September 6, 1946 was the birthday of the late Claydes Charles Smith, guitarist and original member of the famed group KOOL AND THE GANG. "Kool" is how they started out as a jazz band back in the 1960's, turning more soul, R&B, Disco and Funk into the 1970's and gaining greater fame in the 1980's with a lot of pop hit songs like "Celebration" and "Joanna". But my favorites of Kool And The Gang are their pre 1980's mellow grooves and in honor of the birthday of Charles Smith, here are a couple of their best including some you may not know.
"Whisper Softly" from 1976 from their album "Open Sesame"
"Summer Madness" a true classic and their best known instrumental which had been sampled by other artists. Most notably for the DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince (Will Smith) hit "Summertime" in 1991 and Miles Davis "The Doo Bop Song"
"Winter Sadness" in 1975
"Light of Worlds" (1974)
"Dujii" (1971)
Remembering the MUSICIANSHIP that was the group Kool and The Gang on the birthday of one of its founding members, Claydes Charles Smith (September 6, 1946-June 20, 2006)
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