So Kool

KOOL & THE GANG BRING THEIR MUSIC TO TANGLEWOOD, JOINED BY R&B TRIO EN VOGUE 

By Dr. Joshua Sherman 

From the pages of our May/June 2024 Issue

NANCY DAGATA

I discovered Kool & The Gang when I was in middle school. “Ladies’ Night” was the first track on the audio cassette tape, and I was hooked. 

It wasn’t new music, but it was new to me. 

This week (over 30 years later), I got the chance to chat directly with Kool, who doesn’t disappoint. He is, indeed, cool. 

Although Kool is the last living member of the original group, Kool and his current Gang will be playing Tanglewood on June 23. It’s an opportunity for longtime fans to “celebrate good times” and for a new generation to “get down on it.” 

During our conversation, Kool and I discussed his recent European tour, his Las Vegas residency (at Westgate), the group’s newest album (People Just Wanna Have Fun) and Kool’s branded champagne (lekoolchampagne.com). 

Perhaps most exciting to me was when he shared the genesis of two of the band’s greatest hits, “Ladies’ Night” and “Celebration." 

Here’s the story, in his own words: 

We started back in 1964 as The Jazziacs. And then we changed the name to “The Soul Town Band.” And then we changed it to “Kool & The Flames,” but we had to change that, because of James Brown and the Famous Flames. We didn’t want to have any problems with “The Godfather.” And then—in 1969—we changed the name to “Kool & The Gang.” 

The first record came out July 3rd, 1969. We went through the ’70s with various hits, and then—like the song title, “Open Sesame”—we’re in Saturday Night Fever. You know, the movie with John Travolta.

Right after that, we were on tour with The Jackson 5. And the promoter was a guy by the name of Dick Griffey, who started Solar records (creator of Shalamar). Dick came to us and said, “Listen, you guys are doing okay on the tour, but I think you need a lead singer.” And we said, “Oh, yeah?”

And he said, “Yeah.”

So, we thought about it. At that time, you had Lionel Richie as lead singer for The Commodores, and you had Maurice White and Philip Bailey, the lead singers for Earth, Wind & Fire. And that's when we got Mr. James “J.T.” Taylor.

So—my wife and I were hanging out at Studio 54 and another big disco called “Régine’s.”

Every weekend, they had a “Ladies’ Night.”

I say, “Ooooooh!”

And I went back to my guys, and I said, “I’ve got an idea for a new single for our new lead singer.”

And my brother said, “What is it?” I said, “Ladies’ Night.”

And my brother goes, “Man, there’s one of those all over the world.”

And I say, “Yeeeeeaaah.” (Laughs)

George Brown is the one who wrote the core of the song. And then my brother and J.T., we all got together, and we came up with the rest. We didn’t know it was gonna be such a big record.

Then—we’re at the American Music Awards. And we won two awards that evening for “Ladies’ Night.”

The tag to “Ladies’ Night” has a part, “Come on, let's all celebrate.”

So, my brother says to me, “Ooooooh!

There's another song.” We said, “What?”

And he said, “Celebrate!”

So, he came up with the music for most of the song, “Celebration.”

And it’s all ’cause we were celebrating. And the rest is history.

Don’t miss Kool & The Gang at Tanglewood on Sunday, June 23.