After the Love Has Gone

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For the Steps song, see After the Love Has Gone (Steps song).
"After the Love Has Gone"
Single by Earth, Wind & Fire
from the album I Am
B-side"Rock That"
ReleasedJuly 12, 1979
RecordedSeptember 1978
Genre
Length4:40 (album)
3:55 (7" single)
LabelARC/Columbia
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)Bill Champlin
Producer(s)Maurice White
Earth, Wind & Fire singles chronology
"Boogie Wonderland"
(1979) 		"After the Love Has Gone"
(1979) 		"In the Stone"
(1979)
Music video
"After the Love Has Gone" on
YouTube

"After the Love Has Gone" is a single by

RIAA and silver in the UK by the BPI.[6][7]

Background

"After the Love Has Gone" was produced by

B-side was "Rock That." Both songs appeared on Earth, Wind & Fire's 1979 album I Am.[1]

The song dates back to when David Foster was working on an album for

Hall and Oates, but they rejected it as they were interested in performing only their own material.[9]

Graydon commented about the song's background:

David and I also recorded the song for the Airplay album, but that was not a problem since the EWF version was released before the Airplay album. By the way, the Airplay version is the original version of the song with the verses in the key of A. The EWF version verses are in the key of F, using a 'shotgun pivot chord' halfway through the B section as to get in the proper key for the choruses. Note that the EWF version features the high harmony part in the choruses, which makes the listener think that is the melody! That always bothered me since it is very difficult for one singer to sing the song as the vocal range is much too wide.[10]

Earth, Wind & Fire bassist Verdine White called "After the Love Has Gone" one of the group's most difficult songs to record:

"The track was based on a vibe. We cut it about six, seven times, and Maurice just said, 'No, it's not right yet. We'll come back and get it tomorrow. It's not right yet.'" And then one day we nailed it, and it was right. The way it felt. It sounded like Earth, Wind & Fire".[11]

Critical reception

Caroline Sullivan of

Allmusic proclaimed that a "simple soul-based melody and groove underlines the bittersweet goodbye message of the lyrics. But it's the arrangement that captured audience's attention, as it combined the group's vocal counterpoint harmony genius in full glory. A swinging saxophone in the song's middle-eight bridge also added an element of jazz".[14] Allen Weiner of Morning Call found that "After The Love Is Gone is perhaps the best ballad EW&F has ever recorded. It's sensitive and warm, and interesting enough to justify its four-minute length."[15] Ace Adams of the New York Daily News called After the Love Has Gone one of the album's "best songs".[16]
Phyl Garland of
Stereo Review noted that the song is "laced with unexpected Wonder-ful progressions".[17][18] Cash Box said it is an "easy, smooth ballad, with...lush horn and vocal arrangements," "superb harmonies and jazzy sax work."[19] Record World called it a "lovely ballad."[20]

"After the Love Has Gone" was nominated for the Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, and won Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for the band and Best R&B Song for Champlin, Foster, and Graydon.[21][22] It also placed on Bruce Pollock's list of "The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000".[citation needed]

A record of the single "After the Love Has Gone".

Appearances in other media

The song was heard on an episode of

Johnny Fever.[citation needed
]

The Houston Rockets played this song for losses, as would many other professional sports teams, including the Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and Charlotte Hornets.[citation needed]

Covers and samples

The original recording of "After the Love Has Gone" by Airplay, a band formed by Foster and Graydon, was released on their 1980 eponymous album following Earth, Wind & Fire's hit version, featuring Champlin on backing vocals. Stanley Turrentine also covered the song on his 1981 album Tender Togetherness.[23]

In 1993, Graydon released a version of the song on his solo album Airplay for the Planet.

CDB released a version as the lead single from Emmanuel's 1998 album, Collaboration. The song peaked at number 74 in Australia.[23]

British

Eric Benet's rendition featured on his 2014 album From E to U: Volume 1.[23]

Personnel

Engineers[24]

  • Engineer - George Massenburg, Tom Perry
  • Mixing Engineer - George Massenburg
  • Assistant Engineer - Craig Widby, Ross Pallone

Chart performance

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[33] Gold 1,000,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] Silver 250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^
    ARC/Columbia Records
    . 1979.
  2. ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire: After the Love Has Gone (Hot 100)". billboard.com.
  3. ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire: After the Love Has Gone (Hot Soul Songs)". billboard.com.
  4. ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire: After The Love Has Gone (Adult Contemporary Songs)". billboard.com.
  5. ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire". officialcharts.com.
  6. ^ "RIAA - Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - May 10, 2014". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on 2014-05-10. Retrieved 2014-03-29.
  7. ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire: After the Love Has Gone". bpi.co.uk. BPI.
  8. ^ Wiser, Carl. "Jay Graydon: Songwriter Interviews". songfacts.com. Songfacts, LLC. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  9. ISBN 9781455505432
    . Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  10. ^ "Interview: Jay Graydon (Producer, Songwriter, Session Musician: Al Jarreau, Steely Dan, Hall & Oates)".
  11. ^ Prato, Greg. "Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire". songfacts.com. Songfacts, LLC. Archived from the original on 2016-05-05. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  12. ^ "F&M playlist". The Guardian. September 21, 2010.
  13. ^ Riggins, Rose (August 25, 1979). "'Boogie Wonderland' more than just pop". The Californian. Gannett. p. 35 – via newspapers.com.
  14. Allmusic
    .
  15. ^ Weiner, Allen (June 23, 1979). "Earth,Wind & Fire: I Am". newspapers.com. Morning Call. p. 52.
  16. ^ Adams, Ace (June 22, 1979). "Mini Reviews". newspapers.com. New York Daily News. p. 321.
  17. Stereo Review
    . p. 100.
  18. Stereo Review
    . p. 102.
  19. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 30, 1979. p. 15. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  20. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. June 30, 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  21. ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire". grammy.com. The Recording Academy.
  22. ^ "GRAMMY Awards Winners & Nominees for Best R&B Song". grammy.com. The Recording Academy.
  23. ^ a b c "After the Love Has Gone". secondhandsongs.com.
  24. ^ "Jaxsta". jaxsta.com. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
  25. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2015-05-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  26. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2015-05-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  27. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – After the Love Has Gone". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  28. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 9/15/79". 18 May 2015.
  29. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  30. ^ "Top 100 Singles of 1979" Record Mirror January 5, 1980: 30
  31. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1979/Top 100 Songs of 1979". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  32. ^ "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1979". Cashbox Magazine. Archived from the original on 2012-08-25. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  33. ^ "American single certifications". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  34. ^ "British single certifications". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
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