 00:26:53,695 He was chickenshit. 461 00:26:53,779 --> 00:26:56,198 You know, that's just the truth. 462 00:26:56,240 --> 00:27:00,119 We heard we were no longer a member of this group. 463 00:27:00,202 --> 00:27:02,704 Well, I couldn't think straight because, I mean, 464 00:27:02,788 --> 00:27:05,999 this is my brother. 465 00:27:06,083 --> 00:27:08,877 Man, what kind of nonsense is that, you know? 466 00:27:08,919 --> 00:27:11,755 Reese is gonna get rid of all of us. 467 00:27:15,759 --> 00:27:18,554 He would say to me things like, 468 00:27:18,637 --> 00:27:20,472 people are in your life for a season, 469 00:27:20,556 --> 00:27:23,142 and when it's over, it's-- 470 00:27:31,567 --> 00:27:34,611 - Start by focusing in your heart. 471 00:27:34,695 --> 00:27:37,239 Breathe in the energy of the universe, 472 00:27:37,281 --> 00:27:39,950 the shakti of the universe. 473 00:27:41,827 --> 00:27:45,497 - The first band didn't come together, you know. 474 00:27:45,581 --> 00:27:48,750 But I wasn't ready to give up. 475 00:27:48,792 --> 00:27:50,919 Let it fill your whole body. 476 00:27:51,003 --> 00:27:54,756 He believed in his dream. 477 00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:58,427 He would visualize, visualize, visualize... 478 00:28:00,721 --> 00:28:03,724 Writing down affirmations 479 00:28:03,807 --> 00:28:06,435 up until 1:00, 2:00 in the morning. 480 00:28:14,568 --> 00:28:16,361 - I just wanted a younger approach, 481 00:28:16,445 --> 00:28:18,864 more commercial approach, 482 00:28:18,947 --> 00:28:21,325 a new sound, a new energy. 483 00:28:21,408 --> 00:28:24,244 Verdine was the first person. 484 00:28:24,328 --> 00:28:27,873 We solidified, I'm keeping this dude in the group. 485 00:28:27,956 --> 00:28:31,043 - I got Ralph, hired him as a drummer. 486 00:28:31,126 --> 00:28:33,253 - They had seen me play at a club 487 00:28:33,337 --> 00:28:34,796 called Maverick's Flat. 488 00:28:34,838 --> 00:28:36,840 When the opportunity comes about, man, 489 00:28:36,924 --> 00:28:40,761 you walk into something that totally changes your life. 490 00:28:40,844 --> 00:28:43,805 - I just put it together, piece by piece. 491 00:28:47,226 --> 00:28:48,810 ♪ ♪ 492 00:28:48,852 --> 00:28:51,104 This is Phil Bailey. 493 00:28:51,146 --> 00:28:52,648 - What sign are you, brother? - I'm a Taurus. 494 00:28:52,731 --> 00:28:54,650 Taurus, the bull. Right on. 495 00:28:54,691 --> 00:28:56,568 It was divine destiny 496 00:28:56,652 --> 00:29:01,573 to join a group that I already admired. 497 00:29:01,657 --> 00:29:03,492 Maurice White is the leader of the group, 498 00:29:03,575 --> 00:29:05,869 so like the pilot of our ship. 499 00:29:05,953 --> 00:29:08,330 - Being a leader, you have to be able to, like, 500 00:29:08,372 --> 00:29:10,415 keep it on a good level. 501 00:29:10,499 --> 00:29:12,751 I always try to be an example. 502 00:29:12,834 --> 00:29:15,003 Reese was ten years older than us. 503 00:29:15,087 --> 00:29:18,507 We were learning so many things 504 00:29:18,590 --> 00:29:21,468 because we're, like, 21 years old. 505 00:29:21,551 --> 00:29:24,388 It's our first rodeo. 506 00:29:24,471 --> 00:29:28,517 Incense for $1, 25 of them. 507 00:29:30,978 --> 00:29:35,774 We were anxious to see where Maurice was gonna take this. 508 00:29:39,695 --> 00:29:43,198 - There was a circuit that the artists would travel-- 509 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:48,245 the Regal, the Howard, the Apollo, the Uptown. 510 00:29:48,328 --> 00:29:51,123 There's a bunch of theaters that's a little hostile. 511 00:29:51,206 --> 00:29:53,709 And if you wasn't great, the audience would boo you 512 00:29:53,750 --> 00:29:56,211 and throw you off the stage. 513 00:29:56,295 --> 00:29:59,798 - I remember playing there with the Commodores. 514 00:29:59,881 --> 00:30:04,344 They're going to give you an opportunity to present. 515 00:30:04,428 --> 00:30:07,723 What they're not gonna do is lie to you. 516 00:30:07,764 --> 00:30:10,225 Only the strong's gonna survive. 517 00:30:10,267 --> 00:30:13,854 One day, we get a chance to go to Philadelphia, 518 00:30:13,937 --> 00:30:18,442 and we're doing the Uptown Theatre. 519 00:30:21,194 --> 00:30:25,324 The revue is five doo-wop groups 520 00:30:25,407 --> 00:30:27,993 and Earth, Wind and Fire. 521 00:30:29,453 --> 00:30:31,955 These groups had on tailor-made suits 522 00:30:32,039 --> 00:30:34,791 cut to the nines, everybody looking tight, 523 00:30:34,875 --> 00:30:37,085 everybody looking alike. 524 00:30:37,127 --> 00:30:42,215 That's what was expected at the Uptown. 525 00:30:42,299 --> 00:30:43,717 Although we were cool, we were different. 526 00:30:45,594 --> 00:30:47,596 ♪ Yeah, what about the... ♪ 527 00:30:47,679 --> 00:30:51,433 With afros, no shirts, 528 00:30:51,516 --> 00:30:54,936 wearing dashikis and Capezios. 529 00:30:54,978 --> 00:30:56,313 ♪ Hey, hey ♪ 530 00:30:59,107 --> 00:31:00,984 We were outsiders. 531 00:31:01,068 --> 00:31:03,945 They were going to hate us. 532 00:31:10,285 --> 00:31:12,746 Oh, I was scared to death, 533 00:31:12,829 --> 00:31:15,832 scared out of my wits, you know? 534 00:31:15,916 --> 00:31:19,878 Maurice thought, I'm gonna defy the odds. 535 00:31:22,923 --> 00:31:29,596 ♪ ♪ 536 00:31:29,679 --> 00:31:33,517 He tells all of us the plan. 537 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:34,559 It's a bold move. 538 00:31:37,062 --> 00:31:39,815 Acts have gone on before us. 539 00:31:39,856 --> 00:31:41,942 It was time for us to go up. 540 00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:46,071 We got a new group from California, 541 00:31:46,154 --> 00:31:47,948 Earth, Wind and Fire. 542 00:31:49,574 --> 00:31:54,204 People's mouth open, and then you got laughter. 543 00:31:56,373 --> 00:32:00,168 So Maurice says, sit down on the floor. 544 00:32:00,252 --> 00:32:02,879 Sit down in the lotus position. 545 00:32:02,963 --> 00:32:05,006 We got in the lotus position, folded our legs, 546 00:32:05,048 --> 00:32:07,050 man, and we just meditated. 547 00:32:11,012 --> 00:32:13,098 And they were just looking at us crazy. 548 00:32:13,181 --> 00:32:15,851 Minute one, what are you thinking? 549 00:32:15,934 --> 00:32:18,270 I'm too scared to think. 550 00:32:18,353 --> 00:32:20,856 I'm going, okay, now, this is either gonna work 551 00:32:20,897 --> 00:32:23,525 or this is gonna be a total disaster. 552 00:32:23,608 --> 00:32:27,195 You have cups and stuff thrown up there on the stage. 553 00:32:27,279 --> 00:32:29,156 Get them guys off the stage! Get them out of there. 554 00:32:29,239 --> 00:32:30,574 Get them out of there. 555 00:32:33,201 --> 00:32:34,453 We're sitting there looking like this, 556 00:32:34,536 --> 00:32:37,080 so one eye like this, and oh, my God. 557 00:32:38,498 --> 00:32:40,584 - Three minutes into that mission, 558 00:32:40,667 --> 00:32:41,751 what are you thinking? 559 00:32:41,835 --> 00:32:44,379 Now the heart's beating fast. 560 00:32:44,421 --> 00:32:46,298 The mouth is dry. 561 00:32:46,381 --> 00:32:48,133 We sat there and looked at that audience 562 00:32:48,216 --> 00:32:51,636 for at least five minutes, 563 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:53,054 Six, seven, eight minutes. 564 00:32:56,308 --> 00:33:01,229 Finally, it calmed down just enough. 565 00:33:01,313 --> 00:33:04,483 - I guess they got tired of heckling us, 566 00:33:04,566 --> 00:33:08,612 and Maurice starts playing the kalimba. 567 00:33:15,327 --> 00:33:17,370 He tells me to get on the congas. 568 00:33:19,706 --> 00:33:23,043 Then he tells over to Ralph, start a groove. 569 00:33:25,879 --> 00:33:27,756 And then bass line. 570 00:33:34,971 --> 00:33:36,556 And then we went. 571 00:34:06,294 --> 00:34:07,879 We started hearing people clap a little bit. 572 00:34:07,963 --> 00:34:11,383 Yeah, that's the fire, the fire. 573 00:34:11,466 --> 00:34:13,385 And then we proceeded to kill. 574 00:34:33,113 --> 00:34:35,991 - Sometimes people are afraid of change. 575 00:34:36,032 --> 00:34:37,867 Through all of that, they won them over 576 00:34:37,951 --> 00:34:39,369 with a new experience. 577 00:34:47,711 --> 00:34:50,714 - Maurice said, this is the day that we found out 578 00:34:50,797 --> 00:34:52,299 that we got something. 579 00:34:52,340 --> 00:34:57,679 That was an endorsement to do what he was saying 580 00:34:57,762 --> 00:35:00,181 philosophically and musically. 581 00:35:01,349 --> 00:35:04,728 To lead a band of Black guys, right, 582 00:35:04,811 --> 00:35:09,608 you know, of cats, you gotta be really tough. 583 00:35:09,691 --> 00:35:11,234 And Maurice was tough. 584 00:35:14,571 --> 00:35:18,241 We had something big to accomplish, you know? 585 00:35:18,325 --> 00:35:20,285 - I get a call from Maurice White. 586 00:35:20,368 --> 00:35:23,872 And he tells me he's got a group. 587 00:35:23,913 --> 00:35:27,709 So I go and I see Earth, Wind and Fire. 588 00:35:27,792 --> 00:35:29,210 This is good stuff. 589 00:35:29,294 --> 00:35:32,589 I thought, this could be a successful band. 590 00:35:32,672 --> 00:35:37,218 Jim Brown has them, but Reese wanted different management. 591 00:35:37,302 --> 00:35:40,388 So I said, I'd like to manage you. 592 00:35:40,430 --> 00:35:43,767 Maurice brought the band out to my house 593 00:35:43,850 --> 00:35:46,227 to sign the contract. 594 00:35:46,311 --> 00:35:48,897 I said to him, why did you bring everybody? 595 00:35:48,980 --> 00:35:51,733 I'm only signing you. 596 00:35:51,775 --> 00:35:55,528 I believe these kids were part of Maurice's vision 597 00:35:55,612 --> 00:35:58,615 but not the cause of it, the impetus of it. 598 00:35:58,698 --> 00:36:00,575 It was him. 599 00:36:00,659 --> 00:36:04,037 Then I put together a deal with Columbia Records, 600 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:07,916 with Clive Davis. 601 00:36:07,957 --> 00:36:11,503 - When people like Clive Davis comes into your life, 602 00:36:11,586 --> 00:36:15,090 it's giving you the major opportunity to, like, be big. 603 00:36:15,131 --> 00:36:17,300 The first experience of recording 604 00:36:17,384 --> 00:36:20,011 that we all did together was the "Last Days and Time," 605 00:36:20,095 --> 00:36:21,888 then "Head to the Sky." 606 00:36:30,230 --> 00:36:34,401 ♪ Evil running through our brain ♪ 607 00:36:34,442 --> 00:36:38,488 ♪ We and evil is about the same, oh, Lord ♪ 608 00:36:40,156 --> 00:36:45,870 ♪ Well, yeah ♪ 609 00:36:45,954 --> 00:36:48,248 ♪ Ooh, yeah ♪ 610 00:36:48,331 --> 00:36:50,375 I was a little bit shy in the beginning. 611 00:36:50,458 --> 00:36:53,294 But after I discovered a sound for myself, 612 00:36:53,378 --> 00:36:55,255 I was a whole different personality. 613 00:36:55,338 --> 00:36:59,175 ♪ Yeah, evil ♪ 614 00:36:59,259 --> 00:37:01,469 For the band, what we try to do 615 00:37:01,511 --> 00:37:05,014 is to bring the nine together as one. 616 00:37:05,098 --> 00:37:06,558 ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ 617 00:37:06,641 --> 00:37:08,476 - Maurice definitely had a vision, 618 00:37:08,518 --> 00:37:12,731 and he let us express ourselves very freely. 619 00:37:12,814 --> 00:37:18,153 ♪ Yeah, well, well ♪ 620 00:37:35,211 --> 00:37:37,964 There was always a book to read. 621 00:37:38,047 --> 00:37:39,048 We would stay up late at night 622 00:37:39,132 --> 00:37:41,050 and talk about everything-- 623 00:37:41,134 --> 00:37:42,218 cosmic consciousness. 624 00:37:42,302 --> 00:37:44,345 Spirituality, metaphysics. 625 00:37:44,429 --> 00:37:46,306 Everyone else in the group got into 626 00:37:46,389 --> 00:37:51,936 transcendental meditation, positive self-betterment. 627 00:37:57,692 --> 00:37:59,861 Maurice had a lot of elixirs, 628 00:37:59,903 --> 00:38:00,987 so many drops in the water, 629 00:38:01,070 --> 00:38:03,531 and supplements and all of that. 630 00:38:03,615 --> 00:38:06,534 We have one of his green juice recipes. 631 00:38:06,618 --> 00:38:07,619 Oh, wow. 632 00:38:10,705 --> 00:38:12,290 Items--greens. 633 00:38:12,373 --> 00:38:13,917 This is intense. 634 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:17,420 Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, spotted bananas, 635 00:38:17,504 --> 00:38:18,379 so they gotta be ripe. 636 00:38:18,463 --> 00:38:21,466 Soy lecithin granules, brewer's yeast flakes, 637 00:38:21,549 --> 00:38:23,343 bee pollen grains, vanilla extract, 638 00:38:23,426 --> 00:38:26,471 chlorella, pycnogenol. 639 00:38:26,554 --> 00:38:28,056 I don't know what it is. 640 00:38:28,097 --> 00:38:30,141 Very simple diet, you know. 641 00:38:34,771 --> 00:38:36,731 ♪ ♪ 642 00:38:42,862 --> 00:38:47,242 - After a gig, we would come into a hotel lobby. 643 00:38:47,325 --> 00:38:49,744 It was very important for us to find 644 00:38:49,828 --> 00:38:54,374 a group of ladies that could corn row our hair 645 00:38:54,457 --> 00:38:56,960 while we played chess. 646 00:38:57,043 --> 00:38:58,753 Chess was a thing with us. 647 00:39:16,813 --> 00:39:20,900 - Reese wanted to always do either arenas or stadiums. 648 00:39:20,984 --> 00:39:23,403 That's where his head was. 649 00:39:23,486 --> 00:39:25,613 - For us to go to the next step, 650 00:39:25,697 --> 00:39:29,450 we needed to go on as opening act. 651 00:39:29,534 --> 00:39:31,953 So we finally joined up 652 00:39:31,995 --> 00:39:33,997 with George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic 653 00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:36,124 at the Washington Armory. 654 00:39:39,168 --> 00:39:41,546 P-Funk--raw. 655 00:39:41,629 --> 00:39:43,339 Raw. 656 00:39:43,423 --> 00:39:45,466 - George Clinton just went wild and loose 657 00:39:45,550 --> 00:39:47,635 and just let himself be himself. 658 00:39:47,719 --> 00:39:48,887 - When I passed two guys in diapers, 659 00:39:48,970 --> 00:39:51,431 I knew, okay, this is definitely gonna be 660 00:39:51,514 --> 00:39:53,683 some different kind of stuff. 661 00:39:56,352 --> 00:39:58,229 Oh, my. 662 00:39:58,313 --> 00:40:00,648 What a position to be in. 663 00:40:02,901 --> 00:40:05,320 - We went up there, packed house, 664 00:40:05,403 --> 00:40:08,656 smelling like weed everyplace. 