September

Genre: Funk/Disco/Pop

Key: A major / A Mixolydian (ambiguous -- the tonic chord A NEVER appears as a clean triad)

Chord Progression: Dmaj7 -> C#m7 -> Bm7 -> F#m7 -> Dmaj7 -> C#m7 -> G/A -> G/A (8-bar loop) -- ALL chords diatonic to A major except that crucial G/A at the end

Time Signature: 4/4 at ~126 BPM (starts ~124, drifts UP to ~129 by fadeout -- natural tempo acceleration from excitement)

Notable Techniques

• EVERY CHORD DIATONIC except one -- all built from A major scale (skip-note stacking), but the I chord (A) and V chord (E7) NEVER appear. The key is defined by what's AROUND it, not what's IN it. Musical negative space
• Al McKay's guitar riff is percussive and melodic simultaneously -- tight, muted stabs with open voicings. Clean Strat tone, no distortion
• The G/A slash chord (last two bars) = A7sus4/A9sus4 -- creates Mixolydian b7 that gives the loop its BLUESY edge. The sus4 (D note) never resolves to C#. PERMANENT suspension
• "Ba-dee-ya" = NONSENSE SYLLABLES as hook -- Maurice White's placeholder that the writers begged him to change. White: "Who the fuck cares?" The SOUND matters more than the meaning
• Horn section (Phenix Horns) plays FANFARE stabs -- punctuation, celebratory, not melodic lines. Brass as confetti
• Tempo DRIFTS upward throughout -- starts ~124 BPM, ends ~129 BPM. No click track. The band literally gets MORE EXCITED as the song progresses. Recorded to tape, pre-DAW
• Layered vocals -- Maurice White lead with Philip Bailey's FALSETTO soaring above. Two vocal registers = two emotional dimensions
• Bass (Verdine White) is MELODIC and ACTIVE -- walks, runs, fills. Funk bass as lead instrument underneath

Emotional Effectiveness

• Pure JOY without irony -- unashamed celebration. No edge, no coolness, no detachment. RADICAL sincerity
• "Do you remember the 21st night of September?" -- the date means NOTHING. Chosen because it sounded good. Proves: specificity creates emotional weight even when arbitrary
• "Ba-dee-ya" works because PHONETICS carry emotion -- the syllables FEEL joyful regardless of meaning. Vowel sounds (ah, ee, ah) are OPEN, expressive, singable
• The tempo acceleration creates PHYSICAL LIFT -- your body speeds up WITH the band. Subconscious excitement
• Philip Bailey's falsetto adds YEARNING to celebration -- joy tinged with nostalgia. "Do you REMEMBER" = looking back. The happiness is partly memory, partly present
• The unresolved sus4 (G/A) creates subconscious LONGING -- pure major would be too simple. The suspension adds sophistication, a hint of bittersweetness
• No verse-chorus distinction -- the groove is CONTINUOUS. Sections flow into each other. The party doesn't stop for structure

Production Elements

• Recorded at Hollywood Sound Recorders, September 1978 -- Maurice White producing (with help from Charles Stepney's earlier arrangements influencing EWF's orchestral approach)
• The Phenix Horns: Don Myrick (sax), Louis Satterfield (trombone), Michael Harris (trumpet), Rahmlee Michael Davis (trumpet) -- tight ensemble, Motown-level precision
• Guitar (Al McKay): Fender Stratocaster, clean, compressed -- sits in high-mids, leaves low end OPEN for bass and kick
• No click track -- band played LIVE together. The tempo drift is audible and beautiful
• Strings recorded separately -- lush but arranged to SUPPORT, not dominate
• Bass is PROMINENT in mix -- Verdine White's tone is round, present, cuts through
• Reverb is SHORT -- tight, punchy, disco-era production. Not washy
• Stereo field: horns WIDE, vocals CENTER, guitar panned, percussion spread -- every element has address
• The "ba-dee-ya" vocal layers are STACKED -- multiple takes, tight harmony, creates wall of joy

Songwriting Tricks

• NONSENSE SYLLABLES CAN BE THE HOOK -- "ba-dee-ya" has no meaning but is the most memorable part. Sound > semantics. If it FEELS right, leave it (see also: "I know" x26 in Ain't No Sunshine)
• "Never let the lyric get in the way of the groove" -- Al McKay's greatest lesson, learned from Maurice White
• Arbitrary specificity creates emotional weight -- "the 21st night" means nothing but SOUNDS significant. Listeners attach their OWN memories to it
• The TONIC chord doesn't have to appear -- A major key defined without an A chord. Harmonic negative space (see also: When Doves Cry removing bass)
• Eight-bar loop is the ENTIRE song -- no B section, no bridge. The arrangement creates variety, not the chords (see also: Enjoy the Silence, Dreams)
• Mixolydian b7 adds blues edge to major key -- the G natural prevents it from sounding "vanilla." Sophisticated without being complex
• Tempo acceleration = emotional acceleration. In the DAW era, we QUANTIZE this away. Consider: let tempos breathe
• Two vocal registers (chest + falsetto) create JOY + YEARNING simultaneously -- happiness and nostalgia coexist

