Back in 1979, Earth Wind & Fire was on a run. A string of smash albums over the prior four years had moved the group to the top of the A-List of popular artists.
As the members of EWF prepared for their I Am album, they overflowed with ideas and songs. Maurice White was working with songwriter/producer David Foster, and they had an abundance of songs for the project. And as good as I Am turned out, what was left on the cutting room floor was too good to be left behind.
Among the songs that didn’t make the cut was “Diana,” a horn-filled midtempo that was strong enough to be an anchor song on the albums of most artists. But instead, the song stayed in the can for a quarter of a century, finally making it out as a bonus track on the expanded 2004 reissue of I Am. To this day, most casual fans have never heard it.
We’re proud to present “Diana” as our latest SoulTracks Lost Gem. It is a fun listen and a reminder of the greatness of EWF during its Imperial Period — such greatness that a song this strong didn’t even make the cut. Check it out.
