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 [1]
Length	35:06
Label	De-Lite DEP-2014
Producer	K. & G. Productions
Kool & the Gang chronology
Wild and Peaceful (1973) Light of Worlds (1974) Spirit of the Boogie (1975)
Singles from Light of Worlds
"Higher Plane" Released: September 7, 1974 "Rhyme Tyme People" Released: January 4, 1975 "Spirit of the Boogie / Summer Madness" Released: April 5, 1975

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.

Background

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 analog synthesis.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

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

"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

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
Total length:			17:31

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Whiting H. & G."	Kool & the Gang, Bayyan	3:17
2.	"You Don't Have to Change"	Kool & the Gang, Robert "Spike" Mickens	2:39
3.	"Higher Plane"	Kool & the Gang, Bayyan	4:57
4.	"Summer Madness"	Kool & the Gang, Mickens, Alton Taylor	4:16
5.	"Here After"	Kool & the Gang, Bayyan	2:54
Total length:			18:03

Personnel

Adapted from liner notes ^[6]

Musicians

Kool & the Gang

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

Additional musicians

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

Technical

• 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

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for Light of Worlds

Chart (1974)	Peak position
US Billboard 200 [7]	#63

Singles

Song	R&B chart [8]	Pop chart [8]
"Higher Plane"	No.1	No.37
"Rhyme Tyme People"	No.3	No.63
"Summer Madness"	No.36	No.35

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [9]	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

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.
2. "Kool and the Gang: Light of Worlds". AllMusic.
3. Palmer, Bob (January 30, 1975). "Light Of Worlds : Kool & the Gang : Review : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on February 23, 2010.
4. Hoard, Christian. "Review: Light of Worlds". Rolling Stone: 464. November 2, 2004.
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 (1974). Light Of Worlds (Vinyl). DEP-2014.
7. "Billboard HOT100 / 1974-11-23". elpee.jp. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
8. "Kool & the Gang Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
9. "American album certifications – Kool & The Gang – Light of Worlds". Recording Industry Association of America.

References

• 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

• Light of Worlds at Discogs