The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1

The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 is an album by the band Earth, Wind & Fire issued in 1978 by Columbia Records.[1] The album rose to Nos. 3 & 6 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums and Billboard 200 charts respectively.[2][3] The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 has been certified Quintuple Platinum in the US by the RIAA.[4] The album has also been certified Platinum in the UK by the BPI and in Canada by Music Canada respectively.[5]

The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1
Cover art by Shusei Nagaoka
Greatest hits album by
Earth, Wind & Fire
ReleasedNovember 23, 1978 (November 23, 1978)
GenreR&B, soul, jazz, pop
Length40:22
LabelARC/Columbia
Legacy (1999 reissue)
ProducerMaurice White, Charles Stepney
Earth, Wind & Fire chronology
All 'n' All
(1977)		 The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1
(1978)		 I Am
(1979)
Singles from Vol. 1
  1. "Got to Get You Into My Life"
    Released: July 14, 1978
  2. "September"
    Released: September 29, 1978

Singles

The album produced three new songs and two singles. The LP's first single, "Got to Get You into My Life", preceded the album by a few months and was first included on the 1978 soundtrack Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band from the feature film with the same title. The single reached Nos. 1 & 9 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs and Hot 100 charts respectively.[6][7] Got to Get You into My Life was Grammy nominated in the category of Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus. The song went on to win a Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s).[8][9]

The second single, "September" rose to Nos. 1 & 8 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs and Hot 100 respectively.[10][11] September also got to No. 3 on the UK Pop Singles chart.[12]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]
Village Voice(A–)[14]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[15]
Cashbox(favourable)[16]
Los Angeles Times[17]
NY Daily News(favourable)[18]

The Los Angeles Times proclaimed the album as an "excellent package".[17] AllMusic described The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 as "a strong encapsulation of EWF the funk innovators" that "makes for an excellent listen."[13] Robert Christgau of The Village Voice noted on the LP "ten exquisitely crafted pop tunes" where "the passion and resonance of black music tradition are blended into a slick and sumptuous concoction".[14] The New York Daily News also called the LP "a well paced showcase".[18]

Track listing

Original release
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Got to Get You Into My Life" (From Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (soundtrack), 1978)John Lennon, Paul McCartney4:03
2."Fantasy" (From All 'n All, 1977)Eduardo Del Barrio, Maurice White, Verdine White3:46
3."Can't Hide Love" (From Gratitude, 1975)Skip Scarborough4:10
4."Love Music" (Previously unreleased)Skip Scarborough3:55
5."Getaway" (From Spirit, 1976)Peter Cor, Bernard “Beloyd” Taylor3:46
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."That's the Way of the World" (From That's the Way of the World, 1975)Charles Stepney, Maurice White, Verdine White5:46
7."September" (Previously unreleased)Al McKay, Allee Willis, Maurice White3:36
8."Shining Star" (From That's the Way of the World, 1975)Philip Bailey, Larry Dunn, Maurice White2:50
9."Reasons" (From That's the Way of the World, 1975)Philip Bailey, Charles Stepney, Maurice White4:59
10."Sing a Song" (From Gratitude, 1975)Al McKay, Maurice White3:23

[19]

Reissue
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Got to Get You Into My Life" (From Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (soundtrack), 1978)John Lennon, Paul McCartney4:03
2."Fantasy" (From All 'n All, 1977)Eduardo Del Barrio, Maurice White, Verdine White3:46
3."Can't Hide Love" (From Gratitude, 1975)Skip Scarborough4:10
4."Love Music" (Previously unreleased)Skip Scarborough3:55
5."Getaway" (From Spirit, 1976)Peter Cor, Bernard “Beloyd” Taylor, Louis Silas Jr.3:46
6."That's the Way of the World" (From That's the Way of the World, 1975)Charles Stepney, Maurice White, Verdine White5:46
7."September" (Previously unreleased)Al McKay, Allee Willis, Maurice White3:36
8."Shining Star" (From That's the Way of the World, 1975)Philip Bailey, Larry Dunn, Sonny Burke, Maurice White, Verdine White2:50
9."Reasons" (From: That's the Way of the World, 1975)Philip Bailey, Charles Stepney, Maurice White4:59
10."Sing a Song" (From Gratitude, 1975)Al McKay, Maurice White3:23
11."MegaMix 2000" (Bonus track on reissue)Wayne Vaughn, Al McKay, Maurice White, Allee Willis7:38
12."MegaMix (Radio Edit)" (Bonus track on reissue)Al McKay, Maurice White3:23

