Sing A Song

Album: Gratitude (1975)
Charted: 5
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Earth, Wind & Fire hit the road hard after releasing their 1975 breakthrough album That's the Way of the World. "Sing A Song" was built around a riff that their guitarist Al McKay came up with in the dressing room during a gig. McKay finished writing the song with group leader Maurice White, who kept the lyrics simple - a joyful message about the power of song. White produced the track with Charles Stepney, who he worked with as a staff musician at Chess Records in Chicago when White was a drummer and Stepney played piano and did arrangements. On this track, they created a sound similar to what they often did at Chess on records for Betty Everett, Etta James and Fontella Bass.
  • Gratitude was a double album, but only one side was recorded in a studio - the other three sides were live recordings since the band was so busy on the road they didn't have time make another full studio album. "Sing A Song" was one of the studio cuts, and it helped the album sell over 3 million copies, and preparing the musical world for Peter Frampton's Frampton Comes Alive, which was released a few months later.

Comments: 1

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 1st 1976, "Sing A Song" by Earth, Wind and Fire peaked at #5 (for 3 weeks) on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; it had entered the chart on November 16th, 1975 and spent 17 weeks on the Top 100 (and for 8 of those 21 weeks it was on the Top 10)...
    And on January 25th, 1976 it reached #1 (for 1 week) on Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
    Was track one of side four on the group's double album, 'Gratitude', and on December 28th, 1975 it peaked at #1 (for 6 non-consecutive weeks) on Billboard's R&B/Soul Albums chart (plus on January 11th, 1976 it reached #1 (for 3 weeks) on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart).
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Mike Campbell

Mike CampbellSongwriter Interviews

Mike is lead guitarist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and co-writer of classic songs like "Boys Of Summer," "Refugee" and "The Heart Of The Matter."

Donny Osmond

Donny OsmondSongwriter Interviews

Donny Osmond talks about his biggest hits, his Vegas show, and the fan who taught him to take "Puppy Love" seriously.

Carl Sturken

Carl SturkenSongwriter Interviews

Hitmaker Carl Sturken on writing and producing for Rihanna, 'N Sync, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Donny Osmond, Shakira and Karyn White.

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

Mick Jones of Foreigner

Mick Jones of ForeignerSongwriter Interviews

Foreigner's songwriter/guitarist tells the stories behind the songs "Juke Box Hero," "I Want To Know What Love Is," and many more.

The Police

The PoliceFact or Fiction

Do their first three albums have French titles? Is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" really meaningless? See if you can tell in this Fact or Fiction.