Verdine White Keeps it Real on Earth, Wind & Fire’s Latest

By CHRIS JISI – This article first appeared October 29, 2013 in Bass Player Magazine. Click here to view original article.

JAMES BROWN TAUGHT ALL BASS PLAYERS THE importance of “the one,” but few bassists have ever framed it like Earth, Wind & Fire’s Verdine White. Between his running-start pickups and his pocket-widening post-one pops, White enshrouds his downbeats in melodic and rhythmic robes of purple and gold. Chart gold, that is, as EWF has sold over 90 million albums en route to multiple Grammys and other prestigious awards (including Verdine’s 2008 BP Lifetime Achievement Award), and critical and popular consensus as of one of the greatest bands—R&B or otherwise—of the 20th century.

The new millennium began with EWF gaining entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and continuing to receive the worldwide adoration of fans and fellow artists via a non-stop touring schedule. However, the two CDs the band released, particularly 2005’s Illumination, were heavy on hip-hop collaboration and light on classic EWF elements—particularly Verdine!

Enter the band’s long-awaited return, Now, Then and Forever. The powerful ten-track disc is the aural equivalent of looking at vintage EWF through the glass of a contemporary recording studio. The current band centers around veterans Verdine, vocalist Philip Bailey, and percussionist Ralph Johnson, along with drummer John Paris, vocalists B. David Whitworth and Philip Bailey Jr., keyboardist Myron McKinley, guitarists Morris O’Connor and Greg Moore, saxophonist Gary Bias, trombonist Reggie Young, and trumpeter Bobby Burns Jr. Longtime EWF stalwarts augment the lineup: keyboardist Larry Dunn and horn arrangers Jerry Hey and Benjamin Wright, as well as the key “young blood” input of album co-producer Neal H Pogue, and the compositions of Bailey Jr., Darrin Simpson, JR Hutson, and others. The joyous result is a rebirth featuring quality songs with positive, uplifting lyrics, sing-along hooks, taut grooves, and high-flying horns, all aligned in the sonic and spiritual spectrum by Verdine’s signature bouncy bottom end.

Born in Chicago, Illinois on July 25, 1951, Verdine White was immersed in music at home: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and other jazz greats on vinyl via his dad, a sax-playing doctor, plus Motown and the Beatles on the radio, and two brothers who played drums. When the 15-year-old Verdine saw an upright bass in high school orchestra class, he immediately connected with the instrument, and he got an electric bass soon after. The family sent him to study with Radi Velah of the Chicago Symphony and Chess Records session bass guitarist/trombonist Louis Satterfield (later to become a member of EWF’s famed horn section, the Phenix Horns). Ultimately favoring his new Satterfield-inspired Fender Telecaster Bass over upright, Verdine began playing local clubs. Brother Maurice, a Chess drummer and member of the Ramsey Lewis trio, had meanwhile formed the Salty Peppers, and moved to Los Angeles after catching the ear of Capitol Records. Looking to expand the band he had renamed Earth, Wind & Fire, Maurice summoned Verdine to L.A. in June 1970.

When asked about the formation of a style that would change bass history, Verdine offers, “I had Jamerson and McCartney in my ears, and I saw a lot of [Ramsey Lewis upright bassist] Cleveland Eaton up close, but everything I learned and know on bass guitar is from Louis Satterfield. He had his own style from being a jazz trombonist; I would almost call it lead bass, but always holding the groove. He taught me scales and modes and odd meters, stuff that opened up my mind. That, along with the early coaching of Maurice and [EWF arranger/producer/composer] Charles Stepney, set me right.” From student to master. Satterfield and Stepney have since died, and for the first time, founder Maurice White is sitting this one out (although he’s very pleased with the results), leaving Verdine as the only White sibling on Now, Then & Forever. We talked with him in Los Angeles and Tokyo to find out about the making of the CD, and for his perspective on the artistic and commercial side of the music scene some 43 years in.

What was the process that led to Now, Then & Forever, after an eight-year gap in studio recordings?

One of the main reasons for the gap is that we’re out touring so much, we don’t have time to write. But when we finally made the commitment, we really locked in on it. The process started at Philip Bailey’s home studio, going through songs and doing some recording. Then Philip went back and listened to all of our albums to reconnect with classic Earth, Wind & Fire. Unlike our last CD, where we collaborated with some of the great young hip-hop artists, the concept this time was to sound like the Fire, but in the here and now. We wanted to return to a very organic, band kind of record. That posed a couple of challenges. First was coming up with great songs, which always takes time. And second was finding someone to make it contemporary, particularly on the sonic side. We all got together for dinner to see who we could bring in, and Philip, Jr. [Philip Deron Bailey], who co-wrote six songs on the CD, suggested Neal H. Pogue—someone he had worked with. Neal is a Grammy-winning mixer and producer whose credits include Out- Kast, Lil Wayne, Pink, and Nicki Manaj, as well as Stevie Wonder and Jeff Lorber. He really helped bring it all together.

Did you have the extensive preparation and recording time you had on classic EWF recordings?

