Analyzing the Isolated Stems

Hey there One Song Nation, Luxury here We're off this week with new episodes, but in the meantime, we're revisiting one of our favorite older episodes where we break down Earth Wind and Fires's Let's Groove and to help us break it down We had Grammy Award winning musician and actor Estelle join the show. and relish in the beauty of the isolated stems for that song We will be back next week with another brand new episode. But until then, please enjoy our O song special episode with Estelle aboutb Earthwind and fires Let's Groove Study and play comeome together on a Windows eleven PC. And for a limited time, college students get the best of both worlds! Get the unreal college deal, everything you need to study and play with select Windows eleven PCs. Eligible students get a year of Microsoft three hundred sixty five preremium and a year of Xbox GamePass Ultimate with a custom color Xbox wireless controller Learn more at windows d. com slash student offffer. Lw suppupplies last ends june thirtieth, terms at aka. mS slash collllege PC Lominia Mal steps into McDonald's looks left seed Pulick, looks right se Simenez, Gives a nod to Ronaldino in the corner with a FIFA World Cup meal Ronald Din Yoke sees Sun in the booth, Sun finds Beckham going for extra big Macaws. He's got Davy's at the table just behind him. Davy's going for his collectible cup.! A steal by Henri. Who pulls his own collectible cup? Collect one of nine legendary cups with a FIFA Worldupal P participating McDonald's for limited time law supplies last. All rights reserve twenty six McDonald's FF Wor Cup twenty six Song, this is one song. This is one song. This is one song. Luxury todayoday's song is from one of the best selling bands of all time. They've sold over ninety million records worldwide. Get this, they had a string of eleven, eleven consecutive gold albums, eight of which also wentin platinum, and this song was certified gold I picked number one on the hot RM B songs chart and number three on the Billboard Hot one hundred in nineteen eighty one. Wow. That's right, wow. Their music combines incredible musicianship, blends so many genres. I'm talking about jazz, R andV, funk, soul, disco, pop, and it spreads a message of universal love, harmony, and spiritualism So everyone, let's do this. L song tonight. Indeed. We'll share the spice of life. We're gonna share it. G G one song ton Nine. Yeah O song. It's called the Pickerty Thirdian on a major like that c you're pay attention It's one song and that song is Let's Groove by Earth Win and Fire I'm actor, writer, director and sometimes DJ Diola Riddle. And I'm producer, DJ songwriter and musicologist Luxury AKA the guy who's just turned in a book about D And if you want to watch one song, please go to our YouTube channel and watch thisull episode. All right,'s begin. Let's do it All right, well we've got a very special guest for this episode who loves Earth wind and fire just as much as we do She's a Grammy awward winning pop star, singer songwriter, rapper and actress all the way from West London Her music blends R and B with hip hop, reggae, soul, grime, dance and so much more. She's collaborated with world famous artist like John Legend David Geta. and Rick Ross And you know her from such hit songs as Come overver, Thank you and American Boy. Please give it up for Estelle,. Estelle.stelle. Ohell. Thank you A appreciate. we really appreciate you join us. Thank you having me. Listen, first of all, we are huge fans of your music. and congrats on your new song, OI. Thank you. We heard it. We love it We love it. It's funky. It's space driven. Thank you. You can dance to it. What was your approach for writing this song? and if I may wasas it different than what you've done in the past? It wasn't, it wasn't I would say like my approach for writing this this time was just more being in the moment. Like I really I pray a lot. I've said this and I've been used by pray a lot. And I'm like, I went in there to this session just praying and asking God what to do and I didn't second guess it, didn't overthink it. and I just. We did four hour sessions for this entire album. This is the very first song of the album. and I'll say it's the same in that This was essentially how I made American Boy. It's how I made one love. We didn't overthink it. We didn' all the records that people love from me are not overthought. They're just like, When you say overthinkking, did you come in with nothing at all? you heard the track and just something came out or did Before I came in, I had a melody maybe. Okay. Or I had like the. kind of thing. just running around the back of my head. didn't even record it But soince I heard the original beat, I thought to myself like, no this is This is ABC. this is one, two, three, four, four four d d And it just felt like that and and the melody comes out Before he even finished doing it, I finished the melody, went inside vocal it, and then he finished the beat afterwards. Wow. it was a natural fit between this melody you separately had in your head. Yeah. you heard the beat and the melody worked to that beat And then the lyrics came after that. Exactly. Amazing. Exactly.. And it was quick. quuick. That's such a relief sometimes. Oh every time Yeah Beause you like making music really is alchemy ally It's really not something that I personal credit for, I have no idea how I do it. I do the education of bit. my ten thousand hours. Yeah. I've been in studios, I've learned, I've observed, I've been around, but The actual making of it, you can't tell from time to time if it's going to be good That's'. But c you as a conduit for it just like it came to That's the part of that you can't. You said overthink, I totally get it. You just like have to be in the moment. There. Let it happen. Let it be, be okay with it. Don't judge it I mean, like luxury, obviously, you know, you make music and I'm off I'm often like Dude, that sounds great. Like Don't overthink this. Like put this out. Yeah. The m a collaborator.. Did that happen with you where like you had something and you had a feeling about it, but you were kind of motivated or your collaborators were helpful in that. Well,' thinking. The producer I work with, we've worked with each other for years. He actually produced on American Boy. so it wasn't hard. We'd done other records together too, so it wasn't It wasn't an adjustment to work with him. I picked him, chose him or something. I called him yeah, I was like, I have an idea for some records. Let's do this I think people want to dance and be happy again. I do. You know? Was this like sort of a post COVID moment, is that what you mean? Before COVID? this is before This is like maybe twenty eighteen. I have a feeling. it just feels dark and it just feels really everything feels really right now. And I just want to feel light and I want to dance. So I think that's what I wantan to make. That was another dark moment, wasn't it? There's been a of dark moments for reasons recently. Yeah. So this has kind of carried carried me through it. and he's looking at me like, what did you see back in twenty seventeen, eighteen? I was like, I pray I' know. You know Scot. You had a premonition. Premonition, a feeling But yeah, this all feels very It's just joyful to me This whole record. Yeahah. Oh wonderful. That's beautiful. Yeah. Thankk you. Congratulations. Thank you M. What I've asked you, what did you hold off on releasing it for various reasons? Yeah, partart of it was I was still working on it the entire past four years. I'm still lightweight working on it now. Yeah The whole album I just wanted to find the right partner. I wanted to find the right time. I don't believe in hype per se. U I like people to feel it and I like whoever needs it to have it you know, when they need it and The one thing I was clear about We had to begin the rollout this summer because I was like it just We're missing this central thing of joy with music. People are getting so over cononcerned with the exxcitement around it and missing the point of the joy, the light, that. way that music can change your spirit. It felt like the right time. Yeah. And it felt like a joyful summer too exactlywards the middle, especially. We need and we need it. this year has been interesting It's been Six of one You know, half a dozen the other and we have no clue where we're going from day to day. so Yeah You also have a music show. I do. You have the Estelle show on Apple Music. You get to play and talk about your favorite music celebrating artist you love. It sounds like so much F every episode. What was your inspiration to make that show Well, me and manager have this ongoing battle of wits when it comes to music. I feel like I'm a jukebox have his way to discount that or discred it back. No, we go back and forth about music and stars and everything on a regular day like. point where our friends were like, you need a show. because this is nonsense. you know too much about music. you say jukepox mean you just you love so many ecclectic things. you know a about it. Yeah.. L all my music is just is's genreist. It's just I make what I want when I want, how I want. as every um To me, it's just like, There's always a discussion about it. There's always a likee. what do you think they was going through and did you hear that, you know, what be too my something really serious and be like I wonder what Bon Jovi had like for breakfast the morning he made. Like with those kind of people, you know? So I'm excited to be on a show But it it makes so much sense to me because as a music lover, it can take the form of making it, DJing it, talking about it.. It's all coming from the same source. of loving music. So that makes perfect sense on the jukebox idea that. You were on emmpire, you were in a girls trip Just to name a