The Force (Kool & the Gang album)
1977 studio album by Kool and the Gang
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The Force is the ninth studio album by the funk band Kool and the Gang, released in 1977 on De-Lite Records. The album peaked at No. 33 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[1][2]
| The Force | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 1977 | |||
| Studio | De-Lite, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||
| Genre | Funk | |||
| Length | 35:47 | |||
| Label | De-Lite | |||
| Producer | Kool and the Gang | |||
| Kool and the Gang chronology | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [3] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
| The New Rolling Stone Record Guide | [5] |
The Globe and Mail wrote that "it's strange that to this day, black soul musicians are trying to say it better than Sly [Stone] did a decade ago and failing miserably."[6] The Bay State Banner wrote that the album "lacked the excellent jive vocals, hot horn lines and boogie beat arrangements Kool made famous."[7]
Singles
"Slick Superchick" peaked at No. 19 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[8]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A Place in Space" | Ronald Bell, Kool & the Gang | 4:49 |
| 2. | "Slick Superchick" | George Brown, Kool & the Gang | 4:05 |
| 3. | "Just Be True" | Ronald Bell, Kool & the Gang | 4:21 |
| 4. | "The Force" | Ronald Bell, Kool & the Gang | 4:26 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mighty, Mighty High" | Ronald Bell, Kool & the Gang | 6:51 |
| 2. | "Oasis" | Ronald Bell, Kool & the Gang | 6:06 |
| 3. | "Life's a Song" | Claydes Smith, Kool & the Gang | 2:58 |
| 4. | "Free" | Ronald Bell, Kool & the Gang | 2:11 |
Personnel
- Ronald Bell – vocals, keyboards, clavinet, ARP synthesizer, percussion, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, alto flute
- Kevin Lassiter – vocals, keyboards, clavinet, Minimoog, percussion
- George Brown – vocals, keyboards, clavinet, drums, percussion
- Dennis Thomas – vocals, keyboards, congas, percussion, alto saxophone
- Claydes Smith – vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, percussion
- Robert "Kool" Bell – vocals, bass guitar, percussion
- Otha Nash – vocals, valve and slide trombones, tuba, percussion
- Robert Mickens – vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn, percussion
- Additional personnel
- Jimmy J. Jordan – special effects
- Donald Boyce – voice (1, 4)
- Cynthia Huggins – lead vocals (6)
- Female vocals – Renee Connel, Cynthia Huggins, Joan Motley and Beverly Owens
- Arthur Capehart – trumpet (7)
- Strings on 6 & 7 – MFSB; arranged by John Davis
- Production
- Producer – K&G Productions
- Arrangements – Kool and The Gang
- Co-Producer – George Brown
- Executive Producers – Ronald Bell and Claydes Smith
- Engineers – Terry Rosiello and Nils Salminen
- Mixing – Ronald Bell, Terry Rosiello and Nils Salminen.
- Recorded at De-Lite Recorded Sound Studio (Philadelphia, PA).
- Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York, NY).
- Cover Painting – DeEs Schwertberger
Charts
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Top Soul Albums | 33 |
| US Billboard 200 | 142 |