Light of Worlds

Light of Worlds
Light of Worlds
	US LP variant of standard artwork
Studio album by Kool & the Gang
Released	September 1974
Recorded	1973–1974
Studio	Mediasound, New York City
Genre	Jazz-funk
Length	36:06
Label	De-Lite ; DEP-2014
Producer	K. & G. Productions
Kool & the Gang chronology

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.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Rolling Stone	(favorable)^[2]
Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[3]
AllMusic	^[4]
Stereo Review	(favourable)^[5]

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 edit

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Street Corner Symphony"	Kool & the Gang, Amir Bayyan	4:32
2.	"Fruitman"	Kool & the Gang, Rick Westfield	5:19
3.	"Rhyme Tyme People"	Kool & the Gang, Penni Phynjuar Saunders, Dennis "D.T." Thomas	3:19
4.	"Light of Worlds"	Kool & the Gang, Charles "Claydes" Smith	4:21

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5.	"Whiting H. & G."	Kool & the Gang, Bayyan	3:17
6.	"You Don't Have to Change"	Kool & the Gang, Robert "Spike" Mickens	2:39
7.	"Higher Plane"	Kool & the Gang, Bayyan	4:57
8.	"Summer Madness"	Kool & the Gang, Mickens, Alton Taylor	4:16
9.	"Here After"	Kool & the Gang, Bayyan	2:54

Singles edit

Song	R&B chart	Pop chart
"Higher Plane"	No.1	No.37
"Rhyme Tyme People"	No.3	No.63
"Summer Madness"	No.36	No.35

Personnel edit

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 edit

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)

^[6]

Production edit

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 edit


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[7]	Gold	500,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes edit

^ Gorton, TJ (July 30, 2018). "BeatCaffeine's 100 Best Jazz-Funk Songs". BeatCaffeine. Archived from the original on August 25, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
^ Palmer, Bob (30 January 1975). "Light Of Worlds : Kool & the Gang : Review : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 23 February 2010.
^ Hoard, Christian. "Review: Light of Worlds". Rolling Stone: 464. November 2, 2004.
^ "Kool and the Gang: Light of Worlds". AllMusic.
^ Chris Albertson (March 1975). "Kool and the Gang: Light of Worlds" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Vol. 34, no. 3. Stereo Review. p. 78.
^ "Kool & the Gang - Light of Worlds". Discogs.
^ "American album certifications – Kool & The Gang – Light of Worlds". Recording Industry Association of America.

References edit

Cleveland Brown. Light of Worlds liner notes. PolyGram Records, Inc.
Nathan Brackett, Christian Hoard (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Completely Revised and Updated 4th Edition. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.

External links edit

Light of Worlds at Discogs

[1] Gorton, TJ (July 30, 2018). "BeatCaffeine's 100 Best Jazz-Funk Songs". BeatCaffeine. Archived from the original on August 25, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2021.

[Palmer-2] Palmer, Bob (30 January 1975). "Light Of Worlds : Kool & the Gang : Review : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 23 February 2010.

[Hoard-3] Hoard, Christian. "Review: Light of Worlds". Rolling Stone: 464. November 2, 2004.

[AllMusic-4] "Kool and the Gang: Light of Worlds". AllMusic.

[5] Chris Albertson (March 1975). "Kool and the Gang: Light of Worlds" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Vol. 34, no. 3. Stereo Review. p. 78.

[6] "Kool & the Gang - Light of Worlds". Discogs.

[riaa-7] "American album certifications – Kool & The Gang – Light of Worlds". Recording Industry Association of America.

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