Raise!

Raise!
Cover art by Shusei Nagaoka
Studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire
Released November 14, 1981
Recorded May–September 1981
Studio ARC/George Massenburg Studio
(Los Angeles, California)
Sunset Sounds Recording Studio
(Hollywood, California)
Genre R&B, soul, funk, post-disco
Length 38:08
Label Columbia, ARC
Producer Maurice White
Earth, Wind & Fire chronology
Faces
(1980)Faces1980		 Raise!
(1981)		 Powerlight
(1983)Powerlight1983
Singles from Raise!
  1. "Let's Groove"
    Released: October 21, 1981
  2. "I've Had Enough" / "Kalimba Tree (Instrumental)"
    Released: 1982
  3. "Wanna Be with You"
    Released: January 19, 1982
Back cover
The back cover of Raise!

Raise! is the eleventh studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire, Released on November 14, 1981 by CBS Records (now Sony Music). The album rose to Nos. 1 & 5 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums and Billboard 200 charts respectively.[1][2] Raise! has been certified platinum in the US by the RIAA for sales of over a million copies and gold in the UK and Canada by the British Phonographic Industry and Music Canada respectively.[3][4][5]

Overview

Raise! was produced by bandleader Maurice White and spent 11 weeks atop the Billboard Top R&B albums charts.[1][6] Off the album came the single "Let's Groove" which reached Nos. 1 & 3 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles and Hot 100 charts.[7][8]

Another LP cut entitled "Wanna Be With You" won a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group.[9] Raise! also marked the return to the band of guitarist Roland Bautista, who last played upon 1972's Last Days and Time.

Artwork

The album art was designed by Roger Carpenter and Raise! was illustrated by Shusei Nagaoka. The front cover of Raise! features a presumed Egyptian female figure. The name of the band is present on the front cover, but the title is not.

On the back cover there is an illustration of a female figure in a sarcophagus, which is also divided into a purple left side and a blue right side. The sarcophagus appears to be hyper-modern. The title of the album is presented in the top left corner of the back cover.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Rolling Stone[11]
Robert ChristgauB+[12]
People(favourable)[13]
Billboard(favourable)[14]

Ken Tucker of Rolling Stone describes Raise! as a reflection of "street-gritty black pop" and that on "Let's Groove" and the fast, cutting "Lady Sun", the horn section screams like a car running a red light". As well music critic Robert Christgau proclaimed that EWF displayed "...sparkling harmonies and powerful groove" upon the album.[15][12]

Track listing

Credits are adapted from Allmusic[10] and the album’s Liner Notes[16]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Let's Groove"Wayne Vaughn, Maurice White5:37
2."Lady Sun"Bernard “Beloyd” Taylor3:39
3."My Love"W. Vaughn, M. White4:35
4."Evolution Orange"David Foster, Nan O'Byrne, M. White4:37
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Kalimba Tree"M. White, Verdine White, Jerry Hey0:25
6."You Are a Winner"Beloyd Taylor4:09
7."I've Had Enough"Philip Bailey, Greg Phillinganes, Brenda Russell4:36
8."Wanna Be with You"W. Vaughn, M. White4:36
9."The Changing Times"B. Taylor, W. Vaughn, M. White5:54

Personnel

Credits are adapted from Allmusic[10] and the album’s Liner Notes.[16]

Production

  • Philip Bailey – co-producer (7)
  • Tony Calvert - reissue producer
  • Roger Carpenter - art direction, design
  • Larry Dunn – production assistant
  • David Foster – string arrangements (4)
  • Ken Fowler – recording engineer (basic tracks)
  • Mick Guzauski – recording engineer (horn and string overdubs), audio mixing
  • Jerry Hey- horn arrangements (2, 4, 6, 8–9)
  • Stephen McManus – assistant engineer (basic tracks)
  • Billy Meyers – horn arrangements, string arrangements (1, 3, 7)
  • Shusei Nagaoka – illustration
  • Ron Pendragon – recording engineer (basic tracks)
  • Tom Perry – recording engineer (vocal overdubs), audio mixing
  • Maurice White – original recording producer
  • Verdine White – production assistant

Charts

Album – Billboard
Year Chart Position
1981 Black Albums 1
Pop Albums 5
YearChartPosition[18]
1982United Kingdom11
Singles – Billboard
Year Single Chart Position
1981 "Let's Groove/I've Had Enough" Club Play Singles 3
"Let's Groove" Black Singles 1
Pop Singles 3
"Wanna Be With You" Black Singles 15
Pop Singles 51

Accolades

The information regarding accolades attributed to Raise! is adapted from rocklistmusic.co.uk.[19][20]

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
NME U.K Albums of the Year 1981 16
Village Voice U.S Pazz and Jop Poll 1981 49

See also

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
Canada (Music Canada)[21] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[22] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[23] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[24] Platinum 1,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. 1 2 "Earth, Wind & Fire: Raise! (Top R&B Albums)". billboard.com.
  2. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire: Raise! (Billboard 200)". billboard.com.
  3. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire: Raise!". RIAA.com.
  4. ↑ "BPI Certification for Earth, Wind & Fire: Raise!". British Phonographic Industry.
  5. ↑ "Music Canada Certification for Earth, Wind & Fire". Music Canada.com.
  6. ↑ Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums of 1982
  7. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire: Let's Groove (Hot R&B Songs)". billboard.com.
  8. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire: Let's Groove (Hot 100)". billboard.com.
  9. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire". grammy.com.
  10. 1 2 3 "Earth, Wind & Fire: Raise!". Allmusic.com.
  11. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire: Raise!". Rolling Stone.
  12. 1 2 "Earth, Wind & Fire: Raise!". Robertchristgau.com.
  13. ↑ "Picks and Pans Review: Raise!". people.com.
  14. ↑ Album Reviews: Spotlight. Billboard Magazine. October 31, 1981. p. 102.
  15. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire Raise! album review". rollingstone.com. February 4, 1982. Retrieved May 4, 2009.
  16. 1 2 Earth, Wind & Fire. “Raise!” ARC / Columbia. 1981.
  17. ↑ Earth, Wind & Fire. “Raise!(Expanded Edition)”. Funky Town Grooves / Columbia / Sony Music. 2015.
  18. ↑ "Raise!". chartstats.com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
  19. ↑ "Albums and Tracks of the Year". nme.com.
  20. ↑ "Pazz and Jop Poll: 1981". robertchristgau.com.
  21. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Earth, Wind & Fire – Raise". Music Canada.
  22. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Earth, Wind & Fire; 'Raise')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  23. ↑ "British album certifications – Earth, Wind & Fire – Raise". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Raise in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  24. ↑ "American album certifications – Earth, Wind & Fire – Raise". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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