Serpentine Fire Explained

Serpentine Fire
Cover:Serpentine Fire.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Earth, Wind & Fire
Album:All 'N All
B-Side:Serpentine Fire (Instrumental)
Released:October 15, 1977
Recorded:1977
Genre:Funk[1]
Length:3:50
Label:Columbia
Producer:Maurice White
Prev Title:On Your Face
Prev Year:1977
Next Title:Fantasy
Next Year:1978

"Serpentine Fire" is a single by Earth, Wind & Fire which was issued in October 1977 by Columbia Records.[2] The single rose to numbers 1 and 13 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs and Hot 100 charts, respectively.[3] [4]

Overview

"Serpentine Fire" spent seven weeks atop the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and was named the R&B single of the year by Billboard.[5] The song was produced by bandleader Maurice White for Kalimba Productions and arranged by Tom Tom 84. "Serpentine Fire" was composed by Maurice, Verdine White and Reginald 'Sonny' Burke. An instrumental version of "Serpentine Fire" was the b-side of this single. "Serpentine Fire" came off of EWF's 1977 album All 'n All.

During October 1977, the music video for "Serpentine Fire" was issued by Columbia.[6]

Critical reception

The Guardian declared "songs such as Serpentine Fire and Jupiter run on sheer adrenaline".[7] Ed Hogan of AllMusic called the tune "a poppin mid-tempo jam".[8] Joe McEwen of Rolling Stone exclaimed "Serpentine Fire, a song about the spinal life-center philosophy of many Eastern religions, is a simple tango spiced by a subtle funk base and the incessant clanging of a cowbell."[9] Phyl Garland of Stereo Review also described the song as "a high stepper guaranteed to set even the most sluggish soul into motion".[10] Record World said that "The sound is the thing here, with percussion, guitars and brass creating an infectious rhythmic environment for a basic, frequently-repeated lyric."[11]

Charts

YearChart Peak
position
1977U.S. Billboard Hot 10013
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Singles1
New Zealand Pop Songs[12] 32
1978RPM Top Canadian Singles[13] 13

Accolades

PublicationCountryAccoladeYearRank
U.S.The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made1989307
Bruce Pollock U.S.The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-20002005
pc muñozU.S.Verse-Chorus-Verse: A Column Dedicated to Great Songs2005
Mark EllinghamU.S.The Rough Guide Book of Playlists: 5,000 Songs You Must Download2007

(*) designates lists that are unordered.

Cover versions

Nathan East version featuring Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson

Serpentine Fire
Type:single
Artist:Nathan East featuring Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson
Album:Reverence
Released:2016
Label:Yamaha Entertainment Group

In December 2016, bass guitarist Nathan East released a cover of "Serpentine Fire" featuring Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson as a single via Yamaha Entertainment Group.[14] The song reached No. 17 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart.[15]

Critical reception

Andy Kellman of AllMusic proclaimed "Serpentine Fire" gets an ornate update with Bailey and EW&F partners Verdine White and Ralph Johnson. Phil Collins' drums and Eric Clapton's guitar are dredged from the master recording of an abandoned project, lost for 25 years, that was found in Patti Austin's basement by East's engineer."[16]

Charts

Other covers

"Serpentine Fire" has also been covered by artists such as Jimmy Smith on his 1978 album Unfinished Business and Tom Scott on his 1990 album Them Changes. Brian Culbertson covered the song on his 2003 album Come On Up and Jack DeJohnette recorded another version with Ravi Coltrane and Matthew Garrison for his 2015 album In Movement.[17]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Holtje, Stephen. Earth, Wind & Fire/Maurice White. Graff. Gary. du Lac. Josh. McFarlin. Jim. January 1, 1998. MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. Detroit. 189–190.
  2. Earth, Wind & Fire: Serpentine Fire. October 1977. Columbia Records.
  3. Web site: Earth, Wind & Fire: Serpentine Fire (Hot Soul Songs). Billboard.
  4. Web site: Earth, Wind & Fire: Serpentine Fire (Hot 100). Billboard.
  5. 2007-12-11. Billboard.com - Year End Charts - Year-end Singles - Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs. . 2020-06-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20071211063759/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/yearend_chart_display.jsp?f=Hot+R&B/Hip-Hop+Songs&g=Year-end+Singles&year=1978. 2007-12-11.
  6. Web site: Earth, Wind & Fire: Serpentine Fire. imdb.com.
  7. Web site: Artists beginning with E. November 19, 2007. The Guardian.
  8. Web site: Earth, Wind & Fire: Serpentine Fire. Hogan, Ed. Allmusic. allmusic.com.
  9. Web site: Earth, Wind & Fire: All n' All. McEwen,Joe. January 26, 1978. Rolling Stone. rollingstone.com.
  10. Earth, Wind & Fire: All 'n All. March 1978. Garland, Phyl. 77. 3. 40. Stereo Review. americanradiohistory.com.
  11. Record World. October 8, 1977. 2023-02-16. Hits of the Week. 1.
  12. Earth, Wind & Fire: Serpentine Fire. RIANZ. charts.nz.
  13. RPM Top 100 Singles. 22. 28. February 25, 1978. RPM. bac-lac.gc.ca.
  14. Nathan East featuring Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson: Serpentine Fire. December 2016. Yamaha Entertainment Group.
  15. Web site: Nathan East featuring Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson: Serpentine Fire (Smooth Jazz Songs). Billboard.
  16. Web site: Nathan East: Reverence. Kellman, Andy. Allmusic. allmusic.com.
  17. Web site: Serpentine Fire by Earth, Wind & Fire. secondhandsongs.com.