Kool & The Gang, the legendary icons of R&B, funk, and soul, are starting their 60th anniversary celebrations early with the release of their latest single, “We Are The Party.”
This exciting track is a preview of their upcoming album, “People Just Wanna Have Fun,” which will be available on July 14, 2023, under the Astana Music Inc label, distributed by BFD/The Orchard.
With a remarkable six decades of producing hit songs, this internationally acclaimed group continues to tour the world, with upcoming shows at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and SummerStage in New York.
Recently, they performed their new single, “Let’s Party” (featuring Sha Sha Jones), on Good Morning America.
Stream + Download Kool & The Gang “We Are The Party”
Leading the band are the founding members, Robert “Kool” Bell (bassist) and George “Funky” Brown (keyboardist, drummer, and producer of this album). Additionally, their book, “Too Hot: Kool & the Gang & Me,” will be released on July 11, 2023.
Listen to and share “We Are The Party” and pre-order “People Just Wanna Have Fun.”
Continuing their tradition of releasing music that uplifts and entertains, “People Just Wanna Have Fun” will be the band’s 34th studio album.
It features some of the final studio recordings by founding horn players Ronald “Khalis” Bell and Dennis “D.T.” Thomas, who passed away in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
The album includes lead vocals by Sha Sha Jones, Shawn McQuiller, Lavell Evans, Dominique Karan, Rick Marcel, and Walt Anderson, as well as guest appearances by rappers Ami Miller and Ole’.
Both Bell and Brown consider “People Just Wanna Have Fun” to be a culmination of their illustrious careers, during which they have sold 70 million albums worldwide.
The band is renowned for their chart-topping hits like “Celebration,” “Ladies Night,” “Get Down on It,” and “Hollywood Swinging.”
Over the years, they have earned two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, a BET Soul Train Lifetime Achievement Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Notably, Kool’s bass guitar is displayed at the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC.
From their humble beginnings in Newark to captivating audiences in Nairobi, Kool & the Gang hold the record for being the longest-running R&B group in history, with an unbroken streak of performances.
Their music has also been sampled extensively, making them the most sampled R&B band of all time.
Artists such as Madonna, Jay-Z, Beastie Boys, Janet Jackson, Cypress Hill, and P. Diddy have incorporated their music into their own creations.
Additionally, Kool & the Gang’s songs have graced the soundtracks of iconic films like Rocky, Saturday Night Fever, Pulp Fiction, and Wreck-It Ralph, among others.
Despite their immense success, Kool & The Gang has remained grounded in their roots while embracing the future.
Bell describes the new album, saying, “We’ve incorporated funk, jazzier tracks, a few ballads, and even ventured into pop. We cover the ’70s, ’80s, and bring it all the way to the present.
It’s a blend of old school and new school—we’ve captured it all here. Throughout the years, our music has brought joy to people. So I’d say this album encapsulates our journey.”
Work on the album began five years ago, with recording sessions taking place at Brown’s Alley Cat Studio in Woodland Hills, CA, spanning several months. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, much of “
Album Track List:
1. Let’s Party
2. Movie Star
3. People Just Wanna Have Fun. 4. We Are The Party
5. V.I.P.
6. Na Na Na
7. Go Get It
8. Give Love
9. I Want It All
10. Heaven’s Gift
11. Obsession
12. The Woman In You
13. My Weakness
14. That’s What I Love About You 15. 99 Miles To JC
Be the first to comment on "Kool & The Gang Release New Single “We Are The Party” Ahead of Album"