| "After the Love Has Gone" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byEarth, Wind & Fire | ||||
| from the albumI Am | ||||
| B-side | "Rock That!" | |||
| Released | July 1979 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:40(album) 3:55(7" single) | |||
| Label | ARC/Columbia | |||
| Composers | ||||
| Lyricist | Bill Champlin | |||
| Producer | Maurice White | |||
| Earth, Wind & Fire singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "After the Love Has Gone" onYouTube | ||||
"After the Love Has Gone" is a song byEarth, Wind & Fire, released in 1979 as the second single from their ninth studio albumI Am onARC/Columbia Records.[1] The song reached No. 2 on both the USBillboard Hot 100 (behindthe Knack's "My Sharona") and theBillboardHot R&B Singles chart, No. 3 on theBillboardAdult Contemporary chart,[2][3][4] and No. 4 on theUK Singles Chart.[5] "After the Love Has Gone" was certified gold in the US by theRIAA and silver in the UK by theBPI.[6][7]
"After the Love Has Gone" was produced byMaurice White and written byDavid Foster,Jay Graydon, andBill Champlin. The single'sB-side is "Rock That". Both songs appear on Earth, Wind & Fire's 1979 albumI Am.[1]
The song dates back to when David Foster was working on an album forMotown Records singerJaye P. Morgan. The album was released in Japan and never took off in the United States. Foster later went to Motown to let the executives hear some of the material. Foster was in the middle of a song and ad-libbed the chorus to "After The Love Has Gone", as he had forgotten the words. Foster and Jay Graydon then asked Bill Champlin to write lyrics to the music after Graydon had come up with an idea for the verse. At the time, Foster was producing Champlin's 1978 solo debutSingle forFull Moon/Epic Records and was working with Earth, Wind & Fire around the time they were recording their albumI Am. Foster then showed Maurice White the song, which White loved and wanted to record. Foster and Graydon later told Champlin that the song would be removed from his album for inclusion on Earth, Wind & Fire's album, which Champlin allowed.[8] According to former manager turnedSony Music EntertainmentCEOTommy Mottola, Foster previously offered the song toHall and Oates, but they rejected it as they were interested in performing only their own material.[9]
Graydon commented about the song's background:
David and I also recorded the song for theAirplay album, but that was not a problem since the EWF version was released before the Airplay album. By the way, the Airplay version is the original version of the song with the verses in the key of A. The EWF version verses are in the key of F, using a 'shotgun pivot chord' halfway through the B section as to get in the proper key for the choruses. Note that the EWF version features the high harmony part in the choruses, which makes the listener think that is the melody! That always bothered me since it is very difficult for one singer to sing the song as the vocal range is much too wide.[10]
Earth, Wind & Fire bassistVerdine White called "After the Love Has Gone" one of the group's most difficult songs to record:
"The track was based on a vibe. We cut it about six, seven times, and Maurice just said, 'No, it's not right yet. We'll come back and get it tomorrow. It's not right yet.'" And then one day we nailed it, and it was right. The way it felt. It sounded like Earth, Wind & Fire".[11]
Caroline Sullivan ofThe Guardian described "After the Love Has Gone" as "an exercise in classic songcraft – the horn section's precise jabs and the exquisite harmonies dazzle"[12] Rose Riggins ofGannett wrote Maurice White's "talents are vividly expressed through 'Wait' and 'After The Love is Gone.' But he has yet to recapture the enchantment of the previous recording of 'Love's Holiday' off theAll-n-All album."[13] Matthew Greenwald ofAllmusic proclaimed that a "simple soul-based melody and groove underlines the bittersweet goodbye message of the lyrics. But it's the arrangement that captured audience's attention, as it combined the group's vocal counterpoint harmony genius in full glory. A swinging saxophone in the song's middle-eight bridge also added an element of jazz".[14] Allen Weiner ofMorning Call found that "After The Love Is Gone is perhaps the best ballad EW&F has ever recorded. It's sensitive and warm, and interesting enough to justify its four-minute length."[15] Ace Adams of theNew York Daily News called After the Love Has Gone one of the album's "best songs".[16]Phyl Garland ofStereo Review noted that the song is "laced with unexpectedWonder-ful progressions".[17][18]Cash Box said it is an "easy, smooth ballad, with...lush horn and vocal arrangements," "superb harmonies and jazzy sax work."[19]Record World called it a "lovely ballad."[20]
"After the Love Has Gone" was nominated for theGrammy Awards forRecord of the Year andSong of the Year, and wonBest R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for the band andBest R&B Song for Champlin, Foster, and Graydon.[21][22] It also placed on Bruce Pollock's list of "The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000".[23]
The song was heard on an episode ofWKRP in Cincinnati in a scene where stafferBailey Quarters was brooding over being stood up on a planned date withmorning drive DJJohnny Fever.[citation needed]
TheHouston Rockets played this song for losses, as would many other professional sports teams, including theChicago White Sox,Philadelphia Phillies andCharlotte Hornets.[citation needed]
The original recording of "After the Love Has Gone" byAirplay, a band formed by Foster and Graydon, was released on their 1980 eponymous album following Earth, Wind & Fire's hit version, featuring Champlin on backing vocals.Stanley Turrentine also covered the song on his 1981 albumTender Togetherness.[24]
In 1993, Graydon released a version of the song on his solo albumAirplay for the Planet.Phil Perry's rendition of the tune featuringVesta appeared on his 1994 albumPure Pleasure.David Benoit andRuss Freeman also covered the song on their 1994 collaboration album,The Benoit/Freeman Project. Jazz guitaristNorman Brown's rendition of the tune appeared on his 1996 albumBetter Days Ahead.112 covered the tune on the 1998 albumNew York Undercover: A Night at Natalie's.Tommy Emmanuel andCDB released a version as the lead single from Emmanuel's 1998 album,Collaboration. The song peaked at number 74 in Australia.[24]
Britishboy bandDamage covered the song for their 2001 albumSince You've Been Gone which reached No. 42 in the UK. In 2002,Donny Osmond covered the song on his albumSomewhere in Time, and Martes 8:30, a Latin jazz group, covered the song on their albumSinceramente; this version is noted for having a female lead vocal and an extended sax solo byEd Calle.Mint Condition's version appears on their 2007 albumInterpretations: Celebrating the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire.Kurt Elling covered this song on his 2011 LPThe Gate.Eric Benet's rendition features on his 2014 albumFrom E to U: Volume 1.[24]
Engineers[25]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[34] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[35] | Silver | 250,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[36] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
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