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Kool & the Gang is an American R&B/
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
/ funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964 by brothers
Robert "Kool" Bell Robert Earl "Kool" Bell (born October 8, 1950), also known by his Muslim name Muhammad Bayyan, is an American musician, singer & songwriter. He is one of the founding members of the American R&B, soul, funk and disco band Kool & the Gang. ...
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 De-Lite Records, whose formal name was De-Lite Recorded Sound Corporation, was a record label specializing in R&B music from 1969 to 1985; Island Records now manages the De-Lite catalog. History De-Lite Records was founded in 1967 by Fred Vigori ...
and released their debut album, ''
Kool and 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. T ...
'' (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 "Jungle Boogie" is a funk song recorded by Kool & the Gang for their 1973 album '' Wild and Peaceful''. It reached number four as a single, and became very popular in nightclubs. ''Billboard'' ranked it as the number 12 song for 1974, despite ther ...
" and "
Hollywood Swinging "Hollywood Swinging" is a 1974 song by R&B/ funk band Kool & the Gang from their album '' Wild and Peaceful''. It was written by Robert "Kool" Bell, Ronald Bell, George M. Brown, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Claydes Charles Smith, Dennis R. Thomas an ...
". 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 Eumir Deodato de Almeida (; born 22 June 1942) is a Brazilian pianist, composer, arranger and record producer, primarily in jazz but who has been known for his eclectic melding of genres, such as pop, rock, disco, rhythm and blues, classical, ...
and the addition of singer James "J.T." Taylor to the line-up. Their most successful albums of this period include '' Ladies' Night'' (1979), ''
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 recogniz ...
'' (1980), and ''
Emergency An emergency is an urgent, unexpected, and usually dangerous situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or environment and requires immediate action. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening ...
'' (1984), their highest selling album with two million copies sold in the US. Their hit singles during this period included " Ladies' Night", the US No. 1 " Celebration", "
Get Down on It "Get Down on It" is a 1981 song by American band Kool & the Gang. It was originally released on their '' Something Special'' album in 1981. The single was certified Gold by the RIAA. Track listing Charts The song hit the top 10 of the US P ...
", "
Joanna Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from from he, יוֹחָנָה, translit=Yôḥānāh, lit=God is gracious. Variants in English include Joan, Joann, Joanne, and Johanna. Other forms of the name in English are Jan, Jane, Janet, Janice ...
", " Misled", and " Cherish". The band continues to perform worldwide, including as support for
Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...
in 2012 and their fiftieth-anniversary tour in 2014. Kool & the Gang have won numerous awards, including two
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
s, seven
American Music Award The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produ ...
s, and, in 2006, a
Music Business Association The Music Business Association (Music Biz), formerly known as the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM), is a not-for-profit trade association based in Nashville, Tennessee that seeks to promote sustained financial growth and bolst ...
Chairman's Award for artistic achievement. As well the band has been inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame and been bestowed with a
Mobo Award The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and ...
for Outstanding Achievement, the Soul Train Legend Award, the Marian Anderson Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2007, the band was inducted into the
Vocal Group Hall of Fame The Vocal Group Hall of Fame (VGHF) is an American-based hall of fame that honors vocal groups throughout the world in every genre of music. Headquartered in the Columbia Theatre in Sharon, Pennsylvania, it includes a theater and a museum. It was ...
. During 2018, the Bells, Brown, and Taylor were also inducted into the
Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work, represent, and maintain, the her ...
. Their
discography Discography is the study and cataloging of published sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified music genres. The exact information included varies depending on the type and scope of the discography, but a discography entry ...
includes 23 studio albums and almost 70 singles. They have sold 7.5 million and 4.5 million RIAA-certified albums and singles, respectively, in the US. Worldwide, they have sold 70 million albums.


