Delving into how the 21st became an unforgettable part of the fall season
Happy September 21, which lasts in the song since November 1978, when Earth, Wind & Fire released September as part of their first compilation The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, vol. 1. The single was preceded by the release of Got to Get You into My Life, followed by Boogie Wonderland, two other great tracks bands, but September surpassed the idea of a hit and became a truly legendary cultural element..
So how exactly did this song get into the studio and then into our hearts?
Who wrote September?
The classic funk song began with a chord sequence written by Earth, Wind & Fire guitarist Al McKay. The lyrics were then written by the band’s vocalist Maurice White along with songwriter Ellie Willis, who also worked with the band on Boogie Wonderland. White sings: Do you remember / The night of September 21? / Love changed the minds of the grooms/ When she was chasing away the clouds.
The runway was repaired within a month. According to a conversation with NPR, Willis initially disliked bait and noted that, in his opinion, ba-di-ia sounded like gibberish.
Nevertheless, they continued to work on the song, and Willis calls it his biggest lesson in songwriting.
Why did Earth, Wind and Fire choose September 21?
As for the process of choosing a specific date, which is sung in September, there are several different versions of this story. One of them claims that White just liked the cadence of the date and how it fit into the song. Meanwhile, Willis also mentioned a possible connection to the original birth date of White’s son, Cabran. He cites White’s wife Marilyn as the source of this theory.
Willis recalls how he was recognized at a restaurant when he was having dinner with Marilyn White, and a fan asked him about the meaning of the date. In 2018, he told The Wall Street Journal about this conversation: I told him what I had been saying for 40 years: “It doesn’t matter. This date just sang better. ‘Marilyn stopped me. She said: “Are you kidding? Our son Kabran was due to be born on the 21st.
Willis continues: Maurice never told me that. For decades, he has disappointed people whose birthdays or weddings fell on September 21. Now they know it.
What is the legacy of the song?
September quickly turned out to be one of the greatest hits of the band’s career: the song won gold and became multi-platinum worldwide, and many cities across the country declared September 21 the Day of Earth, Wind and Fire.
Internet connoisseurs among us can also link this song to the annual releases of comedian Demi Adehuyigbe, who celebrate this event with increasingly complex videos dedicated to this day, starting in 2016 and ending in 2021 with videos featuring band members. So don’t forget to join the party and celebrate in style today-make sure your heart is beating and your soul is singing throughout the day.
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