Kool and the Gang Launching A Comeback

Don't call it a comeback; they've been here for years. But a string of recent high profile concerts and tour dates could help pave the way for one of R&B's best musical acts to make their way back into the forefront of the music scene.

With plans to release a holiday album on Nov. 5 just time to celebrate their 50th anniversary, Kool and the Gang prove they are still going strong after all these years.

The band started in 1964 as “Jazziacs," and in 1969 changed to Kool and the Gang. Since then, sold the group has sold more than 70 million albums, fueled by hits like 'Celebration,' 'Ladies Night,' and 'Cherish.' In the 90's, one of their biggest hits of the 70's, 'Jungle Boogie,' enjoyed a boost in popularity thanks to Quentin Tarantino, who prominently featured the song in the soundtrack for the iconic film 'Pulp Fiction.'

With two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, nine Top Ten Pop hits, and 31 gold and platinum albums, the group has stayed together, performing live, longer than any R&B group in history.

In the past year alone, the band has sold out concerts in Japan, performed on "The Tonight Show With Jimmy Kimmel" and completed a stint opening for fellow 80's hitmakers, Van Halen. The pairing of an R&B band and hard-rocking hair metal band may seem a bit unusual, but not to band members.

Kool and the Gang founder Robert 'Kool' Bell told Billboard magazine it was a natural fit:

"We had big hits in the 80s, and so did they. They've been kind of like a party band on the rock side, with their audience, and their audience is 60 percent female and we have songs like 'Ladies' Night' and 'Celebration'..."

 

 

 

The band is set to release a holiday album in November, which can be purchased via online retailers; check the band's website for more info on upcoming performances and tour dates.