History


1964–1972: Formation and signing with De-Lite

The band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964 when seven school friends decided to perform together as an instrumental jazz and soul group named the Jazziacs. Among them were
Robert "Kool" Bell Robert Earl "Kool" Bell (born October 8, 1950), also known by his Muslim name Muhammad Bayyan, is an American musician, singer & songwriter. He is one of the founding members of the American R&B, soul, funk and disco band Kool & the Gang. ...
on bass, his brother Ronald Bell on keyboards, Robert "Spike" Mickens on trumpet, Dennis "D.T." Thomas on saxophone, Ricky West on keyboards, George Brown on drums, and Charles Smith guitar. All of them, except Smith, attended Lincoln High School in Jersey City. Robert Bell had given himself the nickname "Kool" as a way of adapting to the street gangs in his neighborhood after moving from Ohio. The Bells' father Bobby and uncle
Tommy Tommy may refer to: People * Tommy (given name) * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...
were boxers. They moved to New York to train and lived in the same apartment building as
Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", ...
, who became Robert's godfather.
Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...
would drop by because he wanted to be a boxer. Their first gigs took place as the opening act to a weekly jazz night held in a local theatre every Sunday. They also played occasionally with
McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Master and five-time Gram ...
, Pharoah Sanders, and
Leon Thomas Amos Leon Thomas Jr. (October 4, 1937 – May 8, 1999), known professionally as Leon Thomas, was an American jazz and blues vocalist, born in East St. Louis, Illinois, and known for his bellowing glottal-stop style of free jazz singing in the ...
during their early period. The group then underwent several name changes, including The Soul Town Band and The New Dimensions, during which they would play Motown covers as the backing musicians for Soul Town, a small Jersey City-based organization similar to Motown. In 1967, they decided to perform as their own identity and became regulars at the Blue Note Lounge in Jersey; one of the MC's advertised them with a new name, Kool & the Flames. However, their manager Gene Redd advised against it to avoid confusion with James Brown's band,
The Famous Flames The Famous Flames were an American Rhythm and blues, Soul vocal group founded in Toccoa, Georgia, in 1953 by Bobby Byrd. James Brown first began his career as a member of the Famous Flames, emerging as the lead singer by the time of their firs ...
, leading to a further change to Kool & the Gang, in 1969. After securing their new name and line-up, Kool & the Gang secured a recording deal with Redd's new independent label,
De-Lite Records De-Lite Records, whose formal name was De-Lite Recorded Sound Corporation, was a record label specializing in R&B music from 1969 to 1985; Island Records now manages the De-Lite catalog. History De-Lite Records was founded in 1967 by Fred Vigori ...
. Redd wrote: "I discovered these eight supertalented incomparable young musicians ..I immediately realized that their potential would earn them success unknown by most musicians". The group entered the studio and recorded their debut album, the all-instrumental ''
Kool and 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. T ...
'' (1970), with Redd as a producer, arranger, conductor, and partial songwriter. It is their only album with guitarist Woody Sparrow who completed a temporary eight-man formation. The album peaked at No. 46 on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart. Around this time, the group began to develop their stage performance after they witnessed a set by Willie Feaster and the Mighty Magnificents which, according to Robert Bell, "Blew us away ..We thought, 'Wow, if we want to be in show business, we have to change our act. We can't just stand up there and play'." Also at this time, the group were asked to deliver songs with vocals. Despite Bell recalling the group sounding "real ragged" with lyrics at first, "Bit by bit we gained in confidence... we kinda learnt how to sing as we went along." The band followed their debut with two live albums: '' Live at the Sex Machine'', recorded the year before, and '' Live at PJ's'', both released in 1971. These were their final albums before their amicable split with Redd. Their next album, '' Music Is the Message'', was the first time the group self-produced one of their records. It was released in July 1972, and peaked at No. 25 on the R&B chart. It was followed with '' Good Times'' in November, which features the band backed by a string section. The elements of jazz, rock, and instrumental styles on the record made it difficult for reviewers to label them as one specific genre. The album failed to generate the amount of radio exposure the band had expected to gain a new audience, so they looked at ways to breakthrough without relying on the radio.


