Five Decades
The history
1969
Record
Kool and the Gang
Kool & the Gang's funky debut was an unexpected hit, with a first single (self-titled) climbing both the pop and R&B charts. Subsequent singles — "The Gang's Back Again," "Let the Music Take Your Mind," and "Funky Man" — followed the first into the charts, and there were plenty of other standout tracks: "Raw Hamburger," "Chocolate Buttermilk," and "Kool's Back Again." Though barely over a half an hour long, Kool and the Gang is a blast of a record containing strong elements that would become the band's trademarks: smooth melodies, suave rhythms, and brassy horns. This is one of Kool & the Gang's jazzier albums and a strong debut worth checking out, though less accessible than any of their later pop recordings.
Credit: JT Griffith/AllMusic
1971
Record
Live at the Sex Machine
In addition to having a great title, this 1971 release is one of the best of the group's early efforts. Combining the raw groove of James Brown with the melodic talents and jazz influence of hornmen Ronald Bell, Robert Mickens and Dennis Thomas, the band gives a solid workout to songs such as "Pneumonia," "Who's Gonna Take the Weight" and the Sly Stone hit "I Want to Take You Higher."
Credit: Steve Kurutz/AllMusic
1971
Record
Live at P.J.'s
Live at P.J.'s, the third Kool & the Gang record (and second live album in a row), betters the previous Live at the Sex Machine with a committed set balancing funky workouts ("Ronnie's Groove") with more exploratory soul-jazz ("Sombrero Sam"), and occasionally trying both on the same track ("N.T."). A night-after-night schedule of concerts all over the country had given Kool & the Gang the chops to become one of the best bands of the '70s, but it also enabled them to construct tight, interesting sets.
Credit: John Bush/AllMusic
1972
Record
Music Is the Message
Kool & the Gang's fourth album — but only their second studio record — was just as strong and joyous as its live predecessors, though it featured a few more vocals and emphasized strong musicianship over hard grooves. (Of course, the band always did pretty well at both.) The title track and "Love the Life You Live" were two more great party jams to add to their repertoire, despite the growing similarity of Robert "Kool" Bell's basslines. The two-part "Electric Frog" was a squelchy instrumental spotlighting an Arp synthesizer and some great ensemble playing on the chorus, while the band reserved a great feature for trumpeter Robert "Spike" Mickens on "Blowin' with the Wind." "Love the Life You Live" was the most fully realized early Kool & the Gang jam, and the one that most looks forward to their parade of hits to come ("Funky Stuff," "Hollywood Swinging"). Ending the album with a smile (if not style) was "Funky Granny," a lightweight but hilarious sequel to their 1970 hit "Funky Man."
Credit: John Bush/AllMusic
1972
Record
Good Times
Good Times is the third studio album by the funk band Kool and the Gang, released in November 1972. It made the Billboard R&B album chart in March 1973, peaking at number 34 during a 6-week run.
Credit: Wikipedia
1973
Record
Wild and Peaceful
Wild and Peaceful is the fourth studio album released by the funk band Kool & the Gang. It was their commercial breakthrough. It was released in 1973 and was hugely successful on the Billboard R&B chart, reaching No. 6 and charting for 36 weeks. It also reached No. 33 on the Pop charts, making it the band's first entry into that chart's Top 40. The album spawned the band's first three Top 10 singles. "Funky Stuff" reached No. 5 R&B/No. 29 Pop. The hugely popular track "Jungle Boogie" soared to No. 2 R&B and No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Hollywood Swinging" topped the Billboard Hot Soul Singles in June 1974 while reaching No. 6 Pop. The latter two singles both sold over a million copies and were certified Gold by the RIAA. The album was certified Gold.
Credit: Wikipedia
1974
Record
Light of Worlds
A fantastic album! Not one dispensable track here, with all of them adding to it in their own way. "Fruitman" & the classic "summer madness" are my favorites though-even the cover is perfect...
