Do you remember the 21st night of September? I'm pretty sure I was eating dinner at home when I came across some posts on Facebook about Earth, Wind & Fire and I almost threw a fit because I had forgotten it was indeed the 21st night of September. I began blaring the classic R&B song at the top of my phone's speaker's lungs while my wife looked at me like I had lost my mind. But that's what this song does.
It's energetic, pop-like, sensationalist beat, coupled with timeless lyrics and a need for moving to the rhythm of 1970's post-disco era make this song hard to resist when it comes on the radio. An interesting tidbit about the choosing of the date reveals that there wasn't any special significance of the 21st night of September. Although several theories about its significance have been suggested, the songwriter Maurice White claimed he simply chose the 21st due to how it sounded when sung. He claims, "the other dates just didn't seem to fit quite as well."
Topping the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart in 1978, "September" went Platinum in the UK and Gold in the US and continues to transcend generations and genres as everyone can find something they love about the song. Whether it's the gibberish "ba-da-ya's" or the cool combination of electric and bass guitars and brass instrumentation, there's just something about "September" that makes everyone who hears it longing to feel the same love that was 'changing the minds of pretenders'.
Comments