[19][20]

Personnel

Performance

Production
  • Earth, Wind & Fire – musical arrangements (3, 6, 8-10)
  • Philip Bailey – liner notes
  • George Calle – producer, recording engineer, audio mixing (12)
  • Mauro DeSantis – producer, recording engineer, audio mixing (12)
  • Larry Dunn – production assistant (2)
  • Howard Fritzson – art direction
  • David Gahr – Photography
  • Alan Hewitt – music programming, producer, recording engineer, audio mixing (11)
  • Paul Klingberg – producer, recording engineer, audio mixing (11)
  • Art Macnow – director
  • Cameron Marcarelli – assistant engineer (11)
  • Al McKay – producer
  • Shusei Nagaoka – artwork
  • Steve Newman – design
  • Joseph M. Palmaccio – mastering
  • Leo Sacks – producer (11), reissue producer, liner notes
  • Richard Salvato – director
  • Jim Shea – photography
  • Charles Stepney – producer, musical arrangements (3, 5-6, 8-10), synthesizer programming
  • Tom Tom 84 – horn arrangements, string arrangements (2, 4, 7)
  • Chris Walter – photography
  • Maurice White – producer (1-11), musical arrangements (1), recording engineer, audio mixing (11), liner notes
  • Verdine White – production assistant (2), liner notes
  • Mark Wilder – audio mastering
  • Joseph Wissert – producer[19][20]

Charts
Album
Year Chart Position
1979 U.S. Billboard Top Soul Albums 3
U.S. Billboard 200 6
U.K. UK Albums 6[12]
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 13[21]
Singles
Year Single Chart Position
1978 "Got to Get You into My Life" Billboard Top Soul Singles 1
Billboard Hot 100 9
UK Singles 33[12]
Dutch Single Top 100 33[22]
1979 "September" Billboard Top Soul Singles 1
Billboard Hot 100 8
UK Singles 3[12]
Swedish Singles (Sverigetopplistan) 3[21]

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[23] Platinum 100,000^
France (SNEP)[24] none 377,600 [25]*
Netherlands (NVPI)[26] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[27] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[28] 5× Platinum 5,000,000^

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

References
  1. "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1". 45worlds.com.
  2. "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 (Top Soul Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  3. "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 (Billboard 200)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  4. "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1". riaa.com.
  5. "British Phonographic Industry certification of The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1". Bpi.co.uk.
  6. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Got to Get You into My Life (Hot R&B Songs)". Billboard.com.
  7. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Got to Get You into My Life (Hot 100)". Billboard.com.
  8. "Earth, Wind & Fire". grammy.com. The Recording Academy.
  9. "Maurice White". grammy.com. The Recording Academy.
  10. "Earth, Wind & Fire: September (Hot 100)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  11. "Earth, Wind & Fire: September (Hot Soul Songs)". billboard.com.
  12. "Earth, Wind & Fire". officialcharts.com.
  13. Huey, Steve. "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
  14. Christgau, Robert. "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1". robertchristgau.com. Village Voice.
  15. Earth, Wind & Fire: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. 1. Rolling Stone Album Guide. Rolling Stone Magazine.
  16. Albums. 40. Cashbox Magazine. November 25, 1978. p. 35.
  17. "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. 1". newspapers.com. Los Angeles Times. December 17, 1978. p. 418.
  18. "Earth, Wind & Fire: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. 1". newspapers.com. New York Daily News. December 10, 1978. p. 355.
  19. The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. 1. ARC/Columbia. 1978.
  20. “The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. 1” (Reissue). Legacy’s Rhythm & Soul Series. Columbia / Legacy. 1999.
  21. "Earth, Wind & Fire". sverigetopplistan.se.
  22. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Got to Get You into My Life". dutchcharts.nl.
  23. "Canadian album certifications – Earth, Wind and Fire – The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1". Music Canada.
  24. "French album certifications – Earth, Wind and Fire – The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  25. https://www.infodisc.fr/Ventes_Albums_Tout_Temps.php?debut=900
  26. "Dutch album certifications – Earth, Wind and Fire – The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  27. "British album certifications – Earth, Wind and Fire – The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  28. "American album certifications – Earth, Wind and Fire – The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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