Credit: Michael Mann/AllMusic
1974
Record
"Hollywood Swinging" tops the R&B chart
Their first #1 R&B single, and #6 on the Hot 100. "Higher Plane" reached #1 R&B the same year.
1975
Record
Spirit of the Boogie
Discussing Kool & the Gang in the early '70s, James Brown enthused, "They're the second-baddest out there...They make such bad records that you got to be careful when you play a new tape on the way home from the record store. Their groove is so strong you could wreck." And that really says it all. Kool & the Gang were funk's kings in 1975, and Spirit of the Boogie was the finest album they ever recorded — the staggering climax of their development thus far. The record-buying public thought so too — the album gave the band their first Top Five R&B hit. Spirit of the Boogie may have been first and foremost a funk masterpiece, but it was also so much more. From the African art on the foldout sleeve to the spiritual and musical purity of many of the songs, this album not only bound the band's reverence for their roots to a blistering, street-smart funk, but also demonstrated a keen awareness of their own role in their musical odyssey. "Ancestral Ceremony" pays homage by quoting from Kool's earlier songs, while "Jungle Jazz" tracks back to the original pounding jams that imbibed 1973's "Jungle Boogie." The title track, meanwhile, is quintessential Kool & the Gang — fiery funk which is kept in check by rhythm and chant. It gave the band a springtime number one on the R&B charts — their third. This is a phenomenal set, a superlative album. And because the grooves are so strong, it's easy to forgive weak moments — most especially the mawkish "Sunshine and Love." Kool & the Gang were outstanding during this period, before they caught the disco bug. Spirit of the Boogie remains a proud achievement.
Credit: Amy Hanson/AllMusic
Fun fact: Artist Paul Goodnight created the vibrant cover artwork for Kool & The Gang's hit 1975 album Spirit of the Boogie.
1976
Record
Love & Understanding
Kool & the Gang's combination of chanting vocals, horns and electronics forms a patented style all their own.
1976
Culture
"Open Sesame"
"Open Sesame" was featured on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, which became one of the best-selling soundtracks ever released. The album went on to win Album of the Year at the 1979 Grammys.
1977
Record
The Force
The Force is the ninth studio album by the funk band Kool and the Gang, released in 1977 on De-Lite Records. The album peaked at No. 33 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Credit: Wikipedia
1978
Record
Everybody's Dancin'
Everybody's Dancin' is the tenth studio album by the American band Kool & the Gang, released in 1978. It peaked at No. 71 on Billboard Top R&B chart.
Credit: Wikipedia
1979
Record
Ladies' Night
Ladies' Night, the band's eleventh studio album, became their first Platinum success, spurred on by two million selling Top Ten singles: the title track "Ladies' Night," (No. 4 in Cash Box; No. 8 in Billboard) and "Too Hot" (No. 5 in Billboard).
- Ladies' Night
- Too Hot
- James Taylor
1979
Honor
A Grammy, by way of Saturday Night Fever
"Open Sesame" appears on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, and the album takes Album of the Year at the 1979 Grammys. The band share the credit with the other contributing artists - their only Grammy win.
1980
Record
Celebrate!
Celebrate! is the band's twelfth studio album released on September 29, 1980. The album reached No. 1 on the US R&B chart and #10 on the Billboard 200. The album produced perhaps Kool & the Gang's most recognizable hit song, the No. 1 chart-topper, "Celebration", which still receives heavy play today over four decades later.
Credit: Wikipedia
1981
Record
Something Special
The album delivered several hit singles, including "Steppin' Out" (No. 12 R&B / No. 89 Pop), "Take My Heart" (No. 1 R&B / No. 17 Pop) and "Get Down on It" (No. 4 R&B / No. 10 Pop). In the UK, the album reached No. 10, becoming their first hit album there and their most successful studio album of all, largely thanks to the "Get Down on It" single. In the US, it reached No. 12 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart and No. 1 on Billboard's Top Soul Albums chart!