665 00:40:08,698 --> 00:40:10,491 So we go out and do our thing-- 666 00:40:10,575 --> 00:40:12,827 the flower children, love, peace, and granola. 667 00:40:16,748 --> 00:40:20,501 We got, you know, polite applause. 668 00:40:20,543 --> 00:40:22,295 And then, man... 669 00:40:25,673 --> 00:40:30,428 Out came George and his guys, followed by a cloud of smoke. 670 00:40:30,511 --> 00:40:34,349 And, man, they started this groove-- 671 00:40:34,432 --> 00:40:38,519 mm, da, da, da, mmm, mmm, da, da, doo, doo, doo. 672 00:40:38,561 --> 00:40:41,189 Bang a dang, boom, bum, boom, bum, boom, bang a dang, 673 00:40:41,272 --> 00:40:42,231 boom, bum, boom, bum. 674 00:40:42,315 --> 00:40:43,358 This thing, that's all he did. 675 00:40:43,441 --> 00:40:45,193 And all the heads in the audience. 676 00:40:47,654 --> 00:40:49,781 Y'all ready to give up the funk? 677 00:40:51,699 --> 00:40:53,368 I want you to free your mind, 678 00:40:53,451 --> 00:40:55,745 and your ass will follow tonight. 679 00:40:55,828 --> 00:40:58,539 They proceeded to lay it on. 680 00:40:58,623 --> 00:41:01,292 ♪ There once was a man from Peru ♪ 681 00:41:01,376 --> 00:41:03,336 ♪ Who went to sleep in his canoe ♪ 682 00:41:03,419 --> 00:41:05,004 ♪ He was dreaming of Venus ♪ 683 00:41:05,088 --> 00:41:06,422 ♪ He took out his penis ♪ 684 00:41:06,506 --> 00:41:07,757 ♪ And woke up with a handful of goo ♪ 685 00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:09,217 ♪ Put your foot on the rock ♪ 686 00:41:09,300 --> 00:41:10,969 Yow. 687 00:41:13,179 --> 00:41:15,056 ♪ Everybody say shit ♪ 688 00:41:15,139 --> 00:41:16,349 ♪ God damn ♪ 689 00:41:16,432 --> 00:41:18,309 ♪ Get off your ass and... ♪ 690 00:41:18,393 --> 00:41:21,396 Funkadelics came on and literally 691 00:41:21,437 --> 00:41:22,814 funked us out of there. 692 00:41:22,897 --> 00:41:25,608 To this day, we remember that groove. 693 00:41:25,692 --> 00:41:27,527 all: Na, na, na, doh, dank, doh, dank, doo, 694 00:41:27,610 --> 00:41:29,404 da, da, da, dun dank, dank, dank, dank, 695 00:41:29,487 --> 00:41:31,739 da, da, da, dun, dank, dank. 696 00:41:31,781 --> 00:41:33,366 And for, like, about ten years straight, 697 00:41:33,449 --> 00:41:35,493 every time I'd run into George, 698 00:41:35,576 --> 00:41:37,412 George would say Verdine, remember that time 699 00:41:37,495 --> 00:41:39,205 we tore y'all up, man? 700 00:41:39,288 --> 00:41:40,832 And then the funk started. 701 00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:43,334 And I was like, God-- 702 00:41:43,418 --> 00:41:47,005 ♪ Say God damn ♪ 703 00:41:47,088 --> 00:41:50,258 ♪ I want to hear you say, shit, God damn ♪ 704 00:41:50,341 --> 00:41:52,218 Maurice said, okay, 705 00:41:52,301 --> 00:41:54,637 this will never happen again. 706 00:41:54,721 --> 00:41:57,557 But then Jessica Cleaves, 707 00:41:57,640 --> 00:42:01,102 she left Earth, Wind and Fire for P-Funk. 708 00:42:01,144 --> 00:42:02,520 Yeah. 709 00:42:02,603 --> 00:42:04,272 There's a switch. 710 00:42:04,355 --> 00:42:05,523 We just kept going. 711 00:42:05,606 --> 00:42:07,692 That Monday, we were back in rehearsal, 712 00:42:07,775 --> 00:42:09,277 full blast on more work. 713 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:11,279 And find the funk. 714 00:42:14,323 --> 00:42:15,658 ♪ ♪ 715 00:42:15,742 --> 00:42:17,910 Al McKay was added to the band. 716 00:42:17,994 --> 00:42:22,790 And his specific job was to make us funky. 717 00:42:22,874 --> 00:42:25,585 - I was a rhythm guitar player, 718 00:42:25,668 --> 00:42:28,713 so I kind of took the idea of being a drummer 719 00:42:28,796 --> 00:42:31,049 rhythmically to guitar. 720 00:42:31,132 --> 00:42:34,635 So that's kind of been my calling card. 721 00:42:34,677 --> 00:42:39,098 We had to work on the one to get that thing. 722 00:42:39,182 --> 00:42:41,517 - Making that space for the music 723 00:42:41,601 --> 00:42:44,645 to breathe on the one. 724 00:42:44,729 --> 00:42:48,149 - When Freddie came in, Maurice's brother, 725 00:42:48,191 --> 00:42:50,151 the band got tighter. 726 00:42:50,193 --> 00:42:53,488 - Maurice needed a drummer where the rhythm section 727 00:42:53,571 --> 00:42:55,364 could be solidified. 728 00:42:55,448 --> 00:42:57,408 I wanted to be on the stage. 729 00:42:57,492 --> 00:42:59,744 I wanted to play with my brothers. 730 00:42:59,827 --> 00:43:02,663 - The concept of Freddie and I being double drummers, 731 00:43:02,747 --> 00:43:03,956 you didn't know what to expect musically, 732 00:43:03,998 --> 00:43:06,501 but you knew it was gonna be big and powerful. 733 00:43:06,584 --> 00:43:09,545 - I'd just start playing a groove. 734 00:43:09,629 --> 00:43:11,714 And I used to hear Maurice--man, 735 00:43:11,798 --> 00:43:13,091 he'd be in the bathroom combing his hair or something. 736 00:43:13,174 --> 00:43:15,218 And he would hear it, and he'd just start singing something. 737 00:43:15,301 --> 00:43:17,053 ♪ Ah, yes, sir ♪ 738 00:43:17,136 --> 00:43:18,638 ♪ Well, hey ♪ 739 00:43:18,721 --> 00:43:20,973 - The song just kind of wrote itself-- 740 00:43:21,057 --> 00:43:22,809 I mean, no sweat. 741 00:43:22,850 --> 00:43:25,478 All righty, let's check out that "Soul Train" line now, 742 00:43:25,561 --> 00:43:27,146 the "Soul Train" gang to the music 743 00:43:27,188 --> 00:43:30,274 of Earth, Wind and Fire and "Mighty Mighty." 744 00:43:31,734 --> 00:43:35,321 ♪ Yeah ♪ 745 00:43:35,404 --> 00:43:38,699 ♪ That's right, hey, hey, hey-a ♪ 746 00:43:39,742 --> 00:43:41,536 ♪ Walk around ♪ 747 00:43:41,619 --> 00:43:43,663 ♪ Why wear a frown? ♪ 748 00:43:43,704 --> 00:43:48,042 ♪ Say little people try to put you down ♪ 749 00:43:48,126 --> 00:43:51,671 ♪ What you need is a helping hand ♪ 750 00:43:51,754 --> 00:43:53,881 That's when the funk starts. 751 00:43:53,923 --> 00:43:56,592 ♪ At your command ♪ 752 00:43:56,676 --> 00:43:58,136 ♪ How's your faith? ♪ 753 00:43:58,219 --> 00:43:59,011 ♪ 'Cause your faith... ♪ 754 00:43:59,095 --> 00:44:00,555 "Mighty Mighty" was their first 755 00:44:00,596 --> 00:44:02,306 legitimate hit of Black radio. 756 00:44:02,390 --> 00:44:05,560 ♪ To yourself be true ♪ 757 00:44:05,643 --> 00:44:09,397 - We jumped, I mean, jumped sky high. 758 00:44:09,438 --> 00:44:12,066 We had never heard our songs on the radio like that. 759 00:44:12,108 --> 00:44:14,819 ♪ Oh, yes, sir ♪ 760 00:44:14,902 --> 00:44:16,863 ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ 761 00:44:16,946 --> 00:44:20,032 My goal was to get it on pop radio. 762 00:44:21,617 --> 00:44:26,831 But I couldn't get it on radio other than just Black radio. 763 00:44:26,914 --> 00:44:29,834 - You know, we are people of the mighty mighty, 764 00:44:29,917 --> 00:44:32,170 people of the sun-- 765 00:44:32,253 --> 00:44:37,592 very Afrocentric, fist in the air. 766 00:44:37,633 --> 00:44:40,261 But Bob Cavallo thought the message 767 00:44:40,344 --> 00:44:42,346 that white stations got was 768 00:44:42,430 --> 00:44:44,974 "mighty, mighty, kill the whitey." 769 00:44:46,809 --> 00:44:50,271 - Earth, Wind and Fire were making music with joy. 770 00:44:50,313 --> 00:44:53,107 But I think it could be perceived possibly 771 00:44:53,149 --> 00:44:54,901 as being aggressive 772 00:44:54,984 --> 00:44:57,904 for a lot of white radio stations. 773 00:44:57,945 --> 00:45:02,617 - But Maurice wanted his music to be appreciated 774 00:45:02,658 --> 00:45:04,493 by the whole world. 775 00:45:04,577 --> 00:45:08,623 He wanted a 50/50 crowd. 776 00:45:08,664 --> 00:45:10,625 It wouldn't be a white crowd or a black crowd. 777 00:45:10,708 --> 00:45:11,918 It'd be both. 778 00:45:13,711 --> 00:45:17,131 So I knew I had to promote Earth, Wind and Fire 779 00:45:17,173 --> 00:45:20,384 to the white audience, who had very little 780 00:45:20,468 --> 00:45:22,261 to know about them. 781 00:45:22,303 --> 00:45:25,181 And that was my goal with the next gig. 782 00:45:26,515 --> 00:45:28,893 - An ad appeared in Southern California newspapers 783 00:45:28,976 --> 00:45:33,147 announcing California Jam, a 12-hour rock concert. 784 00:45:33,189 --> 00:45:37,276 California Jam was a highly anticipated, 785 00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:41,656 big Woodstock-type concert in Rancho Cucamonga. 786 00:45:41,739 --> 00:45:43,824 And it was televised. 787 00:45:43,908 --> 00:45:45,243 It's gonna be the biggest rock concert 788 00:45:45,326 --> 00:45:46,744 that has ever had this press coverage 789 00:45:46,827 --> 00:45:48,371 from all over the world. 790 00:45:48,454 --> 00:45:50,748 It was 250,000 people. 791 00:45:50,831 --> 00:45:54,168 We'd never seen that many people in one place. 792 00:45:54,210 --> 00:45:57,546 Earth, Wind and Fire was the only Black act on the bill. 793 00:46:00,132 --> 00:46:02,885 It was a whole nother audience for us, you know. 794 00:46:08,057 --> 00:46:09,934 - Sometimes you have to go against the grain, 795 00:46:10,017 --> 00:46:12,812 do things that everybody else wouldn't do. 796 00:46:12,895 --> 00:46:15,564 We'd dare it, you know. We were daring, you know. 797 00:46:15,648 --> 00:46:18,192 But you gotta be that way. 798 00:46:18,234 --> 00:46:21,362 Let's boogie with Earth, Wind and Fire. 799 00:46:21,404 --> 00:46:23,364 You ready to boogie? 800 00:46:56,772 --> 00:46:59,900 That was the beginning of the theatrics 801 00:46:59,942 --> 00:47:01,193 of Earth, Wind and Fire. 802 00:47:03,446 --> 00:47:08,367 ♪ We bring a message from the heavens ♪ 803 00:47:08,451 --> 00:47:13,164 ♪ We're talkin' 'bout a message, hey ♪ 804 00:47:13,247 --> 00:47:16,792 ♪ It's that time is on your side ♪ 805 00:47:16,876 --> 00:47:19,086 ♪ No more need in running ♪ 806 00:47:19,128 --> 00:47:21,172 ♪ No more need to hide ♪ 807 00:47:21,255 --> 00:47:23,883 ♪ No more need to cry, oh, Lord ♪ 808 00:47:23,966 --> 00:47:25,217 ♪ Time is on your side ♪ 809 00:47:25,301 --> 00:47:26,594 ♪ Ooh ♪ 810 00:47:26,677 --> 00:47:28,471 ♪ No more need in running ♪ 811 00:47:28,554 --> 00:47:30,639 ♪ No more need to hide ♪ 812 00:47:30,723 --> 00:47:33,517 ♪ No more need to cry ♪ 813 00:47:33,601 --> 00:47:35,936 ♪ Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya ♪ 814 00:47:35,978 --> 00:47:37,480 ♪ Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya ♪ 815 00:47:37,563 --> 00:47:38,773 ♪ Whoo! ♪ 816 00:47:57,917 --> 00:48:00,294 We were warmly received. 817 00:48:00,336 --> 00:48:06,384 It was the opportunity that we needed to open up exposure 818 00:48:06,467 --> 00:48:07,802 to Earth, Wind and Fire. 819 00:48:07,885 --> 00:48:10,137 How you feel? 820 00:48:10,179 --> 00:48:13,849 Every time I am able to accomplish something 821 00:48:13,933 --> 00:48:17,978 and create a reality from an imaginary principle, 822 00:48:18,062 --> 00:48:22,274 that's something that verifies my faith. 823 00:48:22,358 --> 00:48:25,403 - And they put it on ABC on a Friday night, 824 00:48:25,486 --> 00:48:26,862 on national TV. 825 00:48:26,946 --> 00:48:29,448 It was a great confidence booster 826 00:48:29,532 --> 00:48:34,203 that we could really cross over into the mainstream. 827 00:48:36,205 --> 00:48:40,000 For the next album, Maurice wanted excellence in sound-- 828 00:48:40,084 --> 00:48:42,878 more controlled, more orchestrated, 829 00:48:42,962 --> 00:48:48,426 more symphonic, more together. 830 00:48:51,470 --> 00:48:58,185 ♪ ♪ 831 00:49:00,604 --> 00:49:04,650 - We wanted, like, a retreat, and away from everybody. 832 00:49:07,361 --> 00:49:12,074 So we recorded at Caribou Ranch in Colorado. 833 00:49:15,244 --> 00:49:17,329 Sig Shore was doing a movie called 834 00:49:17,413 --> 00:49:19,206 "That's the Way of the World." 835 00:49:19,290 --> 00:49:22,585 So we wrote songs around the movie. 836 00:49:24,920 --> 00:49:26,922 Then I called Charles Stepney. 837 00:49:27,006 --> 00:49:29,884 He had been my mentor working at Chess. 838 00:49:29,925 --> 00:49:31,469 - Charles was producing records-- 839 00:49:31,552 --> 00:49:36,098 Rotary Connection, Minnie Riperton, the Dells too. 840 00:49:37,683 --> 00:49:39,310 Charles was a great writer, 841 00:49:39,393 --> 00:49:42,897 great piano player, great arranger. 842 00:49:42,938 --> 00:49:47,109 Left channel front, right channel front. 843 00:49:47,193 --> 00:49:49,403 When we were working on "That's the Way of the World," 844 00:49:49,445 --> 00:49:52,114 well, he's thinking about orchestration and arrangement, 845 00:49:52,198 --> 00:49:54,408 what he can do with horns and strings. 846 00:49:57,578 --> 00:50:00,956 ♪ ♪ 847 00:50:01,040 --> 00:50:03,375 - That low trumpet register thing 848 00:50:03,459 --> 00:50:07,046 was a very warm kind of sound. 849 00:50:07,129 --> 00:50:10,174 The elegance of the horns, 850 00:50:10,257 --> 00:50:12,593 the groove of the song. 851 00:50:12,676 --> 00:50:14,428 These arrangements provoked 852 00:50:14,512 --> 00:50:17,890 some kind of spiritual response in Maurice. 853 00:50:17,973 --> 00:50:19,850 ♪ Hearts afire ♪ 854 00:50:19,934 --> 00:50:22,770 ♪ Creates love desire ♪ 855 00:50:22,811 --> 00:50:25,606 ♪ Take you higher and higher ♪ 856 00:50:25,689 --> 00:50:29,276 ♪ To the world you belong ♪ 857 00:50:29,360 --> 00:50:31,654 - It's gospel. It's straight gospel. 858 00:50:31,737 --> 00:50:36,534 God, I can listen to it and feel my heart chakra 859 00:50:36,617 --> 00:50:38,118 just open up. 860 00:50:38,202 --> 00:50:39,787 ♪ That's the way ♪ 861 00:50:39,870 --> 00:50:41,038 ♪ Yow ♪ 862 00:50:41,121 --> 00:50:42,289 ♪ Of the world ♪ 863 00:50:42,331 --> 00:50:43,958 ♪ Yow, yeah, yeah ♪ 864 00:50:44,041 --> 00:50:46,252 ♪ Plant your flower ♪ 865 00:50:46,335 --> 00:50:49,463 ♪ And you grow a pearl ♪ 866 00:50:49,505 --> 00:50:51,340 - There is one line that has always stood out. 867 00:50:51,423 --> 00:50:54,635 "Children are born with a heart of gold. 868 00:50:54,677 --> 00:50:58,055 The way of the world makes his heart grow cold." 869 00:50:58,138 --> 00:50:59,598 That has always stuck with me. 870 00:50:59,682 --> 00:51:01,976 And we've always tried to help to make that a lie. 871 00:51:02,017 --> 00:51:03,644 ♪ A child is born ♪ 872 00:51:03,727 --> 00:51:04,770 ♪ A child is born ♪ 873 00:51:04,853 --> 00:51:05,980 ♪ With a heart of gold ♪ 874 00:51:06,021 --> 00:51:07,606 ♪ With a heart of gold ♪ 875 00:51:07,690 --> 00:51:08,983 ♪ Way of the world ♪ 876 00:51:09,024 --> 00:51:10,192 ♪ Way of the world ♪ 877 00:51:10,276 --> 00:51:11,360 ♪ Makes his heart ♪ 878 00:51:11,443 --> 00:51:13,237 ♪ Makes his heart so cold ♪ 879 00:51:13,320 --> 00:51:16,115 ♪ That love, that love, that love ♪ 880 00:51:16,198 --> 00:51:18,367 ♪ That love, that love, that love ♪ 881 00:51:18,450 --> 00:51:20,869 - Charles became like the coach 882 00:51:20,953 --> 00:51:24,164 of our whole existence. 