KOOL & THE GANG Greatest Hits '75 DE LITE LP ASD

KOOL & THE GANG KOOL & THE GANG GREATEST HITS! LPCategory / Style / Moods: R&B Funk Urban Disco Soul-Jazz Freewheeling Earthy Playful Lively Boisterous Confident Carefree Party/ Celebratory Warm Cheerful Rousing Exuberant Joyous Bright Energetic Amiable/ Good-Natured Happy Fun Sensual Sparkling / 1277 S1975 DE LITE US LPTITLE: KOOL & THE GANG GREATEST HITS!ARTIST: KOOL & THE GANGCONDITIONVINYL: VG+COVER: VG-Click here for info on grading and abbreviationsOUT OF PRINT ORIGINAL PRESS! TRACKS: Disc: 11.Funky Stuff2.MORE Funky Stuff3.SOUL VIBRATIONS4.JUNGLE BOOK5.HOLLYWOOD SWINGING6.HIGHER PLANE7.MUSIC IS THE MESSAGE8.RATED X9.GOOD TIMESBiography by John Bush Formed as a jazz ensemble in the mid-'60s, Kool & the Gang became one of the most inspired and influential funk units during the '70s, and one of the most popular R&B groups of the '80s after their breakout hit "Celebration" in 1979. Just as funky as James Brown or Parliament (and sampled almost as frequently), Kool & the Gang relied on their jazz backgrounds and long friendship to form a tightly knit group with the interplay and improvisation of a jazz outfit, plus the energy and spark of a band with equal ties to soul, R&B, and funk. Robert "Kool" Bell and his brother Ronald (or Khalis Bayyan) grew up in Jersey City, NJ, and picked up the music bug from their father. A professional boxer, he was also a serious jazz lover and a close friend of Thelonious Monk. With Robert on bass and Ronald picking up an array of horns, the duo formed the Jazziacs in 1964 with several neighborhood friends: trombone player Clifford Adams, guitarists Charles Smith and Woody Sparrow, trumpeter Robert "Spike" Michens, alto saxophonist Dennis Thomas, keyboard player Ricky West, and drummer Funky George Brown (all of whom, except Michens and West, still remained in the group more than 30 years later). The growing earthiness of soul inspired the Jazziacs to temper their jazz sensibilities with rhythms more akin to R&B, and the newly renamed Soul Town Band began playing clubs in Greenwich Village. After a mix-up with a club owner resulted in the group being billed Kool & the Flames, they moderated the title to Kool & the Gang and found a leg up with the tiny De-Lite Records. Three singles from their self-titled debut album hit the pop charts, and although the position wasn't incredibly high, Kool & the Gang became a quick success on the R&B charts. Always a staple of their appeal, the group's live act was documented on two 1971 LPs, Live at the Sex Machine and Live at P.J.'s, including left-field covers of "Walk On By" and "Wichita Lineman" (as well as the not so unusual "I Want to Take You Higher").This exquisite piece of retro music history is a vinyl sound recording (not a CD). Visit the A Sound Deal store for information on grading, shipping, abbreviations and general info.Add me to your favorites for red hot sales bulletins and sneak previews of upcoming products. Click here for more info on grading and abbreviationsCombine Items to Save $$$! Click here to check the store for more!©A Sound Deal