few of your credits. But we got to talk about your voice over work You're a voice actor on the show, Stehven Universe.. Yes. For those who may not be up to speed, tell us about the show and how you got into Voiceovers. Oh my days. So around about twenty nine ten Um, I kept pester in my team and asking them to do voiceovers. I was like, I just want to do voiceovers. I feel like I have a good sound of voice and everyone keeps telling me to do voiceovers. Can me find some voiceovers Th then I go specific. I was like, I want to do cartoons because I have nieces and nephews and I want them to hear my voice. Overseas. They're not moving here, okay And my sister had just had her first daughter, my brother had his son, so it was his daughter. so it was It was me trying to relate to my family a bit, knowing that they were never moving to the United States. And I got the role for Steven University' Garnet. and It was like it was described She's like a big sister I was like, Ohh I could do this. Yeah. I'm one of nine. I'm the oldest girl of nine. Easy. Wow. Easy I You've been the big sister for a long time? My whole life I said, I don't have to act this out. Just to me the words I'm supposed to say, I got it. I have toone, I'm ready. One of nine. One of nine. Six girls, three boys. I one of six o Okay, six a baby Oh then' six of six. You know what Apparently I was like,, we've had enough. He was at the edge the edge of the ro. So it wasn't a hard stretch, but the more it grew, the more the cartoon developed, the more I was like, oh man it's an honor. You know, it's one of the most progressive, one of the most brilliant One of the most Just smart animations. I want to call a cartoon because that would belittle it. you know, that would kind of shrink it. It's one of the most smart animations I've had the pleasure of being a part of. And there's some parents in the room I mean, like you'll watch anything with your kids. Yeah. When something's actually good Yeah, it takes it does a parent good. It does our hearts so good. And I love the part of the story too where the focus, the actual like you Really, we're very specific about your goal and how wonderful it is when the universe hears that and responds with, and I think they're related. I think if you're able to get that granular with like voice acting, kid, et cetera. All right, so you're one of nine. You have this big family. Did your family play Earthw and Fire when you were a kid? Absolutely. There's no version of any family event that E for the fire was not played that. like Theyre preparing this episode. I was telling Blake. I was like, this song like To this day, you can't really go to like tooook out a Black family reunion like Let's Groove will absolutely be played. Whwide earth like I don't care who you are where you are. Wwide Eth a family cookout. It's going happen. Some earth will fire period. Absolutely. Yeah. like that was they are They are one of the bedrooms Absolutely. And I feel like they made music for so long. Like there's music from the early seventies, like from that period, there's stuff in the disco era. there's stuff in the eighties. We're talking about one of their songs from the eighties. like you can kind of find any era of eararthwind and fire. L there's like at least one hit that's gonna make your uncle dance. Like you bet dance. What are you talking about like uncle aside? like, my uncle's drunk and he's pushing people. This is my time. But we're not talking about him today.. And one thing that I think that was really sort of interesting about this group is that They obviously have the slow jams that you can make out to They got the party tracks that you danceced to. We're talking about one today. And then there were like some songs that were just straight up like militant for the lack of a better term. And I don't I feel like there are very few groups and performers who could check all three boxes. You know, like public Enemy has no slow jams. You know what I mean? Like You know, you can go through each of those three categories. Most people can check two. Very few could check all P probably I mean, the name is public enemy. You want slow js from public enemy? I mean, I'd like to tryes. And I would like to I would to try But you know what I mean? Like I feel like this you sexy. was my best I was ask your Chuck D. That's my Chuuck. Sexy. Hello, can you go ake guys. I love you. I love you. Wait a second. I turned you to the James Brown there and I'm sting every time. It's okay. It's okay. And so before we really get into how Let's Groove was made, we gott to talk about Earthwood and Fire's origin story. First off, Maurice White named the band after the three elements in his astrological chart And Maurice, we should also just say right from the beginning, he's the band's founder and the band leader. But there's a huge band that has like so many members going in and out. Yeah Luxury walk us through their. A lot of members come and going, but it starts with and in some ways ends with Maurice. He is the leader of the band. And by the way, connection, interestingly, did you know that he was one of nine children also? I do. I think he might be the oldest. He's certainly in the band, the oldest of the white siblings connection. Yes. So the story number, right? So the story begins in Memphis, Tennessee. This is not our first Memphis episode. We talked about Al Green and Stacks Reords a few back. Maurice White. goes to high school with Isaac Hayes and Booker T. Jones of Booker T and the MGs. and he's actually in a band with Booker T Jones Bookeras Wastonigh School. Which is perfect. Wow. Booker Tes. In the early sixties, he moves to Chicago to study drums at the Chicago Conservatory. very early on. he's still a teenager in his early twenties. He's already a stop musician at Chess Records. He's got a vision. he's got a dream, he's got a lot of talent. And I'm almost envious to people who know that early what I want to do. I figured it like a year and a half ago when we started the show. Here we are. finally figuring it out I'm still figuring it out. Oh my goodness. I' still like I might be an architect. We have to have like Estell like specificity to our vision.. I think that's the key. I'm serious. That really inspired. That would help. Okay So he's on chess records as a staff musician ess records if you don't know that's Mudyaters,'s Han Wolf. It'silly Dson. So he's learning songwriting from the best. He's learning production. And interestingly, so he's still a drummer. and he plays drums on a few early songs like this one Jackie Wilson's Your love keeps lifting me higher, Maurice White on drums Y! Wow So that's from nineteen sixty seven, Wow. Mauriceie is playing drums on that one often say on this show like I wonder if the people in the studio knew they were hearing a performance that was going to be around orever. Iagine that. couldn't. I mean, especially because in this era, like this type of music is considered relatively disposable, right?ight? So many of these records come out on forty fivees, not all of them even get covers. So the fact that seventy sixty, whatever years later, that's classic it' bec That's nice. So he continues down the drumming path. He's in a trio called the Ramsay Lewis trio. and it's a sort of R and B jazz funk mix, little heavier rhythm section. Yeah. This is one of the hits or relative hits of the time. and it's an important song and I'll explain why in a second. So this song is Yhuru from nineteen sixty nine So what you're hearing, that's the sound of the Kleimba. Yeah. So that's the song Uhuru by the Ramsseay Lewis trio. from nineteen sixty nine. And Maurice White is playing the drums, but he's also playing an instrument which is known as the Kleimba, which is African thumb piano. and it comes from the African or the Zimbabe and I believe Nambira And this instrument, which I think a lot of us, I've certainly grew up with it, it was man, we had about eighteen in the house. Right? Man, father my father never talk a little it he didn't buy. But it was one of my first instruments like because as a kid, like you know, when I was like four. I mean like earest core memories is like play that thing. I think as a kid, like in music school, I think we had them. Did you have them in England? We didn't have them in school, but same thing I'm half African, so we had all the different instruments that didn't quify for music school at school? We him in house. Well, what's interesting about it is obviously there's an African connection and part of what Well the name of the song means freedom and independence in Swahili. And part of what's happening right now obviously for Maurice is a consciousness that's rising that he will bring to Earth w and fire in a very big way. Yeah. So interestingly, also we Maurice White to thank, I think for all these Columbas in our lives in America and in England because he's credited for being one of the first to use it in the recording in the late sixties in a West. W. I can't imagine a time when you know could American families didn't have We certainly did So this takes us to his first band, which is known as the Salty peppers ver. And he puts this band together with a couple of friends. It was actually a songwiting team. him and a couple guys got together and they had this vision, another Estelle like vision that they wanted to make money from music. So they form a songwriting team Which makes jingles for commercials. Remember they're in Chicago, which is a big advertising town. So that morphs into the salty peppers and in nineteen sixty nine, they put out this song Where's the one It's classic late sixties like party song.. I was gonna say, I see that party. Yeah. I can see It's lotardian.. Totally. So what is that dance called? I no clue. I like it though. I'll do it forever. For audio.elle