883 00:51:24,206 --> 00:51:25,833 We wrote together. 884 00:51:25,916 --> 00:51:28,002 We produced together, played together, 885 00:51:28,085 --> 00:51:29,086 the whole trip, you know. 886 00:51:29,169 --> 00:51:31,130 ♪ Love desire ♪ 887 00:51:31,213 --> 00:51:32,673 ♪ High and higher ♪ 888 00:51:34,675 --> 00:51:36,719 ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ 889 00:51:36,802 --> 00:51:38,429 We were maturing. 890 00:51:38,512 --> 00:51:41,265 You know, we were getting a little bit more sophisticated. 891 00:51:41,348 --> 00:51:47,688 And then, also, Maurice wanted a crisp sound through mixing. 892 00:51:47,771 --> 00:51:52,276 Maurice did a real deep search to find George Massenburg. 893 00:51:52,359 --> 00:51:55,029 - It was the beginning of a great relationship 894 00:51:55,070 --> 00:51:56,488 because I was so particular 895 00:51:56,572 --> 00:51:57,948 about everything I did musically, 896 00:51:58,032 --> 00:52:02,036 and the same with him electronically. 897 00:52:02,119 --> 00:52:04,330 A dream of better sound. 898 00:52:04,413 --> 00:52:06,707 I was the geek, the geek engineer. 899 00:52:06,790 --> 00:52:10,377 I heard where I thought Maurice was trying to go 900 00:52:10,419 --> 00:52:14,298 and how I might make it better. 901 00:52:14,381 --> 00:52:17,301 - Caribou Ranch, we were up in the mountains, 902 00:52:17,384 --> 00:52:19,553 you know, and the stars were so close, 903 00:52:19,595 --> 00:52:20,888 like you could reach up and just 904 00:52:20,929 --> 00:52:24,099 pull a star out of the sky. 905 00:52:24,183 --> 00:52:26,393 That stimulated an idea to write 906 00:52:26,477 --> 00:52:28,562 a song called "Shining Star." 907 00:52:30,939 --> 00:52:32,858 From my recollection, "Shining Star" started out 908 00:52:32,941 --> 00:52:34,735 as a jam, actually. 909 00:52:37,613 --> 00:52:40,157 ♪ ♪ 910 00:52:40,240 --> 00:52:42,951 - There was Al McKay playing that raised 9 chord. 911 00:52:45,412 --> 00:52:46,455 We just kind of took it from there, 912 00:52:46,538 --> 00:52:48,165 and things start to grow... 913 00:52:48,248 --> 00:52:49,500 ♪ Yeah ♪ 914 00:52:49,583 --> 00:52:50,959 Additional keyboard lines... 915 00:52:51,043 --> 00:52:52,586 ♪ Huh ♪ 916 00:52:52,670 --> 00:52:53,587 Synthesizers... 917 00:52:53,671 --> 00:52:54,922 - ♪ When you wish upon a star ♪ 918 00:52:54,963 --> 00:52:56,090 The horns... 919 00:52:57,883 --> 00:52:59,468 Organs, 920 00:52:59,551 --> 00:53:01,428 bongos. 921 00:53:01,470 --> 00:53:04,139 - ♪ But when you wish upon a dream ♪ 922 00:53:04,223 --> 00:53:06,141 There were a lot of good ideas, 923 00:53:06,225 --> 00:53:09,353 but it was dense and all over the place. 924 00:53:09,436 --> 00:53:14,274 So I started cleaning shit out, cutting instruments out, 925 00:53:14,316 --> 00:53:17,986 to keep only the essentials. 926 00:53:18,070 --> 00:53:20,072 And my thought was, 927 00:53:20,155 --> 00:53:24,702 let's get these vocals bright and clean... 928 00:53:24,785 --> 00:53:28,288 - ♪ Shining bright to see what you could truly be ♪ 929 00:53:28,330 --> 00:53:31,208 ♪ What you could truly be ♪ 930 00:53:31,291 --> 00:53:35,212 Simple, elegant ideas clearly presented. 931 00:53:36,714 --> 00:53:41,301 Band comes in, and I play it back, my mix. 932 00:53:41,343 --> 00:53:44,096 - ♪ Shining like a light on you ♪ 933 00:53:44,138 --> 00:53:46,557 And the group's doing this kind of thing. 934 00:53:46,640 --> 00:53:49,643 And Al McKay is looking at Maurice. 935 00:53:49,685 --> 00:53:53,439 And that's your first glimpse of your fight. 936 00:53:53,522 --> 00:53:57,276 Maurice comes over, he says, hey, man, turn it up. 937 00:54:01,321 --> 00:54:04,992 And I mean, turn it-- turn it way up. 938 00:54:05,075 --> 00:54:06,368 So I turned it the fuck up. 939 00:54:09,037 --> 00:54:10,456 Once you strike that first note, 940 00:54:10,539 --> 00:54:11,665 there's something that happens. 941 00:54:11,749 --> 00:54:13,876 - Bum, buh, bum, dunk, dunk. - Dunk, dunk, dunk. 942 00:54:13,959 --> 00:54:15,085 Guitar is coming in. 943 00:54:15,169 --> 00:54:16,754 That's an Al McKay groove all day long. 944 00:54:16,837 --> 00:54:18,046 And then, all of a sudden, it's almost like 945 00:54:18,130 --> 00:54:19,339 that's the fuse being lit. 946 00:54:19,423 --> 00:54:21,175 - Shh. - And then you hear it. 947 00:54:21,216 --> 00:54:22,760 - Wow. - Bah! 948 00:54:23,927 --> 00:54:25,345 Oh, my God. 949 00:54:25,387 --> 00:54:30,350 ♪ Yeah, hey, huh ♪ 950 00:54:30,434 --> 00:54:32,394 ♪ You're a shining star ♪ 951 00:54:32,478 --> 00:54:35,022 ♪ No matter who you are ♪ 952 00:54:35,105 --> 00:54:37,191 ♪ Shining bright to see ♪ 953 00:54:37,232 --> 00:54:38,692 ♪ What you can truly be ♪ 954 00:54:38,776 --> 00:54:40,319 What you can truly be? 955 00:54:42,362 --> 00:54:47,910 I had all four quad monitors just flat-out roaring. 956 00:54:49,661 --> 00:54:51,288 And the cats were dancing. 957 00:54:56,210 --> 00:55:00,547 ♪ Shining star come into view ♪ 958 00:55:00,589 --> 00:55:04,551 ♪ To shine its watchful light on you, yeah ♪ 959 00:55:04,593 --> 00:55:08,680 ♪ Give you strength to carry on, yeah ♪ 960 00:55:08,764 --> 00:55:10,974 ♪ Makes your body big and strong ♪ 961 00:55:11,058 --> 00:55:13,435 ♪ Don't you hear me now? ♪ 962 00:55:13,519 --> 00:55:17,397 ♪ Born a man-child of the sun, yeah ♪ 963 00:55:17,481 --> 00:55:21,735 ♪ Saw my work had just begun ♪ 964 00:55:21,819 --> 00:55:25,280 - The arrangements were amazing. 965 00:55:25,364 --> 00:55:27,407 I just loved the way it sounded. 966 00:55:27,449 --> 00:55:32,329 And so, at some point, I was, you know, 967 00:55:32,412 --> 00:55:33,872 inspired by what it did. 968 00:55:47,261 --> 00:55:48,262 It was. 969 00:55:48,345 --> 00:55:51,348 That was definitely an influence, hearing that song. 970 00:55:55,018 --> 00:56:01,984 ♪ ♪ 971 00:56:04,027 --> 00:56:10,242 ♪ Looking back on when I was a little nappy-headed boy ♪ 972 00:56:10,284 --> 00:56:15,247 Another thing that inspired me was the message in that music 973 00:56:15,330 --> 00:56:18,542 because it was talking about how people, within themselves, 974 00:56:18,625 --> 00:56:20,127 there's a greatness. 975 00:56:20,168 --> 00:56:22,754 There's nothing they can't do. 976 00:56:22,838 --> 00:56:25,424 - You're a shining star, no matter who you are, 977 00:56:25,507 --> 00:56:27,885 like, you're absorbing these affirmations 978 00:56:27,968 --> 00:56:32,264 and these kind of powerful, positive lyrics 979 00:56:32,347 --> 00:56:36,018 to see ourselves as more and to be more. 980 00:56:36,101 --> 00:56:37,019 Maurice was on to something. 981 00:56:37,102 --> 00:56:40,314 He was ahead of his time in terms of understanding 982 00:56:40,355 --> 00:56:44,151 the importance of music and helping us, 983 00:56:44,192 --> 00:56:47,321 as a people, set our intentions 984 00:56:47,404 --> 00:56:49,990 by keeping our head to the sky. 985 00:56:51,325 --> 00:56:53,952 - That was the first pop hit we had. 986 00:56:53,994 --> 00:56:57,456 It was a turning point in the group's career. 987 00:57:01,084 --> 00:57:05,339 ♪ ♪ 988 00:57:05,422 --> 00:57:07,507 - Our audiences started changing, 989 00:57:07,591 --> 00:57:10,594 coming together as one race, as one people, 990 00:57:10,677 --> 00:57:12,804 as love and peace. 991 00:57:16,266 --> 00:57:18,060 - Fans from all around the world, 992 00:57:18,143 --> 00:57:20,395 all denominations of color and the whole-- 993 00:57:20,479 --> 00:57:23,857 so the music wins, eventually. 994 00:57:23,899 --> 00:57:25,734 That's when things really started to break, 995 00:57:25,817 --> 00:57:27,778 and we started doing our own concerts, 996 00:57:27,861 --> 00:57:29,029 and we were the headliners. 997 00:57:29,112 --> 00:57:31,198 ♪ A way, yeah ♪ 998 00:57:31,239 --> 00:57:34,576 ♪ Sometimes it's hard to care ♪ 999 00:57:34,660 --> 00:57:35,619 ♪ Sing a song ♪ 1000 00:57:35,702 --> 00:57:37,079 ♪ It'll make your day ♪ 1001 00:57:37,162 --> 00:57:39,289 I'd like you all to give yourselves a hand. 1002 00:57:39,373 --> 00:57:40,374 Whoo! 1003 00:57:40,457 --> 00:57:42,042 Thank you much. 1004 00:57:42,084 --> 00:57:43,502 ♪ Sing a song ♪ 1005 00:57:43,585 --> 00:57:45,045 ♪ It'll make a way ♪ 1006 00:57:45,087 --> 00:57:47,255 There was more people outside that had tickets, 1007 00:57:47,339 --> 00:57:48,298 you know, couldn't get in. 1008 00:57:48,382 --> 00:57:49,383 Tore all the doors down... 1009 00:57:49,466 --> 00:57:51,468 Trying to get in. 1010 00:57:51,551 --> 00:57:53,929 So we just, you know, just having a ball. 1011 00:57:54,012 --> 00:57:55,222 ♪ Sing a song ♪ 1012 00:57:55,263 --> 00:57:57,557 ♪ Sing a, sing a, sing a, sing a, sing a song ♪ 1013 00:57:57,599 --> 00:57:59,059 ♪ Sing a song ♪ 1014 00:57:59,101 --> 00:58:02,145 ♪ Sing a, sing a, sing a, sing a, sing a song ♪ 1015 00:58:02,229 --> 00:58:03,480 ♪ Sing a song ♪ 1016 00:58:03,563 --> 00:58:05,399 - A third of record income is from abroad. 1017 00:58:05,482 --> 00:58:08,402 They're a global hot property now. 1018 00:58:08,485 --> 00:58:10,445 ♪ If you sing a song today ♪ 1019 00:58:10,529 --> 00:58:13,615 - The winner is Earth, Wind and Fire. 1020 00:58:13,699 --> 00:58:16,410 - The first Grammy was quite a thing, you know. 1021 00:58:16,451 --> 00:58:18,120 It's something that you live for. 1022 00:58:18,203 --> 00:58:21,373 As we got bigger musically, we got bigger personnel-wise. 1023 00:58:22,958 --> 00:58:25,085 Reese wanted to get a horn section because the sound 1024 00:58:25,168 --> 00:58:26,920 had expanded so much. 1025 00:58:27,004 --> 00:58:29,047 So we brought the Phenix Horns... 1026 00:58:29,131 --> 00:58:30,590 ♪ Let's meet today ♪ 1027 00:58:30,674 --> 00:58:31,675 Which was Don Myrick... 1028 00:58:31,758 --> 00:58:33,301 - He plays so beautiful, don't you agree? 1029 00:58:33,385 --> 00:58:34,845 Louis Satterfield... 1030 00:58:34,928 --> 00:58:39,057 ♪ Yeah ♪ 1031 00:58:39,141 --> 00:58:40,726 Rahmlee Michael Davis 1032 00:58:40,809 --> 00:58:43,770 and Michael Harris-- 1033 00:58:43,854 --> 00:58:46,857 four horns, like a Mack truck, man. 1034 00:58:51,361 --> 00:58:53,280 - We were having a really good run. 1035 00:58:53,321 --> 00:58:54,990 There was a period there where everything we touched 1036 00:58:55,073 --> 00:58:55,949 turned to gold. 1037 00:59:01,371 --> 00:59:04,541 ♪ ♪ 1038 00:59:04,624 --> 00:59:07,127 Okay, that smile. That's it. 1039 00:59:07,210 --> 00:59:12,674 ♪ ♪ 1040 00:59:12,758 --> 00:59:16,428 - We started recording the next album, "Spirit." 1041 00:59:16,470 --> 00:59:18,847 We were doing big arrangements on the record, 1042 00:59:18,930 --> 00:59:22,434 beautifully arranged by Charles Stepney. 1043 00:59:22,517 --> 00:59:25,145 You know, man, we were in it then. 1044 00:59:25,187 --> 00:59:27,355 - ♪ Shining down its harvest light ♪ 1045 00:59:27,439 --> 00:59:28,899 ♪ Music all around... ♪ 1046 00:59:28,982 --> 00:59:31,568 But then Maurice got a phone call in the studio 1047 00:59:31,651 --> 00:59:33,070 saying that Charles had just passed. 1048 00:59:36,198 --> 00:59:38,492 He had a heart attack. 1049 00:59:38,533 --> 00:59:40,702 Yeah, just out of the blue, boom. 1050 00:59:40,786 --> 00:59:42,996 He was out of here. 1051 00:59:43,080 --> 00:59:45,624 I couldn't believe it, you know. 1052 00:59:45,707 --> 00:59:47,334 It was like he was in wonderment, 1053 00:59:47,417 --> 00:59:48,418 like, how could this be? 1054 00:59:48,502 --> 00:59:49,961 I just talked to him. 1055 00:59:50,045 --> 00:59:53,548 And one minute he's there, and then you're not? 1056 00:59:53,632 --> 00:59:55,634 - It affected me very deeply, you know. 1057 00:59:55,717 --> 00:59:58,178 I was very emotional. 1058 00:59:58,220 --> 01:00:01,556 My dad, he had triggers. 1059 01:00:01,640 --> 01:00:05,393 Charles dying brought up past trauma. 1060 01:00:11,733 --> 01:00:14,861 - Back then, where he grew up in Memphis, 1061 01:00:14,903 --> 01:00:16,905 it was a rarity of having a father in the house. 1062 01:00:18,406 --> 01:00:22,786 - Maurice's father was John White. 1063 01:00:22,869 --> 01:00:27,332 He was absent during most of Maurice's childhood. 1064 01:00:27,374 --> 01:00:32,879 He owned a nightclub and was part of that music scene. 1065 01:00:32,963 --> 01:00:37,592 But he was also this gangster figure. 1066 01:00:37,676 --> 01:00:39,594 From what I understand, 1067 01:00:39,678 --> 01:00:41,388 one day he went into one of his establishments, 1068 01:00:41,429 --> 01:00:47,811 and somebody who was not his same skin color shot him. 1069 01:00:49,771 --> 01:00:53,984 - He is killed before Maurice is five years old. 1070 01:00:56,903 --> 01:01:00,740 - When he talked about his life as a child, 1071 01:01:00,824 --> 01:01:03,076 his knee would go--tschoo-- 1072 01:01:03,160 --> 01:01:04,119 like that. 1073 01:01:08,206 --> 01:01:12,836 After Charles passed, it was hard for him to accept. 1074 01:01:12,919 --> 01:01:14,588 But the world doesn't care 1075 01:01:14,671 --> 01:01:17,382 who's gone and who is not gone. 1076 01:01:17,465 --> 01:01:20,886 It just keeps on rolling. 1077 01:01:20,969 --> 01:01:25,015 Maurice learned almost everything from Charles. 1078 01:01:25,098 --> 01:01:28,018 Maurice was like, oh, my God. 1079 01:01:28,101 --> 01:01:29,144 Now what do I do? 1080 01:01:45,118 --> 01:01:49,789 - I started studying Egyptology. 1081 01:01:49,873 --> 01:01:54,377 I went into the pyramids just to meditate. 