Self-styled "scientists of sound", Kool & The Gang developed a bit of a bad name later in their career for their move into cheesy disco and mawkish balladry, but in fact they were skilled jazz musicians whose 70's funk was among the very best of the era.
Formed in New Jersey by Robert "Kool" Bell and his saxophonist brother Ronald, their 1970 debut album, also called Kool & The Gang, has since been sampled by hip-hop artists so often that it is now regarded as a forgotten gem.
Their first great album to make an impression at the time was 1973's Wild And Peaceful, which contained the funk classics "Funky Stuff" and "Jungle Boogie". In August 1975, Kool & The Gang released their masterpiece LP - Spirit of the Boogie - a sprawling, ambitious set of jazz-tinged funk and tribal rhythms. James Brown acknowledged at the time that Kool & The Gang were the funkiest act in the world - except for his own - and he wasn't wrong.
It wasn't to last: catching the commercial bug, Kool & The Gang went on to have massive crossover success with disco hits like "Ladies' Night", "Too Hot", "Celebration" and "Get Down On It", and with the ballads "Joanna" and "Cherish". Their 80s albums were also big-sellers: Celebrate! (1980), Something Special (1981), and Emergency (1984) all went platinum.
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