Kool & The Gang have been around over 50 years and have done everything from R&B to funk to jazz to pop. They recorded “Summer Madness” for their 1974 album Light of the World. It reached #35 on the Hot 100 and #36 on the Hot Soul Singles chart. It was reissued by Epic Records in 1996 and has since been sampled on almost 150 different recordings.
I nev3 heard this before and it’s great! I did not know they had this range
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They started off as a funk band and branched off in lots of directions. There aren’t many who can do that (or are willing to).
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That bass sound is great…I had one single by them as a kid…Jungle Boogie
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That was their first big crossover hit. “Funky Stuff,” their first to chart on the Hot 100, was only a few years earlier.
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They did have some songs I liked. It’s amazing that they are still together with some original members. I think they opened some shows for Van Halen also…which doesn’t seem to go together.
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Kool is definitely still with the band, and I think his brother still is. I think them going on the road together with Van Halen is more a generational thing, since they were both popular in the ’80’s, but you’re right, they probably draw different audiences.
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I just read where Roth saw that they drew more women so he wanted them to open up
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Well, there’s a thought…
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Wow! I haven’t thought about Kool & the Gang in a long time. Very soothing.
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Occasionally I’d hear it on smooth jazz stations, and always liked it. I was in Dallas years ago and heard it back-to-back with Gato Barbieri’s “Europa.” Very relaxing…
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another new song for me from your blog today – this is smooth Kool and the Gang – I am familiar with their other hits – 🙂
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They used to be more of a funk band, but that all changed around 1980. They have a great sound.
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yeah – and this reminds me that bands do change and evolve – eh?
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I enjoyed listening to this. I can’t recall when last I listened to Kool & the Gang. Quite a soothing mix of instrumentals.
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Glad you enjoyed it. I’ll see what I come up with for tomorrow…
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