Earth, Wind & Fire on era-defining hit ‘September’: “The whole month belongs to us”

“The whole month belongs to us” said Earth, Wind & Fire’s current leading members Verdine White, Philip Bailey and Ralph Johnson after reflecting on their perennial disco hit ‘September’. Picture: Getty/ARC/Columbia Records

Do you remember the 21st night of September?

It’s a date that entirely belongs to one band, Earth, Wind & Fire, because of the perennial hit we all know and feverishly belt out every year.

Not that the 21st September had any particular significance to the band before they wrote ‘September’.

The late songwriter Allee Willis who penned the track revealed prior to her death that the date was in many ways meaningless when she put pen to paper.

But that’s all changed across the lifespan of 1978 hit ‘September’ which is nearing its fifty year anniversary.

• Earth, Wind & Fire saxophone player Andrew Woolfolk dies, aged 71
• The 25 best songs of 1978

In a new interview with People magazine, the group’s current leading members Verdine White, Philip Bailey and Ralph Johnson have reflected on the disco classic’s endurance.

“We wouldn’t have been able to come up with that,” Bailey revealed, adding “we’re just very proud to be the recipients of that particular song.”

After admitting that they were beneficiaries of Willis’ craftwork, White cockily joked: “The whole month belongs to us.”

Indeed he’s right – the sheer quantity of memes shared on 21st September referring to ‘Earth, Wind & Fire day’ or spins it gets on the radio are enough to keep the group in the musical consciousness all year round.

Ahead of their co-headlining US ‘Heart & Soul’ tour with Chicago, the group talked about what unfolds for them in the month of September, and getting to perform the song on stage every night.

“Every September. I mean, we’ve gotten keys to cities in September in several different cities and stuff in September,” Bailey said.

“If you don’t know Earth, Wind & Fire in September, you will,” he joked, which is an accolade nobody would deny them.

Despite their association with the month, they themselves don’t “really do anything special” to celebrate each year.

“We don’t really plan or anything to celebrate that day because the world is celebrating it, so we just kind of sit back and watch,” Bailey explains, calling it a “pretty natural day.”

After decades of touring and performing ‘September’, Verdine White says they seldom tire of playing the song which is arguably their biggest hit.

“We have fun every night, just so you’ll know, it’s every night we hit the stage, we’re looking to do a personal best each and every one of us, and we take it very seriously.”

“We’re lucky to have the catalogue of songs that we do because it allows us, while he’s putting the show together to go in a lot of different directions,” he explains.

‘September’ was a huge success upon its 1978 release, fast becoming one of the group’s signature songs.

It reached number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 charts, and bettered that in the UK peaking at number three.

Earth, Wind & Fire’s late singer and founding member Maurice White both co-wrote the track and sang lead vocals famously, propelling ‘September’ to legendary status, numerous Grammy Award wins, and an induction into the Roll and Roll Hall of Fame.

The iconic groovy group are set to end their current ‘Heart & Soul’ US tour on 14th September before playing a run of concerts at Las Vegas’ Venetian Theatre in October.