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Light of Worlds

{{Infobox album

| name = Light of Worlds

| type = Studio

| artist = Kool & the Gang

| cover = Light of Worlds by Kool and the Gang original LP.png

| alt =

| caption = US LP variant of standard artwork

| released = September 1974

| recorded = 1973–1974

| venue =

| studio = Mediasound, New York City

| genre = Jazz-funk{{cite web |url=https://beatcaffeine.com/100-best-jazz-funk-songs/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825081205/https://beatcaffeine.com/100-best-jazz-funk-songs/ |title=BeatCaffeine's 100 Best Jazz-Funk Songs |last=Gorton |first=TJ |website=BeatCaffeine |date=July 30, 2018 |archive-date=August 25, 2018 |access-date=September 19, 2021}}

| length = 36:06

| label = De-Lite
DEP-2014

| producer = K. & G. Productions

| prev_title = Wild and Peaceful

| prev_year = 1973

| next_title = Spirit of the Boogie

| next_year = 1975

| misc =

}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = Rolling Stone

| rev1score = (favorable){{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/115764/review/5943580|title=Light Of Worlds : Kool & the Gang : Review : Rolling Stone|last=Palmer|first=Bob|date=30 January 1975|magazine=Rolling Stone|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100223233823/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/115764/review/5943580?utm_source=Rhapsody&utm_medium=CDreview|archive-date=23 February 2010}}

| rev2 = Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev2score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}Hoard, Christian. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=lRgtYCC6OUwC&pg=PA464&dq= Review: Light of Worlds]". Rolling Stone: 464. November 2, 2004.

| rev3 = AllMusic

| rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/light-of-worlds-mw0000647430|title=Kool and the Gang: Light of Worlds|publisher=AllMusic}}

| rev4 = Stereo Review

| rev4Score = (favourable){{cite magazine|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Audio/Archive-Stereo-Review-IDX/IDX/70s/HiFi-Stereo-Review-1975-03-OCR-Page-0078.pdf#search=%22kool%20and%20the%20gang%22|title=Kool and the Gang: Light of Worlds|author=Chris Albertson|page=78|issue=3|volume=34|date=March 1975|publisher=Stereo Review|website=americanradiohistory.com}}

}}

Light of Worlds is the fifth studio album, and seventh album of new material 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 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 analogue synthesizing.

"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".

Track listing

{{tracklist

| headline = Side one

| title1 = Street Corner Symphony

| writer1 = Kool & the Gang, Amir Bayyan

| length1 = 4:32

| title2 = Fruitman

| writer2 = Kool & the Gang, Rick Westfield

| length2 = 5:19

| title3 = Rhyme Tyme People

| writer3 = Kool & the Gang, Penni Phynjuar Saunders, Dennis "D.T." Thomas

| length3 = 3:19

| title4 = Light of Worlds

| writer4 = Kool & the Gang, Charles "Claydes" Smith

| length4 = 4:21

}}

{{tracklist

| headline = Side two

| title5 = Whiting H. & G.

| writer5 = Kool & the Gang, Bayyan

| length5 = 3:17

| title6 = You Don't Have to Change

| writer6 = Kool & the Gang, Robert "Spike" Mickens

| length6 = 2:39

| title7 = Higher Plane

| writer7 = Kool & the Gang, Bayyan

| length7 = 4:57

| title8 = Summer Madness

| writer8 = Kool & the Gang, Mickens, Alton Taylor

| length8 = 4:16

| title9 = Here After

| writer9 = Kool & the Gang, Bayyan

| length9 = 2:54

}}

Singles

class="wikitable"

! Song

R&B chartPop chart
"Higher Plane"align="center" | No.1align="center" | No.37
"Rhyme Tyme People"align="center" | No.3align="center" | No.63
"Summer Madness"align="center" | No.36align="center" | No.35

Personnel

;Kool & the Gang

  • Ronald Bell – arrangements (1, 7, 9), acoustic piano (1, 4–7, 9), clavinet (1, 4, 5, 7), ARP synthesizer (1, 5–9), bass (1, 7), percussion (1), tenor saxophone (1–4, 7, 9), vocals (3, 4, 6, 9), alto flute (5), Mellotron (6, 8, 9), ARP 2600 (7, 8), lead vocals (7), electric piano (9), kalimba (9)
  • Robert "Kool" Bell – bass (1–8), vocals (6, 7)
  • George "Funky" Brown – drums (1–9), percussion (1, 9), vocals (6), kettle drums (9), gong (9)
  • Robert "Spike" Mickens – trumpet (1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9), flugelhorn (2), vocals (6), arrangements (6, 8)
  • Claydes Charles Smith – guitar (1–8), vibraphone (4), percussion (4), arrangements (4), conductor (4)
  • Ricky West – acoustic piano (1, 2, 7), lead vocals (2), arrangements (2), electric piano (5, 8)
  • Dennis "D.T." Thomas – alto saxophone (1, 2, 3, 7), clavinet (3), congas (3), percussion (3, 5), lead vocals (3), arrangements (3)

=Additional personnel=

  • Herb Lane – vocals (4), backing vocals (7)
  • Alton Taylor – vocals (4), lead vocals (6)
  • Penni Phynjuar Saunders – vocals (3, 4)
  • Richard Shade – backing vocals (7)
  • Kenneth Banks – backing vocals (7)
  • Al Pazant – trumpet (4)
  • Ed Pazant – oboe (4), alto saxophone (4)
  • Noel Pointer – strings (4)

{{Cite web | url=https://www.discogs.com/Kool-The-Gang-Light-Of-Worlds/release/733924 |title = Kool & the Gang - Light of Worlds| website=Discogs }}

=Production=

  • 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

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United States|artist=Kool & The Gang|title=Light of Worlds|award=Gold|relyear=1974|certyear=1975|refname="riaa"}}

{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}

Notes

{{reflist}}

References

{{refbegin}}

  • {{cite book| author = Cleveland Brown | title = Light of Worlds liner notes | publisher = PolyGram Records, Inc.}}
  • {{cite book| author = Nathan Brackett, Christian Hoard | title = The New Rolling Stone Album Guide | others = Completely Revised and Updated 4th Edition| publisher = Simon and Schuster| year = 2004| isbn = 0-7432-0169-8}}

{{refend}}

External links

  • [http://www.discogs.com/Kool-The-Gang-Light-Of-Worlds/master/99538 Light of Worlds] at Discogs

{{Kool & the Gang}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Kool & the Gang albums

Category:1974 albums

Category:De-Lite Records albums

Category:Jazz-funk albums