The Write Stuff isEW’s occasional series where songwriters reveal stories behind their biggest hits.
“He was in fact the de facto leader,” says Johnson, 69.
“He had the vision.”
Credit: SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT/Getty Images
That’s his direct quote.
We wanted to leave positivity and enlightenment."
I used to listen to that albumCome to My Gardenand [Riperton’s earlier group] Rotary Connection.
“Shining Star” (1975)
EWF’s first and only single to hit No.
Although it was essentially a soundtrack, Maurice didn’t want the album to be heavily promoted as such.
The song is talking about a one-night stand," explains Bailey.
It’s totally lust for the moment.
It’s a screw record.
It’s our version of ‘Between the Sheets.’
a compliment that would later be referenced by everyone from Eddie Murphy (inComing to America) to Jay-Z.
“It’s just something that I said in the moment that went viral,” says Bailey.
“I’m the original.”
But a close encounter of a different kind almost kept Bailey from singing.
He elbowed me and knocked my front tooth loose.
So I had a busted lip and a loose tooth when I did the vocal that night."
“We were asked to participate in a movie calledSgt.
Come off the drums, stand right here next to Maurice.'
And that was my entry into being out front.”
“Al always was in the pocket.”
“And so once they kept doing it, Maurice just said, ‘You know what?
If it’s grooving, just leave it alone.’
"
Since then, the song has been bopped to at countless cookouts, family reunions, and weddings.
“Beyonce and Jay-Z that was their first dance when they got married,” says White.
“We went down [to City Hall], and they made it official.”
“We were not chasing after the disco trend.
We cared less [about that],” says Johnson.
Maurice heard it, and he said, ‘Hey man, I gotta have that tune.'”
It was Maurice’s idea to have the Emotions who were signed to his Kalimba Productions join the party.
“We knew that that was gon’ be hot with them singing the chorus.”
“But we weren’t the first to record it.”
“He played on the majority of theI Amalbum with us.”
“That was beautiful,” says White.
“David was very close to Maurice, so it was just great.”