1973–1978: First commercial success and low period

By the spring of 1973, Kool & the Gang had started to observe disco music trends, which influenced the band to become what Robert Bell described as "a much harder, funkier, tighter" unit than before. He clarified that most of the group did not visit discos, and learned of disco culture from others. As a result of their change in direction, the band scored their first major commercial success with their fourth studio album, '' Wild and Peaceful''. The album went to No. 33 on the album chart, became their first gold album for selling 500,000 copies, and spawned the single "Funky Stuff", which entered the Top 40 pop chart. The next two, "
Jungle Boogie "Jungle Boogie" is a funk song recorded by Kool & the Gang for their 1973 album '' Wild and Peaceful''. It reached number four as a single, and became very popular in nightclubs. ''Billboard'' ranked it as the number 12 song for 1974, despite ther ...
" and "
Hollywood Swinging "Hollywood Swinging" is a 1974 song by R&B/ funk band Kool & the Gang from their album '' Wild and Peaceful''. It was written by Robert "Kool" Bell, Ronald Bell, George M. Brown, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Claydes Charles Smith, Dennis R. Thomas an ...
", fared even better by entering the US top 10, marking the band's breakthrough to a white audience. The latter two songs sold over one million copies and were certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA). Their success continued with ''
Light of Worlds ''Light of Worlds'' is the fifth studio album, and seventh album of new material by the American R&B group Kool & the Gang. Released in 1974, it was later remastered by Polygram and was a second success for the band, reaching number 16 in the R ...
'' (1974), which contained the hit instrumental " Summer Madness". In October 1974, the group landed a spot on the national television music show '' Soul Train''. In 1975, Kool & the Gang released '' Spirit of the Boogie'' which contained the top 40 single " Spirit of the Boogie". This was followed by the part-studio part-live release '' Love & Understanding'', in 1976. In mid-1976, Kool & the Gang entered a period of commercial decline; ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' writer Geoff Himes wrote the disco-era "frowned on heirloose and greasy approach to dance music." Their three albums released during this time, ''
Open Sesame "Open sesame" (french: Sésame, ouvre-toi; ar, افتح يا سمسم) is a magical phrase in the story of "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" in Antoine Galland's version of '' One Thousand and One Nights''. It opens the mouth of a cave in whi ...
'' (1976), ''
The Force The Force is a metaphysical and ubiquitous power in the '' Star Wars'' fictional universe. "Force-sensitive" characters use the Force throughout the franchise. Heroes like the Jedi seek to "become one with the Force", matching their personal wil ...
'' (1977), and ''
Everybody's Dancin' ''Everybody's Dancin is the tenth studio album by the funk band 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 ...
'' (1978), failed to generate the same commercial or critical acclaim as their previous records. Bell later said the albums "bent our style a bit and we didn't feel at home with it". ''The Force'' and ''Everybody's Dancin'' displayed the group's attempt to adopt disco elements with female vocalists and a string section, but Robert Bell later said the group got "Too fancy and over-creative ..We got away from the basic Kool & the Gang sound ..and the public didn't like it". The change in style affected their ability to secure as many dates than before, working "just off and on" during this time. The latter album received negative responses; one review for ''Everybody's Dancin'' had the headline: "Kool and the Gang have gone bland." Writer Mike Duffy wrote: "They've joined the disco lemmings ..The edge has gone. Say so long to the raw and raunchy." During their low period, the band gained some mainstream attention with their contribution of "Open Sesame" to the
soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack ...
of '' Saturday Night Fever'' (1977). " Summer Madness" was also used in ''
Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burge ...
'' (1976), but not released on its soundtrack album.