1982
Record
As One
It's the fourteenth studio album by the funk band Kool & the Gang, released in 1982. "Let's Go Dancin'" peaked at No. 7 on the U.S. R&B chart and No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart. "Big Fun" became an international hit.
Credit: Wikipedia
1983
Record
In the Heart
"Joanna", reached number two on the charts in the US and UK, and hit number one on the US R&B chart. The third single, "Tonight", peaked at No. 13 on the US Hot 100. The fourth single "(When You Say You Love Somebody) In the Heart" did not chart on the Hot 100, but became a moderate hit on the UK R&B chart.
Credit: Wikipedia
1984
Record
Emergency
This album marked the end of Kool & the Gang's 15-year association with De-Lite Records. Impressively, the group charted each of those 15 years, including ten number one singles. Emergency continued that tradition, and was responsible for two of those number one singles. The first release, "Misled," with its crackin' bassline, led the charge; it peaked at number three on the Billboard R&B charts. "Fresh," an invigorating dance single with melodic verses and accented chorus chants, followed and surpassed "Misled," claiming the top spot. Mostly known for their funk and dance songs, the nine-piece band hit on a more tranquil note with "Cherish." With its adult contemporary appeal, the tender-flowing single eased its way to the top of the charts. All three of the aforementioned singles were also Billboard pop Top Ten singles.
The final chapter in the group's De-Lite Records catalog came with the release of the title track, "Emergency," a rock-flavored single that crested at number seven on the Billboard R&B charts.
Credit: Craig Lytle/AllMusic
Fun fact: The band takes part in Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas" for famine relief in Africa.
1986
Record
Forever
Forever is the seventeenth studio album by the funk band Kool & the Gang, released in 1986. The album included two major hits on the US Hot 100 Chart: "Victory" (US #10, R&B #2) and "Stone Love" (US #10, R&B #4). Three additional singles charted, "Holiday" reached the top ten on the R&B Chart, "Special Way" reached #6 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and "Peacemaker" was released in international markets and charted at #20 in New Zealand.
1989
Record
Sweat
Sweat is the eighteenth studio album by the band.
1990
Culture
The catalog becomes source material
As hip-hop expands, the band's drum breaks, bass lines and horn figures become among the most borrowed in the music. Their grooves turn up on records by the Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Cypress Hill and P. Diddy.
1992
Record
Unite
Unite is the nineteenth studio album by the band.
1994
Culture
"Jungle Boogie" in Pulp Fiction
The placement that introduced the band to an audience born long after the record was made.
1996
Record
State of Affairs
State of Affairs is the twentieth studio album released in 1996 following a four-year gap between albums. It marked the return of "J.T." Taylor since 1986's album Forever.
2001
Record
Gangland
Gangland is the twenty-first studio album by the band, released in 2001 following a five-year gap between albums. The album was a compilation of rappers backed by Kool and the Gang remaking some of the band's songs.
2004
Record
The Hits: Reloaded
The Hits: Reloaded is a studio album by the band issued in 2004 by Edel Records. It contains re-recorded versions of their songs in collaboration with other artists. The LP reached No. 19 on the Swiss albums chart, No. 21 on the UK R&B Albums Chart, No. 26 on both the Italian and German album charts and No. 30 on the French albums chart.
Credit: Wikipedia
2007
Record
Still Kool
Still Kool is a studio album by the band, released in 2007 on New Door Records. The European release consists of a single disc while the US release includes a bonus disc containing five re-recordings of the band's hit singles. The album reached No. 31 on the US Billboard Top Soul Albums chart. Still Kool was certified platinum in France by the SNEP. "Dave" reached No. 13 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart. "Steppin' into Love" peaked at No. 7 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart and No. 38 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart.
Credit: Wikipedia
2013
Record
Kool for the Holidays
Kool & the Gang's 2013 holiday album, Kool for the Holidays, is a vibrant and unconventional Christmas record that blends R&B, funk, pop, dance, jazz, and gospel.
