Something Special (Kool & the Gang album)
1981 studio album by Kool & the Gang
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Something Special is the thirteenth studio album by American band Kool & the Gang, released in 1981. It was the group's third consecutive platinum-certified album. "Stand Up and Sing" was featured in 1982's The Pirate Movie.
Kendun Recorders (Los Angeles)
Secret Sound (New York City)
| Something Special | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 24, 1981 | |||
| Recorded | 1980–1981 | |||
| Studio | House of Music (West Orange, New Jersey) Kendun Recorders (Los Angeles) Secret Sound (New York City) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 36:18 | |||
| Label | De-Lite | |||
| Producer | Eumir Deodato | |||
| Kool & the Gang chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Something Special | ||||
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Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Boston Globe | (favorable)[2] |
| Record Mirror | [3] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [4] |
It continued the level of success that the band's previous two albums brought, containing several hit singles including "Steppin' Out" which reached No. 12 on the R&B chart and No. 89 on the Pop chart, "Take My Heart" which went to No. 1 on the R&B chart and No. 17 on the Pop chart, and "Get Down on It" which reached No. 4 on the R&B chart and No. 10 on the Pop chart.[5] In the UK, the album reached No. 10,[6] becoming their first hit album there and most successful studio album of all, largely due to the success of the "Get Down on It" single.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Steppin' Out" | James "J.T." Taylor, Ronald Bell, Kool & the Gang | 4:51 |
| 2. | "Good Time Tonight" | Taylor, Bell, Kool & the Gang | 4:59 |
| 3. | "Take My Heart" | Claydes Smith, George Brown, Taylor, Kool & the Gang | 3:59 |
| 4. | "Be My Lady" | Bell, Kool & the Gang | 4:14 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Get Down on It" | Taylor, Bell, Kool & the Gang | 4:58 |
| 2. | "Pass It On" | Brown, Taylor, Kool & the Gang | 4:34 |
| 3. | "Stand Up and Sing" | Taylor, Bell, Kool & the Gang | 4:35 |
| 4. | "No Show" | Brown, Taylor, Bell, Kool & the Gang | 4:25 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Stop!" | Bell, Kool & the Gang | 3:22 |
Personnel
- Bass, backing vocals – Robert "Kool" Bell
- Lead guitar – Charles Smith
- Saxophone, keyboards, backing vocals – Ronald Bell
- Drums, backing vocals – George Brown
- Lead and backing vocals – James "J.T." Taylor
- Alto saxophone – Dennis Thomas
- Alto saxophone, flute, backing vocals – Steve Greenfield
- Trombone – Clifford Adams
- Trumpet, backing vocals – Michael Ray, Robert Mickens
- Keyboards – Brian Jackson
- Keyboards – Eumir Deodato
- Additional percussion – Jimmy Maelen
- Additional handclaps – Platinum Hook
- Backing vocals – Clifford Adams, Cynthia Huggins, Joan Motley, Kelly Barretto
- Production
- Engineer – Jim Bonnefond
- Assistant engineers – Bobby Scott Cohen, Cliff Hodson, Joe DeAngelis, Julian Robertson
- Overdubs engineers – Bob "Ziggy" Winard, Mallory Earl
- Mixed by – Eumir Deodato, Jim Bonnefond, Gabe Vigorito
- Mastered by – Tom Coyne, Stephan Galfas (Assistant)
- Producer – Eumir Deodato
- Associate producer – Kool & The Gang
- CD mastering – Joe Gastwirt
Charts
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Pop Albums[8] | 12 |
| Billboard Top Soul Albums[8] | 1 |
| UK Albums Chart[6] | 10 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[9] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[10] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||