That's the Way of the World

That's the Way of the World is the sixth studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire, released on March 15, 1975 by Columbia Records. It was also the soundtrack for a 1975 motion picture of the same name.[2][3] The album rose to No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Soul Albums charts.[4][5] That's the Way of the World has also been certified Triple Platinum in the U.S by the RIAA.[6]

That's the Way of the World
Soundtrack album by Earth, Wind & Fire
Released	March 15, 1975
Recorded	September 16, 1974 - October 2, 1974
Studio	Caribou Ranch (Nederland, CO); Sunset Sound (Los Angeles, CA); Hollywood Sound Recorders (Hollywood, CA); The Burbank Studios (Burbank, CA)
Genre	Progressive soul,[1] R&B, soul, funk
Length	38:23
Label	Columbia Legacy (1999 reissue)
Producer	Maurice White, Charles Stepney
Earth, Wind & Fire chronology
Another Time (1974) That's the Way of the World (1975) Gratitude (1975)
Singles from That's the Way of the World
"Shining Star" Released: January 21, 1975 "That's the Way of the World" Released: June 17, 1975

Overview

That's the Way of the World was produced by both EWF leader Maurice White and Charles Stepney.[3][2] The album spent three weeks atop the Billboard 200 chart.[4] That's the Way of the World also stayed on top of the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart for five weeks altogether.[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[7]
Variety	(favorable)[8]
Village Voice	(B+)[9]
Boston Globe	(favourable)[10]
Rolling Stone	(mixed)[11]
Vibe	(favorable)[12]
LA Weekly	(favourable)[13]
Stereo Review	(favorable)[14]
Chicago Tribune	(favourable)[15]
BBC	(favourable)[16]

Stephen Curwood of the Boston Globe said "these guys are great and this is a sound you shouldn't miss".[10] Variety exclaimed "Earth, Wind & Fire turn their multi-voiced big soul sound loose on eight solid numbers".[8] Daryl Easlea of the BBC wrote "Seen as a meditation on the rules of living, the album is nothing less than a spiritual soul masterpiece." He added "leader Maurice White synthesised all the elements of the group so far – straight-up funk, African mysticism, jazz and sublime balladry, and made a brief, focused album."[16] Chris Albertson of Stereo Review described the band's performance as a "disco delight" and the recording itself as "excellent".[14] Alex Henderson of Allmusic noted That's the Way of the World is "EWF's crowning achievement".[7] Gordon Fletcher of Rolling Stone said "Lousy production works to this LP's detriment — Maurice White has surprisingly chosen to have the entire album sound hot." Fletcher added "Great tunes (particularly the dynamic "Africano") and great musicianship are not what this one lacks — hopefully the next time out White will be able to tone things down accordingly in the places where a little under-statement is appropriate."[11] LA Weekly called the LP "Serious romantic music to wear silk bellbottom slacks to."[13] Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune wrote "Their new album 'That's the Way of the World' [Columbia], exploits the moods, if not the explosive instrumental power, that made their last platter 'Open Our Eyes,' a smash hit."[15] Robert Christgau of the Village Voice found that "Here ethnomusicology and colloquial homiletics are tacked onto the funk and soul and doowop and jazz, which makes for an instructive contrast -the taped-in-Africa Matepe Ensemble, whose spontaneous laughter closes out the coda, versus Maurice White, whose humorless platitutdes prove there's more to roots than turning a mbira into an ersatz vibraphone."[9] Vibe also proclaimed "That's the Way of the World coursed effortlessly through a myriad of genres, from rock to jazz to funk to heavy African influences".[12]

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

During 2004 That's the Way of the World was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. As well in 2012, Rolling Stone placed the album at 486 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, calling it "make-out music of the gods".[19][20]

Singles

The single, "Shining Star", reached number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles charts. "Shining Star" went on to win a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.[21][22][23] The album's title track reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart and No. 12 on the Hot 100 chart.[24][25]

Track listing

Original issue[26]

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Shining Star"	Philip Bailey, Larry Dunn, Maurice White	2:50
2.	"That's the Way of the World"	Charles Stepney, Verdine White, M. White	5:45
3.	"Happy Feelin'"	Al McKay, V. White, P. Bailey, L. Dunn, M. White	3:35
4.	"All About Love"	L. Dunn, M. White	6:35

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5.	"Yearnin' Learnin'"	P. Bailey, C. Stepney, M. White	3:39
6.	"Reasons"	P. Bailey, C. Stepney, M. White	4:59
7.	"Africano"	L. Dunn, M. White	5:09
8.	"See the Light"	Louise Anglin, P. Bailey, L. Dunn	6:18

1999 Legacy reissue (CK 65920)[7][27]

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

Personnel

• Bass – Verdine White
• Conductor – Saini Murira (track 8)
• Vocals, Congas – Philip Bailey
• Drums – Fred White, Maurice White, Ralph Johnson
• Flute, Soprano saxophone, Tenor saxophone – Andrew P. Woolfolk
• Guitar – Al McKay, Johnny Graham
• Kalimba – Maurice White
• Moog synthesizer, Piano, Organ, All Keyboards – Larry Dunn
• Percussion – Al McKay, Fred White, Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Ralph Johnson, Verdine White
• Additional Saxophone – Ernie Watts
• Strings – Saini Murira & Matepe Ensemble (track 8)
• Trombone – George Bohanon
• Trumpet – Oscar Brashear
• Vocals – Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Verdine White[26][27]

