144. Wanz Discusses Earth, Wind & Fire, I Am

You, Me and An Album

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Seattle-based musician, singer, rapper and songwriter Michael Wansley (aka Wanz) drops in on YMAAA for the first of two episodes to talk about Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1979 album, I Am. Wanz talks about his lifelong EWF fandom, what he loves about I Am, and how it compares to other EWF albums. He also explains how the album is a reflection of the changes in the music industry that were occurring in the late ‘70s. Wanz and Al also discuss other bands that were popular around the same time, including Toto, The Police and Rush.

Wanz’ TEDx Talk, "You, Too, Can Be a Unicorn," is outstanding. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGPy-bbpRfM

Al mentioned that he had interviewed Steve Lukather, David Paich and Joseph Williams of Toto. The interviews were for a couple a pieces for American Songwriter, which are linked below.

https://americansongwriter.com/toto-talks-toto-to-celebrate-their-debut-albums-45th-anniversary/

https://americansongwriter.com/6-toto-songs-that-are-miles-away-from-yacht-rock/

Wanz is on Instagram and Threads at @teewanz!

Also be sure to check out Want’s music and more at thewanz.com

Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/

1:36 Wanz joins the show

2:26 Wanz has worked many different jobs to support his music

3:52 Wanz has a collection of EWF t-shirts

6:17 An EWF promo poster connected Wanz with an early bandmate

7:58 Wanz paid close attention to EWF over a span of 10 albums

8:51 Wanz talks about EWF’s progression through the albums leading up to I Am

15:20 EWF was the first concert Wanz ever went to

19:10 Wanz and Al talk about the Police and Sting’s Bring on the Night documentary

21:35 Wanz blames one album for changing radio

23:16 Wanz singles out the decision EWF made that led to their commercial demise

26:24 Maurice White’s death gave Wanz a reason to deep-dive into the EWF catalog again

27:21 Wanz talks more about how radio changed in the late ‘70s

31:10 Wanz remembers how he was introduced to Rush

32:51 Wanz explains what makes “Boogie Wonderland” a perfect song

36:09 Wanz loves the whole second side of I Am

39:15 Wanz explains why I Am is a different-sounding EWF album

43:01 Did the right tracks get released as singles?

46:34 Transcribing “Rock That!” in the pre-digital era was not an easy task

48:12 Al and Wanz talk about the Toto connections to I Am

49:57 Wanz explains how Phil Collins got connected with EWF

53:57 Steve Lukather’s memoir changed the way Wanz understands how the recording industry used to work

57:34 The interludes are one of Wanz’s favorite parts of I Am

1:01:10 Wanz finds some interesting names in the album credits

Outro music is from Wanz, “Go Where the Love Is.”

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