1082 01:01:54,461 --> 01:01:57,756 It gave me new energy, and I was able to evolve 1083 01:01:57,839 --> 01:02:00,133 into a different person. 1084 01:02:00,175 --> 01:02:04,012 It seemed like I was getting help from the other side. 1085 01:02:04,095 --> 01:02:06,306 I was just fascinated with the whole thing, 1086 01:02:06,348 --> 01:02:09,267 the artistic value of Egypt, 1087 01:02:09,309 --> 01:02:12,520 the contributions that they made to society. 1088 01:02:12,604 --> 01:02:14,856 Look at how the pyramids were built, 1089 01:02:14,940 --> 01:02:16,900 with the science and the technology. 1090 01:02:16,983 --> 01:02:21,071 They are humanity at its finest. 1091 01:02:21,154 --> 01:02:26,076 Maurice begins learning about Afrofuturism, 1092 01:02:26,159 --> 01:02:29,996 the idea that these ancient civilizations are not 1093 01:02:30,038 --> 01:02:33,583 just symbols of Black people's past, 1094 01:02:33,667 --> 01:02:38,255 they are also the future and the infinite possibilities 1095 01:02:38,338 --> 01:02:42,008 that exist throughout the universe, 1096 01:02:42,050 --> 01:02:44,844 the concept of space travel, 1097 01:02:44,928 --> 01:02:49,808 the existence of beings on other planets. 1098 01:02:49,891 --> 01:02:52,060 - The whole space concept, aliens, 1099 01:02:52,143 --> 01:02:54,729 just opened up a door for me. 1100 01:02:54,813 --> 01:02:56,940 My dad talked to me sometimes 1101 01:02:57,023 --> 01:02:59,150 about astral projections. 1102 01:02:59,234 --> 01:03:00,986 He was like, there was one time I felt 1103 01:03:01,069 --> 01:03:03,113 like I was out of my body. 1104 01:03:03,196 --> 01:03:04,698 He would come back to the studio 1105 01:03:04,781 --> 01:03:08,952 with these outrageous stories of being 1106 01:03:09,035 --> 01:03:13,498 picked up and taken in a spaceship to another planet... 1107 01:03:16,126 --> 01:03:18,211 And meeting with extraterrestrials. 1108 01:03:18,253 --> 01:03:20,880 And we didn't know how to deal with this. 1109 01:03:20,922 --> 01:03:24,301 We just, you know, hey, man, that sounds cool. 1110 01:03:28,138 --> 01:03:32,017 - I saw "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." 1111 01:03:32,100 --> 01:03:36,896 And I had a vision to write the song "Fantasies." 1112 01:03:36,980 --> 01:03:39,983 And then all the words started to come. 1113 01:03:40,066 --> 01:03:42,694 ♪ Every man has a place ♪ 1114 01:03:42,777 --> 01:03:45,238 ♪ In his heart, there's a space ♪ 1115 01:03:45,322 --> 01:03:51,369 ♪ And the world can't erase this fantasy ♪ 1116 01:03:51,411 --> 01:03:53,663 ♪ Take a ride in the sky ♪ 1117 01:03:53,747 --> 01:03:56,249 ♪ On our ship, fantasize ♪ 1118 01:03:56,333 --> 01:04:01,838 ♪ All your dreams will come true miles away ♪ 1119 01:04:01,921 --> 01:04:07,510 ♪ Our voices will ring forever ♪ 1120 01:04:07,594 --> 01:04:12,766 ♪ Until the 12th of never ♪ 1121 01:04:12,849 --> 01:04:18,646 ♪ We all will live, love forever ♪ 1122 01:04:18,730 --> 01:04:24,194 ♪ As one ♪ 1123 01:04:25,779 --> 01:04:26,821 Everything that I had studied, 1124 01:04:26,905 --> 01:04:29,949 I was trying to share it with the public, 1125 01:04:29,991 --> 01:04:32,994 so maybe it could help to find themselves. 1126 01:04:35,330 --> 01:04:37,707 That's why, on the album, "All 'N All," 1127 01:04:37,791 --> 01:04:40,377 it has a lot of symbols. 1128 01:04:44,672 --> 01:04:46,716 Through their album artwork, 1129 01:04:46,800 --> 01:04:50,637 I think he was shining a light on our history and our future 1130 01:04:50,720 --> 01:04:52,722 and how it's related. 1131 01:04:52,806 --> 01:04:54,641 He's inviting you into this world. 1132 01:04:57,310 --> 01:04:59,396 - We had a lot of costumes that were influenced 1133 01:04:59,479 --> 01:05:02,899 by Africa and space. 1134 01:05:02,982 --> 01:05:04,984 The real statement wasn't really made 1135 01:05:05,026 --> 01:05:08,446 until Bill Whitten stepped in-- 1136 01:05:08,530 --> 01:05:10,615 very elaborate. 1137 01:05:16,746 --> 01:05:18,206 We changed our whole look. 1138 01:05:20,917 --> 01:05:24,087 - We decided to expand the show. 1139 01:05:24,170 --> 01:05:27,006 We wanted to more or less emulate theater 1140 01:05:27,090 --> 01:05:29,342 in order to get your attention. 1141 01:05:34,556 --> 01:05:37,016 - Maurice wasn't afraid to spend the bread 1142 01:05:37,058 --> 01:05:42,522 and contact whoever was on the A list of entertainment 1143 01:05:42,564 --> 01:05:44,607 to help Earth, Wind and Fire. 1144 01:05:44,691 --> 01:05:48,445 And the winner is George Faison for "The Wiz." 1145 01:05:52,240 --> 01:05:54,534 - Having choreographed "The Wiz," 1146 01:05:54,576 --> 01:05:57,996 it was otherworldly for me. 1147 01:05:58,079 --> 01:06:00,457 We had a black Dorothy. 1148 01:06:00,540 --> 01:06:04,544 That gave us another kind of sense of pride. 1149 01:06:04,627 --> 01:06:06,754 Maurice and I went to New York to meet with George, 1150 01:06:06,838 --> 01:06:09,382 and George had all these great ideas. 1151 01:06:09,466 --> 01:06:14,053 - They asked me to stage them for their next tour, 1152 01:06:14,095 --> 01:06:15,346 "All 'N All." 1153 01:06:17,932 --> 01:06:20,894 - When it came on, we were great musicians, 1154 01:06:20,977 --> 01:06:24,397 but we wasn't organized in our presentation. 1155 01:06:24,481 --> 01:06:28,568 So could you tell me, can all Black people dance? 1156 01:06:28,610 --> 01:06:30,487 No. 1157 01:06:30,570 --> 01:06:31,613 No. 1158 01:06:31,696 --> 01:06:33,573 And that's very true. 1159 01:06:35,617 --> 01:06:38,244 You trying to tell me the funkiest band 1160 01:06:38,286 --> 01:06:40,371 might have had a lot of left feet? 1161 01:06:41,831 --> 01:06:43,416 - They all could move to a degree, 1162 01:06:43,458 --> 01:06:45,585 but they were kind of raggedy country, 1163 01:06:45,668 --> 01:06:49,547 and they weren't as polished and theatrical 1164 01:06:49,631 --> 01:06:51,424 as I could make them. 1165 01:06:51,466 --> 01:06:53,426 Because I wanted them to be great. 1166 01:06:53,468 --> 01:06:55,053 I saw the greatness. 1167 01:06:55,136 --> 01:06:56,763 This is everybody. 1168 01:06:56,804 --> 01:06:58,223 Here we go. 1169 01:06:58,306 --> 01:07:00,558 One day, George is looking at the front of the stage. 1170 01:07:00,600 --> 01:07:03,311 And he says, hey, Ralph, come off the drums. 1171 01:07:03,394 --> 01:07:04,938 Stand here next to Maurice. 1172 01:07:04,979 --> 01:07:07,273 Take this microphone, and start singing. 1173 01:07:07,357 --> 01:07:12,570 It was geometry and symmetry and stuff like that. 1174 01:07:13,613 --> 01:07:16,115 We didn't really need two drummers, 1175 01:07:16,199 --> 01:07:19,786 and Freddie could go deeper. 1176 01:07:19,869 --> 01:07:21,371 That's how I got out front. 1177 01:07:22,580 --> 01:07:25,041 - It's about evolution, you know? 1178 01:07:25,124 --> 01:07:28,044 I always had a lot of ideas. 1179 01:07:28,127 --> 01:07:31,339 We had started to investigate, like, magic. 1180 01:07:31,422 --> 01:07:33,800 The magic of Doug Henning. 1181 01:07:37,303 --> 01:07:38,972 Doug Henning, at that time, was the biggest 1182 01:07:39,013 --> 01:07:40,557 magician in the world. 1183 01:07:40,640 --> 01:07:41,641 He had a show on NBC. 1184 01:07:45,103 --> 01:07:46,646 So Maurice calls him. 1185 01:07:46,688 --> 01:07:49,899 Everyone wondered, Maurice, are you that crazy? 1186 01:07:49,983 --> 01:07:52,986 It was so out of the box. 1187 01:07:53,027 --> 01:07:56,155 Magic, music, dance. 1188 01:07:56,239 --> 01:07:59,158 That was a choreographic nightmare. 1189 01:07:59,200 --> 01:08:02,537 Somebody could have got killed not doing things right. 1190 01:08:04,372 --> 01:08:07,125 We rehearsed every day for six months. 1191 01:08:07,208 --> 01:08:09,127 It was really the first production 1192 01:08:09,168 --> 01:08:11,212 that an African American group had really done, 1193 01:08:11,296 --> 01:08:15,508 putting all of those ideas into one show. 1194 01:08:15,550 --> 01:08:16,884 We didn't know what kind of effect 1195 01:08:16,968 --> 01:08:19,262 it would have on the people. 1196 01:08:21,306 --> 01:08:23,641 There's always a bit of fear when you face the unknown. 1197 01:08:28,896 --> 01:08:31,232 Dressing rooms are this way. 1198 01:08:31,316 --> 01:08:32,734 The stage is this way. 1199 01:08:34,736 --> 01:08:36,154 I wanted to go see them, 1200 01:08:36,237 --> 01:08:38,865 just to see if they could pull that off. 1201 01:08:40,658 --> 01:08:42,869 - Back in that day, there were certain concerts 1202 01:08:42,910 --> 01:08:44,162 you had to go to. 1203 01:08:44,245 --> 01:08:46,623 That show sold out. 1204 01:08:46,706 --> 01:08:48,583 It was must-see. 1205 01:08:50,543 --> 01:08:52,420 I was there to photograph. 1206 01:08:52,503 --> 01:08:56,049 Reese would let me crawl in... 1207 01:08:56,132 --> 01:08:59,385 To be as unobtrusive as possible. 1208 01:08:59,427 --> 01:09:06,100 ♪ ♪ 1209 01:09:06,184 --> 01:09:10,605 You had the anticipation-- 1210 01:09:10,688 --> 01:09:12,440 20,000 people. 1211 01:09:12,523 --> 01:09:16,319 And then, you know, the lights go out. 1212 01:09:16,402 --> 01:09:18,655 Folks rush to their seats. 1213 01:09:22,241 --> 01:09:24,369 Presenting 1214 01:09:24,452 --> 01:09:29,248 the mighty elders of the universe, 1215 01:09:29,332 --> 01:09:34,671 Earth, Wind and Fire. 1216 01:09:45,473 --> 01:09:47,934 It was one of the first concerts I ever went to. 1217 01:09:48,017 --> 01:09:49,602 These guys came out, 1218 01:09:49,644 --> 01:09:52,313 and you're thinking, what the heck? 1219 01:10:04,242 --> 01:10:06,703 And I was like, oh, shit. 1220 01:10:39,777 --> 01:10:42,655 - I remember just looking around the arena. 1221 01:10:42,697 --> 01:10:46,325 It wasn't even a show. It was just musical theater. 1222 01:10:46,367 --> 01:10:49,620 It was just spectacular. 1223 01:10:49,704 --> 01:10:53,040 ♪ Oh, oh ♪ 1224 01:10:54,375 --> 01:10:55,501 It was almost like a sermon. 1225 01:11:12,518 --> 01:11:13,895 Verdine is intense. 1226 01:11:13,978 --> 01:11:15,938 The look in his eyes when he's playing-- 1227 01:11:16,022 --> 01:11:18,065 like, Verdine would have been a great punk rocker, man. 1228 01:11:19,776 --> 01:11:24,906 He uses the whole instrument, and just a deep groove. 1229 01:11:24,989 --> 01:11:26,240 I love Verdine. 1230 01:11:26,324 --> 01:11:29,035 You now, he's-- what a dude, man. 1231 01:11:38,419 --> 01:11:40,213 Wait a minute. 1232 01:11:40,296 --> 01:11:41,297 When you have the magic, 1233 01:11:41,380 --> 01:11:43,633 you've gotta get the crowd in your hands. 1234 01:11:57,271 --> 01:12:01,192 So the whole place is mesmerized, 1235 01:12:01,275 --> 01:12:05,488 having Verdine levitate as he's playing. 1236 01:12:05,571 --> 01:12:08,407 And brother did not miss a note, okay? 1237 01:12:08,491 --> 01:12:09,909 He playing sideways. 1238 01:12:09,951 --> 01:12:11,744 Okay, now he's got you. 1239 01:12:11,828 --> 01:12:13,162 You know, there's people that can 1240 01:12:13,246 --> 01:12:14,330 pull a rabbit out of a hat, 1241 01:12:14,413 --> 01:12:15,998 but they can't make an elephant disappear. 1242 01:12:19,585 --> 01:12:21,963 He was making the elephant fly. 1243 01:12:22,046 --> 01:12:26,092 Was there ever a fear that a cord might break 1244 01:12:26,133 --> 01:12:28,928 or something fatal might happen? 1245 01:12:28,970 --> 01:12:29,929 No. 1246 01:12:29,971 --> 01:12:33,224 I probably would think like that now, but-- 1247 01:12:33,307 --> 01:12:34,559 but not then. 1248 01:12:37,270 --> 01:12:38,813 ♪ Hey! ♪ 1249 01:12:55,204 --> 01:12:57,999 ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ 1250 01:12:58,082 --> 01:12:59,542 ♪ When I see your face ♪ 1251 01:12:59,625 --> 01:13:00,960 ♪ Like the morning sun ♪ 1252 01:13:01,002 --> 01:13:03,963 ♪ You spark me to shine ♪ 1253 01:13:04,005 --> 01:13:05,464 ♪ Tell all the world ♪ 1254 01:13:05,506 --> 01:13:06,966 ♪ My need is fulfilled ♪ 1255 01:13:07,049 --> 01:13:08,718 ♪ And that's a new design ♪ 1256 01:13:10,511 --> 01:13:12,179 ♪ As long as you're near ♪ 1257 01:13:12,263 --> 01:13:15,266 ♪ There is no fear of a victory ♪ 1258 01:13:17,018 --> 01:13:18,394 ♪ But when I'm away ♪ 1259 01:13:18,477 --> 01:13:22,481 ♪ Influences stray my mind to disagree ♪ 1260 01:13:22,523 --> 01:13:25,443 ♪ I wanna see your face ♪ 1261 01:13:25,526 --> 01:13:26,527 ♪ In the morning sun ♪ 1262 01:13:26,611 --> 01:13:28,279 ♪ Ignite my energy ♪ 1263 01:13:29,864 --> 01:13:31,532 ♪ The cause and effect of you ♪ 1264 01:13:31,616 --> 01:13:32,909 ♪ Has brought new meaning ♪ 1265 01:13:32,992 --> 01:13:33,993 ♪ In my life to me ♪ 1266 01:13:36,495 --> 01:13:40,249 ♪ Gonna tell the story of the morning glory ♪ 1267 01:13:40,333 --> 01:13:42,668 ♪ All about the serpentine fire ♪ 1268 01:13:42,710 --> 01:13:45,171 ♪ Surely as life begun ♪ 1269 01:13:45,254 --> 01:13:46,714 ♪ You will as one ♪ 1270 01:13:46,797 --> 01:13:49,508 ♪ Battle with the serpentine fire ♪ 1271 01:13:49,592 --> 01:13:54,764 ♪ Oh, oh, yeah, oh, yeah ♪ 1272 01:13:57,308 --> 01:13:58,517 ♪ Yeah! ♪ 1273 01:13:58,559 --> 01:14:02,521 ♪ Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, oh, yeah ♪ 1274 01:14:02,563 --> 01:14:04,857 - Here were these Black men up there 1275 01:14:04,899 --> 01:14:09,236 doing something as celestial and elegant 1276 01:14:09,320 --> 01:14:12,031 and as beautiful as that. 1277 01:14:12,073 --> 01:14:15,910 It was just another kind of example for us. 1278 01:14:30,257 --> 01:14:33,177 I'm a Black kid in Hawaii. 1279 01:14:33,219 --> 01:14:35,888 You don't have a lot of people who look like you 1280 01:14:35,972 --> 01:14:37,556 and are achieving. 1281 01:14:37,598 --> 01:14:39,725 And I'm saying to myself, well, 1282 01:14:39,809 --> 01:14:43,771 if they can do that, what can I do? 1283 01:14:50,111 --> 01:14:54,115 They were trendsetters at that particular time. 1284 01:14:57,284 --> 01:14:59,996 ♪ ♪ 1285 01:15:00,079 --> 01:15:02,581 - Prince, Michael Jackson, all them guys, 1286 01:15:02,623 --> 01:15:05,042 they were down there taking notes, man. 1287 01:15:05,126 --> 01:15:07,503 - Michael really wanted to be Earth, Wind. 1288 01:15:07,586 --> 01:15:09,171 That's why he's coming to the shows as early as '77 1289 01:15:09,255 --> 01:15:12,049 with a big yellow legal pad. 1290 01:15:12,133 --> 01:15:14,593 - Prince confesses to me later that, Jesus, 1291 01:15:14,677 --> 01:15:17,471 I saw that show, and I almost quit. 1292 01:15:17,555 --> 01:15:20,433 I don't know if I can compete. 