The pandemic has played havoc with the world of live music and musicians have done anything and everything to keep some form of revenue flowing. Bands like Green Day have been playing for the past month (great show in Hershey Park) to packed stadiums and musicians are returning to the studio to record new albums. Raise your hand if you had Earth, Wind & Fire returning to the studio on your 2021 Bingo card?
The nine-time Grammy® Award-winning icons and one of the best-selling artists of all time, Earth, Wind & Fire have signed a global agreement with Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) that will result in the band returning to the studio for a new project with 12-time Grammy® Award winner Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds as producer and are set to release a reimagined version of their classic hit “Can’t Hide Love” titled “You Want My Love” with 4-time Grammy® Award nominee Lucky Daye on August 20th.
Featuring a topline vocal performance from rising singer-songwriter Lucky Daye and guitars by renowned hitmaker Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, who also produced the song alongside Demonte Posey (Toni Braxton, Tori Kelly, Jesse J), “You Want My Love” fuses the groundbreaking musical sounds of Earth, Wind & Fire with a contemporary star.
Lucky offers a modern take on the track and makes it his own, while simultaneously keeping the spirit of the original version that Earth, Wind & Fire fans have recognized for four decades intact.
This year marks the 45th anniversary of the chart-topping single, which was originally released on the ‘studio side’ of Earth, Wind & Fire’s double-live album, Gratitude, in 1975. “Can’t Hide Love” peaked in the Billboard Top 40 Pop, reached #11 on the R&B Singles charts, and earned the band a Grammy®-nomination for Best Arrangement For Voices in 1977.
Speaking of the track, Earth, Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey shares, “I am super hyped about this all-star collaboration – Earth, Wind & Fire, Lucky Daye, and Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds producing. It was an honor to join forces with these two superstars, and I truly believe we’ve created a winner all the way.”
“This project has been fantastic to work on,” says Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds. “We really wanted to bring a tremendous, iconic song that is unmistakably Earth, Wind & Fire into the contemporary world of Lucky Daye. The goal was to create a reimagined version of this classic song that reflects Lucky’s unique voice and musical style, while still honoring the original.”
Lucky adds: “When I first got the call, I flipped. Artists like me only dream of moments like this. I’m honored to be a part of the Earth, Wind & Fire legacy. I love these guys, man.”
On Saturday, August 21, Earth, Wind & Fire will take the stage on the Great Lawn in Central Park for a special performance at “WE LOVE NYC: The Homecoming Concert produced by New York City, Clive Davis and Live Nation” to celebrate the city of New York’s reopening, alongside an all-star lineup of performers.
Joined by Lucky Daye and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, the band is set to perform “You Want My Love” as part of this historic, once-in-a-generation concert, which will air live worldwide exclusively on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español, and unauthenticated on CNNGo beginning at 5pm ET.
Related: Music Streaming Up 15%, Vinyl Sales Double in First Half of 2021
