Kool & The Gang - The Albums Vol. 1 (1970-1978)

Format: 13 x CD
Catalogue No.: EDSL0102
Barcode: 740155730239
Release Date: 17 Jun 2022
Genre: Jazz/Funk/Soul/Disco

• With a cannon of more than 20 albums, Kool & The Gang are one of the most sampled Bands in music history.
• From their roots in the mid-late ‘60s, the Band has explored many musical styles from jazz and soul, funk and rock, R&B/Pop, with Gene Redd at the helm for their first handful of albums.
• Formed by brothers Robert "Kool" Bell (Muhammad Bayyan) and Ronald Bell (Khalis Bayyan) and five close friends, Kool & The Gang signed to De-Lite Records in 1969, releasing their eponymous debut album, “Kool And The Gang” worldwide the following year, having reached the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart with the title track.
• In 1973, Kool & The Gang reached the Billboard Top 30 for the first time with ‘Funky Stuff’, which was swiftly followed by ‘Jungle Boogie’ and ‘Hollywood Swinging’, which both reached the US Top 10. These are two of their most instantly recognisable earlier recordings, due to them being sampled and featured in present day TV commercials.
• More hits followed, including 1975’s ‘Summer Madness’, again instantly recognisable from DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s (aka Will Smith) global hit ‘Summertime’ in 1991. However, it was the inclusion of their 1976 track ‘Open Sesame’ on the 50 million selling units “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack, that they really gained worldwide commercial popularity and recognition.
• “The Albums Vol. 1 1970-1978” is the first of two box sets that cover the Band’s first 20 years. The set contains 119 tracks across 13 CDs, from the Band’s twelve studio and live albums, released worldwide from 1970’s debut “Kool & The Gang” and 1978’s “Everybody’s Dancin’”, as well as a bonus “Singles Selection” disc, containing singles edits and non-LP tracks.
• Kool & The Gang’s musical legacy remains in full force with their brand of melodic jazz, funk soul and pop.
• And all this as the pre-cursor to what became the Band’s platinum period but more to follow. Watch this space.....

KOOL & THE GANG (1970)
1 Kool & The Gang
2 Breeze & Soul
3 Chocolate Buttermilk
4 Sea Of Tranquility
5 Give It Up
6 Since I Lost My Baby
7 Kools Back Again
8 The Gangs Back Again
9 Raw Hamburger

LIVE AT THE SEX MACHINE (1971)
1 Medley: What Would The World Be Like Without Music / Let The Music Take Your Mind
2 Walk On By
3 Chocolate Buttermilk
4 Trying To Make A Fool Of Me
5 Who's Gonna Take The Weight Part 1 & 2
6 Pneumonia
7 Wichita Lineman
8 I Want To Take You Higher
9 Funky Man
10 The Touch Of You

LIVE AT P.J.'s (1971)
1 N.T.
2 Ricksonata
3 Sombrero Sam
4 Ronnie's Groove
5 Ike's Mood/You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
6 Lucky For Me
7 Dujii

MUSIC IS THE MESSAGE (1972)
1 Music Is The Message
2 Electric Frog (Part 1)
3 Electric Frog (Part 2)
4 Soul Vibrations
5 / 6 Love The Life You Live (Part 1) } segued as per the original LP
Love The Life You Live (Part 2) }
7 Stop, Look & Listen
8 Blowing With The Wind
9 Funky Granny

GOOD TIMES (1972)
1 Good Times
2 Country Junky
3 Wild Is Love
4 North, East, South, West
5 Making Merry Music
6 I Remember John W. Coltrane
7 Rated X
8 Father, Father
WILD AND PEACEFUL (1973)
1 Funky Stuff
2 More Funky Stuff
3 Jungle Boogie
4 Heaven At Once
5 Hollywood Swinging
6 This Is You, This Is Me
7 Life Is What You Make It
8 Wild And Peaceful
LIGHT OF WORLDS (1974)
1 Street Corner Symphony
2 Fruitman
3 Rhyme Tyme People
4 Light Of Worlds
5 Whiting H. & G.
6 You Don't Have To Change
7 Higher Plane
8 Summer Madness
9 Here After
SPIRIT OF THE BOOGIE (1975)
1 Spirit Of The Boogie
2 Ride The Rhythm
3 Jungle Jazz
4 Sunshine And Love
5 Ancestral Ceremony
6 Mother Earth
7 Winter Sadness
8 Caribbean Festival

LOVE & UNDERSTANDING (1976) EVERBODY'S DANCIN' (1978)
1 Love & Understanding 1 Everybody's Dancin'
2 Sugar 2 Dancin' Shoes
3 Do It Right Now 3 Big Chief Funkum
4 Cosmic Energy 4 I Like Music
5 Hollywood Swinging [live] 5 You Deserve A Break Today
6 Summer Madness [live] 6 At The Party
7 Universal Sound [live] 7 Stay Awhile
8 Come Together [live] 8 It's All You Need
9 Peace To The Universe

OPEN SESAME (1976)
1 Open Sesame 
2 Gift Of Love 
3 Little Children 
4 All Night Long 
5 Whisper Softly 
6 Super Band 
7 L-O-V-E 
8 Sunshine 

SINGLES SELECTION
1 Raw Hamburger
2 Let The Music Take Your Mind
3 Can't Stop (Doing It To You)
4 Kool It (Here Comes The Fuzz)
5 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8
6 Who's Gonna Take the Weight (Part One)
7 Pneumonia
8 The Penguin
9 Higher Plane
10 Spirit Of The Boogie
11 Caribbean Festival
12 Caribbean Festival (Disco Version)
13 Get Down With The Boogie
14 Open Sesame (Groove With The Genie)
15 Love & Understanding (Come Together)
16 Super Band
17 Slick Superchick
18 Everybody's Dancin'

THE FORCE (1977) 
1 A Place In Space 
2 Slick Superchick 
3 Just Be True 
4 The Force 
5 Mighty Mighty High 
6 Oasis 
7 Life's A Song 
8 Free