1293 01:15:20,474 --> 01:15:22,768 I loved it. I was a fan. 1294 01:15:22,852 --> 01:15:26,022 I felt the sound and the spirit 1295 01:15:26,105 --> 01:15:28,357 of celebrating the past 1296 01:15:28,441 --> 01:15:30,401 but looking forward to the future 1297 01:15:30,484 --> 01:15:33,821 and what's possible in this world. 1298 01:15:35,322 --> 01:15:38,159 - There are songs that make you feel every emotion. 1299 01:15:38,242 --> 01:15:39,285 They make you wanna cry. 1300 01:15:39,368 --> 01:15:41,454 They make you wanna dance, make you wanna fall in love. 1301 01:15:41,495 --> 01:15:43,039 Like this one. 1302 01:15:49,170 --> 01:15:54,467 A lot of my memories are high school gym dances. 1303 01:15:54,550 --> 01:15:57,094 I mean, "Reasons," that song lasted a long time. 1304 01:15:57,178 --> 01:15:58,095 Oh, it did. 1305 01:15:58,179 --> 01:16:00,514 So if you walked all the way across the gym 1306 01:16:00,598 --> 01:16:03,267 for that slow dance and she said yes, 1307 01:16:03,350 --> 01:16:04,894 you were locked in for about-- 1308 01:16:04,977 --> 01:16:07,146 Well, on the flip side, if you said yes to a dude 1309 01:16:07,229 --> 01:16:09,899 that was a little too sweaty and a little too-- 1310 01:16:09,982 --> 01:16:11,067 you were stuck. 1311 01:16:11,150 --> 01:16:12,276 You were stuck. 1312 01:16:12,359 --> 01:16:15,446 ♪ Now I'm craving your body ♪ 1313 01:16:15,529 --> 01:16:17,073 ♪ Is this real? ♪ 1314 01:16:17,156 --> 01:16:18,657 ♪ Temperature's rising ♪ 1315 01:16:18,741 --> 01:16:20,534 ♪ I don't wanna feel ♪ 1316 01:16:20,618 --> 01:16:23,996 ♪ I'm in the wrong place to be real ♪ 1317 01:16:24,038 --> 01:16:26,749 I thought "Reasons" was going down the list 1318 01:16:26,832 --> 01:16:29,460 of all the reasons that he loved this person. 1319 01:16:29,543 --> 01:16:32,213 - When you have a falsetto like Philip, 1320 01:16:32,296 --> 01:16:34,006 he could say anything, and you're gonna be like, 1321 01:16:34,090 --> 01:16:37,510 this is so beautiful, and it's so romantic, you know? 1322 01:16:37,551 --> 01:16:42,306 ♪ Love ♪ 1323 01:16:42,348 --> 01:16:48,479 How can people think that this song is a love song? 1324 01:16:48,562 --> 01:16:49,814 ♪ I'm longing to love you ♪ 1325 01:16:49,897 --> 01:16:51,982 Let's talk about "Reasons." 1326 01:16:52,066 --> 01:16:55,361 There was a sister that was fine as hell. 1327 01:16:55,444 --> 01:16:58,906 She came to the hotel, got to my room. 1328 01:16:58,989 --> 01:17:00,699 Bam, bam. 1329 01:17:00,783 --> 01:17:02,743 I feel like... 1330 01:17:02,827 --> 01:17:07,414 You know, I'm just the champion. 1331 01:17:07,498 --> 01:17:11,961 So early that morning, I hear her-- 1332 01:17:12,044 --> 01:17:13,462 yes, honey? 1333 01:17:13,546 --> 01:17:15,506 She's talking to her dude. 1334 01:17:15,589 --> 01:17:18,717 - ♪ And in the morning when I rise ♪ 1335 01:17:18,759 --> 01:17:22,513 ♪ No longer feeling hypnotized ♪ 1336 01:17:22,596 --> 01:17:26,559 ♪ For no reason, our reasons ♪ 1337 01:17:26,600 --> 01:17:31,897 ♪ Our reasons had no pride ♪ 1338 01:17:31,981 --> 01:17:35,734 ♪ After all our reasons why ♪ 1339 01:17:35,776 --> 01:17:37,194 ♪ All our reasons were a lie ♪ 1340 01:17:37,278 --> 01:17:39,572 ♪ All of our reasons were a lie ♪ 1341 01:17:39,613 --> 01:17:41,282 It's just a sex call. 1342 01:17:41,365 --> 01:17:42,658 That's it, you know? 1343 01:17:42,741 --> 01:17:46,328 So if you played it at your wedding, I'm sorry. 1344 01:17:48,247 --> 01:17:50,499 My whole child-- everything is a lie, I guess. 1345 01:17:50,583 --> 01:17:51,917 It's just--well, it's crazy. 1346 01:17:52,001 --> 01:17:53,669 I think I like it even better now. 1347 01:17:53,752 --> 01:17:58,424 ♪ Only you ♪ 1348 01:17:58,465 --> 01:18:01,677 Give your love to beautiful sound of Mr. Philip Bailey. 1349 01:18:06,307 --> 01:18:09,643 - Maurice felt that he's living his dream. 1350 01:18:09,727 --> 01:18:12,771 I felt so proud and so good. 1351 01:18:16,192 --> 01:18:19,278 One day, Maurice said, come here. 1352 01:18:19,361 --> 01:18:23,908 He said, I love you, but I don't wanna get married. 1353 01:18:23,949 --> 01:18:29,788 I said, I feel that I want you to be my life partner forever. 1354 01:18:29,830 --> 01:18:31,290 He said, okay. 1355 01:18:31,332 --> 01:18:33,500 So we're in it for life, right, no matter what happens? 1356 01:18:33,584 --> 01:18:34,960 I said, yes, right. 1357 01:18:35,002 --> 01:18:41,133 And that was, to me, our marriage ceremony. 1358 01:18:41,217 --> 01:18:44,553 - ♪ In the morning light, yeah ♪ 1359 01:18:44,637 --> 01:18:47,306 - He was just not the marrying kind. 1360 01:18:47,348 --> 01:18:50,309 I don't think he could make that level of commitment 1361 01:18:50,351 --> 01:18:54,813 or emotional connection, I don't believe. 1362 01:18:54,855 --> 01:18:57,816 And I told Maurice, I said, we're gonna have a baby. 1363 01:18:57,858 --> 01:18:59,276 He said, are you--really? 1364 01:19:01,028 --> 01:19:06,325 Kahbran looked just like him as an infant. 1365 01:19:06,367 --> 01:19:11,163 He became a father but an absentee father. 1366 01:19:11,247 --> 01:19:12,414 ♪ Oh ♪ 1367 01:19:12,498 --> 01:19:15,376 Maurice was on the road. 1368 01:19:15,459 --> 01:19:18,587 - I remember, as a kid, it was hard for him 1369 01:19:18,671 --> 01:19:20,881 to give hugs at first. 1370 01:19:20,965 --> 01:19:22,841 But then I remember, once we started hugging, 1371 01:19:22,883 --> 01:19:24,385 he'd be the one to hold on. 1372 01:19:24,468 --> 01:19:28,013 It felt like he'd be like... 1373 01:19:28,097 --> 01:19:31,850 He didn't know how to be a dad, right? 1374 01:19:31,934 --> 01:19:33,519 Earth, Wind and Fire was the most important 1375 01:19:33,602 --> 01:19:36,355 thing to him all the time. 1376 01:19:36,438 --> 01:19:39,692 - Yeah, I stayed in the studio 12, 14 hours. 1377 01:19:39,733 --> 01:19:41,527 I think I'm too much of a perfectionist, 1378 01:19:41,568 --> 01:19:43,529 to a great extent. 1379 01:19:43,570 --> 01:19:45,781 'Cause the things I hear, don't nobody be hearing them, 1380 01:19:45,864 --> 01:19:49,285 man, be saying, what's wrong with you, you know? 1381 01:19:49,368 --> 01:19:50,703 Man, I don't know. 1382 01:19:50,744 --> 01:19:53,205 It just bug me till I get it right, you know? 1383 01:19:53,289 --> 01:19:54,540 Yeah. 1384 01:19:58,085 --> 01:19:59,712 - Maurice wanted to be the best, 1385 01:19:59,795 --> 01:20:02,381 and he was always wanting to outdo 1386 01:20:02,464 --> 01:20:03,841 anybody else that came along. 1387 01:20:03,924 --> 01:20:06,010 And we all kind of adapted that attitude. 1388 01:20:06,093 --> 01:20:07,344 Maurice always said, 1389 01:20:07,428 --> 01:20:11,432 don't ever take success for granted. 1390 01:20:11,515 --> 01:20:13,309 Don't do it. 1391 01:20:13,392 --> 01:20:15,227 Don't get comfortable. 1392 01:20:17,563 --> 01:20:20,065 - After a while, I was inspired 1393 01:20:20,107 --> 01:20:22,192 to expand my musical horizon, 1394 01:20:22,276 --> 01:20:24,737 create another side of my career. 1395 01:20:24,778 --> 01:20:27,072 - White has invested in an entertainment 1396 01:20:27,114 --> 01:20:29,450 complex in Los Angeles. 1397 01:20:29,533 --> 01:20:30,659 Welcome to The Complex. 1398 01:20:30,743 --> 01:20:32,786 What is The Complex all about? 1399 01:20:32,870 --> 01:20:34,872 It's a concept of bringing together 1400 01:20:34,955 --> 01:20:36,749 creativity under one roof. 1401 01:20:36,832 --> 01:20:39,001 We have two recording studios, 1402 01:20:39,084 --> 01:20:41,086 a sound stage for video and film. 1403 01:20:41,170 --> 01:20:44,923 We have rehearsal facilities for any and everybody. 1404 01:20:44,965 --> 01:20:49,887 Maurice bought a studio and opened a record company. 1405 01:20:49,970 --> 01:20:51,764 And they had a party. 1406 01:20:51,847 --> 01:20:53,932 And we were not invited. 1407 01:20:54,016 --> 01:20:56,685 It was a slap in the face. 1408 01:20:56,769 --> 01:20:59,021 I was constantly busy. 1409 01:21:03,609 --> 01:21:06,987 I was also producing a lot of different acts-- 1410 01:21:07,071 --> 01:21:10,157 Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, 1411 01:21:10,240 --> 01:21:13,410 Jennifer Holliday, Deniece Williams. 1412 01:21:13,494 --> 01:21:14,787 And I had The Emotions. 1413 01:21:16,455 --> 01:21:20,459 - The Emotions was with my two sisters. 1414 01:21:20,501 --> 01:21:23,253 We were signed out of Maurice's production. 1415 01:21:23,337 --> 01:21:26,632 We had, of course, "Best of My Love." 1416 01:21:26,715 --> 01:21:28,717 ♪ Whoa, whoa ♪ 1417 01:21:28,801 --> 01:21:30,928 ♪ You got the best of my love ♪ 1418 01:21:31,011 --> 01:21:32,638 ♪ Whoa, whoa ♪ 1419 01:21:32,679 --> 01:21:33,931 ♪ You got the best of my love ♪ 1420 01:21:34,014 --> 01:21:36,767 He's the best producer ever because Maurice, 1421 01:21:36,850 --> 01:21:38,936 you know, he goes for everything big. 1422 01:21:39,019 --> 01:21:40,396 ♪ Whoa, whoa ♪ 1423 01:21:40,479 --> 01:21:44,066 ♪ Oh, you've got the best of my love ♪ 1424 01:21:44,149 --> 01:21:47,820 ♪ Goin' in and out of changes ♪ 1425 01:21:47,903 --> 01:21:49,655 Maurice took on a lot. 1426 01:21:49,696 --> 01:21:51,532 You know, sometimes it was a gamble. 1427 01:22:02,292 --> 01:22:04,002 - It didn't look like it to the public, 1428 01:22:04,044 --> 01:22:06,171 but everything operated at a deficit. 1429 01:22:06,255 --> 01:22:09,425 Running The Complex was expensive. 1430 01:22:09,508 --> 01:22:12,177 In addition, the tours were a boondoggle 1431 01:22:12,219 --> 01:22:14,096 around Maurice's neck. 1432 01:22:14,179 --> 01:22:16,849 So they had the magic, theatrics, 1433 01:22:16,890 --> 01:22:18,517 the four Phenix Horns, 1434 01:22:18,559 --> 01:22:22,146 three female background singers, and the band-- 1435 01:22:22,229 --> 01:22:24,690 60, 70 on the road. 1436 01:22:24,731 --> 01:22:26,150 It was like the Mardi Gras at hotels. 1437 01:22:26,233 --> 01:22:28,026 It was just too many damn people. 1438 01:22:30,028 --> 01:22:32,781 - My mom, she was one of the costume designers. 1439 01:22:32,865 --> 01:22:34,783 I believe she spent almost $1 million 1440 01:22:34,867 --> 01:22:39,163 on fabric and other supplies in one year. 1441 01:22:39,246 --> 01:22:44,209 - Maurice told me that, from '77 on, 1442 01:22:44,293 --> 01:22:47,045 he came off the road at the minimum 1443 01:22:47,087 --> 01:22:51,049 of $1/2 million in debt for every major tour they did. 1444 01:22:51,091 --> 01:22:53,385 He had a huge cash flow problem. 1445 01:22:53,427 --> 01:22:56,180 It's not all glory and lights up here, you know. 1446 01:22:56,263 --> 01:22:57,806 - It's a whole nother trip. - A lot of work. 1447 01:22:57,890 --> 01:22:59,683 A lot of things they don't know about. 1448 01:22:59,766 --> 01:23:00,976 A lot of heavy pressures. 1449 01:23:01,059 --> 01:23:02,227 That's right. 1450 01:23:02,269 --> 01:23:06,190 He couldn't not invest in not giving the best. 1451 01:23:06,273 --> 01:23:11,153 He believed in his vision, man. 1452 01:23:11,236 --> 01:23:13,238 - Maurice was under a lot of pressure 1453 01:23:13,280 --> 01:23:19,828 and had to make a record, I think for the advance. 1454 01:23:22,498 --> 01:23:25,042 - I figured, okay, the disco is here. 1455 01:23:25,125 --> 01:23:26,376 It's not gonna go away. 1456 01:23:26,460 --> 01:23:29,046 Let me do a real good disco record. 1457 01:23:29,129 --> 01:23:30,422 ♪ Dance ♪ 1458 01:23:30,506 --> 01:23:32,174 - Called The Emotions in to sing it with us. 1459 01:23:32,257 --> 01:23:34,676 ♪ Boogie Wonderland ♪ 1460 01:23:34,760 --> 01:23:37,596 ♪ Ha, ha, dance ♪ 1461 01:23:39,598 --> 01:23:43,769 ♪ Boogie wonderland ♪ 1462 01:23:43,810 --> 01:23:48,857 ♪ Midnight creeps so slowly into hearts of men ♪ 1463 01:23:48,941 --> 01:23:50,943 ♪ Who need more than they get ♪ 1464 01:23:51,026 --> 01:23:52,444 ♪ Daylight... ♪ 1465 01:23:52,528 --> 01:23:55,280 "Boogie Wonderland," it became such a big thing. 1466 01:23:55,364 --> 01:23:59,034 ♪ Who has laid too many debts ♪ 1467 01:23:59,117 --> 01:24:00,869 ♪ The mirror... ♪ 1468 01:24:00,953 --> 01:24:02,204 - That is our one and only offering 1469 01:24:02,287 --> 01:24:03,997 to the disco music scene. 1470 01:24:04,081 --> 01:24:06,083 ♪ Says, baby, uh, uh, it don't work ♪ 1471 01:24:06,124 --> 01:24:09,920 ♪ You say your prayers though you don't care ♪ 1472 01:24:10,003 --> 01:24:13,298 ♪ You dance and shake the hat ♪ 1473 01:24:13,382 --> 01:24:15,384 "Dance." 1474 01:24:15,467 --> 01:24:19,388 It just--you know, it wasn't that I didn't like it, 1475 01:24:19,471 --> 01:24:21,390 but it didn't go into my soul. 1476 01:24:21,473 --> 01:24:24,810 It didn't go into my core like their music did. 1477 01:24:24,851 --> 01:24:28,063 ♪ Yeah ♪ 1478 01:24:28,146 --> 01:24:31,316 ♪ All the records are playing ♪ 1479 01:24:31,400 --> 01:24:33,569 ♪ And my heart keeps saying ♪ 1480 01:24:33,652 --> 01:24:36,113 ♪ Boogie Wonderland ♪ 1481 01:24:36,154 --> 01:24:37,948 - There was a pressure kind of over your head 1482 01:24:38,031 --> 01:24:41,159 that you had to try to sell as many albums every time, 1483 01:24:41,201 --> 01:24:43,287 just like before, you know? 1484 01:24:43,370 --> 01:24:45,122 - My other guest, David Foster, 1485 01:24:45,205 --> 01:24:47,165 he has done session work for Rod Stewart, 1486 01:24:47,249 --> 01:24:49,459 Dolly Parton, George Harrison. 1487 01:24:49,501 --> 01:24:51,253 I was just starting as a record producer. 1488 01:24:51,336 --> 01:24:52,254 I'd had a couple of hits. 1489 01:24:52,337 --> 01:24:54,464 It was a goal of mine to reach 1490 01:24:54,548 --> 01:24:55,757 and work with Earth, Wind and Fire. 1491 01:24:58,802 --> 01:25:00,512 ♪ ♪ 1492 01:25:00,596 --> 01:25:03,599 Maurice did ask me to come up to his house 1493 01:25:03,682 --> 01:25:04,933 and write with him. 1494 01:25:05,017 --> 01:25:06,560 We'd sit at the piano. 