Still filling the dance floors

BEATS: CHICAGO 11-piece Earth, Wind and Fire are bringing their funk/disco to Manchester.

The groovers — who racked up 11 top 40 hits between 1977 and 1982, including “Boogie Wonderland”, “September” and “After The Love Has Gone” — will play at the Arena tonight.

The band — Maurice White, Verdine White, Philip Bailey, Ralph Johnson, David Whitworth, Greg Moore, Myron McKinley, Morris O’Connor, Kim Johnson, Philip Bailey Jr and John Paris — have gone through countless line-up changes since they got together in 1969.

The group has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards as well as being inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

They’ve sold more than 90 million albums worldwide and are ranked as the seventh biggest selling American band of all time, as well as being credited with changing the face of black pop.

The band are known for their dynamic use of horns and the contrasting vocals of Philip Bailey’s falsetto and Maurice White’s tenor.

They have released a Greatest Hits album that coincides with their UK tour.