2003 Earth, Wind & Fire – The Promise
The promise is the eighteenth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire released in May 2003 on Kalimba Music. The album peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 5 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums chart.
“Where Do We Go from Here” and “Dirty” were originally recorded during the “I Am” sessions and remixed for this album. “Dirty”, in particular, in its original form with blues legend Junior Wells, already appeared on the 1992 box-set The Eternal Dance.
Tracks
1 All In The Way (Maurice White; Wayne Vaughn; Wanda Vaughn; Wendi Vaughn) 04:28
2 Betcha’ (Gregory Curtis) 03:42
3 Wiggle (Maurice White; Preston Glass) 00:38
4 Why? (Maurice White; Gregory Curtis) 04:03
5 Wonderland (Chris Rodriguez; Tommy Sims) 04:04
6 Where Do We Go From Here? (Bill Meyers; Ross Vannelli) 05:21
7 Freedom (Maurice White) 00:42
8 Hold Me (Tim Kelley; Bob Robinson) 04:36
9 Never (Maurice White; Gregory Curtis) 04:11
10 Prelude 00:39
11 All About Love (Wayne Vaughn; Wanda Vaughn; Sheila Hutchinson) 04:24
12 Suppose You Like Me (James Bailey; Ahmir Thompson; James Poyser; Pino Palladino) 04:37
13 The Promise (Maurice White; Ralph Johnson; Raymond Crossley) 00:27
14 Love’s Patience / She Waits (Tommy Sims; Marc Harris) 05:09
15 The Promise (Continued) (Maurice White; Ralph Johnson; Raymond Crossley) 00:51
16 Let Me Love You (Gregory Curtis) 04:17
17 Dirty (Maurice White) 03:47
Biography
Musicians
1 All In The Way
| Bass | Verdine White |
| Drums | Wayne Vaughn |
| Guitar | Greg Moore |
| Keyboards | Wayne Vaughn |
| Sax | Gary Bias |
| Trombone | George Bohanon |
| Trombone | Reginald Young |
| Trumpet | Raymond Lee Brown |
| Trumpet | Michael Patches Stewart |
| Kalimba | Maurice White |
| Background Vocals | Maurice White |
| Background Vocals | Philip Bailey |
| Background Vocals | Wanda Vaughn |
| Background Vocals | Sheila Hutchinson |
| Background Vocals | Gregory Curtis |
| Background Vocals | Howard McCrary |
| Vocals | Wanda Vaughn |
| Vocals | Maurice White |
2 Betcha’
| Bass | Verdine White |
| Drums (programming) | Gregory Curtis |
| Guitar | Erick Walls |
| Keyboards | Gregory Curtis |
| Percussion | Danny Reyes |
| Background Vocals | Gregory Curtis |
| Background Vocals | Maurice White |
| Background Vocals | Philip Bailey |
| Vocals | Philip Bailey |
3 Wiggle
| Drums (programming) | Cameron Marcarelli |
| Programming | Preston Glass |
4 Why?
| Bass | Verdine White |
| Drums (programming) | Gregory Curtis |
| Guitar | Darrell Crooks |
| Keyboards | Gregory Curtis |
| Sax | Gerald Albright |
| Percussion | Paulinho Da Costa |
| Background Vocals | Gregory Curtis |
| Background Vocals | Maurice White |
| Background Vocals | Fred White |
| Background Vocals | Wanda Vaughn |
| Background Vocals | Sheila Hutchinson |
| Vocals | Maurice White |
5 Wonderland
| Bass | Verdine White |
| Drums | John Paris |
| Drums (programming) | Cameron Marcarelli |
| Guitar | Chris Rodriguez |
| Keyboards | Gregory Curtis |
| Sax | Gary Bias |
| Trombone | Reginald Young |
| Trombone | Bill Reichenbach |
| Trumpet | Raymond Lee Brown |
| Trumpet | Gary Grant |
| Trumpet | Jerry Hey |
| Background Vocals | David Whitworth |
| Background Vocals | Gregory Curtis |
| Background Vocals | Robert Brookins |
| Background Vocals | Verdine White |
| Background Vocals | Maurice White |
| Vocals | Angie Stone |
| Vocals | Maurice White |
| Vocals | Philip Bailey |
6 Where Do We Go From Here?
| Keyboards | Alan Hewitt |
| Piano | Bill Meyers |
8 Hold Me
| Bass | Tim Kelley |
| Drums | Tim Kelley |
| Drums (programming) | Tim Kelley |
| Guitar | Bob Robinson |
| Keyboards | Tim Kelley |
| Background Vocals | Maurice White |
| Background Vocals | Krystal Johnson |
| Vocals | Maurice White |
| Vocals | Philip Bailey |
9 Never
| Bass | Verdine White |
| Drums (programming) | Gregory Curtis |
| Keyboards | Gregory Curtis |
| Guitar | Darrell Crooks |
| Piano | Freddie Ravel |
| Sax (Alto Solo) | Gerald Albright |
