STUCK IN THE VINYL AGAIN - EARTH, WIND, & FIRE - GRATITUDE

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Good morning Friday people and welcome back to Stuck In The Vinyl Again. Today we celebrate American  R&B, soul, gospel and funk vocalist and percussionist, Philip Bailey, known for his work with Earth, Wind, & Fire, as he celebrates his 69th Birthday. Happy Birthday Philip ! To mark the occasion we spotlight the group's first live album, Gratitude. Gratitude is a double live album (with the exception of Side 4, which is comprised of studio tracks) released on Columbia Records on November 11, 1975. It was produced by Maurice White, Charles Stepney,  and Joe Wissert. The LP(s) peaked at #1 on both the Billboard 200 and the Top Soul Albums chart and has been certified 3X Platinum. "Sing A Song" (#5 Hot 100, #1 Hot Soul Singles) and "Can't Hide Love"  (#39 Hot 100, #11 Hot Soul Singles) were released as singles.

1. "Introduction by MC Perry Jones"  0:21
2. "Africano/Power"  5:56
3. "Yearnin' Learnin'"  4:16
4. "Devotion"  5:07

Side two

5. "Sun Goddess"  7:41
6. "Reasons"  8:23
7. "Sing a Message to You"  1:19

Side three

8. "Shining Star"  4:55
9. "New World Symphony"  9:28
10. "Sunshine" 4:24

Side four

11. "Sing a Song"  3:23
12. "Gratitude"  3:23
13. "Celebrate"  3:06
14. "Can't Hide Love" 4:10

Philip Bailey - vocals, congas, percussion
Larry Dunn - organ, piano, Moog synthesizer
Johnny Graham - guitar

Michael Harris - trumpet
Ralph Johnson - drums, percussion
Perry Jones - talking voice 

Al McKay - guitar, percussion
Don Myrick - saxophone
Louis Satterfield - trombone

Fred White - drums, percussion
Maurice White - vocals, drums, timbales, kalimba
Verdine White - vocals, bass, percussion
Andrew Woolfolk - percussion, saxophone

Production :

Earth, Wind & Fire - arrangers (all tracks)
Maurice White - audio mixing, remix producer, original recording producer (All tracks), original album producer

Joe Wissert - producer (original recording - live tracks), original album producer
Charles Stepney - arranger (studio tracks), producer (original recording - studio tracks), original album producer

Leo Sacks -  audio mixing 
Joy Gilbert - project director
Richard Salvato - director, direction
Art Macnow - direction

Howard Fritzson - art direction
Steve Hall - mastering
Mark Wilder - mastering
Paul Klingberg - remix producer, audio mixing 

George Massenburg - recording engineer (all tracks), mixing
Cameron Marcarelli - assistant engineer, mixing assistant 
Shusei Nagaoka - artwork

Steve Newman - design
David Redfern - photography, inlay photography
Michael Cimicata - packaging manager