I did, which was invaluable. Basically, it was a multi-step process: The writer for each song would give me a basic part, maybe a few specific lines with a chord sheet, and I would take it from there and make it my own. Because we wanted a band sound, we recorded about 75 percent of the material as a live rhythm section. Throughout those sessions, I had the luxury of listening to the tracks at home and in my car to really home in on myself, so I was able to go back in and take another pass or experiment with other ideas. From there, Neal Pogue was a huge help; if something caught his ear, he’d call and ask me to come in and tighten something up, or he’d say, “We like this note from an alternate track, come back and overdub it,” or, “Let’s try the part like this, and we would go to work.”

What else informed your parts?

Staying true to who we are. Like, on “Love Is Law,” there’s no bass through the first verse and chorus, and then I enter for the second verse. The writer, JR Hutson, didn’t want any bass to come in, except for a few stark lines. But I said, “That doesn’t sound like Earth, Wind & Fire.” So when I came in, I tried to really rock it by imagining how I would play the song live, behind Philip. The part I came up with reminds me of an Emotions track I did called “Flowers” [from Flowers, CBS, 1976]. As the years have gone by, I find I need to hear the vocal; listening to the lyrics and reacting to the emotion of the performance sparks my imagination. That happened with “Sign On”; we recorded it live, and then I went back and recut my bass to the final vocal. Ultimately, though, it’s about the songs, not the bass. You’re only as good as the songs you play on, and we have great songs. No amount of overplaying or overdubbing is going to help a bad song.

What basses did you use?

The only bass I used was my ’90s orange Yamaha BB-3000, with Black Diamond strings that Raphael Saadiq turned me on to. It’s a great recording bass with a crystal-clear sound; I don’t take it on the road or play it live anymore. We recorded it direct and through a miked Ampeg B-15.

Do you have favorite tracks?

I like “My Promise.” The great Seidah Garrett cowrote it, and she’s got a little vocal in there; it has a “September” vibe. That and “Dance Floor” are the only songs from the CD we’re playing live so far— although we tried “Night of My Life” in Europe and it was well-received. I dig “Rush”; shuffles are always up my alley. And I like the instrumental, “Splashes,” with the great Terence Blanchard sounding like a young Freddie Hubbard. I also helped sequence the record, which took a good four or five days of debating.

What’s your take on the effect the Internet, social media, and piracy has had on the music business, and how has EWF adapted?

It has forced the artist to be more proactive in order to survive. It’s your audience, and they’re interactive, so you have to communicate with them 24 hours a day because the Internet doesn’t sleep. With piracy greatly reducing the sales of songs and CDs, touring is just about as important as recording your music. Ultimately, you have to have your live performance down, your social media down, and make the best record you can make. Labels are finally getting a grasp on how to slow down piracy, but look at the Daft Punk CD; it sold millions of copies. That’s because people still love great music and great concerts. We’re selling more tickets now than ever in our career. The phenomenon that’s going on is parents are telling their kids what good music is, and they’re listening and going to concerts. We just played to 30,000 young people in Tokyo and 45,000 in Osaka.

What are your thoughts on the state of R&B, which EWF brought to an artistic apex in the ’70s?

I feel like we’re starting to make a great turn toward higher quality in our music; I mentioned the Daft Punk record, and there’s Justin Timberlake and Robin Thicke’s great new CDs. They’re fans of ours and Stevie’s and Marvin’s, and they dug deep into our stuff. What’s happening with a lot of these artists is they’ve become adults and they want to make good, adult music. When they were younger, they sampled our records because that’s what was available to them, and it was all they knew how to do. Now they’re able to create their own informed sounds on a much broader scale, so I’m very much encouraged by the future of the genre.

What is the role of technology and machines in R&B?

It’s a permanent part of the R&B experience, but it won’t remain the dominant part. Pro Tools is a permanent part of recording, but it won’t take the place of a Neve board. Technological advancements aside, a lot people forget that music was basically washed out of our school system. When you and I went to school, we always had band class, with instruments and uniforms and functions to play at; there was always someone lugging home an instrument on the bus. But those programs were cut, especially in the inner cities. As a result, whole generations of kids made music with what they had. There were plenty of inspired kids who spent as much time on turntables as we did practicing our instruments in the basement. If we can rectify this issue and get music programs and instruments back in the schools, we’re going to raise the level of young musicians and the music they make.

You’ve participated in all five BASS PLAYER LIVE! events in Los Angeles. What are your reflections on the state of the bass?

It’s alive and well! I’m so encouraged by all of these great young bassists I’ve gotten to meet and jam with, and I think it’s largely due to them having all of the educational tools available now, including access to players like me, Stanley, Marcus, Nathan, Larry, Bootsy, Victor, and others. Two that stand out for me right now are Esperanza Spalding— she’s so gifted—and Janelle Monáe’s bass player, Brandon Gilliard. I’m expecting big things from him.

As someone who seems to always be in forward motion, what does the future hold for you?

I’m one who doesn’t like to look too far ahead. I prefer to live in the moment—the future is now. I played on LL Cool J’s upcoming CD, but for me it’s all about touring and promoting our new record as we head home for the U.S. release. Earth, Wind & Fire is back, and we never left!