Earth, Wind & Fire, Gratitude | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 170th edition of Throwback Vibez (2024), we recollect and reflect on “Gratitude” by Earth, Wind & Fire.   

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 170^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2024), we recollect and reflect on “Gratitude” performed by Earth, Wind & Fire.

“Wanna thank you, yeah.” Ah, the beauty of “Gratitude”, Earth, Wind & Fire! “Gratitude” is the 13^th track on the iconic band’s 1975 double-live album, Gratitude.  The main attraction from triple-platinum LP is the top-five pop hit “Sing A Song” but the non-single “Gratitude” is swell too. The musicianship is top-notch – nothing short of delightful! The listener’s ears are blessed with a funky, sickening groove.  Besides the work put in by the drums, there’s a fabulous, big bass line, marvelous rhythm guitar, and electrifying horn riffs.  From the onset, “Gratitude” is feel-good.  Verdine White, Larry Dunn, Maurice White, and Philip Bailey penned this thankful funk/soul gem.  Maurice White and Charles Stepney produced.

Besides the epic instrumental accompaniment, the vocals are fire too.  The vocal performance is playful and, thankful. “We just wanna give gratitude, yeah / Got plenty of love we wanna give to you, yeah.” Indeed, EW&F.  They continue, exuberantly, “Through good music, we’re tryin’ to say, yeah, yeah / That the good Lord’s gonna make a way / Gonna make a way, gonna make a way.” Amen! Hallelujah! With an awesome “holy sound,” Earth, Wind & Fire take us to church while still keeping things hella funky.  The lyrics are few, but they speak volumes while the music takes the cake. Earth, Wind & Fire had many big-time pop hits, but we must extend gratitude for a superb album track like “Gratitude”.

Earth, Wind & Fire // Gratitude // Columbia // 1975

Earth, Wind & Fire, Gratitude: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 170 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Columbia; OpenClipart-Vectors, Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Speedy McVroom from Pixabay]