Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire - Sing a Song All Night Long

You can comb the incredible statistics surrounding Lionel Richie's amazing career and still miss something. You can factor in the nearly 60 million albums sold, the five Grammy's, twenty two top ten hits, an Oscar for best song, a golden globe, a treasure chest of People's choice and American Music Awards too numerous to count, and a discography of albums and singles that navigate an emotional landscape that only few writer/performers have ever truly captured-- and still not see what may be the key to this incredible musical legacy.<br>

Earth, Wind &amp; Fire were one of the most musically accomplished, critically acclaimed, and commercially popular funk bands of the '70s. Conceived by drummer, bandleader, songwriter, kalimba player, and occasional vocalist Maurice White, EWF's all-encompassing musical vision used funk as its foundation, but also incorporated jazz, smooth soul, gospel, pop, rock &amp; roll, psychedelia, blues, folk, African music, and, later on, disco. Lead singer Philip Bailey gave EWF an extra dimension with his talent for crooning sentimental ballads in addition to funk workouts; behind him, the band could harmonize like a smooth Motown group, work a simmering groove like the J.B.'s, or improvise like a jazz fusion outfit. Plus, their stage shows were often just as elaborate and dynamic as George Clinton's P-Funk empire. More than just versatility for its own sake, EWF's eclecticism was part of a broader concept informed by a cosmic, mystical spirituality and an uplifting positivity the likes of which hadn't been seen since the early days of Sly &amp; the Family Stone. Tying it all together was the accomplished songwriting of Maurice White, whose intricate, unpredictable arrangements and firm grasp of hooks and structure made EWF one of the tightest bands in funk when they wanted to be. Not everything they tried worked, but at their best, Earth, Wind &amp; Fire seemingly took all that came before them and wrapped it up into one dizzying, spectacular package.