Sailaway
| "Sailaway" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Song by Earth, Wind & Fire | |
| from the album Faces | |
| Published | 1980 by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Saggifire Music, Sir & Trini Music, Criga Music, Noa Noa Music |
| Released | October 14, 1980 |
| Recorded | March – July 1980 |
| Studio | George Massenburg Studio The Complex/ARC Studios, AIR Studios Montserrat |
| Genre | R&B |
| Length | 4:08 |
| Label | ARC/Columbia |
| Songwriters | |
| Producer | Maurice White |
"Sailaway" is a song written by Maurice White, Eddie del Barrio, Philip Bailey, and Roxanne Seeman and recorded by American R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire for their 1980 album Faces.[1][2] It was produced by White and recorded during the Faces sessions in Montserrat at George Martin's AIR Studios and in Los Angeles at The Complex/ARC Studios 1980, engineered and mixed by George Massenburg.[3][4][5]
"Sailaway" was released as a vinyl 12" maxi disc with "Back on the Road" in 1980 by Columbia Records.[6]
Philip Bailey covered "Sailaway" under the title "Sail Away" on his jazz album Dreams issued in 1999 by Heads Up International.[7][8][9]
1980 promo disc
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "In Time" | Arlene Matza, Howard McCrary, Maurice White | 3:44 |
| 2. | "Sailaway" | Philip Bailey, Eddie del Barrio, Roxanne Seeman, White | 4:08 |
| 3. | "Back On the Road" | Al McKay, White | 3:33 |
| 4. | "Win Or Lose" | Jean Hancock, Jerry Peters | 3:55 |
Composition and lyrics
This song is a waltz in ¾ time and recorded in the key of G Major.
For the Faces album, White and Bailey invited lyricists from outside of the band to collaborate with them "to polish our songs and take them to the next level."[10] In the liner notes written by Christian John Wikane for the 2010 UK reissue of "Faces" released by Big Break Records, Wikane quoted Roxanne Seeman recounting:[1]
“Philip called me one day and said, Do you want to write a song for The Fire?...I went over to his place. They had cut a beautiful rhythm track that Maurice had written with Eddie del Barrio. Philip gave it to me. We did some of it together. I went home, did some more of it, came back, and then we did more of it together.” [11]
Production
The rhythm track for Sailaway was recorded at George Martin's Air Montserrat studios. Vocals, horns, strings and overdubs were recorded at The Complex, designed by George Massenburg with custom-built equipment and board for Maurice White's ARC facility in Los Angeles.[12]
Horns and strings were arranged by Eric Bulling. The recording includes a trombone solo performed by Louis Satterfield. The song was recorded and mixed by George Massenberg and Ken Fowler. It was mastered by Michael Reese.[12]
Critical reception
Phyl Garland of Stereo Review in her review of the album, praised the song saying "especially fine items among the fifteen selections on these four sides include 'Sailaway', a rhapsodically beautiful little tidbit".[13] Sal Caputo of Gannett also described Sailaway as "reminiscent of the best of The Dells (and oddly enough The Beach Boys)".[14]
Philip Bailey solo version
Philip Bailey recorded a solo version of "Sailaway", entitled "Sail Away", on his jazz album Dreams, released in June 1999 on Heads Up International Records. The track was produced by Erik Huber.[15][16]
References
- 1 2 Bailey, Philip; Zimmerman, Keith; Zimmerman, Kent (2014-04-15). Shining Star: Braving the Elements of Earth, Wind & Fire. Penguin. ISBN 978-1101607930.
- ↑ Billboard Magazine (PDF). August 14, 1982. p. 62.
- ↑ Faces – Earth, Wind & Fire at AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
- ↑ Piccarella, John (2013-02-11). "Earth, Wind & Fire". Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.a2235083. ISBN 9781561592630.
- ↑ Billboard Magazine (PDF). February 16, 1980. p. 14.
- ↑ Back on the Road. Columbia Records. 1980.
- ↑ Woodard, Josef. "Philip Bailey". JazzTimes. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
- ↑ Graybow, Steve (June 26, 1999). "Bailey Shows His Jazz Roots With "Dreams"". Billboard.
- ↑ Jazz, All About (July 1999). "Philip Bailey: Dreams". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
- ↑ Bailey, Trenton (2023). "Back on the Road". Do You Remember?: Celebrating Fifty Years of Earth, Wind & Fire. University Press of Mississippi. pp. 114–127. doi:10.2307/j.ctv37ftc8h.12.
- ↑ Wikane, Christian John (2010). Halation Vibration. United Kingdom: Big Break Records.
- 1 2 Earth, Wind & Fire – Face. Columbia Records. 1980.
- ↑ Garland, Phyl (March 1981). "Popular Music (Earth, Wind & Fire: Faces)" (PDF). Stereo Review. Vol. 46, no. 3. p. 122 – via americanradiohistory.com.
- ↑ Caputo, Sal (December 13, 1980). "If only EWF would hush up and play their music". The San Bernardino County Sun. p. 42 – via newspapers.com.
- ↑ Jazz, All About (July 1999). "Philip Bailey: Dreams album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
- ↑ Sail Away – Philip Bailey at AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
External links
- "Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- "Earth, Wind and Fire – Faces – vinyl record". Etsy.com. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- "Deep Online December 2010". Soulexpress.net. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- "Maurice White, Founder of Earth, Wind & Fire Dies at 74". Los Angeles Sentinel. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