1979–1988: J.T. Taylor, Deodato partnership, and commercial peak

By 1979, Kool & the Gang changed musical direction in two distinct ways. After several years of consideration, and at the suggestion of promoter turned
SOLAR Records SOLAR (acronym for Sound of Los Angeles Records) was an American record label founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey, reconstituted out of Soul Train Records only two years after it was founded with ''Soul Train'' television show host and creator Don C ...
founder
Dick Griffey Richard Gilbert Griffey (November 16, 1938 – September 24, 2010) was an American record producer and music promoter who founded SOLAR Records, a RAS acronym for "Sound of Los Angeles Records". The label played a major role in developing a ...
, they brought in a dedicated lead vocalist to become a focal point of their music. This was filled by South Carolina-born singer James "J.T." Taylor, who noted that vocals added more warmth to the songs, especially to ballads, which the group had previously avoided as no vocalist in the group could sing them properly. Taylor recalled some resistance to his arrival from some band members and the female singers they had used on ''The Force'' and ''Everybody's Dancin''. The change in style developed further when the band entered a four-album association with Brazilian musician, songwriter, and arranger
Eumir Deodato Eumir Deodato de Almeida (; born 22 June 1942) is a Brazilian pianist, composer, arranger and record producer, primarily in jazz but who has been known for his eclectic melding of genres, such as pop, rock, disco, rhythm and blues, classical, ...
as their producer, who helped them move towards mainstream pop and dance-oriented music with greater emphasis on catchy hooks and chorus lines. The group's first choice, Stevie Wonder, was too busy to work with them. Kool & the Gang's first album with Deodato, '' Ladies' Night'', was released in September 1979 and became their most successful album since their formation. This was helped by the hit singles " Too Hot" and " Ladies' Night", which went to No. 5 and No. 8 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, respectively. In January 1980, ''Ladies' Night'' was certified
platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...
by the RIAA for selling one million copies in the US. Later that year, ''
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 recogniz ...
'' became a bigger commercial success than ''Ladies' Night''; the lead single " Celebration" remains the band's only single to reach No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart. The song originated from the lyric "Come on, let's all celebrate" from "Ladies' Night", which inspired Robert Bell to write "an international anthem." The band developed the song on a tour bus after attending the
American Music Award The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produ ...
s. The song was used in national media coverage for the
1980 World Series The 1980 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) season. The 77th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National League (NL) champion Philadelphia Phillies and the Ameri ...
, the 1981 Super Bowl, the
1981 NBA Finals The 1981 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1980–81 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. It pitted the 62–20 Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics a ...
, and the 1981 return of the Iran hostages. After the release of '' Something Special'' (1981), which continued the level of success of the previous two albums, the band recorded their fourth and final album with Deodato, '' As One'' (1982). The latter struggled to reach gold certification in the US, which led to the band's decision to end their time with Deodato as they had enough with the direction they had adopted. They then decided to produce their next album, ''
In the Heart ''In the Heart'' is the fifteenth studio album by the funk/R&B band Kool & the Gang, released on November 21, 1983. The album became a hit and brought a return to the ''Billboard'' charts for the band. The hit love song, "Joanna", soared to numbe ...
'' (1983), by themselves with Jim Bonnefond as co-producer. The album contained the US top-five single "
Joanna Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from from he, יוֹחָנָה, translit=Yôḥānāh, lit=God is gracious. Variants in English include Joan, Joann, Joanne, and Johanna. Other forms of the name in English are Jan, Jane, Janet, Janice ...
". The song was declared the most-played pop song in 1984 by Broadcast Music International. Bonnefond stayed with the group for ''
Emergency An emergency is an urgent, unexpected, and usually dangerous situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or environment and requires immediate action. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening ...
'' (1984), which remains their highest selling album with over two million copies sold in the US. It spawned four US top 20 singles, including "Emergency", " Cherish", "
Fresh Fresh or FRESH may refer to: People *DJ Fresh (born 1977), UK-based drum and bass artist *DJ Fresh (producer), US-based R&B producer born Marqus Brown Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Fresh'' (1994 film), a crime film * ''Fresh'' (200 ...
", and "Misled". This feat made Kool & the Gang the only band to have four top 20 singles from a single album in 1985. In June 1984, Kool & the Gang took time off from recording ''Emergency'' to perform at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 2002 to 2003. The stadium ...
as part of a sold-out summer concert organised by Elton John. That November, during a visit to
Phonogram Phonogram may refer to: * A sound recording – see Geneva Phonograms Convention * ''Phonogram'' (comics), a comic book by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie * Phonogram (linguistics), a grapheme which represents a phoneme or a combination of phone ...
's offices in London, Bob Geldof arrived to pitch his idea of the multi-artist charity single "
Do They Know It's Christmas? "Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a charity song written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. It was first recorded by Band Aid, a supergroup assembled by Geldof and Ure consisting of pop ...
" to the label. Kool & the Gang participated in the project. In 1985, Bell said the band retained control of their own business affairs, avoiding to hire management on a full-time basis and preferring to hire consultants and agents for each project or a single term. The group's seventeenth album, ''
Forever Forever or 4ever may refer to: Film and television Films * ''Forever'' (1921 film), an American silent film by George Fitzmaurice * ''Forever'' (1978 film), an American made-for-television romantic drama * ''Forever'' (1992 film), an American ...
'', was released in November 1986. The album included two hit singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart: "Victory" (US #10, R&B #2) and " Stone Love" (US #10, R&B #4). Two further singles, "Holiday" and "Special Way" were also released from the album; the former reached the top ten on the R&B Chart, the latter hit reached No. 6 on the Adult Contemporary chart. By 1986, the band had scored 14 top 40 singles in the US since 1980, more than
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
. In July 1986, the band recorded a special version of "Celebration" with different vocals that was used in an advertisement for
Wendy's Wendy's is an American international fast food restaurant chain founded by Dave Thomas (1932–2002) on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio. Its headquarters moved to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. As of December 31, 2018, Wendy's was t ...
. In 1987, the band completed a 50-city tour of the US. The tour included the group establishing their own public service program, devised by Robert Bell and Taylor, which encouraged school children to pursue education, giving free tickets to those with perfect attendance. The group rehearsed their stage show with a choreographer at Prince's studio at
Paisley Park Paisley Park Records was an American record label founded by musician Prince in 1985, which was distributed by and funded in part by Warner Bros. Records. It was started in 1985, following the success of the film and album '' Purple Rain''. ...
. At the time of the tour's start, the band ceased producing adverts with Schlitz beer because of their new image towards children and that they felt it had run its course. After the tour, Taylor left Kool & the Gang to pursue a solo career. He returned in 1996 for their '' State of Affairs'' album.