| Sax | Gary Bias |
| Trombone | Reginald Young |
| Trombone | Bill Reichenbach |
| Trumpet | Raymond Lee Brown |
| Trumpet | Jerry Hey |
| Trumpet | Gary Grant |
| Percussion | Paulinho Da Costa |
| Background Vocals | Gregory Curtis |
| Background Vocals | Maurice White |
| Background Vocals | Philip Bailey |
| Vocals | Philip Bailey |
11 All About Love
| Bass | Verdine White |
| Drums | Wayne Vaughn |
| Guitar | Greg Moore |
| Keyboards | Wayne Vaughn |
| Flute | Valarie King |
| Flute | Gary Bias |
| Sax | Gary Bias |
| Trombone | George Bohannon |
| Trombone | Reginald Young |
| Trumpet | Raymond Lee Brown |
| Trumpet | Michael Patches Stewart |
| Percussion | Munyungo Jackson |
| Background Vocals | Maurice White |
| Background Vocals | Wanda Vaughn |
| Background Vocals | Sheila Hutchinson |
| Background Vocals | Gregory Curtis |
| Background Vocals | Howard McCrary |
| Vocals | Maurice White |
12 Suppose You Like Me
| Bass | Verdine White |
| Drums | John Paris |
| Drums (programming) | Robert Brookins |
| Guitar | Greg Moore |
| Keyboards | Robert Brookins |
| Harmonica | Tollak Ollestad |
| Flugelhorn (Solo) | Raymond Lee Brown |
| Sax | Gary Bias |
| Trombone | Bill Reichenbach |
| Trombone | Reginald Young |
| Trumpet | Raymond Lee Brown |
| Trumpet | Jerry Hey |
| Trumpet | Gary Grant |
| Background Vocals | Philip Bailey |
| Background Vocals | Robert Brookins |
| background Vocals | Fred White |
| Background Vocals | David Whitworth |
| Vocals | Philip Bailey |
13 The Promise
| Drums (programming) | Ralph Johnson |
| Keyboards | Raymond Crossley |
| Keyboards | Wayne Linsey |
| Kalimba | Maurice White |
| Vocals | Maurice White |
14 Love’s Patience / She Waits
| Bass | Verdine White |
| Drums | John Paris |
| Guitar | Carlos Rios |
| Keyboards | Myron McKinley |
| Flugelhorn | Raymond Lee Brown |
| Flugelhorn | Michael Patches Stewart |
| Flugelhorn | Oscar Brashear |
| Trombone | Reginald Young |
| Trombone | Andy Martin |
| Trumpet | Raymond Lee Brown |
| Trumpet | Michael Patches Stewart |
| Trumpet | Oscar Brashear |
| Background Vocals | Fred White |
| Background Vocals | Maurice White |
| Vocals | Maurice White |
16 Let Me Love You
| Bass | Verdine White |
| Drums (programming) | Gregory Curtis |
| Guitar | Eric Walls |
| Keyboards | Gregory Curtis |
| Percussion | Danny Reyes |
| Background Vocals | Maurice White |
| Background Vocals | Gregory Curtis |
| Background Vocals | Philip Bailey |
| Vocals | Maurice White |
Liner Notes
Producer – Wayne Vaughn (Track 1)
Producer – Gregory Curtis (Tracks 2, 4, 9, 16)
Producer – Preston Glass (Tracks 3)
Producer – Paul Klingberg (Track 7)
Producer – Tim Kelley, Bob Robinson (Track 8)
Producer – Ralph Johnson (Track 13)
Arranged By – Bill Meyers (Track 6)
Arranged By – Tom Kelley (Track 8)
Arranged By (Horns) – Wayne Vaughn, Ray Brown (Track 1, 14)
Arranged By (Horns) – Jerry Hey (Track 5, 9, 12)
Arranged By (Horns) – Benjamin Wright (Track 11)
Arranged By (Strings) – Tom Mgrdichian (Track 14)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Myron McKinley (Track 14)
Mastered By – Steve Hall
Mixed By – Paul Klingberg
Mixed By – Dexter Simmons (Tracks 1, 2, 16)
Mixed By – Tim Kelley (Track 8)
Recorded By – Cameron Marcarelli
Recorded By (Additional) – Dave Dolimar, Will Mercer, Wayne Vaughn, Gregory Curtis, Andrew Haller
Recorded By (Assistant) – Cameron Marcarelli, Jason Carson, Dmitar Krijnac
Design – Morito Suzuki
Mastered At Future Disc, Hollywood, CA
Mixed At Magnet Vision Studios, Santa Monica, CA
Mixed At Pacifique Recording Studios, North Hollywood, CA
Mixed At The Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA
Recorded At Magnet Vision Studios, Santa Monica, CA
Recorded At Magnet Vision Studios, Santa Monica, CA
Recorded At The Enterprise, Burbank, CA
Recorded At Gold Rush Studios, LA, CA
Recorded At Cardraygee Studios, Oak Park, CA
Recorded At The Record Plant, LA, CA
Phonographic Copyright Kalimba Records Inc
Copyright Kalimba Records Inc