Ba de ya! Say that you remember! Ba de ya! Dancing in September! Ba de  yah! Musical analysiiiis!

It's finally time for Strong Songs to take on one of the strongest bands of all, the great Earth, Wind & Fire. In honor of September 21, Kirk does a deep dive on EWF's timeless tribute to the end of summertime - those layered grooves, those funky bass parts, and those glossy, effortless vocals.

Written by: Maurice White, Al McKay & Alee WillisProduced by: Maurice White

Album: The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. 1, 1978

Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

FEATURED/DISCUSSED:

• “Shining Star” and “Way of the World” by Earth, Wind & Fire from That’s The Way of the World, 1975
• “Serpentine Fire” by Earth, Wind & Fire from All N’ All, 1977
• “In The Stone” by EWF from I Am, 1979
• “Easy Lover” by Phillip Bailey, Phil Collins and Nathan East, 1990
• “Neutron Dance” by Alee Willis performed by the Pointer Sisters on Break Out, 1984
• “Celebration” by Kool & The Gang, 1980
• “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John and Bernie Taupin from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, 1973

OUTRO SOLOIST: Erik Elligers

Erik is a Connecticut-based multi-instrumentalist and music educator. He plays saxophone with the New London Big Band and sings and plays guitar for the fabulous band Goodnight Blue Moon - check them out, you won't regret it: https://www.goodnightbluemoon.com/

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STRONG PLAYLISTS

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SEPTEMBER 2021 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

Rob BosworthJosh PearsonKyle CookeDonald MackieMelissa OsborneChristopher MillerTim ByrneJamie WhiteChristopher KupskiChristopher McConnellJoshua JarvisNikoJoe LaskaLaurie AcremanKen HirshJezJenness GardnerSimon CammellGuinevere BoostromNarelle HornNathaniel BauernfeindBill RosingerAnne BrittDavid ZahmErinAidan CoughlanJeanneret Manning Family FourDoug PatonRobert PaulViki DunDave SharpeChrister LindqvistSami SamhuriAccessViolationRyan TorvikMerlin MannGlennJim ChokeyAndre BremerMark SchechterDave FloreyDan Apczynski

SEPTEMBER 2021 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

kurt wendelkenAdam StofskyZak RemerRishi SahayStefan NiebrüggeJason ReitmanKaren LiuGreg BurgessAilie FraserSimon PrietoBreck JonesPaul McGrealKaren ArnoldNATALIE MISTILISJosh SingerPhino DeLeonSchloss Edward J. MDRhyanon MurrayAmy Lynn ThornsenAdam WKelli BrockingtonStephen RawlingsBen MachtaVictoria YuKevin RiversGray DyerBrad ClarkChristopherMichael J. CunninghamKari KirkMark Boggsmino caposselaSteve PaquinMary SchoenmakerSarahDavid JoskeEmma SklarBernard KhooMarcRobert HeuerMatthew GoldenBrian MeldrumDavid NoahGeraldine ButlerRichard CambierMadeleine MaderFernando RodriguezTimothy DoughertyJason PrattStewart OakCaroline MillerAbbie BergSam NortonNicole SchleicherDoug BelewDermot CrowleyAchint SrivastavaRyan RairighMichael Bermanstephen matthewsBridget LyonsOlivia BishopJohn GisselquistElaine MartinKourothSharon TreeBelinda Mcgrath-steerLiz SegerEoin de BurcaKevin PotterM Shane BordersPete SimmDallas HockleyJana JJason GerryRich RoskopfMelissa GalloNathan GouwensWill Dwyer Alethea LeeLauren ReayEric PrestemonCookies250Spencer ShirleyDamian BradyAngela LivingstoneJeffrey C. YarnellDavid FriedmanPhillip DaltonSarah SulanDiane HughesKenneth TiongJo SutherlandMichael CasnerMichael YorkBarb CourtneyDerek BenderJen SmallLowell MeyerEtele IllesStephen TsoneffLorenz SchwarzBecca SampleWenJack SjogrenBenedict PenningtonGeoff GoldenRobyn FraserAlexander GeddesPascal RuegerRandy SouzaJCBrendan JubbClare HolbertonDiane TurnerTom ColemanMark PerryDhu WikMelEric HelmJake RobertsBriony LeoBill FullerJonathan DanielsMichael FlahertyJarrod SchindlerZoe LittleCaro Fieldmichael bochnerDuncanDavid CushmanAlexanderJeremy DawsonChris KGavin DoigSam FennTanner MortonAJ SchusterJennifer BushDavid StroudAmanda FurlottiAndrew BakerJuan Carlos Montemayor ElosuaMatt GaskellJules BaileyEero WahlstedtBill ThorntonBrian AmoebasBrett DouvilleJeffrey OlsonMatt BetzelMuellerNate from KalamazooMelanie StiversRichard TollerAlexander PolsonEarl LozadaJon O’KeefeJustin McElroyArjun SharmaJames JohnsonAndrew LeeKevin MorrellKevin PennyfeatherNicholas SchechterEmily Williams