1988–present: Later career

In February 1988, news of Taylor's departure from the band to pursue a solo career was reported in the press. The group had discussed pursuing solo projects during the previous year, with Thomas suggesting the band had considered splitting into twos or threes. Taylor was replaced by three vocalists: Odeen Mays, and Gary Brown. 1989 saw the release of the band's 18th album ''
Sweat Perspiration, also known as sweating, is the production of fluids secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals. Two types of sweat glands can be found in humans: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. The eccrine sweat glands are distrib ...
''. By this time
Khalis Bayyan 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 ...
and Robert "Spike" Mickens also had departed the band. The album didn't fare well. Ron Wynn of Allmusic called the album "a completely faceless, aimless record ... probably the worst album of their career." ''
Unite Unite may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums * ''Unite'' (A Friend in London album), 2013 album by Danish band A Friend in London * ''Unite'' (Kool & the Gang album), 1993 * ''Unite'' (The O.C. Supertones album), 2005 Songs ...
'', the band's nineteenth studio album, was released in 1992. It marked the return of Khalis Bayyan to the group. In 1995, Taylor returned to the band for '' State of Affairs'' (1996), hailed as the group's "comeback" album. All songs on this album were written by Khalis Bayyan and Taylor. Taylor left the band for the second time in 1999. On their next studio album '' Gangland'' (2001), Kool & the Gang pursued elements of hip hop. The album was a compilation of rappers backed by Kool and the Gang remaking some of the band's songs. During 2003 the band was bestowed with a
Mobo Award The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and ...
for Outstanding Achievement. 2004 saw the release of yet another album featuring remakes and some new songs. '' The Hits Reloaded'' contained collaborations with artists such as
Atomic Kitten Atomic Kitten is an English girl group formed in Liverpool in 1998, whose current members are Liz McClarnon, Jenny Frost and Natasha Hamilton. The group was founded by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) members Andy McCluskey and Stuart ...
,
Lisa Stansfield Lisa Jane Stansfield (born 11 April 1966) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. Her career began in 1980 when she won the singing competition ''Search for a Star''. After appearances in various television shows and releasing her first ...
and
Jamiroquai Jamiroquai () are an English funk and acid jazz band from London. Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in th ...
. The album reached No. 21 on the UK R&B Albums chart. During 2007 the band released another album entitled '' Still Kool''. The album reached No. 31 on the US Billboard Top Soul Albums chart. Still Kool has also been certified
Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...
in France by the SNEP. In 2012, Bell accepted
Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...
singer David Lee Roth's invitation for Kool & the Gang to be the opening act during their
A Different Kind of Truth Tour A Different Kind of Truth (or Viva La Van Halen Tour) was a 2012–13 concert tour for hard rock band Van Halen. It was Van Halen's tour in support of their 2012 album, ''A Different Kind of Truth''. History On December 26, 2011, the official ...
as Roth had noticed a significant portion of their concert audience were women. Roth wanted the group after seeing their set at Glastonbury. In 2013 the group released a Christmas album ''Kool for the Holidays''. This is the group's 24th studio album. In 2015, 50 years after formation, the group received their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. During that year they were also inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. Within 2016 a Jersey City street was renamed the "Kool and the Gang Way". During 2019 Kool and the Gang was also bestowed with the Marian Anderson Award. In 2020, Khalis Bayyan died at the age of 68. In 2021, the group released ''Perfect Union'', their 25th studio album and first album of new material in 14 years. The album was produced by Khalis Bayyan before his 2020 death. In 2021, Dennis "D.T." Thomas also died. He was 70.


