Now, Then & Forever is the twentieth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on September 10, 2013. It was released by Legacy Recordings and Sony Music. The album reached No. 11 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Overview This is the first Earth, Wind & Fire album without musical input from founder Maurice White, although he supplied a note in the album's liner notes:
Larry Dunn, a former Earth, Wind & Fire bandmember, features as a keyboardist on the album. A deluxe edition came coupled with a compilation album.
Singles The track "Guiding Lights" rose to No. 16 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart and No. 30 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart. Another single, "My Promise", reached No. 28 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart and No. 30 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Songs chart.
Critical reception
Matt Bauer of Exclaim gave the album an eight out of ten rating, noting that "Now, Then & Forever is a more than worthy addition to the Earth Wind & Fire catalogue." With a four out of five rating, Harry Guerin of RTÉ called Now, Then & Forever "One of the surprises of the year." Elias Leight of Popmatters wrote "Now, Then & Forever has all the old colors and grooves, an impeccable rhythm section, prominent guitars, and indomitable horns that trace and re-trace motifs, dancing rings around everything." With a three out of five stars rating, Gavin Martin of the Daily Mirror exclaimed "Elements of greatness remain but the songs aren't classics." Daryl Easlea of Record Collector gave a four out of five stars rating and found that "Now, Then And Forever, is a splendid diversion that recalls – in spirit alone, of course – Rick Rubin’s recent work with Black Sabbath. It also sounds like a lost album that should have come out after 1979’s I Am: a very shrewd approximation of the EWF we know and love, it’s crammed with sophisticated R&B, gossamer-light jazz and powerful, soulful vocals with a positive message. Andy Kellman of AllMusic gave a three out of five stars rating saying "Now, Then & Forever demonstrates the lasting value of the band's classic sound." With a three out of five rating the Daily Record called Now, Then & Forever "a worthy effort, and EWF are clearly using old glories as inspiration for the future."
Track listing
Personnel Adapted from the album's text.
Earth, Wind & Fire Philip Bailey – lead vocals (1-5, 7-10), backing vocals (4, 5, 7, 9, 10), vocals (8), percussion Verdine White – bass (1-5, 7-10) Ralph Johnson – drums, percussion With: Myron McKinley – Rhodes electric piano (5), synthesizers (5, 8), keyboards (8) Morris O'Connor – guitars Greg Moore – guitars (4, 8) John Paris – drums (1-5, 7-10) Gary Bias – alto saxophone (4, 5, 7, 9), tenor saxophone (4, 5, 7, 9) Reggie Young – trombone (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10) Wendell Kelly – trombone (3) Philip Doran Bailey – backing vocals (1-5, 7, 9, 10), vocals (8), drum programming (9) B David Whitworth – backing vocals (1-5, 7, 9, 10), percussion
Additional musicians Larry Dunn – keyboards (1, 2, 5-9), Minimoog (2, 10), grand piano (3), Rhodes electric piano (4, 10), Moog Voyager (4-9), Hammond B3 organ (10), acoustic piano (10) Austin Jacobs – keyboards (1), programming (1, 3), synthesizers (3), horn arrangements (3) Darrin Simpson – keyboards (1, 3), programming (1, 3), guitars (1, 3), horn arrangements (1), acoustic piano (3), organ (3) Rickey Pageot – keyboards (2) Kenny Moran – synthesizers (9), drum programming (9) Juan F. Villaluna – guitars (1) Jarius Mozee – guitars (2) John "Jubu" Smith – guitars (2) Errol Cooney – guitars (5, 9) Neal Pogue – percussion (1, 3) David Leach – percussion (4, 10) Munyungo Jackson – percussion (6-9) Satnam Ramgotra – tabla (8) Fred Jackson, Jr. – tenor saxophone (1, 2, 10), flute (2, 10) Mark Visher – baritone saxophone (3), tenor saxophone (3) Duane Benjamin – trombone (1-3, 10) Nick Lane – trombone (1, 2, 10) Eric Jorgensen – trombone (3) Sal Cracchiolo – trumpet (1, 2, 10) James Ford – trumpet (1-3, 10) Christopher Gray – trumpet (1, 2, 10) Matt Fronke – trumpet (3) John Papenbrook – trumpet (3) Gary Grant – trumpet (4, 5, 9), flugelhorn (5, 9) Michael "Patches" Stewart – trumpet (4) Chuck Findley – trumpet (5, 7, 9), flugelhorn (5, 7, 9) Terence Blanchard – trumpet (8) Benjamin Wright – horn arrangements (1-3, 10) Jerry Hey — horn arrangements (4, 5, 7, 9) Daniel McClain – lead vocals (1), backing vocals (1-5, 7, 9, 10) Siedah Garrett – backing vocals (3) Jevon McGlory – backing vocals (7)
Reggie Dozier — horn engineer Larry Dunn — engineer Austin Jacobs — producer Paul Klingberg — engineer Justin Merrill — engineer Kenny Moran — engineer, percussion engineer Vernon Mungo — vocal engineer Jeremiah Olvera — mix assistant Dave Pensado — mixing Neal Pogue — additional production, engineer, mixing Dave Rideau — engineer Darrin Simpson — producer Verdine White — mix assistant
Production Damien Smith – A&R direction, management Neal Pogue – A&R direction, producer (1, 3, 4) Verdine White – co-executive producer Philip Bailey – executive producer, producer (5-9) Walter "Walt B" McKennie – producer (1, 3, 4) J.R. Hutson – producer (2) Myron McKinley – producer (5) Philip Doran Bailey – producer (7-9) Justin Panariello – producer (7, 9) Larry Dunn – producer (10) Trinity Bailey – A&R coordinator Jennifer Feinberg – project director Jim Parham – project director Tishaun Dawson – creative director, cover art Don Pace – cover art Mathieu Bitton – design Randee St. Nicholas – photography Dr. Billy Ingram – insert photography Irving Azoff – management
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (2013) Peakpositionscope="row" scope="row"scope="row" scope="row" scope="row" scope="row" scope="row" scope="row" scope="row"
Year-end charts Chart (2013) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 80
Singles - Billboard (US) YearSingleChartPosition2012"Guiding Lights"US Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs16US Billboard Adult R&B Songs302013"My Promise"US Billboard Adult R&B Songs28US Billboard Adult Contemporary Songs30
Certifications
References