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Old 04-11-2017, 11:59 AM   #11 (permalink)
Trollheart
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Title: “After the Love Has Gone”
Artiste: Earth, Wind & Fire
Nationality: American
Year: 1979
Genre: Soul, R&B
Subgenre:
Source: The EWF album I Am
Written by: David Foster, Jay Graydon and Bill Champlin
Chart position(s) (Singles only): US: 2
Storyline: Basic love song charting what happens when the spark is gone and the affair is over
Main instrument:
Other version(s) by: James Last (1979), Airplay (1980), Lynn Davis (1981), Jay Greedon (1993), David Benoit and Russ Freeman (1994) as well as others including Donnie Osmond and Ryan Shaw.
Comments: Soul, funk and r&b has never been my thing, yet it's hard to ignore the impact of Earth, Wind & Fire, from bouncy disco numbers like “Fantasy” and “September” to this, and at its core it's a sumptuous love ballad which agonises over what happens when the fire goes out and there's no love left between two people. The idea of clinging on to a relationship after it has petered out contains a certain note of anger in the lyric: “After the love has gone/ How could you lead me on?” - as if the woman has been continuing to pretend she is still in love with the man though the feelings are now dead. Pretty depressing really, but a really lovely soul ballad with lush orchestral arrangements washing over it, and some fine trumpet from Jerry Hey. Excellent vocal harmonies as ever from EWF and an inspired sax solo from Don Myrick makes this a deserved classic.
Rating:
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