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"Guiding Lights" is a song by the band Earth, Wind & Fire, released as a single in 2012 by Sony Music/Legacy. The song reached No. 16 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart and No. 30 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart.

"Guiding Lights"
Single by Earth, Wind & Fire
from the album Now, Then & Forever
Released	2012
Genre	R&B
Length	3:56
Label	Sony Music/Legacy
Songwriter(s)	Philip D. Bailey, Austin Jacobs, Daniel McClain, Darrin Simpson
Producer(s)	Walt B. & Neal Pogue
Earth, Wind & Fire singles chronology
"Change Your Mind" (2006) "Guiding Lights" (2012) "My Promise" (2013)

Overview

"Guiding Lights" was produced by Walt B. & Neal Pogue and composed by Philip D. Bailey, Austin Jacobs, Daniel McClain with Darrin Simpson. The song came from Earth, Wind & Fire's 2013 album Now, Then & Forever.[1]

Critical reception

Andy Kellman of Allmusic wrote "My Promise and Guiding Light especially rise high enough to be slotted between classics without losing listener interest."[2] Elias Leight of Popmatters exclaimed "Guiding Lights" is a break-beat driven falsetto ballad that stretches the drama out past six minutes and includes a scream at the 4:18 mark that shouldn’t be humanly possible for any man above the age of 30." Leight also added "The muted brass in "Guiding Lights" touches on the early ‘00s neo-soul that Earth, Wind & Fire helped inspire."[3] Emerys Baird of Blues & Soul said "Ballad time, with the sultry "Guiding Lights", all replete with possibly the highest note ever hit by a human (even higher that Janet Kay on Silly Games!). It's a towering performance with the waffliest of synth solos, which nobody seems to do anymore, EWF at their best!".[4] Daryl Easlea of Record Collector also described the song as a "big spiritual ballad".[5]

Personnel

• Lead and backing vocals – Philip J. Bailey
• Backing vocals – Daniel McClain, B. David Whitworth, Philip D. Bailey
• Alto saxophone, tenor saxophone – Gary Bias
• Bass – Verdine White
• Drums – John Paris
• Electric piano [Rhodes], synthesizer [Moog Voyager] – Larry Dunn
• Guitar – Greg Moore, Morris O'Connor
• Percussion – David Leach
• Trombone – Reggie Young
• Trumpet – Gary Grant, Michael "Patches" Stewart
• Produced by Neal Pogue, Walt B
• Horns arranged by Jerry Hey

Charts

Chart (2012)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs[6]	16
U.S. Billboard Adult R&B Songs[7]	30

References

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