Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago's Eerie Parallels
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- Questlove's new documentary "Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs That's the Weight of the World)" traces the band from 1960s Chicago to present, using archival footage and new interviews with surviving members
- Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago both emerged from the late-1960s Chicago music scene with large lineups (11 and 7 members) and horn sections rooted in jazz, though critics adored one and disdained the other
- Both bands recorded at Caribou Ranch in Colorado in the early 1970s — Chicago produced "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" and "Just You 'n' Me," while EWF crafted "Shining Star," their first No. 1, inspired by the mountain stars
- Both reluctantly pivoted to disco in 1979 — EWF with the Emotions' "Boogie Wonderland" (which Ralph Johnson called "our one and only offering to the disco scene") and Chicago with "Street Player," which later found new life when sampled by the Bucketheads
- David Foster worked with both bands as a "Faustian figure" — producing EWF's 1979 LP "I Am" with Maurice White and Chicago 16 in 1982 with Peter Cetera, creating hits while alienating other members; Philip Bailey said he felt "unappreciated and betrayed"
- The face of each band eventually departed — Peter Cetera quit Chicago in 1985 to focus on solo work, while Maurice White left EWF's touring lineup in 1995 after a Parkinson's diagnosis
- The two bands have co-headlined tours in 2004, 2005, 2009, 2015, 2016, and 2024, often closing with combined encores toggling between "25 or 6 to 4" and "Shining Star"
Why it matters: For legacy rock audiences, the parallel reveals how both bands peaked mid-1970s, fractured after David Foster's hit-making era, and now lean on co-headlining the summer amphitheater circuit. Chicago is down to one original member after Walter Parazaider died this month at 81 — making these joint tours a closing chapter for large horn-driven ensembles.