is moving her arms time. One goes up and the other comes down. Circular. Yeah, sort of like a swimming thing. Like a swimming thing but like backward. It's like a Yeah, that's what I was doing. I don't know what that Chest goes up Fisco up heart get hold. It looks like the good sign she's really good at it. Thank you. But you know, there's a great scene in Black Klansmen when I think that's Black Klansman when they're dancing to a song and you can see like those parties like people used to actually dance at parties. you know what I mean? Like used to be like sweaty and like cramped, You know what I mean? I feel like I've lost that part bas. We need it bet. I just feel like Ernie Barnes got the inspiration someplace. Ernie Barones, you got the inspiration, like the dancing. Yes. like that yeah, that's his whole work Right Yeah I it's very go gooy feeling. Yeah Go ye into goo Yeah. Well, so the salty peppers are the basis for what becomes Earth wind and fire and it starts with Maurice' having sort of visions for a band with first of all younger people becausecause with Ramseay Lewis, he was the youngest. So he wanted to do something for a new generation, spiritual overtones, as his former manager Bob Cavala puts it, Afro Cuban jazz, pop, R and D, folk art So there's can I just regular listeners to the show know that I used to be an ANR assistant at Hollywood Records. Hollywood Records was run by Bob Cavala. And he Oh always hadraight because you know, he managed Earthw and fire. pr of a prince for a while. Purple Rayer And I don't think it was a coincidence that one of the youngest members of the A andR department, a full fledged ANR person was Kabron White, which is a Murice's son. Oh, really. And so there was a lot of like eararth w and fire, you know, not a coincidence because it was Npotism. Is that what you' try to say? I'm saying that like Caval' and Whites got along. his son Rob Cavalo produced reen and a bunch of rock bands but I never made that connection. I know that Yeah. R was. But more nepotism. Look. It's just a thing. This band has some nepotism too. wasas it rubbish music? or it wasas it charash? Were they good at it? That maybe matters just as much as the fact that they were probably Easy to get and cost less. I get the money in the family. No. Just to keep the earthwind in fire and Hollywood Recgers connection thing going. Okay. The person I actually worked for at Hollywood Recgers was a guy named John Lnn He was a songwriter That name Yeah. and he and Ally Willis wrote Boogie Wonderling. Oh, there it is, that's why. Yeah. you wonder like Johnynn wrote u couple songs for Madonna for Vanessa Willam But I only bring it up to say that if you hear the original version of Boogie Wonderland, it sounds so different. than the Eth went in fire Oh wow, let's listennder That version has been making the round on social media and I was like, Ohh yeah, that sounds like the version of the song that You know, my boss could have written because I was always like, how did he write Boogie Wonderland? no this to John Ly, but he didn't seem like the guy By Wonderand got disisco classic. That's that all though of Earth and of Fire. they would take a whole song and just it just sound like them when by the time they got through with it, like they absolute their version of events on Sature Sature their version of Got to Get You into my life. Okay byy the Beatles That's the version I know. I don't know to I don't know the original the version. That's only version I know. Maybe it's only version you need to know. Yeah I only wanted to bring up Kabron White working there because that was really just an excuse for me to see Verdine in the office a lot. Verdine in room with the perfectly pressed hair. Let me tell you when I first saw Verdine. Oh have you met Verdine? manyany times. I met all the members living of Irinfire and like they recognize me in real life and so that's like I swoon in my soul every time see him like they're like And I wasm just like, whyy do you know me? This is unreal. Verdine is never dressed normal. know. He's always dressed like you's got to go on stage. He's always dressed did you first meet Verdine or at the hair shop? li. You their had the hair. Did you recognize him or he recognized you? It went up and I don't care what the state of me is and as long as I will have me, I will go up and be like aren't I know this about you. I read about you. Yeah, I will say hello. I refuse to like like that's a You're the reason I'm here. You're part of the reason I exist in this world. I was like, bro, h, I am so sorry you're in the middle of getting your hair done. Thank you so much for even looking my wayind.t even hear with the blowing in his head? No, he could. He was waiting, he was getting in the middle of it and it was like a three second uncomfortable, but I also have my hair in various states of disarray bothoth look nuts and he looks great. I look crazy. and it was just like, and so ever since then and the next time I saw him, we had womomen to perform at the Hollywood parade and it got rained out So we were all backstage.ly parade at Halloween or New Year'? Christmas? Christmas. Yeah. They were headlining. It was a big thing and I was one of the I think I was opening, was performing on it And it got rained out, so we was stuck in this building On Hollywood just like, well, we all in here. a jam session I. I don't have. We almost did. it was a w time And it but ever since then, I've partast with them would have resung their records. ve been there and they've, you know, or we've just been around each other in different spaces and I'm still just like N, I'm not worthy. Getting respect is. Right. In many ways, it's like as much as we want big audiences and fans, like someone from a band you love knowing who you are can be that's it I'm done I quit now mindm blowing. I'm good every single time. Yeah. I think it also has to be said And we say this as as fans of Earth Wind and Fire Verdine is the most Vverdine looking person. There is no other person on the planet. There is no other person. That name could only go with him. Only you see it, you hear the verd, you know it's gonna to be Vverdine and you know he's gonna look like look Andelling is perfect. It's N would not work I But is So. H Yeah Fingers to nose.. Beause here's born Chicago I found that interesting. Yeah. was Chicago' much younger right. Yeahah, exactly. Yeah. The family mo. It's just like they they they're them. like this if there was never an example of like, oh, people are made to be who they are and do a specific thing, they're the pure example. L it doesn't make any sense. I was gonna to say, we have Maurice We have her date. Yeah. Can you tell us a little bit about when Philip Bailey sh? Well, perfect timing. So Earthw and Fire it's a very long career. in a nutshell, they get signed to Warner Brothers and make a couple records. The sound of the band at this time, by the way, is a little more exploratory jazz funk Afro Cuban rhythms, all the stuff I just said. They're playing with all of that, but it's not quite in The song tight precision form we're going like pop forty ratings were going to get soon. And at a certain point, the band quote unquote, is dismantled. I've got something more to say about that in a second. afterfter the first two records. And it's back down to Jess Maurice and Verdine. and they re startart the band basically. Yeah. And this is where Philip Bailey joins. Now Philip Bailey was a singer and his falsetto is what he's known for I just found this really funny interview where he talks about. he didn't know that he was singing falsetto. He just grew up with a bunch of women in his household, and he was just sort of mimicking what he heard Not realizing that like when you sing that high, there's a name for it and it's unusual and he's amazing at it. Yeah So Maurice finds him and it becomes the vocal contrast that we know and love. It's low from Maurice. H is Phil Bailey. If you're ever wondering who's who in the song, that's the answer right there And by the way, here is one of my favorite pinnacle Philillip Bailey moments. This is from Fantasy Araazy, I what Every singer, I don't care who you think you are has tried that. That's the moment. That's the moment you want to replicate that nineteen seventy seven high note gets higher and then higher still. J keeps going. It just keeps on going. I mean, this is as good a place as any need to bring this up My entire life, I thought that sort of like celestial chorus that you hear on these songs was like You know, all the members of the group, like thirty voices, all chiming in. It's not It really isn't. It' really just layering It's Philip and Maurice. back on background on pretty much every song from what I've come to understand. Even though you might see credits for other singers, they're really doing all the stacks on all those my records. And you consider when they did it, like the error like ing was like at that time So labor intensive. It wasn't just like click click click click. That's why they were in there for hours. Yeah. That's why. I saw an interview a love with Maurice and he was like, you know because they were like,, o, that's amazing. So wait, when you perform these songs live, it's obviously not just you and Philip. How do you get that same sound? He was like, a lot of practice. Well and they do bring into the mix. So kind of funny story. So originally there's the band members have come and gone as we've mentioned Originally in this sort of middle Phillip Bailey period, there's Ralph Johnson is the drummer. And live he continues on even after they bring Fred White, another member of the White family to replace him on drums, but they feel kind of bad. So they keep Ralph on as a percussionist, but he's also like when you see live footage, he's the