ENDEIT
Kool & The Gang
Photo: Foto: Andreas Lawen, Fotandi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

group · 1964–

Kool & The Gang

American R&B, soul and funk band

Formed
1964
Jersey City
Country
United States
Record labels
De-Lite Records
Discography
34 albums

Biography

Kool & The Gang is a jazz group, formed in 1964 in Jersey City. Members include George Brown, James "J.T." Taylor, Ronald Bell and Dennis Thomas. Record labels: De-Lite Records. The discography here lists 34 albums, from “Kool and the Gang” (1969) to “People Just Wanna Have Fun” (2023). Honours include New Jersey Hall of Fame (2015), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2024) and star on Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Kool & the Gang is an American R&B, soul and funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964. Its founding members include brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell (also known as "Khalis Bayyan"), Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George "Funky" Brown, Woodrow "Woody" Sparrow and Ricky Westfield. 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. The group changed their name several times. Settling on Kool & the Gang, the group signed to De-Lite Records and released their debut album Kool and the Gang in 1969. The band's first mainstream success came with the release of their fourth album Wild and Peaceful (1973); it contained the US top-ten singles "Jungle Boogie" and "Hollywood Swinging".

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Members

George Brown, James "J.T." Taylor, Ronald Bell, Dennis Thomas

Discography

Studio and live albums

Kool and the Gang 1969 · De‐Lite Records Live at P.J.’s 1971 · Live · De‐Lite Records Live at the Sex Machine 1971 · Live · De‐Lite Records Good Times 1972 · De‐Lite Records Music Is the Message 1972 · De‐Lite Records Wild and Peaceful 1973 · De‐Lite Records Light of Worlds 1974 · De‐Lite Records Spirit of the Boogie 1975 · De‐Lite Records Love & Understanding 1976 · De‐Lite Records Open Sesame 1976 · De‐Lite Records The Force 1977 · De‐Lite Records Everybody’s Dancin’ 1978 · De‐Lite Records Ladies’ Night 1979 · Disques Vogue Celebrate! 1980 · De‐Lite Records Something Special 1981 · De‐Lite Records As One 1982 · De‐Lite Records In the Heart 1983 · FM Emergency 1984 · De‐Lite Records Forever 1986 · Metronome Sweat 1989 · Metronome Unite 1992 · JRS Records
Live & Alive 1995 · Live
State of Affairs 1996 · Curb Records Live: Let’s Go Dancing 1999 · Live · Versailles The Hits: Reloaded 2004 · Virgin Live 2005 · Live · Falcon Neue Medien
BEST OF KOOL & THE GANG LIVE 2006 · Live
Still Kool 2007 · KTFA Records Kool Funk Essentials - 2 2009 · Charly Records Live at Montreux 2009 2009 · Live · Eagle Records At the BBC 2010 · Live · Spectrum Music Kool for the Holidays 2013 · KTFA Entertainment Perfect Union 2021 · Omnivore Recordings People Just Wanna Have Fun 2023 · Astana Music Inc

Awards

Listen on Spotify

Frequently asked questions

What are Kool & The Gang's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Kool and the Gang (1969), Live at P.J.’s (1971), Live at the Sex Machine (1971), Good Times (1972) and Music Is the Message (1972).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.