UB Soul Friday: Celebrating the Legacy of Kool & the Gang
Kool & the Gang Created A Sound of Their Own with R&B, Jazz, Funk and Pop.
UB is launching a new weekly spotlight feature, entitled “UB Soul Friday.”
Where we’ll spotlight artists, albums, singles and videos that left a mark in R&B and Soul music.
To kick it off, we start with the legendary Kool & the Gang!
One of our founder’s favorite groups growing up in the 80s. Their music effortlessly transitioned from era to era.
Kool & The Gang‘s story starts in the Jersey City projects. Studying Miles Davis albums and James Brown singles, jamming in basements, partying for the people in a swirl of Black consciousness.
The core of the group was founded in 1964, when a group of 14 and 15-year-olds, Robert Bell, Charles Smith, Spike Mickens, Ronald Bell, George Brown and Dennis Thomas, then known as the Jazziacs (and later The Soul Town Band), started playing local clubs as a headliner and backing name artists.
In 1969 they made their first record. Still teenagers, and full of confidence, they named that first record after themselves. Their confidence and creativity produced a string of loose-but-tight, “fun” records.
Kool & The Gang didn’t need a singer then: the horns were the lead voice; the fans chanted along. Their songs were featured in films like “Rocky” and “Saturday Night Fever.”
Kool & The Gang found a special sound at the unique intersection of R&B, jazz, funk and pop. From the loose groove of “Funky Stuff” to the wild stomp of “Jungle Boogie,” the gentle romance of “Cherish” to the elegant disco of “Ladies Night,” and the street-smart chant “Hollywood Swinging” to the international anthem, “Celebration,” it’s an extraordinary sweep of popular music.
Kool & The Gang has sold over 70 million albums worldwide and influenced the music of generations. They’ve earned Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, Nine Top 10 Pop hits, and 31 gold and platinum albums.
“It’s important not to stagnate our music,” Robert “Kool” Bell once told an industry trade. “And to bring our point across in a variety of ways assures freshness. We have become more innovative than ever, but our sound still remains clear and identifiable.”
Kool & The Gang has performed continuously for over 50 years, one of the longest running R&B groups in history.
In 1964 Khalis Bayyan (AKA Ronald Bell) and his brother, Robert “Kool” Bell, joined Jersey City neighborhood friends Robert “Spike” Mickens, Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, Ricky Westfield,
George Brown, and Charles Smith to create a unique musical blend of jazz, soul and funk.
Over the next several years, they solidified their musical chemistry on the rough-and-tumble East Coast music scene, supporting acts like Bill Cosby, Ritchie Havens and Richard Pryor.
Their self-titled 1969 debut album introduced their signature instrumental sound and fierce horn arrangements created by Khalis, Dee Tee, and Spike, and spawned their first Billboard R&B charted single, “Kool and the Gang” and later “Let The Music Take Your Mind.”
The album was the introduction to a theme, music is the message, that Kool & The Gang stands by today.
The instrumental album was an expression of their deep love of music.
In 1970, their audacious sophomore set “Live At The Sex Machine” peaked at #6 on Billboard’s R&B chart and yielded three hit singles: “Funky Man,” “Who’s Gonna Take The Weight” and “I Want To Take You Higher.”
Next came “The Best Of Kool & The Gang Featuring The Penguin,” “Kool & The Gang Live at PJ’s,” “Music Is The Message,” and “Good Times,” all of which helped solidify a sound that wowed not only fans but such contemporaries as James Brown and Nina Simone.
In 1972 Kool & The Gang embark on their first international tour.
The band’s stellar reputation grew with each album, but 1973’s gold “Wild & Peaceful” took Kool & The Gang to another level (#6 R&B, #33 Pop), spurred by the immortal party anthems “Funky Stuff,” “Hollywood Swinging” and the platinum smash “Jungle Boogie.”
The album is also considered, the most spiritual album in their catalogue.
Hits like “Higher Plane” (#1 R&B), the classic “Summer Madness,” featured on the Grammy winning movie soundtrack “Rocky.”
Instead of jumping on the disco bandwagon, Kool & The Gang remained true to their “message” releasing two hit albums “Light of Worlds” in 1974 and “Love & Understanding” in 1976.
Between those two, in 1975 the group released the LP “Spirit of the Boogie,” followed by “Open Sesame” also released in 1976.
