8/16/2017 That's the Way of the World - Wikipedia

That's the Way of the World

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That's the Way of the World is the sixth studio album by

Earth, Wind & Fire, released on March 15, 1975 by That's the Way of the World
Columbia Records. It was also the soundtrack for a 1975
motion picture of the same name which featured several of
the band members in cameo roles. Included on the album
was the single "Shining Star", which was a #1 U.S. pop and
R&B hit. Another popular single was the title track, which
reached #12 on the pop chart. The album spent three weeks
atop the Billboard Pop Albums Charts, five nonconsecutive
weeks atop the Soul Albums chart.[1][2]

That's the Way of the World was also the third best-selling
pop album and the number one best-selling R&B album of
1975 respectively and has been certified triple platinum in
the U.S by the RIAA.[3][4] Soundtrack album by Earth, Wind & Fire
Released March 15, 1975
In 2003, the album was ranked number 493 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In Recorded September 16, 1974 - October 2, 1974,
2012, on a revised list by the magazine, the album listed at Caribou Ranch, Nederland, Colorado
#486. Genre Soul, funk
Length 38:23
Label Columbia
Contents
Producer Maurice White, Charles Stepney
1 Critical reception Earth, Wind & Fire chronology
2 Track listing
3 Covers and samples Another Time That's the Way Gratitude
4 Personnel (1974) of the World (1975)
5 Charts (1975)
6 Accolades
Singles from That's the Way of the World
7 See also
8 References
9 External links 1. "Shining Star"
Released: January 21, 1975
2. "That's the Way of the World"
Released: June 17, 1975
Critical reception
The album received generally positive reviews from critics. Billboard described the album as "a very tightly
produced and performed package" and added in their review that "EW&F has some of the finest musicians in
any band and the compositions are all top-notch".[14] Music critic Robert Christgau noted that on the album
"this unit can do so many things it qualifies as the one-man band of black music even though it has nine
members"[15] and That's the Way of the World has also been described by Alex Henderson of Allmusic as "the
band's best album" and "one of the strongest albums of the 1970s and EWF's crowning achievement".[16]

That's the Way of the World was nominated in 1975 and 1976 for an American Music Award for Favorite
Soul/R&B Album and also won a Rock Music Award in the category of Best Soul Album.[17][18]

Track listing

Side one
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No. Title Writer(s) Length

Professional ratings
1. "Shining Star" Philip Bailey, Larry Dunn, Maurice 2:50
White Review scores
2. "That's the Way of the World" Charles Stepney, Maurice White, 5:45
Source
Verdine White Rating
3. "Happy Feelin'" Verdine White,
AllmusicPhilip Bailey, Larry 3:35
[5]
Dunn, Maurice White, Al McKay
4. "All About Love" Billboard
Larry Dunn, Maurice White (favorable)[6]
6:35
Side two Robert Christgau B+[7]

No. Title Writer(s) Length Q [8]

5. "Yearnin' Learnin'" Philip Bailey, 3:39

Charles Stepney, Rolling Stone (favorable)[9]
Maurice White Vibe (favorable)[10]
6. "Reasons" Philip Bailey, 4:59
[11]
Charles Stepney, Virgin Encyclopedia
Maurice White
Yahoo Music (favorable)[12]
7. "Africano" Larry Dunn, 5:09
Maurice White Zagat Survey [6]

