Maurice White started a band called the Salty Peppers in 1969, but felt the name did not really fit. A year later and a move to California, he realized that his astrological sign had no water in it, but had three elements, earth, air and fire. Air did not sit right and he chose to use Wind and the name stuck.

Bringing his brother Verdine into the band and then recruiting vocalist Philip Bailey, he began to refine the group he envisioned. They had two middling chart hits in 1974 and then broke in 1975 with the #1 hit "Shining Star" and they were on their way, regularly hitting #1 R&B and had nine top 40 pop hits when they released "I Am" in 1979.

First out of the gate was "Boogie Wonderland" a stomper that peaked at #6 pop and #14 disco. The follow up was "After The Love Has Gone" which peaked at #2 for two weeks, stalled out by The Knack's "My Sharona". The song was nominated for four awards and won 2 of them, Best R&B Song and Best R&B Group Performance. The band feels that "I Am" was their "Abbey Road" milestone album. "It really scored pop" says Maurice, "People stole stuff from that album, whole careers came out of it. It was like listen to "I Am" and see what you can steal. All the pieces came together".

They did not have another pop hit until 1981's "Raise" provided them with "Let's Groove" a #1 R&B hit for eight weeks then peaked at #3 pop for five weeks, as Olivia Newton John's "Physical" was #1 and Foreigner's "Waiting For A Girl Like You" was permanently stuck at #2. Their last Top 40 pop charting single was "Fall In Love With Me" which reached #17 in 1983. Five years later, they released "System Of Survival" which peaked at #1 R&B but petered out at #60 on the Hot100.

свернуть