Philip Bailey | SONG OF THE WEEK

LET YOUR FEELINGS SHOW

admin — Sat, 09 Jan 2021 23:38:27 +0000

from I AM
Written by Maurice White, David Foster & Allee Willis

“‘Let Your Feelings Show’ was my first attempt to write a real ‘Earth, Wind & Fire’ song. I ‘borrowed’ the key elements from many of their songs to finally arrive at those chords and tempo. Maurice, of course, helped so much [by] adding his wizard touches to make it immediately sound like an Earth, Wind & Fire classic. I also played keyboards on it like I did for all the compositions I co-wrote for them.”

David Foster sent this note about “Let Your Feelings Show,” one of the magnificent album tracks that he co-wrote with the incredible Maurice White (1941-2016) and supreme lyricist Allee Willis (1947-2019). Foster wrote “Let Your Feelings Show” for the super-group’s 1979 double platinum release, I Am. “Let Your Feelings Show” was an energetic funk masterpiece that closed side A of the album, perfectly changing the atmosphere after the sweet, tender sounds of “After The Love Has Gone.” The monster instrumental track was a blaze with smokin’ rhythm guitars, commanding bass, inspiring keyboards, strong percussions, swinging strings and powerful horns. On top of such a funk fest were Earth, Wind & Fire’s trademark vocals flying high with Reese’s handling the lead vocals and Philip Bailey adding his genius acrobatic harmonies to the mix. “Let Your Feelings Show” and the whole I Am album demonstrate, without any doubt, that White and Foster, during that week spent at Maurice’s home in Carmel, co-wrote some glorious stuff that will remain in history books as some of pop music’s finest examples.

Listen

https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/04-Let-Your-Feelings-Show.mp3

Lead and Background Vocals: Maurice White & Philip Bailey
Drums: Fred White
Bass: Verdine White
Guitars: Al McKay & Johnny Graham
Keyboards: David Foster & Larry Dunn
Percussion: Ralph Johnson & Paulinho Da Costa
Trumpet: Bobby Bryant, Jerry Hey, Michael Harris, Oscar Brashear, Rahmlee Michael Davis & Steve Madaio
Saxophone: Andrew Wollfolk, Don Myrick, Fred Jackson Jr., Herman Riley & Jerome Richardson
Trombone: Benjamin Powell, William Reichenbach, Garnett Brown, George Bohanon, Louis Satterfield & Maurice Spears

Strings & Horns Arranged by Tom Tom 84
Produced by Maurice White

Lyrics

Woke up Sunday morning feeling out of tune
Wrapped my eyes around you, love came in the room
Baby, gonna let my feelings show
Everyday, gonna learn to love you more

Laughing into midnight, lover being my guide
We approach the morning feeling good inside
Baby, gonna let my feelings show
Everyday, gonna learn to love you more

Paying dues and changes, living day to day
Love is necessary to help you find the way
Baby, gonna let my feelings show
Everyday

Try not to hide
What you feel deep inside
If you care, you must dare
To be free as the air

Fairy tales and stories that we fail to see
We will tell the story of reality
Baby, gonna let my feelings show
Everyday, gonna learn to love you more

Tingle in our heartbeat, rapture on the cloud
When softer words are spoken, action speaks out loud
Baby, gonna let my feelings show
Everyday

Try not to hide
What you feel deep inside
If you care, you must dare
To be free as the air

Hey hey hey, yea yea yea
Hey hey hey hey, yea yea yea yea
Hey hey hey, yea yea yea
Hey hey hey hey, yea yea yea

Let your feelings show
Everyday you gotta let your feelings show
Let your feelings show
Everyday you gotta let your feelings show

Let your feelings show
Everyday you gotta let your feelings show
Let your feelings show
Everyday you gotta let your feelings show
…

The post LET YOUR FEELINGS SHOW first appeared on SONG OF THE WEEK.

BOOGIE WONDERLAND

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2016 19:56:42 +0000

From BOOGIE WONDERLAND (single)

Written by Allee Willis & Jon Lind

“Boogie Wonderland” was the first single released from Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1979 album, I AM. Co-written by up ’n’ coming songwriters Allee Willis, who already co-wrote EWF’s smash “September,” and Jon Lind, who was responsible for American jazz pianist and composer Ramsey Lewis’ “Sun Goddess,” “Boogie Wonderland” was Earth, Wind & Fire’s first stride into the disco field. The result was commercially and artistically astounding. The song became an out-of-the-box hit by reaching the top ten on both sides of the pond which paved the way to the double platinum triumph of I AM. On this spirited anthem, the band kept their trademark lush orchestrations and smart chord progression that were above the average disco stuff heard on radios in those days. The fantastic vocals by Maurice White and Philip Bailey with a noteworthy support from female R&B group The Emotions were a total knock-out as were Willis’ personal lyrics. The backing track of the tune was smoking hot with guest David Foster who co-wrote the bulk of I AM with White and Willis plus being right on target with his rhythmic acoustic piano playing.

Co-writer Jon Lind gave an interesting interview to SongwriterUniverse where, among other things, he described the genesis of “Boogie Wonderland”:
“Maurice told me he was looking for a disco song for a group he was producing called Curtis, The Brothers. I went to Allee’s house, and…we wrote “Boogie Wonderland.” Maurice loved it, and cut it on Curtis, The Brothers. David Foster played piano on the track with George Massenburg engineering. Curtis, The Brothers sang it, but didn’t quite seem to get the vibe of it. Maurice pulled me aside and asked how I liked it. Although the track was amazing, I said I wasn’t sure about their vocals. He laughed, and assured me, ‘I think you got a hit.’ 24 hours later, my phone rang and it’s Maurice. He said The Brothers hate the song and they don’t want it on their album. The next day, Maurice and Phillip Bailey put their amazing vocals on “Boogie Wonderland” and added The Emotions to sing new backgrounds. A month later, “Boogie Wonderland” was released as the first single from their album I AM, and the reaction was nuts. Wow, what a turn-around. My first high-profile hit.”

“Boogie Wonderland,” like the entire I AM album, was rich in other Foster co-written masterpieces including “After The Love Has Gone” and “In The Stone” that kept EWF at the top of the charts worldwide. As already known, that record started Foster’s career as a songwriter and producer with a bang , but “Boogie Wonderland” was also a springboard for Lind and Willis who eventually went on to write more hits for a who’s who of music stars. Lind co-wrote staples including Madonna’s “Crazy For You” and Vanessa Williams’ “Save The Best For Last” while Willis co-wrote hits including The Rembrandt’s “I’ll Be There For You” and Pet Shop Boys featuring Dusty Springfield on “What Have I Done To Deserve This.”
Sadly, we have to add one final paragraph to this review as we’ve just learned of Maurice White’s passing. Maurice White was a genius, a visionary and one of the most brilliant musical minds that ever graced our planet. He will be greatly missed. R.I.P.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Earth-Wind-Fire-Boogie-Wonderland.mp3|titles=Boogie Wonderland|artists=Maurice White & Philip Bailey]

Lead & Background Vocals: Maurice White & Philip Bailey
Featuring The Emotions
Bass: Verdine White
Piano & Keyboards: David Foster
Drums: Fred White
Guitars: Al McKay & Johnny Graham
Percussion: Paulinho Da Costa & Ralph Johnson
Synthesizers: Larry Dunn
Strings & Horns Arranged by Ben Wright

Produced by Maurice White & Al McKay

Lyrics