8. "See the Light" Louise Anglin, 6:18

Philip Bailey, BBC (favourable)[13]
Larry Dunn
1999 reissue[19]
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Shining Star" Philip Bailey, Larry Dunn, Maurice 2:50
White
2. "That's the Way of the World" Charles Stepney, Maurice White, 5:45
Verdine White
3. "Happy Feelin'" Verdine White, Philip Bailey, Larry 3:35
Dunn, Maurice White, Al McKay
4. "All About Love" Larry Dunn, Maurice White 6:35
5. "Yearnin' Learnin'" Philip Bailey, Charles Stepney, 3:39
Maurice White
6. "Reasons" Philip Bailey, Charles Stepney, 4:59
Maurice White
7. "Africano" Larry Dunn, Maurice White 5:09
8. "See the Light" Louise Anglin, Philip Bailey, Larry 6:18
Dunn
9. "Shining Star (Future Star) [Original Sketches]" Larry Dunn, Maurice White, Philip 1:05
Bailey
10. "All About Love (First Impression) [Original Larry Dunn, Maurice White 3:12
Sketches]"
11. "Happy Feelin' (Anatomy of a Groove) [Original Philip Bailey, Larry Dunn, Al 3:31
Sketches]" McKay, Maurice White, Verdine
White
12. "Caribou Chaser (Jazzy Jam) [Original Sketches]" Larry Dunn, Maurice White 1:39
13. "That's the Way of the World (Latin Expedition) Charles Stepney, Maurice White, 1:41
[Original Sketches]" Verdine White

Covers and samples

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"Reasons," the album's breakout love ballad, has been covered by Stanley Turrentine, Ramsey Lewis, Maxi
Priest and other artists.[20] "Reasons" has also been sampled by Master P on Intro/17 on his album 99 Ways to
Die.[21] In 1988, saxophonist Najee covered the song from his album Day by Day.[22] In 1999, Groove Armada
sampled the drum intro of "Happy Feelin'" for their song I See You Baby.[23]

Personnel "Reasons"
Earth, Wind & Fire's "Reasons" from
Bass - Verdine White That's the Way of the World
Co-producer - Charles Stepney
Drums - Fred White, Maurice White, Ralph Johnson Problems playing this file? See media help.
Engineer - George Massenburg
Flute, saxophone - Andrew P. Woolfolk
Guitar - Al McKay, Johnny Graham
Kalimba - Maurice White
Percussion - Al McKay, Fred White, Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Ralph Johnson, Verdine White
Piano, organ, Moog synthesizer - Larry Dunn
Producer - Maurice White
Vocals - Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Verdine White

Charts
Album - Billboard

Year Chart Position

Pop Albums
1975 1
Black Albums

Singles Billboard

Year Single Chart Position

"Africano" Disco Singles

"Happy Feelin'" Disco Singles

1
Black Singles
1975 "Shining Star"
Pop Singles

Black Singles 5
"That's the Way of the World"
Pop Singles 12

Accolades
The information regarding accolades attributed to That's the Way of the World is adapted from
AcclaimedMusic.net,Soultracks.com and www.rockhall.com.[24][25][26]

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Publication Country Accolade Year Rank

Albums Inducted into a Time Capsule, One

Pause & Play 2008 *
Album per Week

The Recording Academy Grammy Hall of Fame Albums and Songs 2004 *

Robert Dimery 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005 *

Rolling Stone The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time 2003 493

U.S. 51 Albums representing a Generation, a

Vibe Magazine 2004 *
Sound and a Movement

Five Star Albums from "FUNK: The

Rickey Vincent *
MUSIC, the PEOPLE, and the RHYTHM

National Association of Recording Merchandisers

The Definitive 200 2007 187
and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Soultracks.com The Greatest Soul albums of the 1970s 2009 1

(*) designates lists that are unordered.

See also
List of number-one albums of 1975 (U.S.)
List of number-one R&B albums of 1975 (U.S.)
Billboard Year-End

