So let's talk about that show and some of the players that, from the beginning, impacted you, the great jazz players.

First off...

I broadcast from KUNV 91.5, which is on the campus of UNLV.

I am on every Saturday night for two hours from 8 to 10 Pacific time.

And this, man, the way this came about, we were in Vegas.

Every year we go in around the fall, October, November, and do a residency at the Venetian.

So about four years ago, three or four years ago, someone who was formerly with our organization called me up because he lives in Vegas.

So since we call the podcast Taking a Walk, we ask every guest, if you could take a walk with someone living or dead, who would it be? Where do you think you might go? And what would you want to talk about?

When you all are touring, how do you cut it down to these are the songs we're going to do in any given show? Like, how do you all even decide, Ralph, what to even perform?

we kind of actually start with the hits, the most popular songs.

And then we fill in the rest of the show with some of the other songs that are probably lesser known.

But Phillip is usually in charge of putting that set list together.

And it turns out to be a very successful

Can you give us the short version of where? Where did that song fantasy come from? Did it just come from the mind of Maurice White? Like, what is that song about?

Maurice once told me that after he had seen Close Encounters of the Third Kind, he got the idea for the lyrics.

And it's that simple.

And, and Maurice White sees you.

Well, you know what's interesting? Maurice and Verdine came down to the club.

The club was called Maverick's Flat.

Big famous club.

Um, all the Black acts would come down there and check out other acts, you know.

Um, and I don't remember the night I met them.

It's so interesting, because there was so much going on at the club.

Really?

You got a memoir out, though, right, Ralph? Yeah.

Yes.

It came out, um, in May, May 28th.

Uh, it's called Rhythm & Fire: A Life in Harmony with Earth, Wind & Fire.

Uh, and after being in the group for 55 years, I decided it was time to write a book.

Mm-hmm

...

I was gonna say, I hope they realize we made a tremendous contribution to the artistic and cultural fabric-

You wanna say something?

We've b- no, I was gonna say, we've been at this longer with our, just the three of us than we were with Maurice.

Mm-hmm.

I was gonna say, I hope they realize we made a tremendous contribution to the artistic and cultural fabric-

Like, the idea of magic, like, are you guys having meetings and he's telling you, like, "We, we have to do a different presentation than we've ever done before"?

Well, it wasn't like Maurice called a meeting and said, "Okay, look, this is what we're getting ready to do." He would just do it, and he would ...

He might say, "Okay, look, we're gonna get this magician," Doug Henning or David Copperfield, "to come in and give us some extra stuff." Because he really was about presentation.

And I like what George Faison says in the documentary.

He says it, it was theater And that's what Maurice wanted.

He wanted the music side, but he want- he wanted some theatrics.

He wanted more than just some guys standing on a stage playing their axes, you know? And so that's how we got into the whole theatrics thing.

... that was that.

And so it was a tough

transition.

I got three kids, I got a wife and transitioned to that job.

And I left the military and went into reserves.

And for a few years I was a network engineer, but that mission and calling never left me.

And so I got, when 9-11 happened, I got called up, another transition, into the military on active duty as a reservist.

That makes sense? So there I was serving and I ended up retiring.

How do you step out of your car into that house having been through deep, stressful moments during your day?

Yes.

No.

Well, I don't know if it was written for that album.

It was just, you know, it was a song.

It's like kind of a creative weight.

I don't think you can really chase after something you've already done, and I don't think you can edit your creativity.

Just go, create, create.

Yeah.

You know, particularly for a Black group, sonically, that when you heard it, you would say, "Oh my God." George was a big, big part of that.

Mm-hmm.

Spirit, oh, man.

As a matter of fact, we were about to cut the track Spirit.

I was on the drums, and Maurice got the phone call that Stepney had just passed, and we just went on and cut that track.

But that's right after we got the news.

For my recollection, Shining Star started out as a jam, actually.

It was Al McKay playing that Raze 9 chord.

We just kind of took it from there.

Things start to grow.

Additional keyboard lines.

Synthesizers.

The horns.

Uh, tell us about how that song came together and what September 21st really was all about.

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

Also did some stuff for us.

But found this disc, it was Just Blaze who produced this tune on Jay-Z.

Um, the tune on the original album was called Sounds Like a Love Song.

Um, but when Jay-Z put it out on his Blueprint CD, it was called Song Cry.

Mm-hmm.

It was all of that, man.

Tell me, Ralph, what was it about that specific time and place that shaped not just your drumming, but, uh, who you were gonna become as an artist?

Well, it was, uh, for, for me, the '60s was a time of discovery.

You know, you're growing.

I was a teen growing up, and there was a lot to be exposed to, but probably a lot more because I was on the arts side of life.

I was a musician, you know? So, uh, that, being surrounded with the people I was surrounded with because I had a great support group, the family and friends, uh, that all helped to shape me, you know? I, I had, uh, you know, I had the right parents, which I think is very, very, very important.

Um, and all they, all they did was encourage me.

Whenever I needed something, they made sure I had it, you know? And, uh, all through school, I was always connected to music.

So let's talk about that show and some of the players that from the beginning impacted you, the great jazz players.