Reasons (Earth, Wind & Fire song)
"Reasons" | |
---|---|
Song by Earth, Wind & Fire | |
from the album That's the Way of the World | |
Recorded | Autumn 1974 |
Genre | Soul, R&B |
Length | 4:59 |
Label | Columbia |
Songwriter(s) | Philip Bailey, Charles Stepney, Maurice White |
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"Reasons" is a love ballad by Earth, Wind & Fire from their sixth album, That's the Way of the World. The song features the falsetto singing of Philip Bailey.[1][2] Although it never charted,[3] "Reasons" has endured. The song, which was written by Bailey, Charles Stepney, Maurice White has appeared on dozens of albums, including almost all of Earth, Wind & Fire's greatest hits and compilation albums.[4]
Reviews
AllMusic describes "Reasons" as a gorgeous ballad.[5] When reviewing the album, Rolling Stone's Gordon Fletcher described the song as among their ballads cut from The Four Tops/Tavares mold.[6] Over twenty years later, one album guide described it as one of the group's seminal hits.[6]
Other releases, covers and samples
Among the albums that include the song are Gratitude (1975), The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 (1978), The Eternal Dance (1992), Greatest Hits Live (1996), Earth, Wind & Fire: Greatest Hits (1998), The Ultimate Collection (1999), The Essential Earth, Wind & Fire (2002), and That's the Way of the World: Alive in 75 (2002).[4] The version on the 1975 studio album That's the Way of the World was 4:59, while the version on the 1975 Gratitude album was 8:23. Most early albums use one of these two lengths, but later career live albums have different length versions.[4]
"Reasons" has been covered by artists such as The Manhattans on The Manhattans (1976), Miki Howard on Love Confessions (1987), and Nelson Rangell on Far Away Day (2000).[7] On the 2007 Earth, Wind & Fire tribute album, Interpretations: Celebrating the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire, Musiq Soulchild covered the song during the period that he was known and credited as Musiq.[8] Reasons has also been sampled by Master P on Intro/17 Reasons featured on his album 99 Ways to Die.[9] The song has also been sampled in "Muscle Grip" from X-tra Naked by Shabba Ranks, "Budsmokers Only" from E 1999 Eternal by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, "More Reasons" from Purple Haze by Cam'ron, "Seasoned" from Charlie Hustle: The Blueprint of a Self-Made Millionaire by E-40 and "2 Step" by Fly Gypsy.[10]
Notes
- ↑ Jordan, Mark (July 21, 2008). "Concert review: Earth, Wind & Fire rocks the Garden". Commercial Appeal. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
- ↑ Hogan, Ed. "Philip Bailey". Allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved April 25, 2011. which mirrors Hogan, Ed. All music guide: the definitive guide to popular music: Philip Bailey (4th (paperback) ed.). Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-627-4. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
- ↑ "That's the Way of the World - Earth,..." Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
- 1 2 3 "Reasons". Allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
- ↑ "That's the Way of the World". Allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
- 1 2 "That's the Way of the World". superseventies.com. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
- ↑ "Albums containing a track with the title: Reasons". Allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
- ↑ "Interpretations: Celebrating the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire". Amazon.com. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
- ↑ Samples of Reasons on samplespot.com
- ↑ "Reasons by Earth, Wind & Fire". songfaqcts.com. Retrieved April 25, 2011.