1495 01:25:06,643 --> 01:25:08,729 And I was trying to get a hit every time out. 1496 01:25:08,812 --> 01:25:11,940 That was my mission. 1497 01:25:12,024 --> 01:25:14,610 Maurice and I were totally inspired, 1498 01:25:14,693 --> 01:25:18,196 and we worked from 7:00 p.m. till 7:00 a.m. 1499 01:25:18,280 --> 01:25:21,283 And in those 12 hours, we wrote the genesis 1500 01:25:21,366 --> 01:25:24,745 of almost every song on the "I Am" album. 1501 01:25:24,828 --> 01:25:27,331 - ♪ I found that love provides the key ♪ 1502 01:25:27,414 --> 01:25:29,291 - He brought a new life to Earth, Wind and Fire, 1503 01:25:29,374 --> 01:25:31,960 like his applications are on top, okay? 1504 01:25:32,044 --> 01:25:35,422 So it gave us a new sound, a new energy. 1505 01:25:35,505 --> 01:25:38,925 "I Am" did really well-- double-platinum status. 1506 01:25:39,009 --> 01:25:40,218 ♪ Is written in the stone ♪ 1507 01:25:40,260 --> 01:25:42,012 ♪ Written in the stone ♪ 1508 01:25:42,054 --> 01:25:43,972 - In the studio with the guys in the band, 1509 01:25:44,056 --> 01:25:46,391 I was a control freak. 1510 01:25:46,475 --> 01:25:49,728 I never hesitated to tell anybody 1511 01:25:49,770 --> 01:25:51,355 to try something different or to play this, 1512 01:25:51,438 --> 01:25:53,106 or you're playing a wrong chord. 1513 01:25:53,190 --> 01:25:54,900 Like, the fan thing went out the window the minute 1514 01:25:54,983 --> 01:25:56,360 the red light went on. 1515 01:25:59,071 --> 01:26:00,072 You know, it's good. 1516 01:26:00,113 --> 01:26:02,741 We get a kick out of working with different people, 1517 01:26:02,783 --> 01:26:05,410 and they get a kick out of working with us. 1518 01:26:06,953 --> 01:26:13,543 David Foster coming in the band was hard on the band. 1519 01:26:14,461 --> 01:26:16,254 They said, man, we should be in there writing them songs, 1520 01:26:16,296 --> 01:26:18,423 not that white boy. 1521 01:26:18,507 --> 01:26:22,678 But David Foster happened to bring the goods. 1522 01:26:22,761 --> 01:26:25,555 It became more complicated because Maurice 1523 01:26:25,597 --> 01:26:29,434 was bringing this person for that or that person for that. 1524 01:26:31,436 --> 01:26:34,856 Every person he brought in was to make Earth, Wind and Fire 1525 01:26:34,940 --> 01:26:37,442 superlative. 1526 01:26:37,484 --> 01:26:40,779 - We played lesser and lesser roles. 1527 01:26:40,821 --> 01:26:44,282 And then Maurice started producing records 1528 01:26:44,366 --> 01:26:47,786 without our involvement. 1529 01:26:47,869 --> 01:26:51,039 We were definitely like a session musician. 1530 01:26:51,123 --> 01:26:53,125 You just come in and do your part. 1531 01:26:53,166 --> 01:26:54,710 Sing on this, sing on that. 1532 01:26:54,793 --> 01:26:56,962 ♪ Oh, do, do be us ♪ 1533 01:26:57,045 --> 01:26:58,630 You should be behind. 1534 01:26:58,672 --> 01:27:01,633 As far as the rules of what we had to do, 1535 01:27:01,675 --> 01:27:02,718 Maurice made them. 1536 01:27:02,801 --> 01:27:04,261 We followed them. Simple. 1537 01:27:05,846 --> 01:27:09,808 The idea of a democracy is an illusion in a band. 1538 01:27:11,518 --> 01:27:15,981 I felt unappreciated and betrayed. 1539 01:27:21,611 --> 01:27:23,488 Everybody in good spirits? 1540 01:27:25,198 --> 01:27:27,659 All right. 1541 01:27:27,701 --> 01:27:30,912 You know, uh... 1542 01:27:30,996 --> 01:27:35,709 love is a subject that always seems to come around. 1543 01:27:35,792 --> 01:27:36,668 It's always... 1544 01:27:36,752 --> 01:27:37,836 - Okay, let me tell you something. 1545 01:27:37,878 --> 01:27:39,713 Yes? 1546 01:27:39,796 --> 01:27:44,176 Maurice was not exactly the most faithful person. 1547 01:27:44,259 --> 01:27:46,178 He had other women on the road. 1548 01:27:46,261 --> 01:27:52,184 ♪ For a while, to love was all we could do ♪ 1549 01:27:52,267 --> 01:27:54,144 ♪ We were young and we knew ♪ 1550 01:27:54,227 --> 01:27:58,398 ♪ And our eyes were alive ♪ 1551 01:27:58,482 --> 01:28:02,068 ♪ Deep inside, we knew our love was true ♪ 1552 01:28:02,152 --> 01:28:03,445 ♪ For a while ♪ 1553 01:28:03,528 --> 01:28:05,489 - Maurice, in fact, got someone pregnant 1554 01:28:05,572 --> 01:28:08,033 while he was on the road. 1555 01:28:08,116 --> 01:28:11,203 I didn't find out until maybe 1556 01:28:11,286 --> 01:28:14,956 a few years after she was born. 1557 01:28:15,040 --> 01:28:16,541 Everyone but me knew. 1558 01:28:16,583 --> 01:28:18,543 ♪ Begin the dance, yeah ♪ 1559 01:28:18,627 --> 01:28:22,214 ♪ Something happened along the way ♪ 1560 01:28:22,297 --> 01:28:25,467 ♪ And yesterday was all we had, oh ♪ 1561 01:28:25,550 --> 01:28:29,262 - And then he had another son from someone else. 1562 01:28:29,346 --> 01:28:30,764 ♪ And yesterday was all we had ♪ 1563 01:28:30,847 --> 01:28:34,100 I'm Maurice's youngest son, that we know about. 1564 01:28:36,436 --> 01:28:38,230 ♪ After the love is gone ♪ 1565 01:28:38,271 --> 01:28:39,773 ♪ Oh, yeah, yeah ♪ 1566 01:28:39,856 --> 01:28:43,568 - Around the time when my mom was making costuming, 1567 01:28:43,652 --> 01:28:45,612 my dad pursued her, and they had a connection. 1568 01:28:46,988 --> 01:28:51,326 ♪ Oh, yeah ♪ 1569 01:28:51,409 --> 01:28:53,495 He and my mom had a pretty tumultuous relationship. 1570 01:28:53,578 --> 01:28:56,540 He was continually pulling back. 1571 01:28:56,623 --> 01:28:57,916 By the time I was born, they'd been seeing each other 1572 01:28:57,999 --> 01:29:00,168 for, I believe, around 20 years at that point. 1573 01:29:00,252 --> 01:29:02,003 I said, how can you do that? 1574 01:29:02,087 --> 01:29:06,258 And he said, I'm a star. 1575 01:29:06,299 --> 01:29:08,426 It was like, I can do whatever the fuck I want. 1576 01:29:08,468 --> 01:29:11,263 ♪ Love, love has gone ♪ 1577 01:29:11,346 --> 01:29:13,056 And I said, you know what? 1578 01:29:13,139 --> 01:29:15,392 That makes me feel unworthy. 1579 01:29:15,475 --> 01:29:17,561 I am not unworthy. 1580 01:29:17,644 --> 01:29:19,271 ♪ After the love has gone ♪ 1581 01:29:19,354 --> 01:29:21,022 And I moved out. 1582 01:29:22,816 --> 01:29:24,317 ♪ Yeah ♪ 1583 01:29:24,401 --> 01:29:27,112 He couldn't believe I did it, and I did it. 1584 01:29:27,153 --> 01:29:30,615 ♪ Oh, oh ♪ 1585 01:29:30,657 --> 01:29:35,579 ♪ Oh ♪ 1586 01:29:36,788 --> 01:29:39,541 - It was really tough for me to want to pursue 1587 01:29:39,624 --> 01:29:41,543 a relationship with him. 1588 01:29:41,626 --> 01:29:43,420 Even as a child, I was questioning my mother. 1589 01:29:43,503 --> 01:29:46,298 You know, I'd ask, why is he so distant? 1590 01:29:46,339 --> 01:29:48,758 And she explained it to me in what I think 1591 01:29:48,842 --> 01:29:50,010 is a beautiful way, and it's how 1592 01:29:50,093 --> 01:29:52,387 I articulate it to this day. 1593 01:29:52,470 --> 01:29:53,638 Everybody has a door in their heart 1594 01:29:53,680 --> 01:29:55,265 they let love in and out of. 1595 01:29:55,348 --> 01:29:57,142 And he had enough trauma when he was younger 1596 01:29:57,183 --> 01:29:58,643 that it closed the door for him, 1597 01:29:58,685 --> 01:30:01,104 and he could only get it open so far. 1598 01:30:01,187 --> 01:30:03,815 But when he was in his bag and making music, 1599 01:30:03,899 --> 01:30:06,651 that door would open as wide as it could. 1600 01:30:13,658 --> 01:30:14,993 ♪ ♪ 1601 01:30:15,035 --> 01:30:16,786 - The '80s was really kind of strange 1602 01:30:16,870 --> 01:30:20,624 because music was changing a lot. 1603 01:30:20,707 --> 01:30:23,084 We are in an evolving stage right now. 1604 01:30:23,168 --> 01:30:24,669 I think it's all evolving 1605 01:30:24,711 --> 01:30:26,087 around the changing technology. 1606 01:30:27,839 --> 01:30:30,967 - Bands were kind of navigating 1607 01:30:31,009 --> 01:30:34,012 the transitions that were taking place sonically. 1608 01:30:34,095 --> 01:30:39,100 Now you're in the drum machine era and the synthesizer era. 1609 01:30:39,184 --> 01:30:42,020 But Earth, Wind and Fire was known 1610 01:30:42,062 --> 01:30:46,650 for their big horn sections and amazing arrangements. 1611 01:30:46,691 --> 01:30:51,571 Maurice needed a whole different-sounding record. 1612 01:30:51,655 --> 01:30:56,034 Maurice and I got together through my wife, 1613 01:30:56,076 --> 01:30:58,662 Wanda, of The Emotions. 1614 01:30:58,745 --> 01:31:01,373 Maurice was digging some of the things 1615 01:31:01,456 --> 01:31:05,710 that I was playing with The Brothers Johnson. 1616 01:31:05,794 --> 01:31:09,631 Maurice came over to me, and he said, hey, Wayne, 1617 01:31:09,714 --> 01:31:13,551 you got any tunes for the Fire? 1618 01:31:13,635 --> 01:31:16,221 Reese and I were going for hits. 1619 01:31:16,304 --> 01:31:17,806 So I gave him four songs, 1620 01:31:17,889 --> 01:31:20,183 and he decided to cut three of them, 1621 01:31:20,266 --> 01:31:23,561 one being "Let's Groove." 1622 01:31:23,603 --> 01:31:27,065 ♪ Let's groove tonight ♪ 1623 01:31:27,148 --> 01:31:29,109 ♪ Share the spice of life ♪ 1624 01:31:31,611 --> 01:31:35,865 "Let's Groove" wasn't a true Earth, Wind and Fire song, 1625 01:31:35,949 --> 01:31:38,743 that metaphysical kind of vibe. 1626 01:31:38,785 --> 01:31:43,331 It was just one tune to bridge them over into the '80s. 1627 01:31:43,415 --> 01:31:46,751 ♪ It's all right, all right ♪ 1628 01:31:46,835 --> 01:31:48,545 - "Let's Groove" was a hit record 1629 01:31:48,628 --> 01:31:50,422 that we needed at the time. 1630 01:31:50,505 --> 01:31:51,756 We were relieved because we said, 1631 01:31:51,798 --> 01:31:53,925 we made it in on the 1-yard line, you know. 1632 01:31:53,967 --> 01:31:59,514 ♪ Gonna tell you what you can do with our love ♪ 1633 01:31:59,597 --> 01:32:02,017 ♪ All right ♪ 1634 01:32:02,100 --> 01:32:03,643 ♪ Let you know, girl ♪ 1635 01:32:03,727 --> 01:32:05,186 - You're trying to stay relevant, 1636 01:32:05,270 --> 01:32:08,064 but, I mean, there were some badass bands out there. 1637 01:32:08,148 --> 01:32:09,274 ♪ All right ♪ 1638 01:32:09,315 --> 01:32:11,109 ♪ You will find peace of mind ♪ 1639 01:32:11,151 --> 01:32:14,529 Each decade brings new music, new artists, 1640 01:32:14,612 --> 01:32:16,781 new superstars. 1641 01:32:16,823 --> 01:32:19,159 Mike hit the home run with "Thriller." 1642 01:32:19,242 --> 01:32:21,619 Lionel hit the home run and, of course, Prince. 1643 01:32:21,703 --> 01:32:27,292 ♪ We can boogie on down now ♪ 1644 01:32:27,333 --> 01:32:29,794 ♪ Boogie on down ♪ 1645 01:32:29,836 --> 01:32:32,964 - We were vying for our place. 1646 01:32:33,048 --> 01:32:34,549 Where are we in the scheme of things? 1647 01:32:34,632 --> 01:32:37,594 ♪ We boogie on down, on down ♪ 1648 01:32:37,677 --> 01:32:43,099 That magic, that combo, it's very hard to keep 1649 01:32:43,183 --> 01:32:45,643 something like that going. 1650 01:32:45,727 --> 01:32:48,855 Maurice was a private guy. 1651 01:32:48,938 --> 01:32:53,151 He didn't let me see him sweat, but 1652 01:32:53,193 --> 01:32:57,739 he had a lot of things going on at one time. 1653 01:32:57,822 --> 01:32:58,990 To the outside world, 1654 01:32:59,032 --> 01:33:05,705 there was this positive love image presented. 1655 01:33:05,789 --> 01:33:08,666 But to us, it was totally different. 1656 01:33:08,750 --> 01:33:12,337 Maurice was always separated from everyone. 1657 01:33:12,378 --> 01:33:15,131 There was only certain people that could do an interview. 1658 01:33:15,173 --> 01:33:17,300 If you take a picture, you must stand here, 1659 01:33:17,383 --> 01:33:19,260 just definite positions. 1660 01:33:19,344 --> 01:33:21,846 And there were things that were done intentionally 1661 01:33:21,888 --> 01:33:23,681 to just make you feel small. 1662 01:33:26,351 --> 01:33:28,436 Gotta do it differently. 1663 01:33:28,520 --> 01:33:32,190 - For one thing, we knew we weren't getting paid right. 1664 01:33:32,232 --> 01:33:34,109 Yes, things were expensive, 1665 01:33:34,192 --> 01:33:38,196 but we were generating millions of dollars 1666 01:33:38,238 --> 01:33:42,867 and only making $2,500 a week. 1667 01:33:42,951 --> 01:33:47,580 I think it was less than some of the roadies. 1668 01:33:47,664 --> 01:33:48,915 For the first eight years. 1669 01:33:48,998 --> 01:33:51,167 Maurice took everybody's publishing. 1670 01:33:51,251 --> 01:33:54,045 - My first royalty check, Maurice handed it to me. 1671 01:33:54,129 --> 01:33:56,714 He said, here's your royalties for the record. 1672 01:33:56,756 --> 01:33:57,799 And I looked at Maurice. 1673 01:33:57,882 --> 01:34:00,093 It was like, what's this? 1674 01:34:01,553 --> 01:34:04,389 - Maurice was very slow to give up 1675 01:34:04,472 --> 01:34:07,392 any kind of credit to anybody. 1676 01:34:07,433 --> 01:34:09,018 The whole damn band 1677 01:34:09,102 --> 01:34:10,728 should have gotten co-production credit, 1678 01:34:10,770 --> 01:34:13,648 but he had to be perceived 1679 01:34:13,731 --> 01:34:17,277 as the single champion of the sound. 1680 01:34:17,360 --> 01:34:18,945 Some of the other guys 1681 01:34:19,028 --> 01:34:20,613 thought we deserved better than that, 1682 01:34:20,697 --> 01:34:22,866 and I'm inclined to agree. 1683 01:34:22,949 --> 01:34:25,618 - There's no reason to go through 1684 01:34:25,702 --> 01:34:27,912 that kind of a treatment without being paid. 1685 01:34:27,954 --> 01:34:29,581 If you're not making any money, 1686 01:34:29,664 --> 01:34:32,208 why be there and be treated that way? 1687 01:34:34,252 --> 01:34:35,920 I never came back. 1688 01:34:38,339 --> 01:34:43,303 - The Phenix Horns left to work with Phil Collins. 1689 01:34:43,386 --> 01:34:45,638 It was just bad blood. 1690 01:34:45,722 --> 01:34:48,224 And then him and Al fell out, and Al quit. 1691 01:34:50,935 --> 01:34:53,688 The party's gotta end sometime, you know. 1692 01:34:57,275 --> 01:35:00,862 - It was a big blow because, after that, 1693 01:35:00,945 --> 01:35:03,239 the band's sound changed. 1694 01:35:14,834 --> 01:35:17,754 - The thing is is trying to keep a band together 1695 01:35:17,795 --> 01:35:21,007 and stay commercial but yet artistic. 