If you try to get Verdine White to wax nostalgic or talk about the legacy of Earth, Wind & Fire, you won’t get far.
“We don’t do it like that,” White said. “We just keep it moving. We’re very appreciative of the past, but we’re not looking back.”
That said, Earth, Wind & Fire can’t help but fill its shows with the songs that got the group in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, earned a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award, won praise from the likes of the late Miles Davis, Quincy Jones and Alicia Keys, and influenced generations of artists ranging from Beyonce and Justin Timberlake to Lion Babe’s Jillian Hervey.
Earth, Wind & Fire was founded by White’s older brother Maurice in 1970. By the mid ‘70s, Earth, Wind & Fire was one of the most popular bands in the world, riding a string of hits that ran from 1975’s No. 1 smash “Shining Star” through “Sing a Song,” “Got to Get You into My Life,” “Boogie Wonderland” and “Let’s Groove.”
Four decades and the sale of 90 million albums plus later, the band is still going strong, playing music that feels fresh and contemporary in widely praised shows around the globe.
“We have to thank my brother Maurice for that,” White said. “He was the originator, the creator of the band. He put something together that ended up being timeless. The music’s been everywhere. It’s part of the soundtrack of our lives, of multiple generations’ lives. We see it every night.”
That music, a mix of funk, soul, R&B and rock with shades of jazz, Latin and Afro-pop, created a revolution in Black pop in the ‘70s and continues to reverberate today.
“It’s a fusion of styles,” White said. “In the beginning, we actually did more jazz, then put in R&B, then pop, then rock. That came from Maurice. He was definitely the leader, putting it all together made it really sound universal and unique at the same time.”
While White wouldn’t commit to any specifics, he said it’s likely that Earth Wind & Fire will have a new album out sooner rather than later. It would be its first since 2014’s “Holiday” and its first since Maurice White’s 2016 death.
So far, though, the only newer music is a single, “You Want My Love.” Produced by Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, it features guest vocals from Lucky Daye.
Maurice suffered from Parkinson’s Disease for several years before his passing and stopped touring with the band. But Verdine said he continued to have input concerning the music.
Now the remaining members of the band don’t have their founder to help create music, but White said Maurice gave them the tools they need to carry on the group’s legacy.
“He trained us very well, so we’re very confident,” White said. “He was a great teacher. A great teacher, big brother. He was as cool as they come.”
On tour the three original members – Verdine, who plays bass, drummer Ralph Johnson and singer Philip Bailey (he of the sky-piercing voice) – are joined in the live shows by a three-man horn section, several of percussionists and vocalists, a keyboard player, a pair of guitarists.
They deliver a tightly rehearsed, choreographed, musically impressive show, whether it’s to a few thousand people in a small amphitheater, a larger concert venue like Boston’s TD Garden where they will appear July 8, or tens of thousands of viewers at festivals.
So in the spirit of keeping moving, what can those who come to see Earth, Wind & Fire expect?
“Tell ‘em they’re going to feel better after (the show) than they did coming in and they might not be able to sleep that night,” he said. “We have to have an exciting show. The audience has to enjoy themselves. They will. It will be fun.”