third main like upfront singer adding that third harmony. So he's still in the mix. They were like, let's let's keep him around. Let's give them another role. He's, you know But Fred, our brother, is now the drummer for the band. Yeah. I found this really interesting and sort of maybe sets up the rest of the episode a bit just for this information. On an interview on QLS, Philip Bailey talked about how that first incarnation, first the band that was on the first two records, He kind of shed some light on the situation. and he said it wasn't that They were fired. It's that they left because of the imbalance of payment that was happening.ow. And he told the listening audience myself included that like He himself was actually hired as a hired gun. And in fact, this new incarnation from that moment onward It's really Maurice White who is the band. and kind of every other performer, maybe not the family members We werere all kind of hired on as like you get paid per performance. You get paid probably some royalty on the record, but there's no publishing. And there's a big payment and power imbalance. So we always like to talk about that on the show because it really kind of helps inform like how decisions are made and And really the story behind the song Was Murice White the producer? the he made all the ideas and so did one play this, play that? He became the producer. There's an important person named Charles Stepney for during this transition period. like this is after the Afro jazz funk and the first band members and before the big hits. Charles Stepney comes into the picture and they credit him to the highighest heavens as being such an important member of the band. Even though he was only helping for two years as a producer, they call him They're George Martin, basically, like they're Quincy Jones. So he stepped in and really tightened them up on rehearsing and production and songwriting and helped really change the sound and set them up to become the global superstars they went on to be. But after that, Maurice takes over as kind of the main producer. I learned. Thank you. Yeah. I got what I need. Yeah. And he passed away unfortunately heart attack in nineteen seventy six right as they were. they'd already start to break Shining Star was kind of their big breakout pop hit That came out in seventy five. So he did that they all did that together She. We would be remiss if we didn't talk about Earthw and fires Afrocentricity. You know, like I will say that like one of the first things I noticed as I went through my father's record collection was, you know, the pyramids and there was, you know, all was there was the undertone of Sahili. You know, some of it is a function of the time. like I feel like in general, Afrocentricity was enjoying this renaaissance in the seventies, you know clothes to the hair. I thought Da sheikis were just a shirt. I didn't know that people said' nokis. And I also want to clear this up. In preparing for the show, Luxury, you asked me U, wereere they like that group that I see in New York, the guys you guys like their They're marping Israel Israel Th Those are the black Israelites. That is not That is a completely different thing. And it's aisnomer because they seem a little antisemitic to me as you walking acast them with some of what they've said. Let me says that's probably something for another episode. Okay other But ain't worth when them fire was coming U they were more like, you know, everything comes back to John Riddle for me. likeike they they were just They were proud to be celebrating their heritage. Yeah. I have a question for you. Do you think that they would be considered hotel I think they' be considered a hot t up adjacent Hotel Jasonon like close to it, but not quite fully it because because of the slow james and the other things. Now I feel like it needed to be done in that period you know. L I loved seeing us as black people in a different world other than, you know popular culture. Like I got to see fantasy. literally got to see not fantasy to a degree, It something that was just different than what we were you seeing and stuff that would be in taoy in my house And my mom was absolutely the person that was like, you're going to learn bllack culture. You're going to learn our history. differentiffere to what they telling you in school and more. You know, And so learning about and learning about where we actually came from and how great we were and still are. for me, I saw that Yes, I agree and learning words in Swahili and just having the pride. and yes even, you know, some of us were celebrating Kansi. I think it was you know, it was good to be raised that way. And thank God that they were instilling that in us It was actually weird to me when I got out to the real world and other people had not had those lessons and stuff. I I'd be so like first like So you know the Egyptians, right? I was the person like front Roman center with it because it was like Timbuck I and Mana Musa and something just so much that you could take pride in. Yeah. And I think that that was That was good on our parents and that was good on Earth when and fire to make that part of the culture. A thousand percent. Yeah. And it just was as a kid, you're looking at and you're like, the colors, the colors. It's so pra. So colorful.. I didn't know what psychedelic was, but like it was really psychedelic from an afroentric point of view, especially some of those colors The video for Less Groove was about that o okay, I'll let y'all Yeah, I think somebody said they threw every visual effect That was possible that year into that one video It was also the same year that was it Michael Jackson, Can you feel it? Was it Jackson five? Can you feel it came out? Is that right? Yeah one I believe it. everybody was doing like theo train. Right,. It was like everybody had that. It was like Jacka Kara had it in a couple of videos Yeah she did. We we just talked about that. We just talked about. That was a thing, but to me, I just liked it because it was A, I'm looking at it as a young kid, right A one years old born I l but like years later and I'm just like and they're like all singing around there and like you just put yourself in that expect space. In like in this look, all of my songs, a lot of my videos retroactively on the back of my brain come from looking at older videos and maybe A song I have called Freak is kind of reminiscent of that a little bit in that In that video, like youve see the video for Freak, you see this, you're like, Oh, Yeah, some bits in there. downownload. The funny thing too, is that like what a happy coincidence in many ways, or maybe it was influenced, but I don't think it was. In the late seventies, we have literally King Tut's tomb that is touring the world. So we have this Egypt thing coming from a completely different place, but perfectly coinciding for Earth Wind and Fires' album covers to be that much more Meaningful culturally You know, there's also King Tutt I mean Martin is a huge hit in nineteen seventy nine. Gabage have Po made a stona. So the afroroentric roots of these things in the culture then are Joined by this completely coincidental King tch phenomenon. I think it hiss lifestyle, like that's one thing they had, they've always had and in the pop heyday era, you know, their classics and their legends Are they still relevant to me? They just managed to consistently hit what was going on in the world and how people wanted to feel Yeah in that era. R They really were on the vibration of like the p first of all, they're coming out of a post sort of post hippie moment, but they're kind of early to a lot of things like talking about spirituality and tal talk about astrology in a way. And there's one anecdote I want to tell because this is another anecdote from that Philip Bailey interview. He talks about how they had theirotequote worst gig ever I think it Philelphia. Phadelphia at the uptown. And he says, the crowd just were not into earth wood and fire at all. They were booing. they weren't into the music. So at one point, they're all looking at each other like, what should we do And Maurice gets out his Kalimba He does everyone to shut out And he gets out his Klimba, and he just starts playing the Kimba And He just starts playing and the crowd is still booing and throwing tomatoes, whatever. But at a certain point, just calm. He gets a certain calm. He has the band members sit down on stage in kind of a yoga pose while he's doing this. said theation. The crowd starts to calm down. and then he wins them over and the band starts jamming The band starts doing kind of a jam thing and the crowd is feeling it. And by the end of it, as he tells the story, it's ecstasy. And Philadelphia to this day loves Earth wind and fire because of this experience. Wow. It love that story. They get it. That was pure recent and the entire vibration. Like is this when you know you came here to do a specific thing, I feel like at that point. Maurice White was just like put on this earth for a reason This is why I'm here And he was fearless. likeike, ' imagine that, you're getting bootothin into your life and you're like, everyveryone quiet. I'm play this thum. I' play this thum and you're all gonna calm down. you're gonna relax. Ns not even a drum solo, you. He understood like it's people's spirit and it's really about energy. and he understood it That's something to me that's like, oh, that's yeah, that's affirmine It's so beautiful, yeah. Yeah After the break, we'll dive into how Let's Groove was made and share the spice of life Don't go anywhere. Queen Carvania stood haloed by the morning sun. An army hung on her every word. My champions, I have sold my chariot on Carvana. 