1696 01:35:21,090 --> 01:35:22,884 It's a very hard thing to do. 1697 01:35:22,967 --> 01:35:25,595 ♪ No self control ♪ 1698 01:35:25,678 --> 01:35:29,641 ♪ A chain reaction as my body lets go ♪ 1699 01:35:29,724 --> 01:35:32,143 ♪ A strange kind of light ♪ 1700 01:35:32,227 --> 01:35:36,105 ♪ The tempo takes me and the circuit excites ♪ 1701 01:35:36,189 --> 01:35:37,148 ♪ Magnetic ♪ 1702 01:35:37,190 --> 01:35:38,983 ♪ The rhythm of a dangerous... ♪ 1703 01:35:39,025 --> 01:35:43,780 - The Earth, Wind and Fire brand shifted. 1704 01:35:43,863 --> 01:35:46,366 With all my heart, I think that "Faces" 1705 01:35:46,449 --> 01:35:48,701 was the last great record. 1706 01:35:48,785 --> 01:35:51,246 The rest of the stuff is suspect. 1707 01:35:51,329 --> 01:35:53,706 - What is it about "Raise!," "Powerlight," 1708 01:35:53,790 --> 01:35:56,459 and "Electric Universe" that has you feeling 1709 01:35:56,542 --> 01:35:57,877 that it's not up to par? 1710 01:35:57,961 --> 01:36:00,505 Maybe it's because we had very little to do 1711 01:36:00,588 --> 01:36:02,382 with any of those records. 1712 01:36:04,467 --> 01:36:06,594 ♪ A new kind of beat ♪ 1713 01:36:06,678 --> 01:36:08,846 I found them unlistenable. 1714 01:36:08,888 --> 01:36:12,517 Seemed to me to be Maurice reaching for an audience. 1715 01:36:12,558 --> 01:36:14,352 But it didn't have that groove. 1716 01:36:14,435 --> 01:36:15,812 ♪ Suck you in ♪ 1717 01:36:15,895 --> 01:36:17,772 ♪ You'll never last ♪ 1718 01:36:17,855 --> 01:36:19,607 ♪ Step in the light tonight ♪ 1719 01:36:19,691 --> 01:36:21,276 ♪ Come make the sparks ignite ♪ 1720 01:36:21,359 --> 01:36:22,694 ♪ Step in the light ♪ 1721 01:36:22,735 --> 01:36:25,780 - That time had Maurice searching. 1722 01:36:25,863 --> 01:36:27,949 You know, success has many fathers, 1723 01:36:28,032 --> 01:36:29,867 but failure is an orphan. 1724 01:36:36,165 --> 01:36:39,544 I think the stress of all of it was starting to get to him. 1725 01:36:39,627 --> 01:36:42,964 Beyond anything else, he was fatigued. 1726 01:36:43,047 --> 01:36:44,674 - Constantly touring all the time 1727 01:36:44,757 --> 01:36:46,926 and then doing all the other work, too, 1728 01:36:47,010 --> 01:36:50,972 I was always the one who had to carry the load. 1729 01:36:51,055 --> 01:36:53,391 - He had decades of emotional blockage. 1730 01:36:53,433 --> 01:36:56,477 You push your feelings down for only so long. 1731 01:36:56,561 --> 01:36:58,396 They have to go somewhere. 1732 01:36:58,438 --> 01:37:01,816 And if you don't let them out, man, some shit can happen. 1733 01:37:09,198 --> 01:37:13,494 We were called to a meeting at The Complex. 1734 01:37:13,578 --> 01:37:14,912 We all gathered. 1735 01:37:14,996 --> 01:37:17,248 Maurice came down. 1736 01:37:17,290 --> 01:37:21,002 He said, guys, you know, I've been thinking. 1737 01:37:21,085 --> 01:37:23,588 I wanna go my own way. 1738 01:37:23,629 --> 01:37:27,008 And I think that 1739 01:37:27,091 --> 01:37:29,469 I'm gonna put Earth, Wind and Fire on the back burner. 1740 01:37:32,305 --> 01:37:33,681 Are you kidding? 1741 01:37:33,765 --> 01:37:35,308 My heart sunk down to my toes. 1742 01:37:35,391 --> 01:37:38,436 I was like, Jesus. 1743 01:37:38,478 --> 01:37:41,564 He said that, as of today, 1744 01:37:41,647 --> 01:37:45,151 we're going to stop employment. 1745 01:37:45,234 --> 01:37:50,073 And we have to get our wardrobe out of the lockers 1746 01:37:50,156 --> 01:37:52,200 because they were gonna be sold. 1747 01:37:55,244 --> 01:37:59,457 We were pretty much in shock at that point. 1748 01:37:59,499 --> 01:38:03,252 - I was upset about the way it was done. 1749 01:38:03,294 --> 01:38:06,839 You can't call a meeting and say, okay, it's over 1750 01:38:06,923 --> 01:38:09,967 with no warning at all. 1751 01:38:10,051 --> 01:38:12,387 - I don't think anybody was as close 1752 01:38:12,470 --> 01:38:15,473 as Maurice and I were, 1753 01:38:15,556 --> 01:38:19,811 so it was definitely a shaker. 1754 01:38:19,894 --> 01:38:21,396 But it was over. 1755 01:38:23,564 --> 01:38:26,067 - Everybody just kind of went their own way. 1756 01:38:26,150 --> 01:38:28,861 We were all estranged. 1757 01:38:28,945 --> 01:38:30,822 My credit card bounced. 1758 01:38:30,863 --> 01:38:35,660 Me and my wife, at that time, panicked, sold the property, 1759 01:38:35,701 --> 01:38:37,829 and moved to Denver. 1760 01:38:37,912 --> 01:38:39,831 I was on a construction site. 1761 01:38:39,872 --> 01:38:43,709 I also was working at a Federated stereo 1762 01:38:43,793 --> 01:38:48,089 on Sunset and La Brea, selling stereo. 1763 01:38:48,172 --> 01:38:50,258 That was a tough period. 1764 01:38:50,341 --> 01:38:52,510 So yeah. 1765 01:38:52,552 --> 01:38:55,263 - I'm sure it was devastating to some of them. 1766 01:38:57,098 --> 01:39:00,184 But I had to let it go at that point. 1767 01:39:00,268 --> 01:39:04,605 I needed a break, and I took a break, you know. 1768 01:39:04,689 --> 01:39:07,483 Yeah, I needed it. 1769 01:39:07,567 --> 01:39:10,027 - These guys were that family that he created. 1770 01:39:10,111 --> 01:39:15,199 And he essentially did to them 1771 01:39:15,283 --> 01:39:18,286 what was done to him when he was a child. 1772 01:39:20,288 --> 01:39:22,331 He left them before they could leave him. 1773 01:39:24,542 --> 01:39:25,543 He'd call me. 1774 01:39:25,585 --> 01:39:30,089 And I said to him, you're still holding on to the... 1775 01:39:30,173 --> 01:39:32,592 Non-forgiveness of what 1776 01:39:32,675 --> 01:39:33,676 your mother did to you. 1777 01:39:36,053 --> 01:39:40,057 You've got to release in order for you 1778 01:39:40,099 --> 01:39:42,768 to be free of what happened to you. 1779 01:39:42,852 --> 01:39:44,645 And he couldn't do that. 1780 01:39:46,314 --> 01:39:49,066 - Breathe out all of the separateness, 1781 01:39:49,108 --> 01:39:51,986 all of the feelings of unworthiness, 1782 01:39:52,069 --> 01:39:54,906 all of the attachment to your pain, 1783 01:39:54,947 --> 01:39:59,035 whether it's physical or psychological. 1784 01:39:59,076 --> 01:40:02,955 Let the breath be the transformation. 1785 01:40:15,092 --> 01:40:17,762 Testing one, two. Testing one, two. 1786 01:40:17,803 --> 01:40:19,347 - I'm good, right? - Yeah, we're great. 1787 01:40:19,430 --> 01:40:20,598 You ready? 1788 01:40:20,640 --> 01:40:23,726 Hi, this is Maurice White in Los Angeles. 1789 01:40:23,768 --> 01:40:27,104 Hope you enjoy my new--do it again. 1790 01:40:27,188 --> 01:40:29,607 Hi, this is Maurice White in Los Angeles. 1791 01:40:29,649 --> 01:40:33,277 Hope you enjoy my first solo effort, "Stand By Me." 1792 01:40:33,361 --> 01:40:38,115 ♪ When the night has come ♪ 1793 01:40:38,199 --> 01:40:41,202 ♪ And the land is dark ♪ 1794 01:40:41,285 --> 01:40:47,416 ♪ And the moon is the only light we see ♪ 1795 01:40:47,500 --> 01:40:49,377 - Maurice put a lot into that record. 1796 01:40:49,460 --> 01:40:52,088 ♪ No, I won't be afraid ♪ 1797 01:40:52,171 --> 01:40:53,923 But it didn't work. 1798 01:40:54,006 --> 01:40:57,552 And I think the failure really stung. 1799 01:41:00,096 --> 01:41:02,974 - Philip Bailey embarked on a solo career 1800 01:41:03,015 --> 01:41:06,310 without his former colleague. 1801 01:41:06,352 --> 01:41:09,397 It was time to do something else 1802 01:41:09,480 --> 01:41:13,317 and get a chance to find out who I was. 1803 01:41:13,359 --> 01:41:17,113 My solo career gave me that autonomy 1804 01:41:17,196 --> 01:41:19,657 to play with different musicians. 1805 01:41:19,699 --> 01:41:22,910 I chose Phil Collins to work with because the Phenix Horns 1806 01:41:22,994 --> 01:41:24,704 were working with him. 1807 01:41:26,289 --> 01:41:28,207 ♪ Easy lover ♪ 1808 01:41:28,291 --> 01:41:30,418 And I had a across-the-board hit 1809 01:41:30,501 --> 01:41:33,713 with a song called "Easy Lover." 1810 01:41:33,796 --> 01:41:35,548 ♪ Like no other ♪ 1811 01:41:35,631 --> 01:41:38,009 ♪ Before you know it, you'll be on your knees ♪ 1812 01:41:38,050 --> 01:41:42,513 "Easy Lover" was a pop smash. 1813 01:41:42,597 --> 01:41:46,559 Nobody called me to wish me success or happiness. 1814 01:41:50,229 --> 01:41:52,023 What did you think of Philip, the solo artist? 1815 01:41:52,106 --> 01:41:53,983 - I thought he was very good. - Yeah? 1816 01:41:54,066 --> 01:41:55,484 I expected him to be successful. 1817 01:41:55,568 --> 01:41:57,194 He should have been because he came out 1818 01:41:57,236 --> 01:41:58,195 of Earth, Wind and Fire school. 1819 01:41:58,279 --> 01:42:01,282 What did you think of Maurice the solo artist? 1820 01:42:01,365 --> 01:42:04,702 I always saw Maurice as being a solo artist. 1821 01:42:06,120 --> 01:42:07,913 Well, there's some truth there. 1822 01:42:15,087 --> 01:42:17,715 - Years later, following the success 1823 01:42:17,757 --> 01:42:23,262 of my solo career, the record label came up to me and said, 1824 01:42:23,346 --> 01:42:24,930 y'all need to talk about putting 1825 01:42:25,014 --> 01:42:27,600 Earth, Wind and Fire back together. 1826 01:42:29,685 --> 01:42:35,274 I said, well, I'm not opposed to speaking with Maurice. 1827 01:42:36,359 --> 01:42:42,114 We sat down many times and talked and cry 1828 01:42:42,198 --> 01:42:45,743 and put it all out there, you know. 1829 01:42:49,455 --> 01:42:52,958 I said that I would work with him, not for him. 1830 01:42:55,503 --> 01:42:58,172 - Verdine and Maurice were not speaking. 1831 01:42:58,255 --> 01:43:02,051 And I said to Shelly, Verdine's wife, 1832 01:43:02,134 --> 01:43:04,845 this is ridiculous. They're brothers. 1833 01:43:04,929 --> 01:43:09,600 So Shelly and I had to bring the two of them together. 1834 01:43:09,642 --> 01:43:11,602 - It was good. We had a chance to talk. 1835 01:43:11,686 --> 01:43:15,064 And he did say he never should have done that, 1836 01:43:15,147 --> 01:43:17,024 that he should have thought it through. 1837 01:43:17,108 --> 01:43:20,778 That was his personal regret. 1838 01:43:20,820 --> 01:43:22,113 I waited. 1839 01:43:22,196 --> 01:43:24,448 And sure enough, the phone rang. 1840 01:43:24,490 --> 01:43:27,535 With all that had gone on, 1841 01:43:27,618 --> 01:43:31,706 you had to come back into this situation with a clean slate. 1842 01:43:31,789 --> 01:43:34,875 And that's what we did. 1843 01:43:34,959 --> 01:43:39,338 After that, we were ready to put it back together. 1844 01:43:41,173 --> 01:43:43,259 - We tried to get all nine guys back. 1845 01:43:43,342 --> 01:43:45,136 We got five of them back, five of the original guys. 1846 01:43:45,219 --> 01:43:47,555 ♪ System of survival ♪ 1847 01:43:47,638 --> 01:43:51,475 - You told me that part of the deal of coming back was, 1848 01:43:51,517 --> 01:43:54,103 Maurice was gonna start sharing responsibility, 1849 01:43:54,186 --> 01:43:55,646 sharing authority. 1850 01:43:55,688 --> 01:43:57,189 - Has that happened? - Sharing the money. 1851 01:44:01,527 --> 01:44:03,404 - The soul super group announced plans 1852 01:44:03,487 --> 01:44:05,531 to take it on the road. 1853 01:44:05,614 --> 01:44:08,451 - The 11-month tour that will take Earth, Wind and Fire 1854 01:44:08,534 --> 01:44:11,495 to 80 cities cost over $1 million to produce. 1855 01:44:11,579 --> 01:44:13,664 - ♪ Says life is filled with give and take ♪ 1856 01:44:13,748 --> 01:44:15,624 - We went out on the road thinking, 1857 01:44:15,708 --> 01:44:17,501 this is gonna be the second coming. 1858 01:44:17,543 --> 01:44:18,794 ♪ System of survival ♪ 1859 01:44:18,878 --> 01:44:21,338 - We're gonna get right back to it. 1860 01:44:21,422 --> 01:44:22,882 ♪ System of survival ♪ 1861 01:44:22,965 --> 01:44:25,843 We had these arenas booked. 1862 01:44:25,926 --> 01:44:27,219 Here we go. 1863 01:44:28,637 --> 01:44:30,765 Then the band takes the stage. 1864 01:44:34,560 --> 01:44:36,145 There would be nobody out there. 1865 01:44:39,940 --> 01:44:41,275 Crickets. 1866 01:44:44,236 --> 01:44:46,697 - We found that people had moved on. 1867 01:44:49,408 --> 01:44:51,994 A lot of the houses, we had to cancel. 1868 01:44:52,077 --> 01:44:53,454 We lost so much money. 1869 01:44:53,537 --> 01:44:57,750 We were in no-man's land. 1870 01:44:57,833 --> 01:45:02,129 We're clearly not playing stadiums anymore. 1871 01:45:02,213 --> 01:45:04,381 So now we have to reconfigure. 1872 01:45:04,423 --> 01:45:06,801 We had to do small venues, you know. 1873 01:45:13,182 --> 01:45:15,309 So now we're back where we began. 1874 01:45:16,727 --> 01:45:20,231 - Stage production had to get smaller. 1875 01:45:20,272 --> 01:45:22,024 It took some adjusting. 1876 01:45:22,107 --> 01:45:23,734 We soldiered on. 1877 01:45:23,776 --> 01:45:27,530 We were able to lean on each other and go to work. 1878 01:45:27,613 --> 01:45:32,868 And we started to gain traction. 1879 01:45:32,952 --> 01:45:33,953 It was gradual. 1880 01:45:34,036 --> 01:45:35,079 It was a gradual thing. 1881 01:45:36,705 --> 01:45:40,167 We started doing arenas and stadiums again. 1882 01:45:42,795 --> 01:45:46,048 And then the music started being played on commercials. 1883 01:45:49,426 --> 01:45:50,719 On television. 1884 01:45:53,597 --> 01:45:58,394 - ♪ Your dream will take you very far, yeah ♪ 1885 01:45:58,477 --> 01:45:59,520 And in films. 1886 01:45:59,603 --> 01:46:01,063 ♪ You're a shining star ♪ 1887 01:46:01,146 --> 01:46:03,983 ♪ No matter who you are ♪ 1888 01:46:04,066 --> 01:46:06,068 ♪ Shining bright to see ♪ 1889 01:46:06,151 --> 01:46:08,320 ♪ What you could truly be ♪ 1890 01:46:08,404 --> 01:46:10,489 ♪ You're a shining star ♪ 1891 01:46:10,573 --> 01:46:11,615 ♪ No matter who you are ♪ 1892 01:46:11,657 --> 01:46:14,034 And then a lot of hip-hop will be sampled, right? 1893 01:46:14,118 --> 01:46:17,121 When I was in high school, I heard "Shining Star" 1894 01:46:17,204 --> 01:46:18,372 with ODB on it. 1895 01:46:18,455 --> 01:46:19,623 - ♪ Shining Star for you to see ♪ 1896 01:46:19,665 --> 01:46:21,125 ♪ Yeah, know what I'm saying? ♪ 1897 01:46:21,166 --> 01:46:22,376 ♪ This is what you call ♪ 1898 01:46:22,459 --> 01:46:23,627 ♪ This was making history right here ♪ 1899 01:46:23,669 --> 01:46:25,337 ♪ Know what I'm saying, the fifth element ♪ 1900 01:46:25,421 --> 01:46:27,715 ♪ Earth, Wind, Fire, Sunz of Man ♪ 1901 01:46:27,798 --> 01:46:30,759 My dad was not just inspirational 1902 01:46:30,843 --> 01:46:32,636 but recycled by these groups. 