| Raise! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover art byShusei Nagaoka | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 14, 1981 | |||
| Recorded | May–September 1981 | |||
| Studio | ARC/George Massenburg Studio (Los Angeles, California),Sunset Sounds Recording Studio (Los Angeles, California) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 38:08 | |||
| Label | ARC/Columbia | |||
| Producer | Maurice White | |||
| Earth, Wind & Fire chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Raise! | ||||
| ||||
| Back cover | ||||
.jpg) The back cover ofRaise! | ||||
Raise! is the eleventh studio album by the American bandEarth, Wind & Fire, released on November 14, 1981, byARC/Columbia Records.[1] The album spent 11 weeks atop theBillboardTop R&B albums chart[2][3] and peaked at No. 5 on theBillboard 200 chart.[2][4]Raise! has been certifiedPlatinum in the US by theRIAA,Gold in the UK by theBPI andGold in Canada byMusic Canada.[5][6][7]
The album art was designed by Roger Carpenter andRaise! was illustrated byShusei Nagaoka.The front cover ofRaise! 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 asarcophagus, 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 album is presented in the top left corner of the back cover.
Raise! was produced by bandleaderMaurice White. The album marked the return ofrhythm guitaristRoland Bautista, who last played upon 1972'sLast Days and Time. The LP was also reissued in 2015 with seven bonus tracks.[8]
Off the album came the single "Let's Groove", which reached No. 1 on theBillboardHot R&B Singles chart and No. 3 on theBillboardHot 100 chart.[9][10] A song called "I've Had Enough" also got to No. 29 on theUK Pop Singles chart.[11]
Another song entitled "Wanna Be with You" rose to No. 15 on theBillboardHot Soul Singles chart.[12] "Wanna Be with You" also won aGrammy forBest R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.[13]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [14] |
| LA Weekly | B−[15] |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | [16] |
| Record Mirror | [17] |
| Rolling Stone | [18] |
| Smash Hits | 7/10[19] |
| The Village Voice | B+[20] |
The Philadelphia Inquirer gave a 3/5 star rating, stating "And while there are no surprises here, the group offers another session of class music, fortified by strong melodies and appealing lyrics. The skilled blend of classic funk and mainstream values guarantees wide acceptance for this release. The groups shifts nicely from mellow ballads such as 'My Love' to upbeat material such as 'Let's Groove'."[16] With a 7/10 rating Fred Dellar ofSmash Hits found that "White's production is impeccable; the vocals float and flare, the horns urge you onto the dance-floor and the rhythms make you stay there".[19] Hugh Wyatt of theNew York Daily News described the LP as "a real gem".[21] With a 4/5 stars ratingKen Tucker ofRolling Stone said "With each new album, Earth, Wind and Fire remain relatively true to their original sound: elaborate, neatly orchestral funk, influenced equally by American and African sources. But the band also keeps its ear to the radio. Accordingly, Raise! reflects the current wave of street-gritty black pop, fromLakeside toRick James. Most of the tracks crank up the bass and feature rattling percussion that scrapes against the beat." Tucker added "On Raise!, White’s romanticism is slinkier, more seductive."[18] With a four out of five stars rating Alan Coulthard ofRecord Mirror found that Raise! "sizzles from start to finish".[17]People exclaimed EW&F's "New Age songs are ingenious sonic tapestries that blend tribal chants, zesty horns, brilliantly varied percussion, funky-flavored guitar rhythms and 2001-ish synthesizer sounds. Here an instrumental called Kalimba Tree melds into the LP's best cut, You Are a Winner, which has White's lead vocals bobbing and weaving with Philip Bailey's. The lyrics are mostly power-of-positive-thinking messages that might thrillNorman Vincent Peale but are no match for the music’s complexity."[22]
Richard Williams ofThe Times wrote "Paring away the overachievement ofFaces, EW&F return to something like their best form".[23]Variety noted that "breathtaking production and a perscussive, non stop fusion of funk and rock power light up the entire album".[24]Barney Hoskyns ofNME said "Raise! is a thundering collection of the best noises around, urgent, controlled and meticulously glossy. Horns pump and spurt in golden ecstasy, percussion stamps and cracks through the usual mass of nibbling guitars and synthesizers, and White's voice is as strong and soaring as ever".[25]The Village Voice'sRobert Christgau proclaimed EWF "turn their sparkling harmonies and powerful groove into a pure, contentless display of virtuosity".[20] As wellJ.D. Considine of theBaltimore Sun wrote "Raise! puts Earth, Wind & Fire back on therock and roll road".[26]
Music criticNelson George also placedRaise! in his ballot for the 1981Village VoicePazz and Jop poll.[27]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Let's Groove" | Wayne Vaughn,Maurice White | 5:37 |
| 2. | "Lady Sun" | Bernard "Beloyd" Taylor | 3:39 |
| 3. | "My Love" | Wayne Vaughn, Maurice White | 4:35 |
| 4. | "Evolution Orange" | David Foster, Nan O'Byrne, M. White | 4:37 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Kalimba Tree" | Maurice White,Verdine White,Jerry Hey | 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, Wayne Vaughn, Maurice White | 5:54 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Wanna Be with You" (single version) | Wayne Vaughn, Maurice White | 3:58 |
| 11. | "Kalimba Tree" (12" long version) | Jerry Hey, M. White | 3:49 |
| 12. | "Let's Groove" (special remixed holiday version) | Wayne Vaughn, Maurice White | 6:44 |
| 13. | "Let's Groove" (single version) | Wayne Vaughn, Maurice White | 4:07 |
| 14. | "Let's Groove" (instrumental) | Wayne Vaughn, Maurice White | 4:01 |
| 15. | "I've Had Enough" (7" version) | Philip Bailey, Greg Phillinganes, Brenda Russell | 3:53 |
| 16. | "The Changing Times" (7" version) | Beloyd Taylor | 4:45 |
Additional horns
Strings
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | USBillboardTop Soul Albums | 1 |
| USBillboard 200 | 5 | |
| Dutch Albums (Dutch Album Top 100) | 3[28] | |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen albumlista) | 5[29] | |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) | 7[30] | |
| Sweden Albums (Veckolista Album) | 9[31] | |
| UK Pop Albums | 11[11] | |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) | 18[32] | |
| CanadaRPM 50 Albums | 25[33] | |
| German Albums | 30[34] | |
| 1982 | New Zealand Albums Chart | 19[35] |
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "Let's Groove/I've Had Enough" | USBillboardDance Club Songs | 3 |
| "Let's Groove" | USBillboardHot Soul Songs | 1 | |
| USBillboardHot 100 | 3 | ||
| UK Pop Singles | 3[11] | ||
| Dutch Singles (Dutch Single Top 100) | 5[36] | ||
| Belgian Singles (Ultratop 50 Singles) | 9[37] | ||
| 1982 | I've Had Enough" | UK Pop Singles | 29[11] |
| "Wanna Be With You" | BillboardHot Soul Songs | 15 | |
| BillboardHot 100 | 51 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[7] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Japan | — | 291,610[38] |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[39] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[40] | Gold | 25,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[6] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[5] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NME[41] | United Kingdom | Albums of the Year | 1981 | 16 |
| The Village Voice[42] | United States | Dean's List | 1981 | 49 |
