Earth, Wind & Fire - All 'N All LP

Earth, Wind & Fire reached a creative pinnacle with All ‘N All, released in November 1977 on Columbia Records. Swathed in lush orchestrations, kalimba grooves, and Philip Bailey’s soaring falsetto, the album blends funk, soul, jazz-rock, and Brazilian influences into a rich, deeply spiritual whole. The sleeve artwork — painted by Japanese artist Shusei Nagaoka — depicts the temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel, with the full gatefold interior revealing the Great Pyramid and Sphinx in a landscape where ancient Egyptian civilisation meets a technologically advanced future. Maurice White conceived the Egyptian imagery as a deliberate act of cultural reclamation, reminding audiences of an African heritage stretching back millennia, and as a tribute to the late Charles Stepney, his long-time collaborator and spiritual guide, whose vision looms large over every track.

About the Album

Produced by Maurice White for Kalimba Productions and recorded at Hollywood Sound Recorders, The Burbank Studios, and Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, All ‘N All is the eighth studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire and one of the defining soul records of the 1970s. The lead single ‘Serpentine Fire’ stormed to number one on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart, while ‘Fantasy’ earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Song. The rhythm section of Maurice and Verdine White is augmented throughout by intricate horn charts, sweeping strings, and Brazilian percussion courtesy of Paulinho Da Costa, producing a sound that is simultaneously intimate and cinematic. At its heart, All ‘N All is an album about transcendence — of genre, of era, and of the material world.

Track Listing

• Side One
• 1. Serpentine Fire (3:51)
• 2. Fantasy (4:38)
• 3. In the Marketplace (Interlude) (0:43)
• 4. Jupiter (3:12)
• 5. Love’s Holiday (4:23)
• 6. Brazilian Rhyme (Beijo) (1:20)
• Side Two
• 7. I’ll Write a Song for You (5:23)
• 8. Magic Mind (3:38)
• 9. Runnin’ (5:50)
• 10. Brazilian Rhyme (Ponta de Areia) (0:53)
• 11. Be Ever Wonderful (5:08)

This Pressing

This is the Music On Vinyl reissue (catalogue number MOVLP2151), pressed on 180-gram audiophile vinyl and presented in a high-gloss gatefold sleeve that faithfully reproduces Nagaoka’s iconic artwork. The pressing was released in September 2018 and was manufactured in Europe. It includes a lyric/credit insert and a 24” × 36” poster of the band. Barcode: 8719262006720.