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Celebrate!
''Celebrate!'' is the twelfth studio album by American band Kool & the Gang. 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 #1 chart-topper, " Celebration", which still receives heavy play today over four decades later. Critical reception Dennis Hunt of the Los Angeles Times called Celebration "the band's mostly excellent new album." Robert Christgau of the Village Voice gave a C- grade saying "It says something for these funk pioneers that unlike James Brown, George Clinton, and the Ohio Players they've adapted painlessly, nay profitably, to disco: a number-one single leads their Deodato-produced album into the top ten. What it says is that their funk was as bland as you suspected." With a 3 out of 5 stars review Amy Hanson of Allmusic found that "Celebrate itself marked the end of an era for Kool & the Gang, as the band would slip eve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Celebration (Kool & The Gang Song)
"Celebration" is a 1980 song by American band Kool & the Gang. Released as the first single from their twelfth album, ''Celebrate!'' (1980), it was the band's first and only single to reach No. 1 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In 2021, the Library of Congress selected "Celebration" for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally historically or aesthetically significant". Origins Co-founder Ronald Bell, the group's saxophonist and musical arranger, explained the origins of the song; Composition "Celebration" is in the key of A♭ in common time and was written as a collaboration by the whole band. The song moves at a tempo of 123 beats per minute. The group's vocals span from A3 to E5. Commercial performance "Celebration" reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart on February 7, 1981, and held that position for two weeks before Dolly Parton's " 9 to 5" overtook it. It remains the band's only ''Billboard'' No. 1 hit. By late 1980, the so ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kool & The Gang
Kool & the Gang is an American R&B/soul/funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964 by brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell, with Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown, and Ricky West. They have undergone numerous changes in personnel and have explored many musical styles throughout their history, including jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, funk, disco, rock, and pop music. After settling on their name following several changes, the group signed to De-Lite Records and released their debut album, ''Kool and the Gang'' (1969). The band's first taste of success came with the release of their fourth album '' Wild and Peaceful'' (1973), which contained the US top-ten singles "Jungle Boogie" and "Hollywood Swinging". Kool & the Gang subsequently entered a period of decline before they reached a second commercial peak between 1979 and 1986 following their partnership with Brazilian musician and producer Eumir Deodato and the additio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ladies' Night (album)
''Ladies' Night'' is the eleventh studio album by the funk band Kool & the Gang, released in 1979. The album became their first major success especially after the release of the title track, the U.S. #8 "Ladies' Night," and the U.S. #5 follow-up " Too Hot" which both became Top 10 hits on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The album brought a return to the mainstream after a lull in success from 1976-1978. ''Ladies' Night'' reached number one on the U.S. R&B chart. Additionally, all the cuts from the album reached number five on the disco chart. With ''Ladies' Night'', Kool & the Gang made their funk style more mainstream by incorporating some pop and light R&B into the sound. The result was that this album was not only popular during the 1970s black-oriented funk era where the band started, but also during the more popular and diverse disco era. ''Ladies' Night'' became their first Platinum album. It also marked the debut of lead vocalist James "J.T." Taylor. Track listing Personn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Something Special (Kool & The Gang Album)
''Something Special'' is the thirteenth studio album by American band Kool & the Gang, released in 1981. It was the group's third consecutive Platinum-certified album. Reception It continued the level of success that the band's previous two albums brought, contained several hit singles including: " Take My Heart" went to No. 1 on the R&B chart and No. 17 on the Pop chart. "Get Down on It" reached No. 4 on the R&B chart and No. 10 on the Pop chart. In addition, " Steppin' Out" ended up at No. 12 on the R&B chart and No. 89 on the Pop chart. In the UK, the album reached #10, becoming their first hit album there and most successful studio album of all, largely due to the success of the "Get Down On It" single. "Stand Up and Sing" was featured in 1982's '' The Pirate Movie''. Track listing Personnel *Bass, backing vocals – Robert "Kool" Bell *Lead guitar – Charles Smith *Saxophone, keyboards, backing vocals – Ronald Bell *Drums, backing vocals – George Brown *Le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honorific nicknames "the Hardest Working Man in Show Business", "Godfather of Soul", "Mr. Dynamite", and "Soul Brother No. 1". In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he influenced the development of several music genres. Brown was one of the first 10 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural induction in New York on January 23, 1986. Brown began his career as a gospel singer in Toccoa, Georgia. He first came to national public attention in the mid-1950s as the lead singer of the Famous Flames, a rhythm and blues vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd. With the hit ballads "Please, Please, Please" and " Try Me", Brown built a reputation as a dynamic live performer with the Famous Flames and his backing band, sometimes know ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1980 Albums
