In the Stone
| "In the Stone" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Earth, Wind & Fire | ||||
| from the album I Am | ||||
| B-side | "You and I" | |||
| Released | 1979 | |||
| Recorded | 1978 | |||
| Genre | Disco[1] | |||
| Length | 4:48 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Maurice White | |||
| Earth, Wind & Fire singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"In the Stone" is a song by R&B/funk band Earth, Wind & Fire issued as a single in 1979 on Columbia Records. The song rose to No. 23 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart.[2][3]
Overview
"In the Stone" was produced by Maurice White, who composed the song with Allee Willis and David Foster. The single also came off Earth, Wind & Fire's 1979 album I Am.[2]
Background and composition
In an interview with Questlove Supreme, songwriter Allee Willis explained the story behind the song saying : "The first thing Maurice ever said to me was "What do you know about Eastern philosophies ?" and I said I didn't know anything so he gave me a list of books and sent me to a store in L.A. called The Bodhi Tree. He gave me 10 books and said the one you have to start with is The Greatest Salesman in the World and I thought it's about advertising I got this down and I opened it up and it's not about advertising, it's about the prophets and they're in the old Egypt. I got so confused immediately."[4]
"But In The Stone was supposed to be the song that got all their philosophy in there so I never understood it as we were writing. He would basically tell me what he wanted to say and I would give him 10 different lines that said that. Now of course I understand everything it's very much about the fact that everything is pre-written, there's this mindset for what men is and he very much believed in past lives and future lives but that one I was flying by the seat of my pants."[5]
About the songwriting process, she explained : "I don't remember with that particular song that I was in the same room at the same time with David Foster. He started it with Maurice then Maurice brought it to me and we like finished it."[6]
Critical reception
Phyl Garland of Stereo Review wrote "In the Stone is less imaginative than many of Earth, Wind & Fire's previous efforts, but performing gusto compensates for the slim substance."[7][8] Ace Adams of the New York Daily News called "In the Stone" one of the album's "best songs."[9] Cash Box said it was "an irresistable dancing cut" that "moves to a swinging mixture of catchy percussives and intricately woven harmonies."[10] James Johnson of the Evening Standard proclaimed "the slightly curious cosmic overtones of their lyrics remain in evidence on..In the Stone".[11]
Personnel
- Writing, lyrics – Allee Willis, David Foster, Maurice White
- Producer – Maurice White
Production[12]
- Horn arrangement – Jerry Hey
- String arrangement – David Foster
- Programmer – Steve Porcaro
Engineers
- Engineer – George Massenburg, Tom Perry
- Mixing engineer – George Massenburg
- Assistant engineer – Craig Widby, Ross Pallone
Performers
- Saxophone – Fred Jackson Jr., Herman Riley, Jerome Richardson
- Alto saxophone, baritone saxophone – Don Myrick
- Tenor saxophone – Andrew Woolfolk, Don Myrick
- Bass – Meyer Rubin, Susan Ranney, Verdine White
- Drums – Fred White, Maurice White
- Guitar – Al McKay, Johnny Graham, Marlo Henderson, Steve Lukather
- Congas – Philip Bailey
- Keyboards – Bill Myers, David Foster, Eddie Del Barrio
- Percussion – Maurice White, Paulinho Da Costa, Philip Bailey, Ralph Johnson
- Piano, synthesizer – Larry Dunn
- Timpani – Richard Lepore
- French horn - Barbara Korn, Marilyn Robinson, Richard Perissi, Sidney Muldrow
- Trombone – Benjamin Powell, Garnett Brown, George Bohanon, Louis Satterfield, Maurice Spears, William Reichenbach
- Trumpet - Bobby Bryant, Elmer Brown Jr., Jerry Hey, Michael Harris, Oscar Brashear, Rahmlee Michael Davis, Steve Madaio
- Viola - Barbara Thomason, Linda Lipsett, Norman Forrest, Renita Koven
- Violin - Barry Socher, Betty Lamagna, Carl LaMagna, David Stockhammer, Haim Shtrum, Harris Goldman, Jack Gootkin, Lya Stern, Marcia Van Dyke, Mary D. Lundquist, Ronald Clark, Ruth Henry, Sheldon Sanov
- Cello – Daniel Smith, Jan Kelley, Ronald Cooper, Concert Master, Janice Gower
- Harp – Dorothy Jeanne Ashby
- Vocal - Maurice White, Philip Bailey
- Background Vocal – Maurice White, Philip Bailey
Chart positions
| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 58 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles | 23 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Top Singles | 39[13] |
References
- ^ Holtje, Stephen (January 1, 1998). "Earth, Wind & Fire/Maurice White". In Graff, Gary; du Lac, Josh; McFarlin, Jim (eds.). MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. pp. 189–190.
- ^ a b Earth, Wind & Fire: In the Stone. Columbia Records. 1979.
- ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire: In the Stone (Hot Soul Songs)". billboard.com. Billboard.
- ^ "QLS Classic : Allee Willis". Questlove Supreme.
- ^ "QLS Classic : Allee Willis". Questlove Supreme.
- ^ "Episode 10 – Allee Willis". Sodajerker.
- ^ Garland, Phyl (October 1979). "Earth, Wind & Fire: I Am" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Vol. 43, no. 4. Stereo Review. p. 100.
- ^ Garland, Phyl (October 1979). "Earth, Wind & Fire: I Am" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Vol. 43, no. 4. Stereo Review. p. 102.
- ^ Adams, Ace (June 22, 1979). "Mini Reviews". newspapers.com. New York Daily News. p. 321.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. September 29, 1979. p. 18. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ^ Johnson, James (June 14, 1979). "Pick An Album". Evening Standard. p. 27 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jaxsta". jaxsta.com. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire: In the Stone". charts.nz. RIANZ.