Music appearances

The group's music has been featured in several movies and video games: * "
Jungle Boogie "Jungle Boogie" is a funk song recorded by Kool & the Gang for their 1973 album '' Wild and Peaceful''. It reached number four as a single, and became very popular in nightclubs. ''Billboard'' ranked it as the number 12 song for 1974, despite ther ...
" was featured on the soundtracks for the movies ''
Pulp Fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Vin ...
'' (1994) and ''
Undercover Brother ''Undercover Brother'' is a 2002 American satirical spy action comedy blaxploitation film directed by Malcolm D. Lee and starring Eddie Griffin. The screenplay by John Ridley and Michael McCullers is based on the Internet animated series c ...
'' (2002). * " Summer Madness" was in the movies ''
Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burge ...
'' (1976) and '' Baby Boy'' (2001) and also in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002). * "
Hollywood Swinging "Hollywood Swinging" is a 1974 song by R&B/ funk band Kool & the Gang from their album '' Wild and Peaceful''. It was written by Robert "Kool" Bell, Ronald Bell, George M. Brown, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Claydes Charles Smith, Dennis R. Thomas an ...
" was featured in the movie ''
Roll Bounce ''Roll Bounce'' is a 2005 American comedy-drama film written by Norman Vance Jr. and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. The film stars hip hop artist Bow Wow as the leader of a roller skating crew in 1970s Chicago. The film also stars Nick Cannon, Me ...
'' (2005) and also in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004).


Personnel

Current members *
Robert "Kool" Bell Robert Earl "Kool" Bell (born October 8, 1950), also known by his Muslim name Muhammad Bayyan, is an American musician, singer & songwriter. He is one of the founding members of the American R&B, soul, funk and disco band Kool & the Gang. ...
a.k.a. Muhammad Bayyan – bass (1964–present) * George "Funky" Brown – drums (1964–1989), percussion, keyboards (1989–1993),(1998–present) Former members * Ronald Bell a.k.a. Khalis Bayyan – tenor saxophone, keyboards (1964–1989, 1992–2020; died 2020) * Dennis "D.T." Thomas – alto saxophone (1964–2021; died 2021) * Ricky West – keyboards (1964–1976; died 1985) *
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 ...
– lead guitar (1964–2006; died 2006) * Robert "Spike" Mickens – trumpet (1964–1986; died 2010) * Woodrow "Woody" Sparrow – rhythm and lead guitar (1964–1969; died 1969) * Clifford Adams – trombone (1977–2015; died 2015) * James "J.T." Taylor – vocals (1979–1988, 1995–1999, 2018) Rick West, the group's original keyboardist, who left in 1976 to form his own band, died in 1985. Guitarist Charles Smith died after a long illness in 2006 and was replaced by the Bells' youngest brother, Amir Bayyan, former leader of the
Kay Gees The Kay-Gees were an American funk and disco group during the 1970s, protégés of Kool & the Gang. The group featured Amir Bayyan (Kevin Bell), younger brother to Kool & the Gang's Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell (Khalis Bayyan), who s ...
. Original trumpet player Robert "Spike" Mickens, who retired in 1986 due to poor health, died at the age of 59 on November 2, 2010, at a nursing home in Far Rockaway, New York. Kool & the Gang added Larry Gittens in 1975 from
the Stylistics The Stylistics are an American, Philadelphia soul group that achieved their greatest chart success in the 1970s. They formed in 1968, with a lineup of singers Russell Thompkins Jr., Herb Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith and James Dunn. All ...
. Earl Toon Jr. was briefly with the group, too (1979 and 1980). Trombonist Clifford Alanza Adams Jr. died in January 2015 at the age of 62 after a year-long battle with cancer. Adams, who had been with Kool & The Gang since 1977, had no health insurance to cover medical expenses. Saxophonist Ronald Bell died suddenly in September 2020; cause of death was not announced. Alto saxophonist Dennis "D.T." Thomas died in his sleep on August 7, 2021, at the age of 70.