__NOTOC__ Year 198 (CXCVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sergius and Gallus (or, less frequently, year 951 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 198 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. Events By place Roman Empire *January 28 **Publius Septimius Geta, son of Septimius Severus, receives the title of Caesar. **Caracalla, son of Septimius Severus, is given the title of Augustus. China *Winter – Battle of Xiapi: The allied armies led by Cao Cao and Liu Bei defeat Lü Bu; afterward Cao Cao has him executed. By topic Religion * Marcus I succeeds Olympianus as Patriarch of Constantinople (until 211). Births * Lu Kai (or Jingfeng), Chinese official and general (d. 269) * Quan Cong, Chinese general and advisor (d. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kool & The Gang Albums
Kool may refer to: People * Kool (surname), surname of Dutch origin * Robert "Kool" Bell (born 1950), American bassist and founder of Kool and the Gang * Roger Kool (1954–2005), Singaporean DJ (Roger Kiew) * Kool DJ Herc (born 1955), Jamaican–American DJ and hip hop pioneer (Clive Campbell) * Kool DJ Red Alert (born 1956), American DJ and hip hop pioneer (Frederick Crute) * DJ Kool (born 1958), American DJ and rapper (John W. Bowman) * Kool Moe Dee (born 1962), American rapper (Mohandas Dewese) * Kool Keith (born 1963), American rapper (Keith M. Thornton) * Kool Bob Love (born 1967), American DJ, breakdancer and streetball player (Bobbito Garcia) * Kool Shen (born 1966), French rapper, actor and producer (Bruno Lopes) * Kool G. Rap (born 1968), American rapper (Nathaniel T. Wilson) * Kool Kim (born 1971), American rapper (Kim Sharpton) * Kool Savas (born 1975), German rapper (Savaş Yurderi) * Kool Kojak (born 1970s), American musician (Allan P. Grigg) * Kool A.D. (born 1983 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James "J
James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (other), various kings named James * Saint James (other) * James (musician) * James, brother of Jesus Places Canada * James Bay, a large body of water * James, Ontario United Kingdom * James College, a college of the University of York United States * James, Georgia, an unincorporated community * James, Iowa, an unincorporated community * James City, North Carolina * James City County, Virginia ** James City (Virginia Company) ** James City Shire * James City, Pennsylvania * St. James City, Florida Arts, entertainment, and media * ''James'' (2005 film), a Bollywood film * ''James'' (2008 film), an Irish short film * ''James'' (2022 film), an Indian Kannada-language film * James the Red Engine, a character in ''Thomas the Tank En ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Claydes Charles Smith
Claydes "Charles" Smith (real name ''Claydes Eugene Smith''; September 6, 1948 – June 20, 2006) was an American musician best known as co-founder and lead guitarist of the group Kool & the Gang. Biography Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, he was introduced to jazz guitar by his father in the early 1960s. In the late 1960s, he joined with Ronald Bell (later Khalis Bayyan), Robert "Kool" Bell, George Brown, Dennis Thomas and Robert "Spike" Mickens to become Kool & the Gang. His cool jazz stylings and octave runs, reminiscent of Wes Montgomery but uniquely his own, enriched the music of the group. His playing on the hit " Summer Madness" is a fine example of his work. Kool & the Gang blended jazz, funk, R&B, and pop. The group remained popular from the 1960s through the 1980s. Smith stopped touring in January 2006 due to illness. Smith's family included six children: Claydes A. Smith, Justin Smith, Aaron Corbin, August Williams, Uranus Smith-Garay, and Tyteen Humes. H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Bell (musician)
Robert or Rob Bell may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Robert Charles Bell (engraver) (1806–1872), Scottish engraver * Robert Anning Bell (1863–1933), English artist and designer * Robert Bell (artist and curator) (1946–2018), Australian artist and curator * Robert "Kool" Bell (born 1950), American singer, songwriter, and bassist with Kool & the Gang * Robert Bell, musician and bassist with The Blue Nile * Rob Bell (TV presenter) (born 1979), British TV presenter Authors and editors * Robert Bell (writer) (1800–1867), Irish journalist & editor * Robert Charles Bell (1917–2002), author of several books on board games * Rob Bell (Robert Holmes Bell Jr., born 1970), American author, Christian speaker and pastor Law * Robert C. Bell (1880–1964), U.S. federal judge * Robert M. Bell (born 1943), Chief Judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals * Robert Holmes Bell (born 1944), U.S. federal judge * Robert D. Bell (born 1967), justice of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ronald Bell (musician)
Ronald Nathan Bell (November 1, 1951 – September 9, 2020), also known as Khalis Bayyan, was an American composer, singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, saxophonist and co-founding member of Kool & the Gang. The band recorded nine No. 1 R&B singles in the 1970s and 1980s, including its No. 1 pop single " Celebration". The group is honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Early life Bell was born in Youngstown, Ohio, to Aminah Bayyan (1932–2014) and Robert "Bobby" Bell (1929–1985). His father was a professional boxer and Golden Gloves amateur boxing winner. Training in Elwood, New York, he hung out with jazz players and became friends with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, who lived in the same apartment building as the elder Bell. Ronald Bell and his brother, Robert "Kool" Bell, were introduced to jazz at around five or six. The family moved to Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1960. In 1964, the brothers joined neighborhood fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Record World
''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record World'', under the ownership of Sid Parnes and Bob Austin. It ceased publication on April 10, 1982. Many music industry personalities, writers, and critics began their careers there in the early 1970s to 1980s. History Growth ''Record World'' has been considered the hipper, faster-moving music industry publication, in contrast to the stodgier ''Billboard'' and ''Cashbox'', its sister magazine. ''Music Vendor'', as it was then known, published its first music chart for the week ending October 4, 1954. A weekly, like its competitors, it was housed in New York City at 1700 Broadway, at 53rd Street, just across the street from the Ed Sullivan Theater, and West Coast editorial offices in Los Angeles on Sunset and Vine. Rock bands frequented '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