Credit: Wikipedia
2014
Honor
BET Soul Train Lifetime Achievement Award
The first of the late-career honors.
2015
Oct
Honor
A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Awarded in the town they sing about in "Hollywood Swinging," one of their earliest hits.
2018
Jun
Honor
Songwriters Hall of Fame
Recognition for the writing rather than the performing - the honor that most directly credits Ronald Bell and George Brown.
2019
Honor
The 50th anniversary, marked five ways
Induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. A street they grew up on in Jersey City renamed "Kool & the Gang Way." "Celebration" inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Kool's bass placed in the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. Band artifacts displayed at the Grammy Museum Experience in Newark, beside Count Basie.
- Robert Bell
2021
Mar 24
Honor
"Celebration" enters the National Recording Registry
Selected by the Library of Congress for the Class of 2021, as culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.
2021
Aug
Record
Perfect Union
Perfect Union is Kool & the Gang's first album of all-new material since 2007's Still Kool, released on Omnivore Recordings in August 2021. It marks a joyful return for a band that has been making people move for more than five decades.
Rolling Stone said the lead single, "Pursuit of Happiness," boasts "a bright groove and exudes hopeful energy." Its hook calls for a new generation of leaders to help carry the dream forward.
The late Ronald Bell wrote the song during Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign. Robert "Kool" Bell said: "It was in some ways inspired by that time in history but, even more than that, my brother was inspired to voice the aspirations of so many of the people we meet during our travels to countries all over the world."
His co-writers, Balawah Muhammad and Walt Anderson, sing lead on the track. Rapper Keith Murray heard the song and added a verse of his own. "We all loved it," Kool said. The album includes both the rap version and a version without it.
The single comes with an animated music video directed by Patrick Smith. In a post-apocalyptic world, a robot invents goggles that show a brighter version of reality. He makes a pair for everyone, and that glimpse of something better inspires the robots to build it for real, until they no longer need the goggles.
Perfect Union celebrates what Kool & the Gang have always stood for: great music, shared hope and a groove that brings people together.
As featured in Rolling Stone.
2023
Jul 11
Culture
George Brown publishes Too Hot: Kool & The Gang & Me
A founder's own account of the band, published four months before his death.
2023
Jul 14
Record
People Just Wanna Have Fun
Released on July 14, 2023, People Just Wanna Have Fun kicked off the celebration of Kool & the Gang's 60th anniversary. The 15-track album was led by founding members Robert "Kool" Bell on bass and George "Funky" Brown on keyboards and drums. It was introduced by the single "Let's Party," featuring Sha Sha Jones.
The album holds a special place in the band's history. It features some of the last studio work by two legendary founding horn players, Kool's brother Ronald "Khalis" Bell and Dennis "D.T." Thomas, who passed away in 2020 and 2021. Lead vocals come from Sha Sha Jones, Shawn McQuiller, Lavell Evans, Dominique Karan, Rick Marcel, Walt Anderson, and rappers Ami Miller and Ole'.
The record sums up the band's journey from their roots to today. "You've got the funk, you've got the jazzier tracks, we have a few ballads on there," Kool said. "Then there are songs that cross over to a pop sort of thing. We go from the '70s, the '80s, right into now. It's old school, it's new school — we kinda captured it all here. With all our music over the years, people have had fun. So I'd say this album just about sums it all up."
Losing Ronald and Dennis wasn't easy, but the band keeps moving forward, with many of today's members having played alongside Kool for 25 years. As Kool told Rolling Stone, "New members can be old members too. You got to keep movin'."
People Just Wanna Have Fun is a celebration of six decades of funk, soul, and good times, and a reminder that the party is still going.
As featured in Rolling Stone.
2024
Oct 19
Honor
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Class of 2024
Sixty years after seven teenagers started playing together in Jersey City.
2025
Oct 17
Record
Greatest Hits on vinyl
The current release, and the band's active promotion.
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