Raise!

Raise!

Cover art by Shusei Nagaoka
Studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire
Released November 14, 1981
Recorded May, 1981 at ARC/George Massenburg Studio, West Los Angeles, California, and Sunset Sounds Recording Studio, Hollywood, California
Genre R&B, soul, funk
Length 38:08
Label ARC, Columbia
Producer Maurice White
Earth, Wind & Fire chronology

Faces
(1980)		 Raise!
(1981)		 Powerlight
(1983)
Singles from Raise!
  1. "Let's Groove"
    Released: October 21, 1981
  2. "I've Had Enough" / "Kalimba Tree (Instrumental)"
    Released: 1982
  3. "Wanna Be With You"
    Released: January 19, 1982
Back cover
The back cover of Raise!

Raise! is the eleventh studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire, produced by the band's leader Maurice White for Kalimba Productions, and released in 1981 on CBS Records. Raise! has been certified platinum in the US by the RIAA for sales of over a million copies and gold in the UK and Canada by the British Phonographic Industry and Music Canada respectively.[1][2]

Raise! was the bestselling R&B album of 1982.[3] The album featured the #1 R&B and # 3 Pop hit "Let's Groove". The single "Wanna Be With You" won EWF a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group.[4] Raise also marked the return to the band of rhythm guitarist Roland Bautista, last heard from on 1972's Last Days and Time.

Raise! would be the final EWF album to be released on ARC. The label would be discontinued by Columbia Records the following year.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [5]
Rolling Stone [6]
Robert Christgau B+[7]
Warr.org [8]

Ken Tucker of Rolling Stone describes Raise! as a reflection of "street-gritty black pop" and that on "Let's Groove" and the fast, cutting "Lady Sun", the horn section screams like a car running a red light". Music critic Robert Christgau says that on the album, he felt "a show of strength was due".[9][10]

Track listing

Side one
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Let's Groove"  Wayne Vaughn, Maurice White 5:37
2. "Lady Sun"  Beloyd Taylor 3:39
3. "My Love"  Wayne Vaughn, Maurice White 4:35
4. "Evolution Orange"  David Foster, O'Byrne, Maurice White 4:37
Side two
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
5. "Kalimba Tree"  Maurice White 0:25
6. "You Are a Winner"  Beloyd Taylor 4:09
7. "I've Had Enough"  Philip Bailey, Greg Phillinganes, Brenda Russell 4:36
8. "Wanna Be With You"  Wayne Vaughn, Maurice White 4:36
9. "The Changing Times"  Beloyd Taylor 5:54

[11]

Cover art

The album art was designed by Roger Carpenter and Raise! was illustrated by Shusei Nagaoka. The front cover of Raise! features a presumed Egyptian female figure. The name of the band is present on the front cover, but the title is not.

On the back cover there is an illustration of a female figure in a sarcophagus, which is also divided into a purple left side and a blue right side. The sarcophagus appears to be hyper-modern. The title of the LP is presented in the top left corner of the back cover.

Charts

Album – Billboard
Year Chart Position
1981 Black Albums 1
Pop Albums 5
Year Chart Position[12]
1982 United Kingdom 11
Singles – Billboard
Year Single Chart Position
1981 "Let's Groove/I've Had Enough" Club Play Singles 3
"Let's Groove" Black Singles 1
Pop Singles 3
"Wanna Be With You" Black Singles 15
Pop Singles 51

Production

Performers

Accolades

The information regarding accolades attributed to Raise! is adapted from rocklistmusic.co.uk.[13]

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
NME U.K Albums of the Year 1981 16

See also

References

  1. ↑ RIAA Certification for Raise!
  2. ↑ British Phonographic Industry certification for Raise!
  3. ↑ Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums of 1982
  4. ↑ www.earthwindandfire.com/bio_awards.html
  5. ↑ Allmusic review
  6. ↑ Rolling Stone review
  7. ↑ Robertchristgau.com
  8. ↑ Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews
  9. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire Raise! album review". rollingstone.com. February 4, 1982. Retrieved May 4, 2009.
  10. ↑ "Consumer Guide Album Earth, Wind & Fire: Raise!". robertchristgau.com. 1981. Retrieved May 4, 2009.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Raise on discogs.com
  12. ↑ "Raise!". chartstats.com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
  13. ↑ rocklistmusic - 1981 NME Lists

External links