Rejoice cover art
Song Clearance Sheet
3 sources cited

Best of My Love

Disco1970s
116BPM
C majKey
Tempo/key via GetSongBPM, Deezer
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriters of record (Maurice White & Al McKay), no dispute found — a #1 written for The Emotions, with its origin drawn directly from White’s own memoir and the Stax-collapse backstory documented factually.
Quick Facts
Released1977
AlbumRejoice
GenreDisco, Soul, R&B
LabelColumbia Records
ProducerMaurice White & Clarence McDonald
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of recordMaurice White & Al McKay
Wikipedia · checked Jul 2026
The current administratorNot confirmed — Columbia; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Unknown · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
A #1 much-sampled soul standard; connects to “Boogie Wonderland” (this batch) — The Emotions sang on that record.
Wikipediachecked Jul 2026
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; confirmed songwriters of record.
Compiled from public sourceschecked Jul 2026

The two permissions you need, and who holds them

The song itself (the writing)Maurice White & Al McKay
Both of Earth, Wind & Fire. Released June 9, 1977, the lead single from The Emotions’ “Rejoice” (Columbia) — #1 Hot 100 and R&B; Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with VocalsWikipediachecked Jul 2026
A documented Stax-collapse connectionMaurice White knew The Emotions (sisters Wanda, Sheila & Pamela Hutchinson) from his early days drumming for them as teenagers in Chicago. The group had originally signed to Stax Records; when that label collapsed (echoing the label-collapse pattern documented elsewhere in this catalogue), White signed them to his own Kalimba Productions, leading directly to this song.
Songfactschecked Jul 2026
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Columbia Records (original label) — needs a Songview/Discogs lookup. No dispute foundchecked Jul 2026

Receipts

Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found

Straight from Maurice White’s memoir

Al McKay gave White a slow home demo with a simple chord progression; White added a melody but neither was enthused, so they shelved it — then revisited it and simply sped it up, which clicked. White called it the single biggest hit he was ever part of, written in a style he’d never have used for Earth, Wind & Fire itself. No lyrics reproduced.

MauriceWhite.com (memoir) · read it →
A vocal detail and film placements

Lead vocalist Wanda Hutchinson sang the high notes an octave higher than usual, at White’s suggestion. Featured in “Boogie Nights” (1998) and “Summer of Sam” (1999).

Songfacts · read it →

Can You Use It for Free?

How to check PD →
Is it public domain?No
Compiled from public sourceschecked Jul 2026

Sample History

Times sampled
A #1 much-sampled soul standard
Covers
First flip

Who to Contact

BL
Maurice White & Al McKay (Columbia)
The confirmed songwriters of record
Confirmed · checked Jul 2026
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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References

Every source cited on this page — 3 in total

Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 22)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass
Last checked Jul 2026 · Compiled from Wikipedia, Wikidata, Discogs, MusicBrainz, Nolo, Stereogum, Songfacts.
This page is informational, not legal advice — always confirm current rightsholders before release.
ConfirmedReportedUnknown