'Twas a lovely SUV, an inexplicably queenly offer. They're even coming to the castle to collect it. Tonight, we feasted An offer you can feast on. seell your car today on Carmana. Pick up fees, may apply. onene song Luxury, tellell us how did Let's Groove get made? So in nineteen eighty one, they were just coming off of a big old flop after many, many, many hits, their record faces where they were actually actively trying to not write big hits. They'd become these huge hit machines and they were starting to get a little self conscious about like are weoming a punchline? It's one of those moments So they're in L.A and they're listening to the radio and CBS is saying, we need a hit record They're actively listening to the new music. So they are hearing some of this early kind of early proto break dancing, you know roller skating jams, you know, the voc coder, which plays a part of the song Zap and Roger, right? So they are actively hearing what sounds can we put into the music to Get us back on that darn top forty radio min. Yeah. So that's where we get into this song And just one more thing before we start listening to the delicious stems and hear everything we've been discussing and teasing Um One thing I found interesting I looked into the songwriting splits Maurice White is a songwriter on the song, but he's very minimally credited in terms of the percentage overall. when Percentage getter is a gentleman named Wayne Vaugh And there's a third songwriter who isn't In all the public credits, but I did find her name in the actual database and her name is Wandevon. Now Wuan Devonne is an important and is the unsung hero of our story because Juan Devonne, who was married to Wayne, they were a couple, they were a husband and wife songwriting team Wanda Hutchison Vaugh was in the emotions And the emotions were for a while It' kind of a sister act with Earthwind and Fire. Yeah. So it's a sister band. It's Sheila, Pamela and Jeanette and That's it. So the emotions same background for them. They did it all through their music you can hear. And in fact, if you ever go to Boogie Wonderland, I'd never noticed before, Boogie Wonderland is credited to Earthwind and Fire with the emotions. Yeah. So that's who singing on that song. That's it They're perhaps most famous for this song It's so freaking epic that you could really go to T be Real, right? Like And that was one of their best songs, but they also had, I think it was Don't Ask My neighbor. They sounded like The female contemporary to open a fy exxactly then. And they were. And Maurie Swite heard that too and began producing them and working with them bringing them into the songwriting for for this song in particular. Yeah. So on best of my love, what you're hearing on the song we just heard from nineteen seventy seven went to number one That's the emotions, Best of my love. and Earthwind and Fire are the backing band on that track. So we've got It's written by Maurice White The guitar player Alm McKay and the rhythm section Berdine, The Bys, the Bothers and Fred. And that song, of course, is sampled in this D lastoul say no goo from nineteen eighty nine. It's the U Now it's time for the SMs, luxury, where should we start? Should we start with the drums Let's start with the drums my friend One fun thing about the SEMs this week that I have at special is I actually have a guide vocal, which I know you're going love, especially as a singer. So we have I'll be playing it intermittently, but we have Maurice White's instructions on what should happen for the rest of the band Should we just do that now? I mean like S I play I can play a little bit of his mouth noises at the beginning. How about that. Here's mouth noises. So it's kind of like musical instruction or maybe it's just added percussion. I'm not sure if it's in the mix buried somewhere I hope it is. I hope it is too It is definitely a hair stand on end kind of thing to hear like the vocalists like you can picture being, especially as a singer, you can picture the cans on your f. This is the blah blah, blah track that you're not thinking anyone's gonna ever hear. Right. This m me nervous. Oh no. He doesn't do anything wrong No, No, I just think to myself Bah, blah, blah,. Listen since we're already into it, here's a couple of quick fun moments. Here's him providing instructions for what's to come. Core' coming up. J screw turn shoes all right. Thats Philip He's like, here, Philip, here's to do. Just do iter. Just do this higher. Do this like three octaves higher Right? You can listen this all day. Spelessness is a part of the show. we understand. Bea my whole thing's like, how did I know that somebody else maybe wrote it, but like how did you It's like an actor, you know, sometimes you're hand in a script and you elevate those words far beyond what even the writer think O I even heard Spielberg say that like, you know, I would hand John Williams my movies. And at some point his music would become more of the movie than what I even envision Be he knew what the scene looked like without John Williams' music. and then you know, suddenly It's flying across the mooon with that score underneath it and he's like, you know what? Jhn this he calls Jn' like this Johny'sil. Right it just works sometimes. And on on a related note, actually, I have to ask you, when you make music, is there when you collaborate basically, is there an untouchable thing that for you It has to be your, for example, melody, but you'll collaborate on words. or it'll be your words, but you can collaborate. is there anything like that's sacred that you You want to be your own. I'm a very collaborative person in the room unless I come from a Um my wom my first recck is I learned how to my first five thousand hours was being a rapper So I had to write my own reps. Okay. I always had melodies in my head and I was told later on, you're a singer you should probably sing. Interesting. So you that means you're fast with lyrics? Yeah, fast with lyrics, faser W was, but I'm also I used to be very open to like Um not used to be In learning how to do my ten thousand hours, I would listen, you know, be like, o, well maybe I could try that. That might be better. And then I got to a point where I was like, no, I'm clear and sure the first time I said it was good. and that's me now. know In doing that, I'll go back and I'll rel listen, and I'll relisten and re listen and be like, maybe I should say that instead or I keep singing this instead of that over this. Maybe I should go back and cut it with this line instead. So I'll do that now more than more than be like, hey Let me take your melody in my words. For me, it's like I'm trying to intend a certain thing into the world. You have to believe it. I have to believe it. Yeah, I have to believe the words and the melody I'm singing and most times. it's coming from somebody else, it's their whole experience use I don't know you. I haven't lived with you to a degree I don't know what you're talking about and I can't translate that truthfully You That's also part of the true artistry thing we talked about at theginning the episode. It's like if you're in an especially place in your life right now, I think you've been like this most of the time. but sounds like especially now what you make needs to feel like very real to you and very connected Yeah. And that's going to come much more directly and you'll have an attachment to the product. if it's more yours than been collaborated on. And there's been records I've done for sure in the past, there's been records I've done, people have beenned I always have to take it and make it mine though. L there's no version of me singing it verbatim how I was told to sing. and it's been like one of those two of those records and Conqueror and thank you. and I'm literally and they're like, don I don't sing like that. I'm not gonna do it like that. Let me get. Let me get it off. and then they'll let me do it and they're like, Oh, fair You know, I understand everybody's approach, but my approach is you want it to be truthful, right? Yeah You be able to connect to it, right? Let me Let me get it. There's always a dialogue too with like, you, the importance of who you're working with and you know, maybe it's a little bit of one big one for you and one like artistic one for me like across your career. Tust it Yeah you got trust. You know, and if I don't trust you But I still got sing this song because I'm able have decided It's a situation I found myself in years ago. You're G to give it your best end. I'm gonna to give him my best. I'm going try. We're gonna see how this is not going to work. So let's talk about the drums. This is his little brother, Freddie White. And he is playing the drums and kind of I was thinking about what you were seeing earlier. This is not a very drum centric song. It's basically a disco beat. There's no like syncopation really happening. It's just sort of laying down the groove. and we're get to the bass in a second. I'll start to bring them in. But that's where a lot of the fun But here is the drumbeat W Two, There the countter.. two, three What's interesting is he did the first thing at one way with the kick on the downbeat never again, but that's a one drop beat. That's a regggae beat There's no downbeat He's not hitting the kick on that downbeat I'd never noticed that before, but that intro is very. What did you call it? 