Guiding Lights (song)

"Guiding Lights" is a song by the band Earth, Wind & Fire, released as a single in 2012 by Sony Music/Legacy. The song reached No. 16 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart and No. 30 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart.

"Guiding Lights"
Single by Earth, Wind & Fire
from the album Now, Then & Forever
Released2012
GenreR&B
Length3:56
LabelSony Music/Legacy
Songwriter(s)Philip D. Bailey, Austin Jacobs, Daniel McClain, Darrin Simpson
Producer(s)Walt B. & Neal Pogue
Earth, Wind & Fire singles chronology
"Change Your Mind"
(2006)		 "Guiding Lights"
(2012)		 "My Promise"
(2013)

Overview

"Guiding Lights" was produced by Walt B. & Neal Pogue and composed by Philip D. Bailey, Austin Jacobs, Daniel McClain with Darrin Simpson. The song came from Earth, Wind & Fire's 2013 album Now, Then & Forever.[1]

Critical reception

Andy Kellman of Allmusic wrote "My Promise and Guiding Light especially rise high enough to be slotted between classics without losing listener interest."[2] Elias Leight of Popmatters exclaimed "Guiding Lights" is a break-beat driven falsetto ballad that stretches the drama out past six minutes and includes a scream at the 4:18 mark that shouldn’t be humanly possible for any man above the age of 30." Leight also added "The muted brass in "Guiding Lights" touches on the early ‘00s neo-soul that Earth, Wind & Fire helped inspire."[3] Emerys Baird of Blues & Soul said "Ballad time, with the sultry "Guiding Lights", all replete with possibly the highest note ever hit by a human (even higher that Janet Kay on Silly Games!). It's a towering performance with the waffliest of synth solos, which nobody seems to do anymore, EWF at their best!".[4] Daryl Easlea of Record Collector also described the song as a "big spiritual ballad".[5]

Personnel
  • Lead and backing vocals – Philip J. Bailey
  • Backing vocals – Daniel McClain, B. David Whitworth, Philip D. Bailey
  • Alto saxophone, tenor saxophone – Gary Bias
  • Bass – Verdine White
  • Drums – John Paris
  • Electric piano [Rhodes], synthesizer [Moog Voyager] – Larry Dunn
  • Guitar – Greg Moore, Morris O'Connor
  • Percussion – David Leach
  • Trombone – Reggie Young
  • Trumpet – Gary Grant, Michael "Patches" Stewart
  • Produced by Neal Pogue, Walt B
  • Horns arranged by Jerry Hey

Charts
Chart (2012) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs[6] 16
U.S. Billboard Adult R&B Songs[7] 30
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References
  1. Earth, Wind & Fire: Guiding Lights. Sony Music/Legacy. 2012.
  2. Andy Kellman. "Now, Then & Forever - Earth, Wind & Fire - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". allmusic.com. AllMusic.
  3. Leight, Elias (September 22, 2013). "Earth, Wind and Fire: Now, Then & Forever". popmatters.com. Popmatters.
  4. Baird, Emerys. "REVIEW EARTH, WIND & FIRE: NOW, THEN & FOREVER (SONY)". bluesandsoul.com. Blues & Soul.
  5. Easlea, Daryl. "EARTH, WIND AND FIRE NOW, THEN AND FOREVER". recordcollectormag.com. Record Collector.
  6. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Guiding Lights (Smooth Jazz Songs)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  7. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Guiding Lights (Adult R&B Songs)". billboard.com. Billboard.
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