Light of Worlds
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| Light of Worlds | |||||
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| Studio album by Kool and the Gang | |||||
| Released | September 1974 | ||||
| Recorded | 1973-1974 Media Sound Studios New York, New York |
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| Genre | Funk/Soul Jazz |
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| Length | 36:06 | ||||
| Label | De-Lite DEP-2014 |
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| Producer | K. & G. Productions | ||||
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| Kool and the Gang chronology | |||||
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| Reissue cover | |||||
Alternate Cover
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Light of Worlds was the seventh album released by the funk band Kool and the Gang. The album was released in 1974 and later remastered by Polygram, and was a second success for the band, reaching the R&B Charts at #16 and the Pop Charts at #63. It was a landmark in the funk/jazz fusion genre of the 1970's.
Light of the Worlds was by far Kool & the Gang's most spiritual and sophisticated work to date, produced in the wake of the success of their previous album, Wild and Peaceful. While it was their seventh album of new material, the Gang considered Light of the Worlds their ninth LP (counting two compilations), and therefore consciously chose nine songs for the album, to represent the nine planets in the solar system. The album contains rock-inspired funk set to jazz-informed playing with afrobeat influences and a tinge of analog synthesizing. "Summer Madness" is the album's highlight, incorporating smooth melodies and a mesmerizing synthesizer. It was released as the B-side to "Spirit of the Boogie" a year later.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
[edit] Side One
- "Street Corner Symphony" (Bayyan/Kool & the Gang) - 4:32
- "Fruitman" (Kool & the Gang/Westfield) - 5:19
- "Rhyme Tyme People" (Kool & the Gang/Saunders/Thomas) - 3:19
- "Light of Worlds" (Kool & the Gang/Smith) - 4:21
[edit] Side Two
- "Whiting H. & G." (Bayyan/Kool & the Gang) - 3:17
- "You Don't Have to Change" (Kool & the Gang/Mickens) - 2:39
- "Higher Plane" (Bayyan/Kool & the Gang) - 4:57
- "Summer Madness" (Kool & the Gang/Mickens/Taylor) - 4:16
- "Here After" (Bayyan/Kool & the Gang) - 2:54
[edit] Singles
| Song | R&B | Pop |
|---|---|---|
| “Higher Plane” | #1 | #37 |
| “Rhyme Tyme People” | #3 | #63 |
| “Summer Madness” | #36 | #35 |
[edit] Personnel
- Khalis Bayyan - Synthesizer, Bass, Percussion, Piano, Arranger, Piano (Electric), Sax (Tenor), Vocals, Clavinet, Kalimba, Mellotron
- Robert "Kool" Bell - Bass, Vocals
- George "Funky" Brown - Percussion, Drums, Gong
- Robert "Spike" Mickens - Trumpet, Arranger, Flugelhorn
- Claydes E.X. Smith - Guitar, Percussion, Arranger, Conductor, Vibraphone
- Ricky West - Piano, Arranger
[edit] Additional personnel
- Herb Lane - Vocals
- Alton Taylor - Vocals
- Penni Phynjuar Saunders - Vocals
- Richard Shade - Vocals (background)
- Kenneth Banks - Vocals (background)
- Al Pazant - Trumpet
- Ed Pazant - Sax (Alto), Oboe
- Dennis "D.T." Thomas - Arranger, Sax (Alto)
- Bob Clearmountain - Engineer
- Godfrey Diamond - Engineer
- Harvey Goldberg - Engineer
- Alec Head - Engineer
- Gary N. Mayo - Digital Remastering
- Mitchell Kanner - Cover Design
- Cleveland "Clevie" Browne - Liner Notes
- David Lartaud - Photography
[edit] Use in Entertainment
From this album, the song "Summer Madness" has been used in various features, such as:
- The 1976 film Rocky
- A cover version on Mary J. Blige's 1998 live album The Tour.
- The 1991 song "Summertime", via a sample by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
- The 2001 film Baby Boy
- The 2002 videogame Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Played on the Fever 105 radio channel
- A 2006 Nike shoe commercial featuring LeBron James' "The LeBrons"
- The 2006 Tony Hawk's Project 8 Soundtrack
[edit] References
- Light of Worlds album liner notes by Cleveland Brown. PolyGram Records, Inc..
