Song Earth And Fire

This top notch Dutch band from The Hague had their pinnacle during the early Seventies when they delivered some outstanding 24 carat symphonic rock albums. EARTH AND FIRE was founded by the twin brothers Chris (guitar) and Gerard (keyboards) Koerts in '68. Soon bass player Hans Ziech, drummer Kees Kalis and singer Lisette joined them. Unfortunately Lisette had to give up singing because of a serious eye-disease and Kees Kalis left…

A 10 CD box set with all the albums of the legendary Dutch Prog Rock Formation Earth and Fire. The nine albums packed in a monumental box, some albums of which no longer available for years, specifically for this release packed into replicas of the original sleeves. Besides there is an extra bonus CD with non-album singles, special single releases, b-sides and more. The accompanying booklet includes rare photos and clippings from the private archive of singer Jerney Kaagman.

This Dutch band featured female vocalist Jerney Kaagman, twin brothers Chris and Gerard Koerts (Chris handled the guitars and Gerard handled the keyboards), bassist Hans Ziech, and drummer Ton v.d. Kleij. Earth & Fire had quite a few hits, like "Seasons" (1969), "Ruby is the One" (1970), "Wild & Exciting" (1970), "Invitation" (1971, released only as a single at that time), "Memories" (1972), and many more…

Earth and Fire are legends of the Dutch rock scene, first making an impression with their debut single in 1969. They quickly established themselves as an international act thanks to the excellence of their material and the powerful vocals of Jerney Kaagman. In 1971 the band released arguably their finest work, 'Song of the Marching Children', a Mellotron soaked masterpiece that was a major selling album throughout Europe.

As phenomenally popular as Earth, Wind & Fire was from the mid-'70s to the early '80s, it's easy to forget that the band was hardly an overnight success. With Head to the Sky – EWF's fourth album overall, second with Philip Bailey, and second for Columbia – Maurice White's very spiritual and ambitious brand of soul and funk was starting to pay off commercially. The Latin-influenced "Evil" became the soulsters' biggest hit up to that point, and material ranging from the hauntingly pretty title song (which boasts one of Bailey's finest performances ever) to the jazz fusion gem "Zanzibar" is just as rewarding. The lineup White unveiled with Last Days and Time was working out beautifully; Bailey was clearly proving to be a major asset. Also worth noting is the presence of singer Jessica Cleaves, who left after this album and, several years later, resurfaced in George Clinton's eccentric female group the Brides of Funkenstein.

34 of the hit '70s soul/ funk/ disco group's very best, plus updated mixes of three different smashes added as bonus tracks, 'September '99' (Phats & Small Remix), 'Boogie Wonderland' (Stretch & Vern Remix) and 'Let's Groove' (Merchant Of Menace Remix). Also includes the original versions of these three, plus classics like 'After The Love Has Gone', 'Got To Get You Into My Life', 'Fantasy', 'Getaway', 'Sing A Song', 'Shining Star' and 'That's The Way Of The World'. 37 tracks total. Earth, Wind & Fire is an American band that has spanned the musical genres of R&B, soul, funk, jazz, disco, pop, rock, dance, Latin, and Afro pop. They have been described as one of the most innovative and commercially successful acts of all time. Rolling Stone called them "innovative, precise yet sensual, calculated yet galvanizing" and declared that the band "changed the sound of black pop".

Columbia's 1998 collection of Earth, Wind & Fire's Greatest Hits in many ways stands as the group's definitive compilation. Even though there have been more extensive overviews of the group's work, such as the triple-disc set The Eternal Dance, this is the first collection to contain all of the group's biggest hits on one disc. All but one ("Love Music") of the ten songs from 1978's The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire are included, while six of the ten songs from The Best Of, Vol. 2 are featured; the remaining two cuts on the 17-track collection are the minor early single "Kalimba Story" and the album cut "Gratitude." These are fine additions to the album, but the true meat of the collection lies in the hits – "Shining Star," "That's the Way of the World," "Sing a Song," "Getaway," "Got to Get You Into My Life," "September," "Boogie Wonderland," "After the Love Has Gone," "Let's Groove," and so many others. They might not be presented in chronological order (the only flaw in this otherwise flawless collection), but it's a sheer delight to have all of the hits on one terrifically entertaining and valuable disc.

The popularity of Earth, Wind & Fire's biggest hits - 'September', 'Boogie Wonderland', 'Let's Groove', 'Got To Get You Into My Life', 'Fantasy' and 'After The Love Has Gone' - will never diminish! Formed in Chicago in 1969 by Maurice White, with a blend of soul, funk, R&B, pop, rock, jazz and ultimately disco, they had hits in the US and UK through the '70s and '80s. Aside from the unique combination of White's baritone and Philip Bailey's falsetto vocals, the ensemble also featured the tightest horn section ever, playing the most exciting arrangements. The band won six Grammys, and sold over 90 million records. This 45-track compilation contains their 17 UK hits and 38 US hits, and features extended 12" versions of 'Boogie Wonderland' and 'Let's Groove'.