Oct 142024
 

In the Spotlight showcases a cross-section of an artist’s cover work. View past installments, then post suggestions for future picks in the comments!

On their 1985 hit “King of Rock,” the future Reverend Run declared: “As one def rapper, I know I can hang/I’m Run from Run-DMC, like Kool from Kool & the Gang.” In retrospect, it seems only fitting that the group that helped bring rap to the mainstream would namecheck Kool & the Gang on one of their biggest hits. Kool & the Gang’s multi-instrumental fusion of rock, pop, R&B, funk and disco, provided the backbone for modern rap. As of this writing, the website WhoSampled.com lists 2053 known samples of their music, and the number will only keep growing.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. If you went to a party, dance or club in the ‘70s and ‘80s, odds are that Kool & the Gang was booming through the speakers. Whether you were from New York or Hollywood and wanted to “Celebrate and have a good time,” “Get down on it,” “Get up with the get down,” “Go dancin’,” or perhaps “Reggae dancin’,” they had a song for seemingly every type of occasion. Even today, it’s rare to attend any life milestone event (wedding, bar mitzvah, etc.) and not hear their good-time anthem “Celebration.”

Though the group has not recorded many covers throughout their long career, cover songs were an important part of the band’s origin story. The band was founded in the mid-‘60s in Jersey City, New Jersey by a group of child jazz prodigies that included brothers Ronald and Robert “Kool” Bell. Performing under various names, they got their start playing bars, clubs and events throughout New Jersey in the ‘60s as teenagers. In a 2023 interview with Questlove, drummer George Brown said that would often perform the hits of the day to win over the crowd. It’s a not-uncommon story for many of the world’s greatest rockers.

One can hear elements of these origins on their early albums. Singing with Dee-Lite Records in 1969, the band included a handful of covers on their first few releases. Listening to these songs now, on the eve of the band’s long-overdue induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, provides a fascinating glimpse into their virtuosity as musicians. One can hear elements of just about every style of popular music from the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. It’s easy to imagine them as members of the house bands at Motown or Muscle Shoals.

In their early years, the band were masters at emulating other people’s music, even if they had not quite found the sound that would make them superstars. Listen to their past, and you’ll hear why their future was indeed a “celebration to last throughout the years.”

Author’s Note: The group would later release a Christmas album in 2013 that contained several covers, but we’ll save that for another time and instead focus solely on the early years.

Kool & the Gang – Since I Lost My Baby (The Temptations cover)

On the band’s 1969 debut album Kool & the Gang, they released a horn-powered instrumental cover of the Smokey Robinson-penned Temptations hit “Since I Lost My Baby.” Gone are the strings, vocal harmonies and heavy orchestration from the original. Instead, the horn section leads the charge carrying the melody. Listen closely to about 1:18 into the song and you’ll hear a powerful five-second loop-worthy break that includes a funky drumbeat and horn crescendo.

Kool & the Gang – Walk On By (Dionne Warwick cover)

The 1971 album Live At the Sex Machine holds the distinction of being Kool & the Gang’s most covers-heavy album (until their 2013 release Kool for the Holidays). They play “Walk on By” as an eclectic piece of psychedelic soul. The group opens with a fanfare of horns. The band trades off playing the melody, speeding up and slowing down tempos and encouraging the crowd to shout out: “Walk on By.”

Kool & the Gang – Trying to Make a Fool Out of Me (The Delfonics cover)

This might be one of their most conventional covers to end up on an album. They deliver a fairly straightforward rendition of Sly and the Family Stone’s funk classic. The band actually sings on this one, and they encourage the audience to join in. “It’s time for the whole Sex Machine to get up and do their thing now!” It’s a spirited cover, highlighting their ability to work a crowd.

Kool & the Gang – Wichita Lineman (Glen Campbell cover)

Kool & the Gang showcased their diverse influences on Live at the Sex Machine too, especially with this cover of the Glen Campbell country classic “Wichita Lineman.” The track opens with ambient instrumental music, similar to Miles Davis’ work from Bitches Brew. It was likely not the song the crowd was expecting to hear that night, but they erupt when the trumpet comes in and continue to scream out their approval each time the band switches up the groove.

Kool & the Gang – Sombrero Sam (Charles Lloyd cover)

Kool & the Gang would release a second live album in 1971, Live at P.J.’s. The opening track “NT” is probably the most well-known as it has been sampled by the likes of Q-Tip, Nas, N.W.A. and Snoop Dog. Beyond this, the album contains two covers. The first is a cover of this Latin-jazz tune by Charles Lloyd. The track stands out for its fusion of rapid-fire bongos and flute.

Kool & the Gang – Ike’s Mood/You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling (Isaac Hayes/Righteous Brothers covers)

The second cover on Live at P.J.’s is a smashup of two very different songs. It holds the distinction of being the band’s longest cover and perhaps their most inventive. On “Ike’s Mood,” they perfectly channel Isaac Hayes’ orchestral pop soul. Then, in the final minutes, they sing snippets of lyrics from the Righteous Brothers’ classic, almost as if sampling it, but still using their own voices.

Check out our complete series paying tribute to every 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee in covers!

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