Let's Groove
| "Let's Groove" | ||||||||||
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| Single by Earth, Wind & Fire | ||||||||||
| from the album Raise! | ||||||||||
| B-side | "Let's Groove" (Instrumental) | |||||||||
| Released | 21 October 1981 | |||||||||
| Recorded | 1981 | |||||||||
| Genre | Post-disco,[1] funk,[2] R&B | |||||||||
| Length |
5:35 (album version) 4:01 (radio version) | |||||||||
| Label | Columbia | |||||||||
| Writer(s) | Maurice White, Wayne Vaughn | |||||||||
| Producer(s) | Maurice White | |||||||||
| Earth, Wind & Fire singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"Let's Groove" is a song performed by American group Earth, Wind & Fire, taken from their studio album Raise!. Written by Maurice White and Wayne Vaughn (with additional production by White), the song was chosen as the first single from the studio album. Within the late 70's and early 80's, the disco music genre was receiving severe backlash within hate groups and anti-disco campaigns. Within this period, the band decided to revive the disco sound that was later included on their previous works and records. Musically, "Let's Groove" is a disco song that includes musical elements of soul and funk. Within the element of post-disco, the song includes instrumentation of synthesizers and keyboards along with live electric guitars.
Originally, "Let's Groove" received mixed reviews from music critics, where many praised it's catchiness, while some felt it was generic within it's timeline of the disco era. However, many contemporary reviews have been well-received, many citing it as memorable and a great disco influenced song. The song was a commercial success, with it being their highest-charting single in various territories. The song peaked inside the top twenty in countries including the United States, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Canada and other component charts in America.
Background and composition
Prior to the production of Raise! and the song, the group had started to revive contemporary disco and funk music, as it declined within the late 70's. While the band's albums I Am (1979) and Faces was critically and commercially acclaimed for reviving disco influenced composition, this was the same exact era where disco music was in fear of scrutiny and criticism. By the late 1970s, a strong anti-disco sentiment developed among rock fans and musicians, particularly in the United States.[3][4] The punk subculture in the United States and United Kingdom was often hostile towards disco.[3] Eventually, when the group released I Am which included strong disco elements, July 12, 1979 became known as "the day disco died" because of Disco Demolition Night, an anti-disco demonstration in a baseball double-header at Comiskey Park in Chicago.[5]
Musically, "Let's Groove" is recognized as a "post-disco" song, due to its heavy electronic production that is handled by synthesizers, keyboards and electric guitars.[1] According to White, he said after its release ""It's really just knowing the feelings and fundamentals involved in producing a hit. Just like writing a story. It's not less honest than a piece of jazz. Take the new record, 'Lets Groove.' It's real honest. We just went in and done it - a natural giving thing. Just saying, Hey man, enjoy this with me. Share this with us."[6] At the start of the song, vocoder was issued in the intro. Lyrically, The song is about losing yourself in the music, which in the hands of Maurice White is a more spiritual message than you might think. The groove can take you to a place of positivity and presence, and you can find it right on the dance floor. Allee Willis, who wrote "September" with White, told us that the chorus of that song goes "bada-ya" because White never let a lyric get in the way of a groove.[6]
Reception
Critical response
"Let's Groove" received mixed reviews upon its release. Ed Hogan from Allmusic gave the song a separate review and was mixed to favorable. He said "He brought in guitarist Roland Bautista and began co-writing, with Emotions member Wanda Vaughn and her husband Wayne Vaughn, a song that reflected the then-emerging electronic sound of the '80s. Not to be confused with the same-named hit by Archie Bell & the Drells, "Let's Groove" certainly was a change. Starting off with a robotic-sounding vocoder riff, it served up a more gritty-sounding EWF for the '80s, laced with Brecker Brothers-supplied horn blasts that rival those of EWF's 1976 gold single "Getaway." [7] However, reviewing from the parent album, William Ruhlmann gave it a more less positive remark, calling it a recycled mid-tempo tune from the mid-'70s, and everything else sounded desultory and uninspired. He, however, highlighted as an album standout.[8]
More recent reviews have been more acclaimed. Maxine Nelson from Yahoo! Music listed the song at number 10 on the Top 10 Earth, Wind & Fire Songs list, saying " This is a classic EWF funky dance song."[9] Soultrain.com gave it a positive review while celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2011, stating "“Let’s Groove” has cinched such a nostalgic place in musical history that it is undeniably worthy of being honored [...]"[10] While reviewing Now, Then & Forever, Daniel Falconer said "Eager fans will want to indulge in the deluxe version of the compilation, which includes the timeless disco and soul anthem classics 'Boogie Wonderland', 'Let's Groove', 'September', 'After The Love Has Gone', 'Fantasy' and 'Shining Star'."[11]
"Let's Groove" was nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.[12]
Commercial response
The song peaked at number 3 in the US and in the UK[13] It also spent eight weeks at number 1 on the Hot R&B Singles chart in late 1981 and early 1982 and was the second R&B song of 1982 on the year-end charts.[14]
The single sold over a million copies in the US and has been certified gold by the RIAA as until the RIAA lowered the sales levels for certified singles in 1989, a Gold single equaled 1 million units sold. "Let's Groove" was also certified silver in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry.[15][16][17]
Music video
The music video of "Let's Groove" was the first video ever to be played on Video Soul on BET.[18][19] The video, rich with vintage electronic effects, was created by Ron Hays using the Scanimate analog computer system at Image West, Ltd.[20]
Accolades
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NME | UK[21] | Singles of the Year | 1981 | 16 |
(*) designates lists that are unordered.
Chart positions
CDB version
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