The latter’s title track was featured on the top-selling movie soundtrack of all time, “Saturday Night Fever,” earning the group their second Grammy.
That same year Ricky Westfield left the group and formed his own band, North East South West. Although they remained lifelong friends, this marked the end of the musical collaboration between the seven original Kool & The Gang members.
On the eve of Kool & the Gang‘s 10th Anniversary in 1979, with gold albums and singles behind them, the group released a new album, with a smooth new sound “Ladies Night.”
Kool & The Gang reemerged on the music scene also with a new lead singer, James “JT” Taylor.
A former school teacher from Hackensack, New Jersey, JT added his smooth, sultry vocals and charismatic personality to the group’s new polished sound.
The result was Kool & The Gang’s first platinum selling album.
Produced by the legendary Pop/Jazz musician Eumir Deodato, one of the first times, Kool & the Gang hired an outside producer. They were looking for objectivity.
The Gold #1 R&B Billboard single also reached #8 at Pop. It was followed by “Too Hot” (#3 R&B, #5 Pop).
“Too Hot” and “Ladies Night,” dominated the pop and R&B charts for the better part of the next year. “Ladies Night” won Best R&B Group for Kool & the Gang at the 1979 AMA’s.
1980 brought the album release of “Celebrate!” which includes “Celebration,” the song played as the American hostages returned from Iran, and became the theme song for the 1981 Super bowl.
The single spent six weeks atop the R&B chart and became a #1 Pop single.
Later came the smashes “Get Down On It,” “Take My Heart,” “Let’s Go Dancing,” “Joanna,” “Tonight,” “Misled,” the #1 R&B, #2 Pop giant “Cherish” and the #1 R&B anthem “Fresh.”
The last three from the multi-platinum “Emergency,” solidified the group’s international superstardom.
Kool & the Gang landed global commercial endorsements, supported countless charitable causes and were the only American group to participate in Band Aid’s 1984 “Do They Know It’s Christmas” project for famine victims in Africa.
With the explosion of hip-hop in the ’90s, Kool & the Gang’s incredible catalog of grooves made them DJ favorites, and they were second only to R&B icon James Brown as sources of rap-music samples.
2004’s “The Hits Reloaded” found the band collaborating with such acolytes as Lil’ Kim, Sean Paul, Ashanti, and Blackstreet, among others.
The band re-entered the Billboard R&B chart with 2006’s “Steppin’ Into Love.” In the same year, Kool & the Gang received the NARM (National Association of Recording Merchandise) Chairman Award for lifetime achievement in record sales.
Kool & the Gang released a new studio album entitled “Still Kool” in 2007. In 2009, Kool & the Gang made history when they became one of only a handful of American acts to perform in Cuba.
The group broke down cultural boundaries staging a free outdoor concert in Havana. In 2012, Kool & the Gang embarked on a very successful 52 city tour with Van Halen.
In February 2014, Kool & the Gang received the Lifetime Achievement Award in music at the Golden Camera Awards in Berlin, Germany.
In October 2015, the group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2018, the Songwriters Hall of Fame inducted Kool & the Gang and James “JT” Taylor joined Robert “Kool” Bell, Ronald Bell and George Brown on stage.
The history of Kool & The Gang is also marked by the passing of some of its founding members, talented musicians who contributed decisively to their success.
Rick West, the original keyboardist, passed away in 1985.
Charles Smith, the band’s guitarist, passed away in 2006. Robert “Spike” Mickens, the original trumpeter, passed away in 2010.
In September 2020, the music world mourned the sudden passing of Ronald Bell, saxophonist and key composer of the band.
In August 2021, Dennis “D.T.” Thomas, the alto, saxophonist, flautist, and percussionist who also served as the band’s stylist, coordinating their iconic outfits, passed away.
And founding drummer George Brown, passed away on November 16th, 2023.
Robert “Kool” Bell is the last surviving founding member of the band.
Today, under his leadership, Kool & The Gang continue to perform around the world, bringing their infectious groove to old and new fans, proving that funk is more alive than ever.
The next stop, our very own Twin Cities on April 11th at Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel.
Kool & the Gang were induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024. Inducted by rapper Chuck D of Public Enemy. The ceremony included a reunion with James “JT” Taylor.
Take A Trip Down Memory Lane with Kool & the Gang!
