| Sweat | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 1989 | |||
| Recorded | September 1988 – March 1989 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 52:37 | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Producer |
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| Kool & the Gang chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Sweat | ||||
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Sweat is the eighteenth studio album by the band Kool & the Gang, released in 1989 following a three-year gap between albums. James "J.T." Taylor, Khalis Bayyan and Robert "Spike" Mickens had departed, and this album showed a refocused band.
Both "Raindrops" (peak #27) and "Never Give Up" (peak #74) on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart. [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
Ron Wynn of AllMusic called the album "a completely faceless, aimless record ... probably the worst album of their career". [2] Hugh Wyatt of the New York Daily News called Sweat "one of the year's best recordings". [3]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Sweat" | Bayyan | 4:22 |
| 2. | "This Is What a Love Can Do" | Bokowski, Varner | 4:13 |
| 3. | "Never Give Up" | Bellochio, Habeeb | 4:42 |
| 4. | "You Got My Heart on Fire" | Haynes, Williams | 6:29 |
| 5. | "Someday" | Bayyan, Martin | 4:58 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Raindrops" | Booker | 3:50 |
| 2. | "In Your Company" | Booker | 5:53 |
| 3. | "I'll Follow You Anywhere" | Gazeley, Scher | 5:37 |
| 4. | "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" | Booker | 3:55 |
| 5. | "How Can I Get Close to You" | Brown, Thomas | 4:22 |
| 6. | "You Are the Meaning of Friend" | Block, Smith | 5:06 |
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums (Offizielle) [4] | 28 |
| French Albums (SNEP) [5] | 29 |
| Swiss Albums (Hitparade) [6] | 30 |
| US Billboard Top Soul Albums [7] | 52 |
Kool & the Gang is an American R&B, soul, and funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964 by brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell, Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown, Woodrow "Woody" Sparrow, and Ricky West. They have undergone numerous changes in personnel and have explored many musical styles throughout their history, including jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, funk, disco, rock, and pop music. After settling on their name following several changes, the group signed to De-Lite Records and released their debut album, Kool and the Gang (1969).
Kool and the Gang is the debut studio album by funk band Kool & the Gang. The album was released in December 1969, and reached No. 43 on the Billboard R&B albums chart.
Music Is the Message is the second studio album, and the fourth overall album, by the funk band Kool & the Gang. It was released in 1972.
Good Times is the third studio album, and fifth album of new material released by the funk band Kool & the Gang. The album was released in November 1972, but did not make the Billboard R&B album chart until March 1973; peaking at number 34 during a 6 week run.
Wild and Peaceful is the fourth studio album, and sixth album of new material released by the funk band Kool & the Gang, and is their commercial breakthrough album. It was released in 1973 and was hugely successful on the Billboard R&B chart, reaching No. 6 and charting for 36 weeks. It also reached No. 33 on the Pop charts, making it the band's first entry into that chart's Top 40. The album spawned the band's first three Top 10 singles. "Funky Stuff" reached No. 5 R&B/No. 29 Pop. The hugely popular track "Jungle Boogie" soared to No. 2 R&B and No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Hollywood Swinging" topped the Billboard Hot Soul Singles in June 1974 while reaching No. 6 Pop. The latter two singles both sold over a million copies and were certified Gold by the RIAA. The album itself was also certified Gold.
Open Sesame is the eighth studio album by the funk band Kool & the Gang, released in 1976 on Mercury Records. The album reached No. 9 on the US Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 33 on the US Billboard Top Jazz LPs chart.
Love & Understanding is the seventh studio album by the funk band Kool & the Gang, released in 1976. The album had mild success. Three tracks, "Hollywood Swinging", "Summer Madness" and "Universal Sound" were recorded live at the Rainbow Theatre in London, England.
The Force is the ninth studio album by the funk band Kool & the Gang, released in 1977. The album peaked at No. 142 on the Billboard Top LPs and Tape chart.
Celebrate! is the twelfth studio album by American band Kool & the Gang. Released on September 29, 1980, the album reached No. 1 on the US R&B chart and #10 on the Billboard 200. The album produced perhaps Kool & the Gang's most recognizable hit song, the #1 chart-topper, "Celebration", which still receives heavy play today over four decades later.
Something Special is the thirteenth studio album by American band Kool & the Gang, released in 1981. It was the group's third consecutive Platinum-certified album.
As One is the fourteenth studio album by the funk band Kool & the Gang, released in 1982. The album did not yield any #1 singles, but the song "Let's Go Dancin'" did make the top ten, peaking at #7 on the U.S. R&B chart and #6 on the UK Singles Chart. "Big Fun" also became an international hit.
In the Heart is the fifteenth studio album by the funk/R&B band Kool & the Gang, released on November 21, 1983. The album became a hit and brought a return to the Billboard charts for the band. The hit love song, "Joanna", soared to number two on the charts in the U.S. and UK, and hit number one on the U.S. R&B chart. "Straight Ahead" was only #103 in the U.S. but a top twenty hit in the UK, while "Tonight" was a top twenty in the U.S.
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" and "Stone Love". Three additional singles charted, "Holiday" reached the top ten on the R&B Chart, "Special Way" reached #6 on the Adult Contemporary chart. and "Peacemaker" was released in international markets and charted at #20 in New Zealand.
Unite is the nineteenth studio album by the band Kool & the Gang, released in 1992 following a three-year gap between albums. It marked the return of Khalis Bayyan to the group after his absence on Sweat. The album was released on iTunes under the title "Jump Up On It!".
Ronald Nathan Bell, also known as Khalis Bayyan, was an American composer, singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, saxophonist and co-founding member of Kool & the Gang. The band recorded nine No. 1 R&B singles in the 1970s and 1980s, including its No. 1 pop single "Celebration". The group is honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
"Spirit of the Boogie" is a funk/soul song recorded by Kool & the Gang as the title track for their 1975 album.
Perfect Union is a 2021 studio album by American disco and funk band Kool & the Gang. The album was the first new music from the group in over a decade and was last to feature founding member Ronald Bell before his death.
"Funky Stuff" is a funk song recorded by Kool & the Gang for their 1973 album Wild and Peaceful. Released as a single, the song reached No. 5 on the US Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart and No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"Open Sesame" is a song recorded by Kool & the Gang for their 1976 eponymous studio album. The song, issued as a single in 1976 by De-Lite Records, reached No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart and No. 13 on the US Billboard Disco Action chart.
"Raindrops" is a song recorded by R&B/Funk band Kool & the Gang for their 1989 studio album Sweat. Released as a single, the song reached No. 27 on the US Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart, No. 25 on the Japanese Pop Singles chart and No. 42 on the German Pop Singles chart.
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