Light of Worlds
1974 studio album by Kool & the Gang
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Light of Worlds is the fifth studio album by the American R&B group Kool & the Gang. Released in 1974, it was later remastered by Polygram and was a second success for the band, reaching number 16 in the R&B chart and number 63 in the pop chart. It was a landmark in the funk/jazz fusion genre of the 1970s.
| Light of Worlds | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
US LP variant of standard artwork | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 1974 | |||
| Recorded | 1973–1974 | |||
| Studio | Mediasound, New York City | |||
| Genre | Jazz-funk[1] | |||
| Length | 35:06 | |||
| Label | De-Lite DEP-2014 | |||
| Producer | K. & G. Productions | |||
| Kool & the Gang chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Light of Worlds | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable)[3] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [4] |
| Stereo Review | (favourable)[5] |
"Summer Madness" was later released as a single, with a follow-up titled "Winter Sadness" in Kool & the Gang's Spirit of the Boogie a year later. In 1991, the Hip-Hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince sampled elements of "Summer Madness" for their song "Summertime". A remake of "Summer Madness" was released on their 1993 album Unite titled "WKOOL/Summer".
Background
Light of Worlds is regarded as Kool & the Gang's most spiritual and sophisticated work, produced in the wake of the success of their previous album, Wild and Peaceful. While it was their seventh album of original material, the band considered Light of Worlds their ninth LP (counting two compilations), and therefore consciously chose nine songs for the album to represent the then 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 synthesis.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Street Corner Symphony" | Kool & the Gang, Khalis Bayyan | 4:32 |
| 2. | "Fruitman" | Kool & the Gang, Rick Westfield | 5:19 |
| 3. | "Rhyme Tyme People" | Kool & the Gang, Penni Phynjuar Saunders, Dennis "D.T." Thomas | 3:19 |
| 4. | "Light of Worlds" | Kool & the Gang, Charles "Claydes" Smith | 4:21 |
| Total length: | 17:31 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Whiting H. & G." | Kool & the Gang, Bayyan | 3:17 |
| 2. | "You Don't Have to Change" | Kool & the Gang, Robert "Spike" Mickens | 2:39 |
| 3. | "Higher Plane" | Kool & the Gang, Bayyan | 4:57 |
| 4. | "Summer Madness" | Kool & the Gang, Mickens, Alton Taylor | 4:16 |
| 5. | "Here After" | Kool & the Gang, Bayyan | 2:54 |
| Total length: | 18:03 | ||
Personnel
Adapted from liner notes[6]
Kool & the Gang
- Ronald Bell – arrangements (tracks 1, 7, 9), piano (tracks 1, 4–7, 9), clavinet (tracks 1, 4, 5, 7), ARP synthesizer (tracks 1, 5–9), bass (tracks 1, 7), percussion (track 1), tenor saxophone (tracks 1–4, 7, 9), vocals (tracks 3–4, 6, 9), alto flute (track 5), Mellotron (tracks 6, 8–9), ARP 2600 (tracks 7–8), lead vocals (track 7), electric piano (track 9), kalimba (track 9)
- Robert "Kool" Bell – bass (tracks 1–8), vocals (tracks 6–7)
- George "Funky" Brown – drums (all tracks), percussion (tracks 1, 9), vocals (track 6), kettle drums (track 9), gong (track 9)
- Robert "Spike" Mickens – trumpet (tracks 1–3, 5, 7, 9), flugelhorn (track 2), vocals (track 6), arrangements (tracks 6, 8)
- Claydes Charles Smith – guitar (tracks 1–8), vibraphone (track 4), percussion (track 4), arrangements (track 4), conductor (track 4)
- Ricky West – piano (tracks 1–2, 7), lead vocals (track 2), arrangements (track 2), electric piano (tracks 5, 8)
- Dennis "D.T." Thomas – alto saxophone (tracks 1–3, 7), clavinet (track 3), congas (track 3), percussion (tracks 3, 5), lead vocals (track 3), arrangements (track 3)
Additional musicians
- Herb Lane – vocals (track 4), backing vocals (track 7)
- Alton Taylor – vocals (track 4), lead vocals (track 6)
- Penni Phynjuar Saunders – vocals (tracks 3–4)
- Richard Shade – backing vocals (track 7)
- Kenneth Banks – backing vocals (track 7)
- Al Pazant – trumpet (track 4)
- Ed Pazant – oboe (track 4), alto saxophone (track 4)
- Noel Pointer – strings (track 4)
Technical
- Producers – Kool & the Gang
- Engineers – Bob Clearmountain, Godfrey Diamond, Harvey Goldberg and Alec Head.
- Cover Design – Frank Daniel
- Liner Notes – Cleveland "Clevie" Browne
- Photography – Bernie Block, David Lartaud and Phil Willen.
Reissue
- Digital Remastering – Gary N. Mayo
- Package – Mitchell Kanner
- Liner Notes – Cleveland "Clevie" Browne
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[7] | #63 |
Singles
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[9] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||