Head to the Sky

Head to the Sky
Studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire
Released	May 1973
Recorded	1973
Studio	Clover Recorders, Hollywood, California
Genre	Progressive soul[1]
Length	36:51
Label	Columbia
Producer	Joseph Wissert
Earth, Wind & Fire chronology
Last Days and Time (1972) Head to the Sky (1973) Open Our Eyes (1974)
Singles from Open Your Eyes
"Evil" Released: June 1973 "Keep Your Head to the Sky" Released: October 1973

Head to the Sky is the fourth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in May 1973 on Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 2 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 27 on the Billboard 200 chart. Head to the Sky has also been certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.^[2][3][4][5]

Overview

Head to the Sky was produced by Joe Wissert with bandleader Maurice White serving as a musical director on the album. The LP was also recorded at Clover Recorders Studios, Hollywood, California.^[2]

Singles

"Evil" peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Songs chart and No. 25 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart.^[6][7] "Keep Your Head to the Sky" also reached No. 23 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart.^[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[9]
Rolling Stone	(favorable)[10]
Village Voice	(B–)[11]
Billboard	(favourable)[12]
Variety	(favourable)[13]
Pittsburgh Press	(favourable)[14]

Vince Aletti of Rolling Stone declared "Been having a lot of music dreams lately but this one’s not too surprising since I’ve been playing the Earth, Wind & Fire album pretty constantly for the past week, certainly beyond all expectations. With a cover like this one — the eight men in the group shirtless, the one woman all in white, surrounded by a starburst arrangement of cut flowers, repeated with slight variations in the centerfold — I’m surprised I even broke the shrinkwrap. And this group started in Chicago?".^[10] Billboard noted that the band "does everything well" on the LP.^[12] Tony Palermo of the Pittsburgh Press noted "Folks like to compare this bunch with War, but the first difference that hits you with E,W&F's brand of jazz-rhythm and blues is the smoothness of Jessica Cleaves' vocal work. Then, the extra slug of R&B in their style".^[14] Robert Christgau of the Village Voice gave a B− grade saying "Most of the first side keeps up the good work..But the mood jazz excursion on side two exposes White's essential fatuousness. "Zanzibar," it's called, as befits a travelogue; its saxophone solo (by Ronnie Laws's replacement, Andrew Woolfolk) could make Alice Coltrane blush."^[11] Alex Henderson of Allmusic called Head to the Sky an "excellent" album.^[9] Variety also described the record as "a movin' new package.^[13]

Issac Hayes called Head to the Sky one of Earth, Wind & Fire's five essential recordings.^[15]

Erykah Badu to paid tribute to the album in the music video of her 2008 single "Honey".^[16][17]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Evil"	Philip Bailey, Maurice White	5:00
2.	"Keep Your Head to the Sky"	Maurice White	5:10
3.	"Build Your Nest"	Maurice White, Verdine White	3:17
4.	"The World's a Masquerade"	Skip Scarborough	4:48

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5.	"Clover"	Larry Dunn, Maurice White	5:27
6.	"Zanzibar"	Edu Lobo	13:09

Personnel

• Verdine White – vocals, bass, percussion
• Philip Bailey – vocals, congas, percussion
• Maurice White – vocals, drums, kalimba, leader
• Jessica Cleaves – vocals
• Johnny Graham – guitar, percussion
• Al McKay – guitar, sitar, percussion
• Larry Dunn – clarinet, piano, organ
• Ralph Johnson – drums, percussion
• Andrew Woolfolk – soprano saxophone, flute
• Oscar Braschear – guest trumpet on "Zanzibar"

Charts and Certifications

Weekly charts Chart (1973) Peak position US Billboard 200[18] 27 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[19] 2

Year-end charts Chart (1973) Position US Billboard 200[20] 71 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[21] 24

Singles – Billboard

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1973	"Evil"	Billboard Adult Contemporary Songs	19
		Billboard Black Singles	25
		Billboard Hot 100	50
	"Keep Your Head To The Sky"	Billboard Black Singles	23
		Billboard Hot 100	52

Certifications

Country	Award
US (RIAA)	Platinum[5]

References

1. Himes, Geoffrey (May 16, 1990). "Records". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
2. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Head To The Sky". 45worlds.com.
3. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Head To The Sky (Top Soul Albums)". billboard.com.
4. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Head To The Sky (Billboard 200)". billboard.com.
5. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Head To The Sky". riaa.com. RIAA.
6. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Evil (Adult Contemporary Songs)". billboard.com.
7. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Evil (Hot Soul Songs)". billboard.com.
8. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Keep Your Head to the Sky (Hot Soul Songs)". billboard.com.
9. Henderson, Alex. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Head To The Sky". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
10. Aletti,Vince (August 17, 1973). "Earth, Wind & Fire: Head To The Sky". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone.
11. Christgau, Robert. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Head To The Sky". robertchristgau.com. Village Voice.
12. Top Album Picks. Vol. 85. Billboard Magazine. May 26, 1973. p. 52.
13. Record Review: Nilsson, 'Superstar', Womack, Kirk, Lobo, Savoy, 'Good Times', Cody, Roberts, founders Top New LP's. Vol. 271. Variety. 20 June 1973. p. 50. ProQuest 963287955.
14. Palermo, Tony (July 29, 1973). "E,W&F Shows War-Like Imagination". newspapers.com. Pittsburgh Press. p. 111.
15. Hayes, Issac (July 7, 1995). Essentials: Issac Hayes on Earth, Wind & Fire. The Guardian. p. 39.
16. "NEW VIDEO: ERYKAH BADU, 'HONEY'". mtv.com. Archived from the original on September 17, 2018.
17. "Erykah Badu: Honey". youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
18. "Earth, Wind & Fire Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
19. "Earth, Wind & Fire Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
20. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1973". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
21. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1973". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2021.