Earth, Wind & Fire - Electric Universe

This week marks the thirtieth anniversary of Electric Universe, the thirteenth studio album from Earth, Wind and Fire. It charted at number 40 on the US Billboard Album chart, number 22 in the Netherlands, and number 8 on the US Billboard R&B Album chart.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (soundtrack) (35 anniversary)

Today (July 23rd) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band, the soundtrack to the 1978 musical starring Peter Frampton, the Bee Gees and more.

Click here for my thoughts on the film and the album.

Earth, Wind & Fire - Powerlight

After a strong 1981 release Raise! (click here for that review), the R&B group Earth, Wind & Fire followed it up in 1983 with Powerlight, their twelfth studio album. Today (February 7th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of that release. Though it only charted at number 82 in Australia, it reached number 24 in Canada, number 22 in the UK, number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 200, and number 4 on the US Billboard R&B chart.

Earth, Wind & Fire - Raise!

Happy sixty-first birthday today (July 25th) to bass guitarist Verdine White. Along with his older brother Maurice, Verdine founded the American R&B group Earth, Wind and Fire.

On November 14, 1981, EWF released Raise!, their eleventh studio album. The Platinum selling album went to number 37 in Australia, number 25 in Canada, number 19 in New Zealand and number 14 in the UK. In the US, it peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 200 and number 1 on the Billboard R&B charts.

The E Family - Now & Forever

The saying goes “the family that plays together stays together”. If that’s the case, and I certainly believe it is true, the Escovedo family has nothing to worry about.

This first family of Latin-American music is led by their patriarch Pete Escovedo. Born in 1935, he and his two brothers formed the Escovedo Brothers Latin Jazz Sextet. He then worked with Santana and even led the Latin Big band Azteca. His talented children are daughter Sheila E. and sons Peter Michael Escovedo III and Juan Escovedo, all equally famous percussionists and band leaders in their own rights.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (soundtrack)

Welcome to another "Soundtrack Sunday" on this Oscar Night 2011, the night Hollywood honors the biggest films from the previous year. My choice for today's blog entry is from a film that is so far away from Oscar-worthy material, however it has some great music.

I'm speaking of the 1978 film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, a musical that starred Peter Frampton, the Bee Gees, Frankie Howard, George Burns, Paul Nicholas, Sandy Farina, Dianne Steinberg, Steve Martin, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Earth Wind & Fire and Stargard. The story is told entirely in song, as Billy Shears (Frampton) and the Henderson brothers (the Bee Gees) leave Heartland to become a famous band - leaving the idealized town prey to corruption when magical instruments are stolen by evil forces. Yes, you read that right. It is kind of a wonky plot. It was actually an adaption of a 1974 off-Broadway production.