'cause you called it something interesting. Is I s' like hip hop. Yeah. It felt like hop. It was like that missing base, that missing break, that missing fourth, you know what I mean? Like it's like There's something syncopated and like floaty it. You call that You said a one drop. Yeah, That's exactly what it is. Yeah. You got to think about what was going on in that era like nineteen seventy nine was also seventy nine to eighty one was also like the beginning of Lover's Rock. Yes in which is another . Well you grew up grew up this is an English version for people who don't know. This is an English translation of Rots Regae with more of a lover's ar romantic feel to it. Eactly But that was key. that one drop was key to it. L there was very much that like we're still gonna groove, we're still gonna basseline and we're gonna to miss every other snare and just say we do good. And it's a whole different feel. You kind of float for a minute. exact It's a floating feeling. Exact. So that's happening at the beginning of the song. And then we get into the groove And there's a big old clap that's added You need that clot big time. And there's the base There's Verdine, L. But you know what? there's another base on Snth, and it's right here I'll take out Verdine for a second Now one thing I wanted to point out because you mentioned it, and you kind of hit the nail on the head, that bass is doing the sort of it longer notes. but check out what By contrast, Verdine is actually kind of playing a little more staccato. Here's for Dan alone I never heard that in the mix before Because the breakdown. The other bass nodes are longer I'm a big fan of is the groove. That's the groove. longer. It's also its own melody. It's melodic and groove at the same time. Yeah. And what they what's unusual, we've had a few songs on this show where we've talked about how You know, two base things is challenging because it's the same like EQ space. But Verdine the genius solved it by only being in the middle of the note.. You know, the synth bass is giving you that entire thing and he's just kind of popping up in the middle and give it a little bounce.. And the sound of the bass s sound of the bass like that's that was very eighties Re It was a different type of base. It wasn't just, you know, like your regular groovy base. This was a different like Automatic wasn't there like the sound of song automatic.ike The bas Theiner sisters? Yeah, exactly. I want to say metallic It's Metallic's a great word. I get it. Yeah. It just feels like synth. It just all feels like synthe bass, like the entire thing bass. I only hear synth when I hear the song. I really never noticed that there was any Virerdine playing the bass guitar, but he's in there. Now you're saying syynth.. Is that a synthesiz or is that? This is a synth bass. It's being played probably by Larry Dunn. There's a lot of credits on this record You have to do a little bit of guesswork based on interviews and sort of triangulating, but I'm pretty sure that's their longtime syynth player, Larry Dunne. And he's here's just that isolated base again left hand on the keyboard probably. And he's just playing that all the way through to the little imperfections. humanity is there. By the way, because we're giving Verdine some love In that intro section, the part with the I'll play it with the beat in a second. but the one drop beat that it starts with. He's playing something really fun and And frankly, a little cute And here it is, these little glissandos at the beginning, and then I'll give it context after I play them for you. M M M. This is the part This is why he's ready. This is not time about. Like, there's so many elements, sorry. There's so many elements. No tell us elements. Yeahah, go ahead. There's so many I mean, elements Ione five. There's so many elements like to making a song that you don't even just completely bypasses you when you hear. somethingomething as smooth and easy sounded at the beginning as that. And then you're pulling it apart and you're like There's like this, and there's this and there's this, and there's twenty five parts to make this thing with seemingly nothing under it at the beginning and it's and it's searate part. And this intro part is interesting too because it's it is really an intro. It's a pre chorus. But like we only hear it here And then towards the end, it comes back one more time Yeah. Can you play I don't think I've ever really noticed that thing that canan I hear that with everything in the mix? and Absolutely like I'll bring in some more other the parts. So let's add because the guitar is also playing a little fin with Lissando We're trading up Yeah iss great now' hip hops. They're having a great time doing it too. They've rehearsed the song. I don't think I ever heard either those things because I was so focused on the That's getting your entire attention. that consuming. we You said that there's a rose piano on here? I did Let's hear a little bit of that. And in the same section, I'm gonna give it to you solo and I'll bring it in Just doubling Aually it's giving us that basseline because the bass is being silly. This is the moment where Verdin is like this is the moment where Verdine is being kind of kind of funny so You're actually locking it down. That's the only thing that's kind of playing on the grove, really. I' never noticed that before. Everyone else is like playing around Rhodes is going A locking you in. Yeah Look, we want to get to the guitar Okay, so here are the guitars during the let's groove tonight. and as always, I'll start solo and then I'll add parts back for context And that's just one of two ideas going through the whole song. To be a guitar player in Earthwin and fire, your function similar to the drummer is to just sort of like do the same thing. Which is good, but it's also to like play a whole not thing than what's actually happening in general because that's nothing to do with nothing. exactly. That' another hook for you. Yeah. another piece of earir candy. Just something else. Yeah, justust something else. And it lifts the entire thing It wouldn't be Earthwin and fire without horns. I associate band with horns so much. canan we hear some horns? Yeah. Okay. Well, the horns are obviously a huge part of the sound of this band There's a few horn lines. Let me play you the first one This is what's happening during that first let's groove tonight Now, that's a much more fun position to be in Earth with and fire. I would the horn player versus the guitar player. Still, I would be like where we start in the day? Where are we beginning? 'cause that starts like maybe a half or a chore before the entire thing. It's a swoop into it. It's like play it like this. And he's doing it and you know, I do this guys I play it like this,'re looking at me likeing the parts you want to hear. Yeah. I work with the particular basis because at this point he just looks at my fingers going and plays with my fingers. Ohow. That's how we like it works. Yeah. Kenny's incredible. So it's like we've built that. I understand the communication. Yeah. I understand the language of like Faylight is. O exactly what she means. Yeah, I know that's the stuff.s like thats language. Make it two pot Now add another fourth. goo over there razy. Absolutely Yeahah. There's some more parts too. I'll play you another section of the song. So this is the horn parts. And this is in the third chorus And so many different people shining. I mean, like I think that's one of the things that we've lost now that everybody's pretty much working on their laptop and trying to program everything is that You know, this is so many people like the horns are trying to shine. Yeah, the guitars are trying to There's a little competitive. There's a lot of people competing for that spotlight and as a result, you get a lot of reallyally cool interesting part. But the brilliance of Maurice White is as an arranger. He's the one like making sure nothing's conflicting. like Yeah you do this and then like the bassing guitar interlocking, like the guitar was doing the up thing. and then Verdine did the down thing. So there was no like car crashing happen None of it. he's brilliant. he's been doing this. He's been doing this. Yeah. And another interesting thing about this song is that It's just a two bar loop the entire time except for the bridge. So we're just getting this in there's ver, there's a pre and there's a chorus, but they're all doing the same thing basically. So the differences are taking place on top. That's the horn lines and the melodies and the lyrics But there's one bridge, and I'm gonna to play that for you a little bit, building from the drums And I'll add the vocals in for context now And then it modulates up three semitones. Ma And I just love that turnaround. You get a little break from the groove and then you're ready to hear it again. It litally sounds like a. The breath like lightting out of breath and like, o, I like tentionally. That is one of my gounds too Dly doing what he says to do. Let's hear what you'reking about Eody Oh dad I mean, I want to hear some vocals. too me, like as a kid, like that Vocoder at the very beginning. Right was like so it defined the song. It's a scary. No I know what I see why you would think that, but to me myle was not scary. No. To me, it sounded like It sounded like shockwave that transformer who was a boombo. Who is scary? he scary? orr he's one of the good guys He's a good guy. He was a bad guy.. in front of the f scary. You get in front of the fan and you just do your voice There's everything from Zap to Dap punk. two robotic sounds too cylons on batturic Galactica. It's a robot. That's why they're bad guys probably in my mind 'cause of that cylons Lary importantment intercepting of three factors one, seven up two eight. It was very of the time though. Again, that's the part that, again, that hit me for them. They did them, but they did it in the time and the eighties. Yeah. they were Arguably a group that's been around for like twenty some years or whatnot in various formats. and they came to the eighties That might have been the farewell and they came back with this r. Not everybody able to make that transition. Wh like power power doesn't have any real big hits in the beyond the d. We're not here to throw shadesong. you're right. Or function. did they O I mean,, hold on