Questlove Teaches Us How to Listen to Earth, Wind & Fire
6/15/202656 min
This week on the Track Star Podcast, Jack is joined by six-time Grammy-winning drummer and record producer Questlove. The genre-defining drummer and co-founder and co-frontman of The Roots as well as an acclaimed director and filmmaker, is the director and producer of the new documentary: Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That's the Weight of the World). In this episode, Jack and Questlove dive into the songs that have deeply influenced Questlove’s musical upbringing and modern-day career. He reflects on his journey and discusses his lifelong connection to Earth, Wind & Fire and the documentary. This Episode’s Track List: 00:00 - Intro 00:45 - September - Earth, Wind & Fire 8:06 - That’s The Way of The World - Earth, Wind & Fire 18:46 - Wade In The Water - Ramsey Lewis 21:15 - Smokestack Lightning - Howlin’ Wolf 27:10 - Spinning Wheel - Blood, Sweat & Tears 32:14 - Kalimba Story - Earth, Wind & Fire 37:38 - Can You Get To That - Funkadelic 42:17 - Shining Star - Earth, Wind & Fire 48:54 - Boogie Wonderland - Earth, Wind & Fire 49:06 - Let's Groove - Earth, Wind & Fire
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJack Coyne· Host0:00
Before we start the music, can you just introduce yourself?
Questlove· Guest0:01
What's up? This is Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson.
Jack Coyne· Host0:04
Welcome to the Trackstar HQ, world headquarters.
Questlove· Guest0:07
Very honored to be here.
Jack Coyne· Host0:08
Yeah.
Questlove· Guest0:09
I made it. I made it.
Jack Coyne· Host0:10
Finally. I feel like this has been so, such a long time coming.
Questlove· Guest0:13
I knew it was coming eventually. [laughs] I didn't, I don't wanna press it.
Jack Coyne· Host0:15
So this is the plan. You have a film coming out.
Questlove· Guest0:18
Indeed, I do.
Jack Coyne· Host0:19
Probably by the time this comes out, it's already out.
Questlove· Guest0:21
Gonna be out.
Jack Coyne· Host0:21
Go watch it right now.
Questlove· Guest0:22
It's a hit, yes.
Jack Coyne· Host0:22
It's about Earth, Wind & Fire.
Questlove· Guest0:23
Yes.
Jack Coyne· Host0:23
We're gonna talk about that movie, we're gonna listen to some songs.
Questlove· Guest0:27
Okay.
Jack Coyne· Host0:27
And then for the second half, we'll hit the streets and we'll put you to the test, and we'll play a bunch of stuff.
Questlove· Guest0:33
I'm ready. [laughs] I'm ready.
Jack Coyne· Host0:34
I know you're ready.
Questlove· Guest0:35
Dun, dun, dun, dun.
Jack Coyne· Host0:36
You know how long people have been saying, like, "You gotta have Questlove. Like, he's, like, not gonna be sampleable"?
Questlove· Guest0:40
This is the show I dreamt about, uh, you know, coming on, so I'm glad to be here.
Jack Coyne· Host0:44
To kick this conversation off, I just wanna start with...
Speaker 3· Soundbite0:46
Ba de ya, say do you remember. Ba de ya, dancing in September.
Questlove· Guest0:53
Yeah.
Speaker 3· Soundbite0:54
[laughs] Ba de ya.
Jack Coyne· Host0:55
That's at the beginning of the film, right?
Questlove· Guest0:57
Yeah. I, I, I used- Just a little teaser ... I used a teaser of Ba De Ya because I believe it was Philip that told me that... You know, I asked him, like, the word ba de ya and ba, ba, bop, it, are in many an Earth, Wind & Fire song, and what does that mean exactly? And he told me that, you know, them being heavily influenced by, uh, Brazilian music, um, especially the work of Sergio Mendes, and them typically using ♪ ba, ba, da, ba, ba, ba, da, ba, da ♪ But, you know, and if you listen to any Brazil 66 music of Sergio Mendes and...