Alex Henderson

Ramsey Lewis

Sun Goddess [40th Anniversary Edition)

The 1960s were a very productive decade for Ramsey Lewis, whose Chicago-based acoustic piano trio was one of the top soul-jazz groups of the decade. The Ramsey Lewis Trio’s instrumental soul-jazz interpretation of Billy Page’s “The In Crowd” (which singer Dobie Gray made famous in 1964) was a major crossover hit, reaching #2 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart and #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965. But when Lewis recorded Sun Goddess for Columbia Records in 1974, reliving the 1960s was the last thing he wanted to do. The versatile pianist/keyboardist, composer and producer was determined to keep forging ahead, and one of the people who helped him accomplish that was a former sideman: Earth, Wind & Fire leader/founder and fellow Chicagoan Maurice White.

Before he became a soul/funk superstar with EWF, White was the drummer in the Ramsey Lewis Trio. When bassist Eldee Young and drummer Redd Holt left that group in 1966 to form Young-Holt Unlimited (best remembered for their 1968 hit “Soulful Strut,” a.k.a. “Am I the Same Girl”), Lewis hired Cleveland Eaton as his bassist and White as his drummer—and White stayed with Lewis’ trio until 1969, when he left to form EWF (who were originally called the Salty Peppers). EWF were clearly a departure from White’s work with the Ramsey Lewis Trio: although EWF had jazz influences and played the occasional instrumental, they were primarily a vocal-oriented soul/funk band. And White’s lead vocals for EWF demonstrated that he was an excellent singer.

By the mid-1970s, EWF were huge—and that fact wasn’t lost on Lewis, who hired White to do some producing and writing on Sun Goddess (the album’s other producers include the famous Teo Macero and Lewis himself). Sun Goddess underscored Lewis’ crossover appeal, soaring to #1 jazz, #1 R&B and #12 pop on Billboard’s album charts. Indeed, Lewis was as much of a crossover star in the 1970s as he had been during the 1960s. Yet Sun Goddess doesn’t sound anything like Lewis’ 1960s recordings: while the Ramsey Lewis Trio were often compared to Gene Harris’ acoustic soul-jazz piano trio the Three Sounds, Sun Goddess makes extensive use of electric instruments and draws on influences ranging from EWF to the Crusaders to Herbie Hancock’s 1970s group the Headhunters. A triumph from both a jazz-funk standpoint and a fusion standpoint, Sun Goddess went down in history as Lewis’ best-selling album of the 1970s.

White co-wrote Sun Goddess’ hit title track (which boasts expressive falsetto vocals by EWF’s Philip Bailey) with songwriter Jon Lind and the funky, equally EWF-ish “Hot Dawgit” with the late Charles Stepney (who co-produced some of EWF’s most essential 1970s albums, including Open Our Eyes and Spirit). Lewis, however, wrote infectious instrumentals that include “Tambura,” “Jungle Strut,” “Gemini Rising” and the ethereal “Love Song.” And the influence of the Crusaders is evident on an instrumental arrangement of Stevie Wonder’s 1973 smash “Living for the City.” This expanded 40^th anniversary edition of Sun Goddess offers three bonus tracks, including two 7” single versions of the title song and a 7” single version of “Jungle Strut.” 

“Ramsey wanted to expand his market,” White, now 72, recalled during a June 2014 interview. “The EWF vocals on top of his recognizable sound caught the attention of pop and R&B audiences who were already familiar with the EWF sound. So he accomplished his goal at the time. The fact that Sun Goddess still sounds fresh today and has an audience that wasn’t even born when it was originally recorded perhaps surpassed our intentions at the time.”

White adds: “The whole music scene is constantly changing at all times. We were both playing our individual musical interpretations of that era. The combination of Ramsey’s established sound with the current popularity of EWF brought him a greater audience.”

White fondly recalls the way he went from being a sideman in the Ramsey Lewis Trio to helping Lewis craft his most successful album of the 1970s. “Working with Ramsey was one of the extremely helpful influences during my formative years as a musician and producer,” White asserts. “So by the time we worked together on the Sun Goddess album, it was as collaborators—not student and teacher.”

White continues: “Having already worked with Ramsey, I knew how he liked to present live shows. So I was able to produce the album with live performances in mind. I knew he liked to feature solo performances of each band member emerging from group performances.”

White and Bailey aren’t the only EWF members who join Lewis on Sun Goddess, which also employs Verdine White (Maurice White’s younger brother) on bass and EWF’s Johnny Graham on guitar. The late Don Myrick, who became part of the Phenix Horns (EWF’s horn section), is featured on tenor saxophone, and Eaton joins Lewis on bass. With Lewis, Maurice White and Eaton on board, Sun Goddess boasts all three members of Lewis’ 1966-1969 trio.

Interviewed separately from Maurice White in June 2014, Eaton remembered EWF’s contributions to Sun Goddess. “Maurice had gained more experience on drums and vocals, and the EWF touch made the album a sure hit,” Eaton explains. “Verdine’s bass lines and Maurice’s drums and vocals with Ramsey on top was the hit combination.”

The fact that both Maurice White and Teo Macero are producers on Sun Goddess shows how high a priority this album was for Columbia back in 1974. Macero (b. October 30, 1925, d. February 19, 2008) was an iconic figure in jazz: in addition to producing or co-producing some of trumpeter Miles Davis’ most famous albums (including Kind of Blue, Sketches of Spain, In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew), Macero worked with Dave Brubeck, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Carmen McRae, Charlie Byrd and countless other jazz giants during his years at Columbia. Eaton, looking back on Macero’s production style, reflects: “Teo Macero’s whole thing—which I really remember—was to record a first take and go right into the next tune while you’re hot.”

Lewis, who celebrated his 79^th birthday on May 27, 2014, has observed many changes in the music industry along the way. And after 40 years, Sun Goddess continues to be regarded as one of his finest accomplishments.

—Alex Henderson, June 2014

Alex Henderson’s work has appeared in Billboard, Spin, Salon.com, Creem, The L.A. Weekly, AlterNet, JazzTimes, Jazziz, Cash Box, HITS, CD Review, Skin Two, Black Beat, The Pasadena Weekly, Black Radio Exclusive (BRE), Music Connection, Latin Style, The New York City Jazz Record, Jazz Inside Magazine and many other well-known publications. Henderson (alexvhenderson.com) also contributed several thousand CD reviews to the popular Allmusic.com website and The All Music Guide’s series of music reference books.