now? You say good function now come home now. No, I mean, I love good function. I love these groups, but I think a lot of groups from the seventies were not able didn't make the transition No into the eighties. By the way, at that time you know, by eighty two, Michael Jackson has completely changed the. We've talked about this. like you'll see you'll see cool in the gang like all of a sudden, you know, you make a shirt wide open because every you got to be like MTV, you know, pretty boy at this point. They want to see you. They They want to see You can't hide anymore. No. I mean, there was always something about chic and Earth when and fiire, they were in some ways anonymous. likeike, you know, growing up, like you didn't necessarily know As a kid, at least like what they look like as opposed to Michael Jackson and Prince and the people who were like really out there with their Rick James was a special kid. You always knew you always knew who was Rick. But also those are more individual driven. Right. Th are individual. wasn group. It's a band Yeah. But I think like Chic and Roxy music, like some of these bands took great pride in their sort of anonymy Let's talk about the voc code. Can we hear some of that? Because I will also say until we did this episode, I never really I thought I knew what it was saying. I did not really know what it was saying. Can you play it for us down down bies down, downown down,. I'm really scared and I need to leave the room. It's very terrifying I can't believe you made me do that. know. I mean we made through metetallica, you were not scared. Oh my goodness. The boogy sound down upon down, the booy sound down upon down. I mean, did you know that was? I did not I was just going along with everybody else down alone. T time again, sound Trump's meaning abbsolute melody Every melody doesn sound. You hear what we're saying, folks, all you wonderful music making listeners. You're wasting your time. Don't overthink it. No, I was gonna say you overth it. I sh down the dream start wasting their time. Dylan It's terrible. Don't do it. Rock him. Pareesy. Let's gve tonight share the spice of life Baby slice it right We're gonna groove tonight. I mean, so look, it's just the song is The song is a groove. Yeah. They've left their afro centric like consciousness types of song. It's like, hey, Okay you this is a vibe. differentoog.. different vbe. They can do We can do that.. This is how we heal the world now. Okay, okay. by boogying. By the way, Boogie in nineteen eighty one Is this word maybe a few years old? It feels a little bit antiquated. I mean, Boogie has been around By this point It was like a seventies wor. I've heard people call the RMB of the eighties like boogy. That's true. Bgy You got think who's saying it? L I believe them when they say it. I'm saye when they say it. It's incredible. If a youngerirl has to come out saying Boogie, I' have been be like, cut it out. You don't Maurie What would you say? Philip can say. They can say it. Michael J can say it. They could say it like B and gl they weret like fresh, just kid. Okay.h Exactly. They were so dresash. Strange, okay? N if it word. No s. No one would have boy it. No c. Absolute. No, they couldn't do that. Oh God. We got parents in the building. Good night guys, It's been so fun And go to sleep, C. Okay Okay guys, let's listen to verse one G to tell y you G do with my love Oh right. Let know girl out ofide. By the way, can we just hear that little we all wantna hear that we all w to hear that. It's gotta be Philip like waiting for his big moment. Let know girl. Here it comes That's Wanda Hutchinson. 'cause she is credited, and that sounds like a female voice, not aaleoice. show. I don't think that'shil Bailey. So that's Miss Pluto is its credited. That's her nickname Miss Pluto going. Yeah I always notice that in the backgroround, I never call attention to. Okay. so then let's get the airplane part because that is a very fun nineteen eighty one you know, top notch production the moment All right, just move se seven And in the mixven In the mix, here's what they have happening in the mix in that moment It se se. I think they just went the LA acc. microphone. Somebody going hear a recording right now. to go to the airport. It's a good time It works. getet that recorded to the Concord jit. Let's play some chorus vocals The show spect C part of the song best part of the song. What's the best part of the song? It's Philablly. Yeah. just off hip Philip M. Maurice from what we're to firstalso' And strong. That's the thing I noticed Look, you're a singer.. You hit those notes sometimes. I haveve not hit them in the same circumstances as I do. but I have Sng Calsetto on stage and it is very hard because you don't have the power usually. You have to it's mic control and technique control. o. But I've watched Philip Bailey do that live tunes. That's what I'm saying He is hitt it with power. muscle memory. I don't know how he does that This is cool. I do this I do this even if I was not in the studio. I' do this in the kitchen at the house. is This is what life is to. I grew up with women, like this is how vo sorry, just I'm used to it. It's incredible how powerful his falseto is.s hard to do. But then again, I talk about that era, there was no version of, oh, I sing a little bit. There's like, oh well that's cute. You're a singer.'re a singer right?ight? It's a train. likeike you be in the house and sing. That's a great point. Yeah. And you really double triple quadruple down on that skill.osed to try to do a little bit of everything. Yeah get like two hundredty five times a year You know That's muscle memory. That's like this is what I do for a living. This is this is where I go. I could be If you're an artist a performer, you sing sing for a living. L I go out and do shows for a living Yeah, I could go on stage at any point and just go for it. And you takeaking seriously too withT and taking care of it. All of it. neverever too much AC, you know. I don't like to put anything on the track when I'm singing it live when I'm in the studio. I want to hear what it sounds like so I can correct it because if I have to go out and sing. You like to sing dry, no reverb. Yeah. I don't really like nothing on it because I wantan to hear what sound like. I want it to sound like that you take it off. I don't want to sound like, oh, the pitch was wildly trash. ee, that's where we're astound. I don't want you embrace it Oh my. And I'm gonna say this with all the things I embrace I embrace technology. I love it. fix it afterwards Do the things afterwards, but also sometimes if it's good, let it be Ns to be perfect. Can I right in there We did an episode of Biggie and to hear his vocal with nothing on it It actually did sound like a twenty four And he might have been twenty three when he recorded that It sounded like a twenty three year old, but you know, usually you hear B with all the effects on it. So he'll always sound older than me. Yeah, You know, because he's older than me at the time. But to hear his voice with nothing on it, you're like, Oh that that'sound a young dude. A kid. That's a kid. Yeah. There's some really fun little background things that I never noticed in the mix. Let's see if you recognize this or if this is also a first for you Right I don't know. Oh we doing? Right? I'll play give you a little more context I just need this myself. these fs? Right? What? now. Now I hear. Yeah. I don't think I've ever heard that before. No. Who knew that? Who knew the bu, b bs were there. We heard it noticed that. Well you too busy You too busy groven You too busy grooving at this point. You too busy dance and like, you know, hitting your buddy ros at this point. And You might be feeling it, but maybe noticing it. No, not We love do on this show is to get you to hear songs you've heard a million times, but you hear them differently now. Yeah. Iar individual elements. Listen, just because it's fun in the bridge, we have Maurice without lyrics yet telling us what he wants to happen here and it's wonderful. So let's just listen to that. brring some instruments in for context One, two, three, out You want to happen. a bos I like that He had that one part. That's the only v that's only lyric he knew. by the way, it sounds a little bit like By How? not if it's not a broken hook, don't fix it. If the thing is works, keep the thing. I bet you that was like placeholder and things was like I the same bah That's exactly happened in September. Yeah, Ally Will tells the story That's exactly how it There's another body eye. There's twos two body eyes. Yeah. EW signignature baby a melody work. donon't break your I love in keeping in keeping with sort of like old man lyrics. the phase Let you know, girl, you're looking good. I fight outight. I man right looking good. Late sixties. These are late sixties. This is who's saying. I have to believe you. Yep. sounds like you gotta know about it. Philip is like, you know what, you take this line? It' loooser than you. So still asra this episode, what do you believe is the legacy Oh, one of the greatest big bands there ever was because you think about what you think about. When you think about a big band, right? manyany different instruments playing in one big unison, right definition of the entire thing They're one of the Gs, one of the pentnacles. For me in my era and my time, they're like a lyinchpin They like a Throw that to me wishing I was with Quincy, I was around in the Quincy era. like is big band era and knowing that I could have them is like a starting point for my own To affirm what I do in the studio. like, okay, no, going in babaabab, bab, bab Until the And they'll make a better. Right. I'm not crazy to do that. And I didn't even know this was happening until I came on the you know, this is my first time