References
1. Hogan, Ed. "Maurice White - Biography" (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5818). allmusic.com.
Retrieved 5 June 2009.
2. "RIAA Certification for That's the Way of the World" (http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?ta
ble=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Earth%20Wind&format=ALBUM&go=Search&perPage=50).
riaa.com.
3. Billboard. com - Top Billboard 200 Albums of 1975 (http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/yearend_c
hart_display.jsp?f=The+Billboard+200&g=Year-end+Albums&year=1975)
4. ^ Billboard. com - Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums of 1975 (http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/yearend
_chart_display.jsp?f=Top+R%26B%2FHip-Hop+Albums&g=Year-end+Albums&year=1975)
5. http://www.allmusic.com/album/thats-the-way-of-the-world-mw0000650107
6. "Earth, Wind & Fire - That's the Way of the World" (http://www.superseventies.com/spearthwindfire.htm
l). superseventies.com. 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
7. Christgau, R. (2011). "Robert Christgau: Album: Earth, Wind & Fire: That's the Way of the World" (htt
p://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=1112). robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
8. "Music: That's the Way of the World (CD) by Earth, Wind & Fire (Artist), 106693797" (http://www.towe
r.com/thats-way-world-earth-wind-fire-cd/wapi/106693797). tower.com. 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
9. Fletcher, G. (2011). "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's The Way Of The World : Music Reviews : Rolling
Stone" (https://web.archive.org/web/20090504124040/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/earthwindfire/
albums/album/306660/review/5945999/thats_the_way_of_the_world). web.archive.org. Archived from
the original (http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/earthwindfire/albums/album/306660/review/5945999/th
ats_the_way_of_the_world) on May 4, 2009. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
10. "Vibe - Google Bcher" (https://books.google.com/books?id=yyYEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA205&dq=#v=o
nepage&q&f=false). books.google.com. 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
11. "Acclaimed Music - That's the Way of the World" (http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/Current/A1672.htm).
Acclaimed Music. 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
12. Epstein, D. (2011). "Earth, Wind & Fire Reviews on Yahoo! Music" (http://ca.music.yahoo.com/read/revi
ew/12036229). music.yahoo.com. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
13. Easlea, D. (2010). "Earth, Wind & Fire Thats the Way of the World Review" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/mus
ic/reviews/wrb6). bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
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14. "That's the Way of the World Earth, Wind & Fire"
(http://www.superseventies.com/spearthwindfire.html). Billboard Magazine. 1975. Retrieved 5 June
2009.
15. Christgau, Robert. "That's the Way of the World Earth, Wind & Fire" (http://www.robertchristgau.com/ge
t_album.php?id=1112). .robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
16. Henderson, Alex. "That's the Way of the World Review" (http://www.allmusic.com/album/r6507).
allmusic.com. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
17. earthwindandfire.com/bio_awards (http://www.earthwindandfire.com/bio_awards.html)
18. "Big night for rockers" (https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FTlVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JD4NAAAAIB
AJ&pg=1086,2322410&dq=earth+wind+%26+fire+that%27s+the+way+of+the+world&hl=en). The
Leader - Post. 1975. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
19. "Earth, Wind & Fire - That's the Way of the World" (http://www.allmusic.com/album/r6507).
allmusic.com. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
20. Covers of Reasons on allmusic.com (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=17:1267454~3~T
000)
21. Samples of Reasons on samplespot.com (http://samplespot.com/index.php5?sp=10&trackID=2705)
22. "Day by Day overview" (http://www.allmusic.com/album/r54265). Allmusic.com.
23. "I See You Baby" sample of "Happy Feelin'" at Whosampled.com (http://www.whosampled.com/sample/
182309/Groove-Armada-I-See-You-Baby-Earth,-Wind-%26-Fire-Happy-Feelin%27/)
24. Acclaimed Music - That's The Way Of The World (http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/Current/A1672.htm)
25. Definitive 200 - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (http://www.rockhall.com/pressroom/definitive-200)
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20080406000000/http://www.rockhall.com/pressroom/definitive-
200) April 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
26. The Greatest Albums of the 70s on soultracks.com (http://www.soultracks.com/70s-poll-results)

External links
That's the Way of the World (http://www.radio3net.ro/dbartists/supersearch/VGhhdCdzIFRoZSBXYXkg
T2YgVGhlIFdvcmxkIChDb2x1bWJpYSwgTGVnYWN5KQ==/That%27s%20The%20Way%20Of%20
The%20World%20%28Columbia,%20Legacy%29) (Adobe Flash) at Radio3Net (streamed copy where
licensed)
That's the Way of the World on discogs.com (http://www.discogs.com/Earth-Wind-Fire-Thats-The-Way-
Of-The-World/release/502117)

Succeeded by
Preceded by Billboard 200 number-one album Captain Fantastic and the
Chicago VIII by Chicago May 17 - June 6, 1975 Brown Dirt Cowboy
by Elton John

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