Timeline

ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:100 top:5 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1964 till:01/01/2022 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4 ScaleMajor = increment:4 start:1964 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1965 Colors = id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:trumpet value:yelloworange legend:Trumpet id:sax value:skyblue legend:Saxophone id:bone value:coral legend:Trombone id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:keys value:purple legend:Keyboards id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:perc value:claret legend:Percussion id:album value:black legend:Studio_album id:bars value:gray(0.95) BackgroundColors = bars:bars BarData= bar:Donald text:Donald Boyce bar:JT text:James Taylor bar:Gary text:Gary Brown bar:Shawn text:Shawn McQuiller bar:Lavell text:Lavell Evans bar:Walt text:Walt Anderson bar:Spike text:Spike Mickens bar:Larry text:Larry Gittens bar:Michael text:Michael Ray bar:Skip text:Skip Martin bar:Ravi text:Ravi Best bar:DT text:Dennis Thomas bar:Ronald text:Ronald Bell bar:Louis text:Louis Van Taylor bar:Shelley text:Shelley Paul bar:Otha text:Otha Nash bar:Clifford text:Clifford Adams bar:Jermaine text:Jermaine Bryson bar:Charles text:Charles Smith bar:Amir text:Amir Bayyan bar:Ricky text:Ricky West bar:Kevin text:Kevin Lassiter bar:Earl text:Sir Earl Toon bar:Fitz text:Curtis Williams bar:Odeen text:Odeen Mays bar:Kool text:Robert "Kool" Bell bar:George text:George Brown bar:Tim text:Tim Horton PlotData= width:11 bar:Kool from:01/01/1964 till:end color:bass bar:George from:01/01/1964 till:01/01/1989 color:drums bar:George from:01/01/1989 till:end color:keys bar:DT from:01/01/1964 till:08/07/2021 color:sax bar:Ronald from:01/01/1964 till:01/01/1989 color:sax bar:Ronald from:01/01/1992 till:09/09/2020 color:sax bar:Charles from:01/01/1964 till:06/20/2006 color:guitar bar:Spike from:01/01/1964 till:12/01/1986 color:trumpet bar:Ricky from:01/01/1964 till:11/01/1976 color:keys bar:Donald from:01/01/1973 till:01/01/1976 color:vocals bar:Larry from:01/01/1975 till:01/01/2013 color:trumpet bar:Otha from:01/01/1975 till:11/01/1977 color:bone bar:Kevin from:11/01/1976 till:01/01/1982 color:keys bar:Clifford from:11/01/1977 till:01/01/2015 color:bone bar:Michael from:01/01/1979 till:end color:trumpet bar:JT from:01/01/1979 till:01/01/1988 color:vocals bar:JT from:01/01/1995 till:12/31/1999 color:vocals bar:Earl from:01/01/1979 till:01/01/1982 color:keys bar:Fitz from:01/01/1982 till:end color:keys bar:Skip from:01/01/1988 till:01/01/2007 color:trumpet bar:Odeen from:01/01/1988 till:01/01/1997 color:keys bar:Gary from:01/01/1988 till:01/01/1990 color:vocals bar:Shawn from:01/01/1991 till:end color:vocals bar:Louis from:01/01/1996 till:01/01/2017 color:sax bar:Amir from:06/20/2006 till:end color:guitar bar:Tim from:01/01/1998 till:end color:drums bar:Lavell from:01/01/2011 till:end color:vocals bar:Jermaine from:01/01/2015 till:end color:bone bar:Walt from:01/01/2016 till:end color:vocals bar:Ravi from:01/01/2016 till:01/01/2022 color:trumpet bar:Shelley from:01/01/2016 till:end color:sax width:3 bar:George from:01/01/1989 till:end color:perc bar:Ronald from:01/01/1964 till:01/01/1989 color:keys bar:Ronald from:01/01/1992 till:09/09/2020 color:keys bar:Kevin from:11/01/1976 till:01/01/1982 color:vocals bar:Earl from:01/01/1979 till:01/01/1982 color:vocals bar:Otha from:01/01/1975 till:11/01/1977 color:vocals bar:Skip from:01/01/1988 till:01/01/2007 color:vocals bar:Shawn from:01/01/1991 till:end color:guitar bar:Tim from:01/01/1998 till:end color:perc bar:Lavell from:01/01/2011 till:end color:perc LineData= at:01/01/1970 layer:back at:01/01/1972 at:06/01/1972 at:01/01/1973 at:01/01/1974 at:01/01/1975 at:01/01/1976 at:06/01/1976 at:01/01/1977 at:01/01/1978 at:01/01/1979 at:01/01/1980 at:01/01/1981 at:01/01/1982 at:01/01/1983 at:01/01/1984 at:01/01/1986 at:01/01/1989 at:01/01/1992 at:01/01/1996 at:01/01/2001 at:01/01/2004 at:01/01/2007 at:01/01/2013


