Celebration (Kool & the Gang song)

"Celebration" is a song released in 1980 by Kool & the Gang from their album Celebrate!. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 7, 1981 and held that position until February 20, 1981.^[1] Late in 1980, the song had also reached number one on both the Billboard Dance and R&B charts. The song dominated the radio for nearly the entire year, and is still heard today at weddings and parties.^[1] It was also an international hit, reaching number 7 in the UK, and a version was recorded with a Spanish language vocal for relevant markets.

It is also a popular anthem for sporting events; for example, it was prominently associated with the 1982 World Series victory by the St. Louis Cardinals, and is played over the PA system after Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Tennessee Titans, Hagerstown Suns, and Milwaukee Bucks victories. The indoor soccer team, the Baltimore Blast plays this song when they score a goal and win the game. It is also played by the Husky Marching Band at University Of Washington sporting events when the teams wins.

The song is also notable for having played when the remaining American hostages returned home following the 1979-1981 Iran Hostage Crisis. It was also rewritten in 1984 as the jingle for Diet Orange Crush.

Kylie Minogue version

"Celebration" was also covered as a 1992 single by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was recorded by Minogue in 1991 for her fourth studio album, Let's Get To It, but it was not included, later appearing on the 1992 Greatest Hits album. It was released as a single, peaking at number 20 in the UK and number 21 in Australia. One of Minogue's least commercially popular singles, it has been cited many times as one of her favourite songs, and unlike "Finer Feelings" and "What Kind of Fool (Heard All That Before)", "Celebration" was included on her greatest-hits compilation Ultimate Kylie. The techno-rave mix of the track features on the Kylie's Non-stop History 50+1 album. This song was the last single with PWL and Stock Aitken Waterman.

Music video

The music video was filmed in Rio de Janeiro.

Live Performances

It remains a live favourite, being performed on her On a Night Like This tour in 2001 as well as at the opening ceremony of the Paralympics in 2000.

Use in popular culture

Minogue's rendition of the song was used in commercials for Ford Motor Company trucks in the United States in 2005 and 2006.

Formats

CD Single

1. "Celebration"
2. "Celebration" - Have a Party Mix
3. "Let's Get to It" (12" Mix) - 4:52

7" Single

1. "Celebration"
2. "Let's Get to It" - 3:50

12" Single

1. "Celebration" - Have a Party Mix
2. "Let's Get to It" (12" Mix) - 4:52

Australian CD Single

1. "Celebration"
2. "Celebration" - Have a Party Mix
3. "Too Much of a Good Thing"

Charts

Quest for Zhu version

The song was covered by the cast of the direct to DVD film "Quest for Zhu" and can also be heard on the film's official soundtrack.^[2]

References