The "Missing Tonic" Lesson

• Key of A major, but A chord never appears
• V chord (E7) also absent -- the TWO chords that most define a key are GONE
• All other diatonic chords present: Dmaj7 (IV), C#m7 (iii), Bm7 (ii), F#m7 (vi)
• You FEEL "A major" without ever hearing it -- the ear constructs the key from context
• Similar to how "When Doves Cry" removes bass -- absence creates meaning
• LESSON: Try building a song around a key WITHOUT playing the I chord. The pull TOWARD it becomes magnetic

The Nonsense Syllable Tradition

• "Ba-dee-ya" (September) -- placeholder became hook
• "Na na na na" (Hey Jude, Beatles) -- coda that became the most famous part
• "Sha-la-la" (countless doo-wop songs) -- rhythm > meaning
• "Da da da" (Trio) -- entire song built on it
• The VOWEL SOUNDS carry emotion: "ah" = open, joyful; "ee" = bright, excited; "oh" = round, warm
• LESSON: When stuck on lyrics, try phonetic placeholders. If they FEEL right, they ARE right

The Tempo Drift

• September: 124 BPM -> 129 BPM over 3:35
• That's ~5 BPM increase -- SIGNIFICANT, fully audible
• Happens because band played live to tape with no click
• The ACCELERATION mirrors excitement -- listeners unconsciously speed up too
• Modern production quantizes this away -- everything locked to grid
• Some DAWs now offer "tempo drift" or "humanize" features to recreate this
• LESSON: Consider letting tempo breathe. Rigid BPM can kill the life in a groove. At minimum, let choruses sit slightly faster than verses

The Earth, Wind & Fire Method

• 9-piece band (at minimum) playing as UNIT -- collective groove, not individuals
• Maurice White as visionary -- Afrofuturist imagery, cosmic themes, radical positivity
• Chicago roots (same city as Curtis Mayfield, Chess Records) -- Midwest soul tradition
• Blended funk, disco, jazz, pop, African rhythms, orchestral arrangements -- genre synthesis
• ONE band doing what usually requires separate producers/session players
• LESSON: Genre-blending works when it comes from genuine love, not calculation (see also: Walk This Way, Talking Heads)

Why This Is the Ultimate Party Song

• Every wedding, every celebration, every sporting event -- "September" appears
• It's been 47+ years and it hasn't aged ONE DAY
• Why? The JOY is unconditional -- no irony, no conditions, no subtext to decode
• "Ba-dee-ya" crosses every language barrier -- no translation needed
• The tempo drift makes it ALIVE -- it breathes, it's excited, it's THERE with you
• The harmonic sophistication prevents it from being corny -- sophisticated enough for musicians, simple enough for everyone
• LESSON: Unapologetic joy is RARE in music. Most artists protect themselves with irony. Pure celebration, done well, is timeless

Application to Our Work

• Nonsense syllables as hooks -- if the sound is right, meaning is optional
• The groove > the lyric -- don't sacrifice feel for cleverness
• Harmonic ambiguity (missing tonic, Mixolydian b7) adds depth to MAJOR key songs
• Let tempo breathe -- consider NOT quantizing to rigid BPM
• Falsetto + chest voice for emotional duality (joy + yearning)
• Eight-bar loops sustain songs if ARRANGEMENT evolves (validated across dozens of lessons)
• Arbitrary specificity ("21st night") creates emotional anchors -- listeners project meaning
• Phonetic vowel choices affect mood -- open vowels (ah, oh) = warmth, bright vowels (ee, ay) = energy
• Unapologetic joy is underrated and commercially POWERFUL
• Horn fanfares as celebration -- brass for punctuation, not melody

Contrast With Other Lessons

• Shares horn-as-punctuation with "Respect," "Superstition," "I Got You," "Move On Up" -- brass tradition
• Shares melodic bass with "Billie Jean," "Le Freak," "Superstition" -- funk foundation
• Shares single-loop structure with "Dreams," "Enjoy the Silence," "HUMBLE." -- arrangement, not chords, creates variety
• Shares "placeholder became hook" with "Ain't No Sunshine" ("I know" x26) and "Iron Man" (Ozzy improv) -- accidents as features
• Shares tempo drift/live-feel with "I Got You" (James Brown live energy) -- pre-DAW magic
• Shares Mixolydian flavor with "Once in a Lifetime" (Talking Heads) and "Norwegian Wood" (Beatles)
• Shares Chicago soul DNA with "Move On Up" (Curtis Mayfield) -- Midwest groove tradition
• Opposite of minor-key introspection (N.Y. State of Mind, Thrill Is Gone) -- THIS is pure major-key celebration
• Shares "radical sincerity" with "I Got You" (pure joy) -- no irony, no protection, just feeling
• Shares genre synthesis with "Walk This Way" and Talking Heads -- fusion through genuine love