"Shining Star" is a song by Earth, Wind & Fire from the album That's the Way of the World, issued as a single in January 1975 on Columbia Records. The song rose to No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart, becoming their first single to top both charts (and only single to top the former). It has also been certified gold in the US by the RIAA.
Contents
Overview
"Shining Star" was produced by Maurice White and composed by White, Larry Dunn and Philip Bailey.
The concept for the song came to Maurice White while strolling at night during the band's recording of That's the Way of the World at Caribou Ranch. He became inspired by looking up at the starry sky and took his ideas about the song to the other band members.
Critical reception
Vibe called "Shining Star" a "treasure". Alex Henderson of AllMusic described the song as "sweaty funk". Gordon Fletcher of Rolling Stone wrote that the song "glow(s) with an incendiary charge that once moved record producer Sandy Pearlman to term EW&F 'the closest thing to a black heavy-metal band'." Daryl Easlea of the BBC found that "'Shining Star' can be seen as much an influence on Prince as anything by James Brown". Stephen Curwood of The Boston Globe noted that the tune "shows off the fabulous range and coordination of this nine-man vocal ensemble and instrumental choir.
"Shining Star" also won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 18th Annual Grammy Awards.
In 2008, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Covers and samples
The song has been sampled by hip hop artists MC Lyte, Snoop Dogg and Salt-N-Pepa among many other artists. It has also been interpolated in songs by hip-hop groups the Roots and De La Soul.
Personnel
Maurice White – lead and backing vocals
Phillip Bailey – lead and backing vocals, congas
Verdine White – bass, backing vocals
Ralph Johnson – percussion, drums
Al McKay – lead guitar
Johnny Graham – rhythm guitar
Fred White – drums
Larry Dunn – clavinet
Andrew P. Woolfolk – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
George Bohanon – trombone
Oscar Brashear – trumpet
Ernie Watts – additional saxophone
Accolades
(*) designates lists that are unordered.