Production

• Producer – Maurice White (Original), Leo Sacks (Reissue)
• Co-producer – Charles Stepney (Original)
• Recording Engineer – George Massenburg (1-8), Curt Wittig (8)
• Mixing – George Massenburg (1-8), Maurice White (9-13), Paul Klingberg (9-13), Leo Sacks (9-13)
• Mixed at Hollywood Sound Recorders (Hollywood, CA).
• Mastered at Kendun Recorders (Burbank, CA).
• Art Direction – Howard Fritzen
• Design – Stephen Newman and Shusei Nagaoka
• Photography – Norman Seeff
• Musical Arrangements – Earth, Wind & Fire and Charles Stepney[26][27]

Charts and certifications

Charts

Album

Chart (1975)	Peak position
US Top LPs & Tape (Billboard)	1
US Top Soul LPs (Billboard)
Canada RPM Top Albums	15[28]

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1975	"Shining Star"	Billboard Hot Soul Singles	1
		Billboard Hot 100	1
	"That's the Way of the World"	Billboard Hot Soul Singles	5
		Billboard Hot 100	12

Certifications

Country	Award
US (RIAA)	Triple Platinum[6]

Accolades

The information regarding accolades attributed to That's the Way of the World is adapted from acclaimedmusic.net, soultracks.com and rockhall.com.[19][29][30]

Publication	Accolade	Year	Rank
Pause & Play	Albums Inducted into a Time Capsule, One Album per Week	2008	*
Robert Dimery	1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die	2005	*
Rolling Stone	The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time	2012	486
The Recording Academy	Grammy Hall of Fame	2004	*
Vibe Magazine	51 Albums representing a Generation, a Sound and a Movement	2004	*
Rickey Vincent	Five Star Albums from "FUNK: The MUSIC, the PEOPLE, and the RHYTHM		*
National Association of Recording Merchandisers and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame	The Definitive 200	2007	187
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. Strong, Martin Charles; Griffin, Brendon (2008). Lights, Camera, Soundtracks. Canongate. p. 365. ISBN 9781847670038.
2. "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's The Way Of The World". 45worlds.
3. Flans, Robyn (December 1, 2004). "Classic Tracks: Earth, Wind & Fire's "Shining Star"". mixonline.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2009. Retrieved May 7, 2009.
4. "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's The Way Of The World (Billboard 200)". billboard.com.
5. "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's The Way Of The World (Top Soul Albums)". billboard.com.
6. "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's The Way Of The World". riaa.com. RIAA.
7. Henderson, Alex. "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's the Way of the World". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
8. "Music Records: EW&F, Heyward-Lodge, Byrd, Argent, West, Moon, Kershaw, Newberry, Toussaint Top LPs". proquest.com. Vol. 178 no. 6. Variety. March 19, 1975. p. 64. ProQuest 1285987120.
9. Christgau, Robert. "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's the Way of the World". robertchristgau.com. Village Voice.
10. Curwood, Stephen (July 18, 1975). "Records: Nelson, Earth etc., Bee Gees". newspapers.com. Boston Globe. p. 11.
11. Fletcher, Gordon (July 3, 1975). "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's The Way Of The World". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone.
12. "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's The Way Of The World". Vol. 12 no. 9. Vibe Magazine. September 2004. p. 205. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
13. "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's the Way of the World". newspapers.com. LA Weekly. August 16, 1984. p. 51.
14. Albertson, Chris (September 1975). "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's the Way of the World" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Vol. 35 no. 3. Stereo Review. p. 93.
15. Page, Clarence (March 23, 1975). "6". Soul that's wet, self contained and in boot camp. Chicago Tribune. p. 16.
16. Easlea, Daryl (2010). "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's the Way of the World Review". bbc.co.uk. BBC.
17. earthwindandfire.com/bio_awards Archived 2009-03-07 at the Wayback Machine
18. Rockwell, John (August 11, 1975). "Elton John and Dylan get rock prizes". nytimes.com.
19. "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's The Way Of The World". acclaimedmusic.net.
20. Wenner, Jann S., ed. (2012). Rolling Stone – Special Collectors Issue – The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. USA: Wenner Media Specials. ISBN 978-7-09-893419-6
21. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Shining Star (Hot 100)". Billboard.
22. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Shining Star (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
23. "Earth, Wind & Fire". Recording Academy Grammy Awards.
24. "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's the Way of the World (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
25. "Earth, Wind & Fire: That's the Way of the World (Hot 100)". Billboard.
26. Earth, Wind & Fire. “That’s the Way of the World”. Columbia. 1975.
27. Earth, Wind & Fire: "That’s the Way of the World" (Remastered). Columbia / Legacy. 1999.
28. https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/list.aspx?OCRText=That%27s+The+Way+Of+The+World&Year=1975&ChartEn=Top+Albums%2fCDs&
29. "Definitive 200". rockhall.com.
30. "The 50 Best Soul Albums of the 1970s". soultracks.com.

External links

• That's the Way of the World on discogs.com