Forever (Kool & the Gang album)

Forever is the seventeenth studio album by the funk band Kool & the Gang, released in 1986. The album included two major hits on the US Hot 100 Chart: "Victory" (US #10, R&B #2) and "Stone Love" (US #10, R&B #4). Three additional singles charted, "Holiday" reached the top ten on the R&B Chart, "Special Way" reached #6 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[3] and "Peacemaker" was released in international markets and charted at #20 in New Zealand.

Forever
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 3, 1986
RecordedOctober 1985–August 1986
Studio
Genre
Length48:59
LabelMercury
Producer
  • Kool and the Gang
  • Khalis Bayyan
  • I.B.M.C.
Kool & the Gang chronology
Emergency
(1984)
Forever
(1986)
Sweat
(1989)
Singles from Forever
  1. "Victory"
    Released: November 1986
  2. "Stone Love"
    Released: February 1987
  3. "Holiday"
    Released: May 1987
  4. "Special Way"
    Released: 1987
  5. "Peacemaker"
    Released: 1987
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Stereo Review(favourable)[2]

After this album, lead vocalist James "J.T." Taylor left the group to pursue a solo career. He returned in 1996 for the State of Affairs album.

Track listing

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Side 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Victory"James "J.T." Taylor, Khalis Bayyan4:37
2."I.B.M.C."Taylor, Bayyan4:14
3."Stone Love"Charles Smith, Taylor, Kool & the Gang4:37
4."Forever"Dwania Kyles, Taylor, Bayyan5:03
Side 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Holiday"Curtis Williams, Taylor, Kool & the Gang4:12
2."Peacemaker"George Brown, Taylor, Kool & the Gang4:35
3."Broadway"Williams, Taylor, Kool & the Gang3:40
4."Special Way"Kyles, Brown, Taylor, Kendall Stubbs, Bayyan5:26
5."God's Country"Gary Curtis Culpepper, Taylor5:04

Personnel

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Kool & The Gang

Additional musicians

  • Randy Taylor-Weber – synthesizer programming, creative software programming
  • Mark Attalla – instruments
  • Kendal Stubbs – instruments, drum programming, backing vocals (2, 5, 6, 9)
  • Alex Williams – instruments
  • Bert Clardy – backing vocals (2, 5, 6, 9)
  • Jeff Clardy – backing vocals (2, 5, 6, 9)
  • Lisa Foster – backing vocals (2, 5, 6, 9)
  • Barbara Hernandez – backing vocals (2, 5, 6, 9)
  • Starleana Young – backing vocals (2, 5, 6, 9)
  • Kool & the Gang – backing vocals (6)

Production

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  • Gabe Vigorito – executive producer
  • Kool & the Gang – producers
  • Khalis Bayyan – producer, mixing
  • I.B.M.C. Group (Khalis Bayyan, Peter Duarte, Meekaaeel Muhammad, Kendal Stubbs and Randy Taylor/Weber) – producers, recording
  • Jay Biolic – recording
  • Alex Williams – recording
  • Craig Vogel – second engineer
  • Peter Duarte – assistant engineer
  • Roger Talkov – assistant engineer
  • Kendal Stubbs – mixing
  • Herb Powers, Jr. – mastering at Frankford/Wayne Mastering Labs (New York, NY)
  • Bill Levy – art direction
  • George Corsillo – design
  • Gil Gilbert – cover photography
  • Carl Davis for Lemans Designs – fashions
  • Rosalyn Burns-Brock – make-up

Certifications

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Certifications and sales for Forever
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[4] Gold 50,000^
France (SNEP)[5] Gold 100,000*
United States (RIAA)[6] Gold 500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Hanson, Amy. "Kool & the Gang: Forever > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  2. ^ Garland, Phyl (May 1987). "Kool and the Gang: Forever" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Vol. 52, no. 5. Stereo Review. p. 90.
  3. ^ "Forever > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles" at AllMusic. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  4. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Kool & the Gang – Forever". Music Canada. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  5. ^ "French album certifications – Kool & the Gang – Forever" (in French). InfoDisc. Select KOOL & THE GANG and click OK. 
  6. ^ "American album certifications – Kool & The Gang – Forever". Recording Industry Association of America.