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• Through (5) albums and (12) U.S. R&B charted singles (including the 1977 Grammy-winning global anthem, “Best Of My Love”) released between 1976-1981, The Emotions achieved a level of recognition and success that ensured their place as first tier purveyors of harmonic soul music. The Chicago-based sisters (Wanda, Jeanette and Sheila) developed their distinctive sound as members of the family gospel group, The Hutchinson Sunbeams (with father Joe); after signing with Stax Records’ imprint Volt Records, the trio enjoyed their first Top 10 R&B and Top 40 pop hit with “So I Can Love You” in 1969.

• In 1976, The Emotions began working with Earth, Wind & Fire supergroup founder Maurice White as he developed his Kalimba Productions imprint and the creative pairing bore immediate fruit with the release of FLOWERS, the soulful trio’s first US Top 5 R&B and Top 50 pop best-selling album. Beyond the charts, sales and radio airplay, The Emotions’ soulful singing resonated with the expanded audience they reached in live performances on tours with EW&F, The Commodores, and The Brothers Johnson among others.

• With informative liner notes by SoulMusic.com founder David Nathan, mastering by Nick Robbins and artwork by Roger Williams, this superb musically-satisfying 54-track, 3-CD SoulMusic Records’ box set showcases The Emotions’ golden years and includes all of their recordings for Columbia Records (1976-1978) and for ARC (American Recording Company), the CBS-distributed label (the under the aegis of Maurice White) between 1979-1981. Of note, as songwriters, member of The Emotions and their collaborators also contributed to each of the five albums included here.

DISC 1: FLOWERS/REJOICE

Disc 1 comprises the afore-mentioned FLOWERS album, produced by Maurice White with the late Charles Stepney (known for his work with The Dells, Ramsey Lewis and EW&F) which includes the infectious dance floor favourite “I Don’t Wanna Lose Your Love,” and the aptly-named Maurice White-produced REJOICE LP which – via the chart-topping international hit “Best Of My Love” and the soul music classic ballad “Don’t Ask My Neighbors” – propelled The Emotions to global fame.

1. I DON’T WANNA LOSE YOUR LOVE
2. ME FOR YOU
3. YOU’VE GOT THE RIGHT TO KNOW
4. WE GO THROUGH CHANGES
5 SPECIAL PART
6. NO PLANS FOR TOMORROW
7. HOW CAN YOU STOP LOVING SOMEONE
8. FLOWERS
9. GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU
10. BEST OF MY LOVE
11. A FEELING IS
12. A LONG WAY TO GO
13. KEY TO MY HEART
14. LOVE’S WHAT’S HAPPENIN’
15. HOW’D I KNOW THAT LOVE WOULD SLIP AWAY
16. DON’T ASK MY NEIGHBORS
17. BLESSED
18. REJOICE

DISC 2:  SUNBEAM/COME INTO OUR WORLD

Disc 2 consists of SUNBEAM, a creatively-expansive album that includes “Smile” (co-written by Maurice White and EW&F guitarist/composer Al McKay, the team also responsible for “Best Of My Love”) and “Walking The Line” (co-penned by Skip Scarborough); and COME INTO OUR WORLD, whose standouts include the US R&B Top 30 single, “What’s The Name Of Your Love?”

1. SMILE
2. LOVE IS RIGHT ON
3. TIME IS PASSING BY
4. WALKING THE LINE
5. AIN’T NO DOUBT ABOUT IT
6. LOVE VIBES
7. I WOULDN’T LIE
8. MY EVERYTHING
9. SPIRIT OF SUMMER
10. WHOLE LOT OF SHAKIN’
11. MUSIC BOX
12. WHAT’S THE NAME OF YOUR LOVE?
13. CAUSE I LOVE YOU
14. COME INTO MY WORLD
15. ON & ON
16. I SHOULD BE DANCING
17. WHERE IS YOUR LOVE?
18. THE MOVIE
19 LAYED BACK
20. YES, I AM

DISC 3: NEW AFFAIR/VARIOUS BONUS TRACKS

Disc 3 contains NEW AFFAIR, the group’s final LP for ARC/Columbia, with primary production by Wanda and musical partner/husband Wayne Vaughn and arranger/songwriter Bill Meyers, with an emphasis on dance-oriented tracks in light of the phenomenal 1979 success of “Boogie Wonderland,” the EW&F smash that featured The Emotions, two versions of which are among the eight bonus tracks that complete the third disc of this stellar box set.

1. ALL NIGHT, ALRIGHT
2. LOVE LIES
3. NOW THAT I KNOW
4. THERE’LL NEVER BE ANOTHER MOMENT
5. TURN IT OUT
6. NEW AFFAIR
7. HERE YOU COME AGAIN
8. WHEN YOU GONNA WAKE UP

VARIOUS BONUS TRACKS:
9. EARTH, WIND & FIRE WITH THE EMOTIONS: BOOGIE WONDERLAND
10. I SHOULD BE DANCING (SINGLE VERSION)
11. MY BABY DANCE (NON-ALBUM ‘B’ SIDE)
12. CHANGES (NON-ALBUM ‘B’ SIDE)
13. WHERE IS YOUR LOVE? (SINGLE VERSION)
14. DON’T ASK MY NEIGHBORS (SINGLE VERSION)
15. FLOWERS (SINGLE VERSION)
16. EARTH, WIND & FIRE WITH THE EMOTIONS: BOOGIE WONDERLAND (12” VERSION)

Released August 23, 2019

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