hearing the stEem separate and listening to them. So it's affirming for me. I see what you're saying. Yeah. The fact that Maurice did it too. Yeah, it's like, Oh, okay, I'm not crazy. Yeah I hear other people do it. I'm saying I'd be in my bike. I'll be in there like, No, don't play this You know. And hearing him do the same thing is like affirming, cool. I'm on the right path But they're like a middle ground to me as far as like, you know, this is how you how you layer things, this is how you have other people collaborate, but you still maintain what you're doing is the center of your sound. Yeah, you know. And then the look of it, like, man if I could dress like that every day, I would you know I'm probably going to, you're gonna to see me do that for this next album. They're a huge influence in this next album for me just looking at the way they dress, the styles, the colors, the vibe, the lyrics You know, without knowing it again because I have a bunch of music in the back of my head. They've had a huge impact. You're just realizing as your album emerges a lot of it's coming from the Earthwind and fire. It's coming from Yeah Inspirations. Yeah. It's a freedom The alb's full of joy. The album is just It's reminiscent of all of those all of that music, the stuff that makes you want to dance that makes you feel good, that's like that we forgot You know? That's what this is. That's what we need right now. Yeah. wa. I can't agree more. I do feel like there is a certain joy in their music. I think there is a reason why it continues to be played not just black family functions, but I think there's a reason why September gets played at everybody's wedding. I think it's because you can feel joy in this music. You know, like I'm a huge fan of contemporary hip hop. I'll never say that it's not great, but I also know that like you know, the There is like a certain undercurrent of negativity in a lot of the lyrics that you don't feel in a song like Let's Groove. and I think that it's okay for us to go back to something that is more sort of like soul fulfilling. Yeah, you know, and something that makes you feel happy inside and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Yeah know. I think that I think there's something to that. Yeah. I agree. I think because what's happening this day, I feel like people are just reflecting You know, and especially in music, we're not I never want to say, Ohh, that's terrible No. Me either. You should absolutely be reflecting what you feel. h it. I'm reflecting something different But you know, sometimes I see George Benson on those roller skates skates I'm this beach singing, Give me the night. And I'm like, this is some happy I just I gotta get get that. I George Benson on roller skates. Is thatike I took that very literally when was tr With his guitars dropped over his he When the night is goneing like you're like Okay' what you saying D't ever think it' throwing somebody eyes. That's what I'm saying. Travin Scottr somebody eyes. We're here for it. you said about the ensemble really struck me too, because as much as on this show and in my life, I am such a proponent of all forms of electronic music. the ability we have as musicians to make music without other people or with one or two other people. It is pretty special to hear like twelve musicians on stage. something And that era is definitely in the rear view mirror just because of the cost of doing it, the capabilities that you don't need to do it So it is incredible going back and listening through the Earth Wind and Fire catogue and seeing like, wow, this is a moment where still t And they still they still tour. They were just on tour in Chicago. That is a special kind of music. And I'm like, go see them Again, they sound incredible. Philip Bailey muffle memory on a Trollan b Vadine, Philip Biley and Ralph are still up there like. giving us fever signing looking incredible. having a blast doing it, I can't imagine. What else do you want to do in your seventies? I want to do that. Yeah, me too. I want to have the capacity to do that. I That's my vision That's my SL like specific vision that I'm giving to the world. I want to be doing that when I am seventy five. I want to be able to I want to have the choice to, with all my faculties and everything healthy. Or sleepy at hours. I want to have the choice to do one of those two sleep at hours. let me wake up. You would. Yeah. I want to bring up a that I heard you believe, which is that you have this theory about the beGes and Earth wning fire. so okay, so here's my ' here's my thing. I was like They came out round the same time And it's just look real close. I did So this is part of my whole like my back and forth with my team and like people I know. I'd be like, who copied who? right? We do that too. We. You know, like it was so close. It was like looking at girlfriend in f's entire thing And then the bees came out and like they did it in white suits. you know, I was kind they were white. And o. was just I love it all. I think it was already great music. Y it' all great music. But I was just like, I think about how how wild Prince mustus have felt thinking about artists who came out sounding like him and the time after they went. I would love to p in the room Prince heard Osila. the world Every time that comes and I'm like You see that millaria m You might hear to Sheila E and be like, you know these dudes? And is a little too close. a little on the nose of the too. Who is this? It was just there was such closeness and we don't know. we're not thinking of it fifty years later, we're just like, jamman,. theses is jamman. But I think about the originators and I think about like how annoyed, and then I think about them likeine, okay, well you made hof, makeake another hof. Well the happy ending of this story too is that both bands could be hitmakers and do fairly well for themselves financially. It doesn't always happen. exact obviously is the story was a different Richard versus Pat Boon is a little bit less cool tiny bit Okayase, before we let you go, we want to play a game. It's called What's onene Song Here are the rules. We'll give you a scenario and you give us one song you will play during the scenario And the only other thing is we want you to answer as quickly as possible. as we've been saying all No thinking. D't overthinking. All right, bet, Re ready. All. All right, let's begin. All right, what's one song you've had on repeat late? Frankie Beverly A Maze, happppy pee. happappy feelings What's one song that's been an influence as you've been making your new music? Three degrees I don't know Yeah You are going to in cl M out Yeah Oh no the song. I'm gonna discover it. Thank you. Fire. Giving me a fire song to discover. Yeah. What's one song that you could listen to every day for the rest of your life?? It Any Steveie want to Re? Absolutely anything.. Oh that's do I do H. Okay, h chocolate chips. I chocolate chips and kiss is full of love for you. I got love kisses well yes, I got chocolate. Chocolateip Chocolate dipping kisses full of love, I think so dippp. I feel like that what that's why I sing. You're probably right Chocolate becausecause that can't be right. can't chocolate chip Yes I got some py kisses for your it. Yes, I got some pis potaciden and kisses for love Yeah Oh Sc be This is great. like it's called always dot dot dot. We should do we should do a segment and it' called real song names Yeah and like you never knew it was really called. You don't know what that song is called What's one song you'd love to sing in one of your voiceover roles It might be g at Singing Papa's got a brand new bag. dress And what would that sound like? Give us a little taste. Huba's got a brand new bag D do. D it out of didnt That's literally what she would Literally what they were doing like. She's like it's so dead pad and nothing. She's like like don't don't no drrags. As people to do stuff. I love stripping James Brown of all emotion. Literally What's One song we have to break down on a future episode of One song Do you think I think you'd have to break down my song any one of my songs. Okay. Will you come back with the Stones? Yeah, I will. I love them. love it be good. sounds fun. That'd be. ple. I'd be blessed.. Estelle, thank you so much for playing and spending time with us. Where can people find you and what would you like to tell them about Estelle Darlings on all the socials other in Facebook,'s just for slash Estelle. It's easy. Estelle Darlings everywhere. but yeah, come find me Mt O is out right now. The new album comes early next year. Here we are. hereere we are, man.'s vibes Thanks for joining us. Thank you for having. Thank you so much for coming on our show. It's been an honor. As always, you can find us on Instagram and TikTok. You can find me on Instagram at Diialo DIA LLO and on TikTok at DiLo Riddle. And you can find me on Instagram at Luxury LUXX URY and on TikTok at Luxury XX You can also watch full episodes of One Song on YouTube right now. Just search One Song podcast. We'd love it if you like and subscribe. And if you've made it this far, I think that means you like the podcast. So please don't forget to give us five stars, leave a review, and share it with someone you think would like the show because it really helps keep the show going. Luxury help us in this thing. Well, I'm producer DJ, songwriter and musicologist, Luxury. And I'm actor writer, director, and sometimes DJ Dala Rid. And this is one song. We'll see you next time Summer adventures are better with Minky couture From road trips to ball games, beach nights to backyard movies, Minky has you covered. Dont miss the Everywhere blanket, water resistant, ultra soft, and made for life on the go Wherever summer takes you, bring comfort along Minkycooture. com the original B blanket ever.