Discography

Studio albums * ''
Kool and 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. T ...
'' (1969) * '' Music Is the Message'' (1972) * '' Good Times'' (1972) * '' Wild and Peaceful'' (1973) * ''
Light of Worlds ''Light of Worlds'' is the fifth studio album, and seventh album of new material by the American R&B group Kool & the Gang. Released in 1974, it was later remastered by Polygram and was a second success for the band, reaching number 16 in the R ...
'' (1974) * '' Spirit of the Boogie'' (1975) * '' Love & Understanding'' (1976) * ''
Open Sesame "Open sesame" (french: Sésame, ouvre-toi; ar, افتح يا سمسم) is a magical phrase in the story of "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" in Antoine Galland's version of '' One Thousand and One Nights''. It opens the mouth of a cave in whi ...
'' (1976) * ''
The Force The Force is a metaphysical and ubiquitous power in the '' Star Wars'' fictional universe. "Force-sensitive" characters use the Force throughout the franchise. Heroes like the Jedi seek to "become one with the Force", matching their personal wil ...
'' (1977) * ''
Everybody's Dancin' ''Everybody's Dancin is the tenth studio album by the funk band 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 ...
'' (1978) * '' Ladies' Night'' (1979) * ''
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 recogniz ...
'' (1980) * '' Something Special'' (1981) * '' As One'' (1982) * ''
In the Heart ''In the Heart'' is the fifteenth studio album by the funk/R&B band Kool & the Gang, released on November 21, 1983. The album became a hit and brought a return to the ''Billboard'' charts for the band. The hit love song, "Joanna", soared to numbe ...
'' (1983) * ''
Emergency An emergency is an urgent, unexpected, and usually dangerous situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or environment and requires immediate action. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening ...
'' (1984) * ''
Forever Forever or 4ever may refer to: Film and television Films * ''Forever'' (1921 film), an American silent film by George Fitzmaurice * ''Forever'' (1978 film), an American made-for-television romantic drama * ''Forever'' (1992 film), an American ...
'' (1986) * ''
Sweat Perspiration, also known as sweating, is the production of fluids secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals. Two types of sweat glands can be found in humans: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. The eccrine sweat glands are distrib ...
'' (1989) * ''
Unite Unite may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums * ''Unite'' (A Friend in London album), 2013 album by Danish band A Friend in London * ''Unite'' (Kool & the Gang album), 1993 * ''Unite'' (The O.C. Supertones album), 2005 Songs ...
'' (1992) * '' State of Affairs'' (1996) * '' Gangland'' (2001) * '' The Hits: Reloaded'' (2004) * '' Still Kool'' (2007) * ''Kool for the Holidays'' (2013) *''Perfect Union'' (2021)


References


Sources

* * *


External links

*
Interview
by Pete Lewis, ''Blues & Soul'', November 2010 {{DEFAULTSORT:Kool and The Gang 1964 establishments in New Jersey African-American musical groups American funk musical groups American dance music groups Grammy Award winners Mercury Records artists Musical groups established in 1964 Musical groups from New Jersey ATO Records artists