1903 01:46:32,678 --> 01:46:34,555 I think that was one of the moments where 1904 01:46:34,638 --> 01:46:37,224 it sort of clicked how much of an influence 1905 01:46:37,308 --> 01:46:38,309 he'd had on the world. 1906 01:46:40,895 --> 01:46:44,565 - They influenced a whole new generation of people. 1907 01:46:44,648 --> 01:46:48,277 Even with myself, the earliest memories I have of music 1908 01:46:48,360 --> 01:46:50,988 is listening to Earth, Wind and Fire on long road trips. 1909 01:46:51,071 --> 01:46:54,992 My dad taught me how to play "Shining Star" on the bass 1910 01:46:55,034 --> 01:46:56,452 when I was eight years old. 1911 01:46:56,535 --> 01:46:59,830 And I feel like it really kind of shaped me. 1912 01:46:59,872 --> 01:47:01,790 - The first concert that I went to 1913 01:47:01,832 --> 01:47:04,209 was Earth, Wind and Fire at Caesars Palace 1914 01:47:04,293 --> 01:47:05,294 in Las Vegas. 1915 01:47:05,336 --> 01:47:10,507 It was a sound so big and lush, I wanted to do it. 1916 01:47:10,591 --> 01:47:12,676 That victory lap in the '80s 1917 01:47:12,760 --> 01:47:14,219 that we didn't get a chance to do... 1918 01:47:17,264 --> 01:47:19,683 We took them in the '90s. 1919 01:47:19,767 --> 01:47:21,936 And we've been taking them ever since. 1920 01:47:22,019 --> 01:47:25,856 And that's a testimony to Reese's vision. 1921 01:47:25,940 --> 01:47:29,068 Reese, thank you for taking the chances 1922 01:47:29,151 --> 01:47:30,694 that no one else will take. 1923 01:47:30,778 --> 01:47:33,364 And thank you for being a visionary. 1924 01:47:33,447 --> 01:47:34,907 Thank you. 1925 01:47:34,990 --> 01:47:38,494 - Reese's vision to do music that helps humanity... 1926 01:47:38,577 --> 01:47:40,079 Reach a universal audience, 1927 01:47:40,162 --> 01:47:43,082 evolve consciousness, and change the world. 1928 01:47:46,961 --> 01:47:48,462 He made it happen. 1929 01:47:54,635 --> 01:47:57,179 The music lives, you know. 1930 01:47:57,262 --> 01:47:59,598 It's ageless, everlasting. 1931 01:48:02,893 --> 01:48:07,147 For Earth, Wind and Fire! Yeah! 1932 01:48:07,231 --> 01:48:08,941 Is this a stage or what? 1933 01:48:10,484 --> 01:48:14,321 Give it up for Earth, Wind and Fire, everybody! 1934 01:48:28,502 --> 01:48:30,921 - During that whole time period, 1935 01:48:31,005 --> 01:48:33,674 it was clear that Maurice wasn't as strong 1936 01:48:33,757 --> 01:48:35,259 as he was in the past. 1937 01:48:35,300 --> 01:48:40,014 And that was when I recognized that, oh, wait a minute. 1938 01:48:40,097 --> 01:48:41,598 Something's going on. 1939 01:48:44,393 --> 01:48:47,604 I noticed that he would always 1940 01:48:47,646 --> 01:48:50,899 put his hand under his thigh. 1941 01:48:52,484 --> 01:48:54,653 It's like, what? 1942 01:48:54,737 --> 01:48:57,281 And my thought is, what's he hiding from me? 1943 01:48:57,322 --> 01:49:01,493 We found out that he has, uh, 1944 01:49:01,577 --> 01:49:06,582 Parkinson's disease, and there's no cure. 1945 01:49:26,185 --> 01:49:30,481 - In the '90s, I decided to stay home. 1946 01:49:30,522 --> 01:49:32,649 It's interesting, watching it. 1947 01:49:32,691 --> 01:49:35,319 It's almost like something's missing. 1948 01:49:35,360 --> 01:49:36,820 And it's me. 1949 01:49:38,739 --> 01:49:40,282 There was a peace, 1950 01:49:40,324 --> 01:49:41,992 an opportunity for self-reflection, 1951 01:49:42,034 --> 01:49:45,037 that came during that period of his life. 1952 01:49:45,120 --> 01:49:46,830 Because he didn't have a father, 1953 01:49:46,872 --> 01:49:50,334 he didn't want to continue this cycle. 1954 01:49:50,417 --> 01:49:52,544 I think that my pops felt like 1955 01:49:52,628 --> 01:49:54,463 he was gonna make up for lost time, 1956 01:49:54,546 --> 01:49:57,007 almost in a redemption arc kind of way, 1957 01:49:57,091 --> 01:50:02,137 to lend some greater part of himself to being a father. 1958 01:50:03,972 --> 01:50:07,101 My dad and I got really close when I was 21. 1959 01:50:07,184 --> 01:50:10,604 He, to the world, was this very like--he has to live 1960 01:50:10,687 --> 01:50:12,272 a healthy life kind of guy. 1961 01:50:12,356 --> 01:50:16,527 But Jack in the Box spicy crispy chicken sandwich 1962 01:50:16,568 --> 01:50:20,614 on sourdough with extra cheese, he loved that. 1963 01:50:20,697 --> 01:50:24,618 We would just do it together-- and Dr. Pepper. 1964 01:50:24,701 --> 01:50:28,205 The way we connected was over music. 1965 01:50:28,288 --> 01:50:30,791 Every Sunday, he would have me 1966 01:50:30,874 --> 01:50:32,876 play him stuff that I was listening to. 1967 01:50:32,960 --> 01:50:35,671 And that's how we did it, literally 1968 01:50:35,754 --> 01:50:38,966 until the day he died. 1969 01:50:39,049 --> 01:50:43,554 ♪ ♪ 1970 01:50:43,595 --> 01:50:46,098 My brother called me. He was like, Dad is gone. 1971 01:50:50,352 --> 01:50:51,728 That was tough. 1972 01:50:51,812 --> 01:50:54,273 That was really tough, you know, 1973 01:50:54,356 --> 01:50:59,236 because we'd been with him all our adult lives. 1974 01:50:59,278 --> 01:51:03,240 I met Maurice White when I was 17 years old. 1975 01:51:03,323 --> 01:51:06,076 I was just a baby. 1976 01:51:06,118 --> 01:51:08,412 Maurice was much more than a mentor to me. 1977 01:51:08,495 --> 01:51:10,372 He was a father. 1978 01:51:10,414 --> 01:51:12,749 - As for me, there is no question that, by far, 1979 01:51:12,791 --> 01:51:14,960 he has been the single greatest 1980 01:51:15,043 --> 01:51:19,089 male influence in virtually every aspect of my life, 1981 01:51:19,131 --> 01:51:21,592 across the board. 1982 01:51:21,633 --> 01:51:23,802 He wasn't perfect, 1983 01:51:23,886 --> 01:51:25,721 and I won't be able to say that 1984 01:51:25,804 --> 01:51:28,265 he didn't do maybe some dastardly stuff 1985 01:51:28,348 --> 01:51:31,435 sometimes because he's human. 1986 01:51:31,518 --> 01:51:33,228 But I've accepted what happened. 1987 01:51:33,270 --> 01:51:35,939 He was my brother, and I'm gonna focus 1988 01:51:35,981 --> 01:51:38,108 on the good times that I had with him. 1989 01:51:41,278 --> 01:51:43,822 You know, Maurice is like those beings 1990 01:51:43,906 --> 01:51:45,908 from the pyramids. 1991 01:51:48,327 --> 01:51:52,456 They only come along once in a lifetime. 1992 01:51:56,793 --> 01:52:00,547 - My dad believed in metaphysics. 1993 01:52:01,798 --> 01:52:03,675 He told me, it's all energy. 1994 01:52:05,135 --> 01:52:08,138 There's more to life than this. 1995 01:52:08,180 --> 01:52:10,974 You are eternal. 1996 01:52:11,016 --> 01:52:12,935 He was like, you know, I'm not gonna be here, 1997 01:52:13,018 --> 01:52:15,145 but I'm not gonna be gone. 1998 01:52:18,190 --> 01:52:22,069 Maurice--ooh, I just got chills. 1999 01:52:22,152 --> 01:52:23,904 I feel you, baby. 2000 01:52:23,987 --> 01:52:30,244 He left us all of this wonderful, wonderful music. 2001 01:52:30,327 --> 01:52:32,829 And if we miss him, all we have to do is 2002 01:52:32,913 --> 01:52:36,458 put on one of these records, and... 2003 01:52:36,541 --> 01:52:39,419 and we all know that joy again. 2004 01:52:39,503 --> 01:52:42,756 - ♪ Ba-dee-ya, ee-ya, ee-ya ♪ 2005 01:52:47,010 --> 01:52:48,512 When we went in, 2006 01:52:48,553 --> 01:52:50,931 we wanted to bring all of America 2007 01:52:51,014 --> 01:52:54,184 into the White House in every event that we did 2008 01:52:54,226 --> 01:52:57,187 to really make it the people's house. 2009 01:52:57,271 --> 01:53:00,148 The Governors Ball was one of the first big events 2010 01:53:00,232 --> 01:53:01,358 that we hosted. 2011 01:53:01,400 --> 01:53:04,152 And the question was, how do we shake this up? 2012 01:53:04,236 --> 01:53:07,281 How do we take the first big black-tie event 2013 01:53:07,364 --> 01:53:10,909 and turn it into us and make it our house? 2014 01:53:12,953 --> 01:53:16,039 Well, Earth, Wind and Fire. 2015 01:53:16,123 --> 01:53:19,876 So suddenly, you have all these folks 2016 01:53:19,918 --> 01:53:22,170 - in formal wear and-- - Getting up. 2017 01:53:22,254 --> 01:53:23,630 Earth, Wind and Fire's jamming, 2018 01:53:23,714 --> 01:53:25,299 and suddenly, you're looking around, 2019 01:53:25,382 --> 01:53:26,967 and everybody's dancing. 2020 01:53:27,050 --> 01:53:28,218 Everybody's moving. 2021 01:53:28,302 --> 01:53:29,761 When "September" comes on, you go dancing. 2022 01:53:33,932 --> 01:53:36,643 Hands go up, fingers get to snapping, 2023 01:53:36,727 --> 01:53:37,853 you know what I'm saying? 2024 01:53:37,936 --> 01:53:38,895 Feet get to moving, you know what I'm saying? 2025 01:53:38,979 --> 01:53:41,398 Hey, kick drum, come in. 2026 01:53:41,481 --> 01:53:42,441 Like uh-huh. 2027 01:53:45,819 --> 01:53:47,321 It's a celebratory song. 2028 01:53:47,404 --> 01:53:50,907 It's like everybody knows that record. 2029 01:53:50,991 --> 01:53:52,242 When I was pregnant, 2030 01:53:52,326 --> 01:53:54,703 and I told Maurice our son, Kahbran, 2031 01:53:54,786 --> 01:53:57,956 was due around September 21st... 2032 01:54:00,876 --> 01:54:02,502 He said September 21st, huh? 2033 01:54:02,586 --> 01:54:05,088 I said, yeah, September 21st. 2034 01:54:05,130 --> 01:54:06,923 ♪ Do you remember ♪ 2035 01:54:06,965 --> 01:54:10,552 ♪ The 21st night of September? ♪ 2036 01:54:10,635 --> 01:54:14,556 ♪ Love was changing the minds of pretenders ♪ 2037 01:54:14,639 --> 01:54:17,642 ♪ While chasing the clouds away ♪ 2038 01:54:17,726 --> 01:54:19,895 That song would resonate 2039 01:54:19,978 --> 01:54:23,482 with every single kind of audience. 2040 01:54:23,565 --> 01:54:25,776 It's jubilant. It's happy. 2041 01:54:25,817 --> 01:54:30,072 You feel good celebrating that spirit. 2042 01:54:30,155 --> 01:54:32,616 When he turned the microphone to the audience, 2043 01:54:32,657 --> 01:54:34,326 they knew exactly what to sing. 2044 01:54:34,409 --> 01:54:36,370 ♪ Hey, hey, hey ♪ 2045 01:54:36,453 --> 01:54:37,954 ♪ Ba-dee-ya ♪ 2046 01:54:38,038 --> 01:54:40,707 Tell me about the genesis of ba-dee-ya. 2047 01:54:40,791 --> 01:54:43,627 The genesis of ba-dee-ya. 2048 01:54:43,668 --> 01:54:45,128 ♪ Ba-dee-ya ♪ 2049 01:54:45,170 --> 01:54:47,005 What does ba-dee-ya mean? 2050 01:54:47,089 --> 01:54:48,173 It's whatever you want it to be. 2051 01:54:51,259 --> 01:54:55,806 ♪ Ba-dee-ya, ba-dee-ya, ba-dee-ya, ba-dee-ya ♪ 2052 01:54:55,889 --> 01:54:59,184 ♪ Ba-dee-ya, ba-dee-ya, ba-dee-ya, ba-dee-ya ♪ 2053 01:54:59,267 --> 01:55:04,314 ♪ Ba-dee-ya, ba-dee-ya, ba-dee-ya ♪ 2054 01:55:04,398 --> 01:55:06,358 When I hear "September," I just think 2055 01:55:06,441 --> 01:55:10,737 people of all ages, all backgrounds, dancing together. 2056 01:55:10,821 --> 01:55:13,782 It felt like family and having barbecues 2057 01:55:13,865 --> 01:55:16,701 and seeing my family do electric slide. 2058 01:55:16,785 --> 01:55:19,663 It's gatherings. It's birthdays. 2059 01:55:19,746 --> 01:55:21,498 It's wedding receptions. 2060 01:55:21,540 --> 01:55:26,169 - ♪ Now December found the love we shared in September ♪ 2061 01:55:26,211 --> 01:55:28,839 That's what it's about. 2062 01:55:28,880 --> 01:55:30,173 Music is for everybody. 2063 01:55:30,257 --> 01:55:34,219 And very few bands transcended those boundaries. 2064 01:55:34,302 --> 01:55:37,180 ♪ Hey ♪ 2065 01:55:37,264 --> 01:55:41,184 ♪ Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember ♪ 2066 01:55:41,268 --> 01:55:44,729 - Earth, Wind and Fire had that capacity 2067 01:55:44,813 --> 01:55:50,861 to reimagine and reset limits. 2068 01:55:50,902 --> 01:55:52,779 ♪ Was ringing, oh, oh ♪ 2069 01:55:52,863 --> 01:55:54,781 - They just decided, you know what? 2070 01:55:54,865 --> 01:55:57,826 We're going up to the sky. 2071 01:55:57,909 --> 01:56:00,996 ♪ Do you remember never a cloudy day? ♪ 2072 01:56:03,457 --> 01:56:07,711 ♪ And we'll say ba-dee-ya dee-ya dee-ya ♪ 2073 01:56:07,752 --> 01:56:11,381 ♪ Ba-dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya ♪ 2074 01:56:26,771 --> 01:56:33,737 ♪ ♪ 2075 01:56:44,956 --> 01:56:47,667 I have a day to live. What am I gonna do? 2076 01:56:47,751 --> 01:56:49,586 I'm gonna write me a song. 2077 01:56:52,297 --> 01:56:53,381 Quick. 2078 01:56:58,678 --> 01:57:01,765 Hey, hey, hey. 2079 01:57:01,848 --> 01:57:03,350 Let me play now. 2080 01:57:03,433 --> 01:57:05,602 - ♪ In his heart there's a space ♪ 2081 01:57:05,644 --> 01:57:10,690 ♪ And the world can't erase his fantasies ♪ 2082 01:57:10,774 --> 01:57:12,734 ♪ Take a ride in the sky... ♪ 2083 01:57:12,817 --> 01:57:14,986 Okay, don't say anything 2084 01:57:15,070 --> 01:57:17,614 for about three minutes. 2085 01:57:17,656 --> 01:57:19,783 Awesome. 2086 01:57:29,000 --> 01:57:31,044 Hey, he's pulling my finger. 2087 01:57:31,127 --> 01:57:32,921 Look at the lens. Look at the lens. 2088 01:57:33,004 --> 01:57:37,842 - ♪ Our voices will ring forever ♪ 2089 01:57:37,926 --> 01:57:43,682 ♪ As one ♪ 2090 01:57:43,765 --> 01:57:50,730 ♪ ♪ 2091 01:57:54,192 --> 01:57:56,736 ♪ Every thought is a dream ♪ 2092 01:57:56,820 --> 01:57:59,322 ♪ Rushing by in a stream ♪ 2093 01:57:59,406 --> 01:58:04,911 ♪ Bringing life to the kingdom of doing ♪ 2094 01:58:04,995 --> 01:58:07,664 ♪ Take a ride in the sky ♪ 2095 01:58:07,706 --> 01:58:10,208 ♪ On our ship, fantasize ♪ 2096 01:58:10,292 --> 01:58:15,589 ♪ All your dreams will come true miles away ♪ 2097 01:58:15,672 --> 01:58:21,094 ♪ Our voices will ring together ♪ 2098 01:58:21,177 --> 01:58:26,391 ♪ Until the 12th of never ♪ 2099 01:58:26,474 --> 01:58:31,855 ♪ We all will live, love forever ♪ 2100 01:58:31,938 --> 01:58:37,902 ♪ As one ♪ 2101 01:58:37,986 --> 01:58:40,697 ♪ Come to see victory ♪ 2102 01:58:40,780 --> 01:58:43,116 ♪ In a land called fantasy ♪ 2103 01:58:43,199 --> 01:58:45,577 ♪ Loving life, a new degree ♪ 2104 01:58:45,660 --> 01:58:51,750 ♪ Bring your mind to everlasting liberty ♪ 2105 01:58:51,833 --> 01:58:58,840 ♪ ♪