The Promise (Earth, Wind & Fire album)

The Promise
Studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire
Released May 20, 2003
Genre R&B, funk
Length 56:42
Label Kalimba
Japan Avex/Cutting Edge
Producer Maurice White, Tim & Bob, Phillip Bailey
Earth, Wind & Fire chronology
Live in Rio
(2002)Live in Rio2002		 The Promise
(2003)		 Love Songs
(2004)Love Songs2004
Reissue cover
2009 Reissue Cover

The Promise is the 18th studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire released in 2003 on Kalimba Music. The album peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[1][2]

Overview

The Promise featured collaborations with Angie Stone, The Emotions, Gerald Albright and Paulinho Da Costa. The album's cover art was also designed by Morito Suzuki.[1]

Off the LP came the track All in the Way feat. The Emotions which got to Nos. 13 & 25 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs and Adult Contemporary charts, respectively.[1][3][4] Another album cut entitled Hold Me was also Grammy nominated for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance.[5]

On February 24, 2009 The Promise was re-released on Kalimba Music.[6][1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Blender [7]
People(Critic's choice)[8]
The Guardian[9]

AllMusic declared that "a certain reverence needs to be paid toward a group that can manage to still produce interesting, soulful music well into a third decade" and that the album is "extremely soulful and soothing",[1] while People called The Promise "musically rich".[8]

Accolades

Grammy Awards

Year Nominee/work Award Result
2004"Hold Me"Best Traditional R&B Performance[5]Nominated

Trivia

"Where Do We Go from Here" and "Dirty" were originally recorded during the I Am sessions and remixed for this album. "Dirty", in particular, in its original form with blues legend Junior Wells, already appeared on the 1992 collection The Eternal Dance.

Track listing

[1]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."All In the Way feat. The Emotions"Wayne Vaughn, Wanda Vaughn, Maurice White4:28
2."Betcha'"Gregory Curtis3:43
3."Wiggle"Preston Glass, White0:39
4."Why?"Curtis, White4:04
5."Wonderland" feat. Angie Stone"Chris Rodriguez, Tommy Sims4:05
6."Where Do We Go from Here?"Bill Meyers, Ross Vannelli5:21
7."Freedom"M. White0:42
8."Hold Me"Tim Kelley, Bob Robinson4:37
9."Never"Curtis, White5:08
10."Prelude" 0:40
11."All About Love"Sheila Hutchinson, Wayne Vaughn, Wanda Vaughn4:24
12."Suppose You Like Me"James Bailey, Scott Storch, Pino Palladino, James Poyser, Questlove4:37
13."The Promise"Raymond Crossley, Ralph Johnson, White0:27
14."Love's Patience/She Waits"Marc Harris, Tommy Sims5:09
15."The Promise (Continued)"Crossley, Johnson, White0:51
16."Let Me Love You"Curtis4:17
17."Dirty"White, Alexander Dutkewych, K.G.St.J.3:47

Japan bonus tracks

[10]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Soul"Johnson, Carlos Rios, White3:48
18."So Lucky"Bailey, Scott Storch, Questlove4:44

There are a total of 19 tracks on the Japan edition.

Personnel

[1]

  • Maurice White - lead and background vocals, kalimba, producer, executive producer, horn arrangements, vocal producer
  • Tim Kelley - mixer, arranger, producer, keyboards, drum programming
  • Bob Robinson - arranger, producer, piano, guitar
  • Verdine White - bass
  • Philip Bailey - lead and background vocals, executive producer
  • Ralph Johnson - percussion, background vocals, producer, drum programming
  • B. David Whitworth - background vocals
  • Tom Mgrdichian - keyboards, string arrangements
  • Sir Alexander Dutkewych - guitar, harp on "Dirty"
  • John Paris - drums
  • Greg "G-Mo" Moore - guitar
  • Robert Brookins - keyboards, producer, drum programming
  • Daniel de los Reyes - percussion
  • Gary Bias - flute, saxophone
  • Reggie Young - trombone
  • Ray Brown - trumpet, flugelhorn, horn arrangements, soloist
  • Darrell Crooks - guitar
  • Paulinho Da Costa - percussion
  • Gary Grant - trumpet
  • Jerry Hey - trumpet, horn arrangements
  • Sheila Hutchinson - background vocals
  • Tollak Ollestad - harmonica
  • Wayne Linsey - keyboards
  • Raymond Crossley - keyboards
  • Gregory Curtis - keyboards, background vocals, producer, engineer, drum programming
  • Andy Martin - trombone
  • Howard McCrary - background vocals
  • Michael "Patches" Stewart - trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Wanda Vaughn - lead and background vocals
  • Wayne Vaughn - drums, keyboards, background vocals, producer, engineer, horn arrangements, vocal producer
  • Eric Walls - guitar

Production

[1]

  • Myron McKinley - rhythm arrangements
  • Dave Dolimar - engineer
  • Preston Glass - producer, keyboard programming
  • Steve Hall - mastering
  • Andy Haller - engineer
  • Cameron Marcarelli - engineer, drum programming, assistant engineer
  • Wallace Mercer - engineer
  • Richard Salvato - production coordination
  • Dexter Simmons - mixing
  • Ben Wright - horn arrangements
  • Morito Suzuki - cover design

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
2003
Top Independent Albums[11] 5
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[2] 19
Billboard 200 89

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position
2003 "All in the Way" Adult R&B[3] 10
Adult Contemporary[4] 25
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 77

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise". allmusic.com.
  2. 1 2 "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album)". billboard.com.
  3. 1 2 "Earth, Wind & Fire: All In The Way (Adult R&B)". Billboard.com.
  4. 1 2 "Earth, Wind & Fire: All In The Way (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.com.
  5. 1 2 "Earth, Wind & Fire". Grammy.com.
  6. ↑ kalimba-music.com/news
  7. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise". blender.com.
  8. 1 2 "Picks and Pans Main: Song". people.com.
  9. ↑ "Earth, Wind and Fire, The Promise". theguardian.com.
  10. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise (Bonus Tracks)". Allmusic.com.
  11. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Promise (Top Independent Albums)". billboard.com.
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