Light of Worlds

Light of Worlds
Light of Worlds
	US LP variant of standard artwork
Studio album by Kool & the Gang
Released	September 1974
Recorded	1973–1974
Studios	Mediasound, New York City
Genre	Jazz-funk
Length	35:06
Labels	De-Lite ; DEP-2014
Producer	K. & G. Productions
Kool & the Gang chronology
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;

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Rolling Stone	(favorable)
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Stereo Review	(favourable)

Light of Worlds is the fifth studio album 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.

"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".

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.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Kool & the Gang, with co-writing credits noted below.

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Street Corner Symphony"	Khalis Bayyan	4:32
2.	"Fruitman"	Rick Westfield	5:19
3.	"Rhyme Tyme People"	Penni Phynjuar Saunders Dennis "D.T." Thomas	3:19
4.	"Light of Worlds"	Claydes Charles Smith	4:21
Total length:			17:31

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5.	"Whiting H. & G."	Bayyan	3:17
6.	"You Don't Have to Change"	Robert "Spike" Mickens	2:39
7.	"Higher Plane"	Bayyan	4:57
8.	"Summer Madness"	Robert Mickens Alton Taylor	4:16
9.	"Here After"	Bayyan	2:54
Total length:			18:03 35:06

Personnel

Adapted from liner notes

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	#63

Singles

Song	R&B chart	Pop chart
"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)	Gold	500,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

↑ 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.
↑ "Kool and the Gang: Light of Worlds". AllMusic.
↑ Palmer, Bob (January 30, 1975). "Light Of Worlds : Kool & the Gang : Review : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 23, 2010.
↑ Hoard, Christian. "Review: Light of Worlds". Rolling Stone: 464. November 2, 2004.
↑ Chris Albertson (March 1975). "Kool and the Gang: Light of Worlds" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Vol. 34, no. 3. Stereo Review. p. 78.
↑ Kool & the Gang (1974). Light Of Worlds (Vinyl). DEP-2014.
↑ "Billboard HOT100 / 1974-11-23". elpee.jp. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
1 2 "Kool & the Gang Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
↑ "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

[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.

[AllMusic-2] "Kool and the Gang: Light of Worlds". AllMusic.

[Palmer-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.

[Hoard-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.

[:0-8] 1 2 "Kool & the Gang Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2025.

[riaa-9] "American album certifications – Kool & The Gang – Light of Worlds". Recording Industry Association of America.

v t e Kool & the Gang
Robert "Kool" Bell Ronald Bell George Brown Robert Mickens Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas Clifford Adams Sennie "Skip" Martin Shawn McQuiller Rodney Ellis Jirmad Gordon James "J.T." Taylor Claydes Charles Smith Rick Westfield
Studio albums	Kool and the Gang Music Is the Message Good Times Wild and Peaceful Light of Worlds Spirit of the Boogie Love & Understanding Open Sesame The Force Everybody's Dancin' Ladies' Night Celebrate! Something Special As One In the Heart Emergency Forever Sweat Unite State of Affairs Gangland The Hits: Reloaded Still Kool Kool for the Holidays Perfect Union People Just Wanna Have Fun
Live albums	Live at the Sex Machine Live at PJ's
Compilations	Kool Jazz Twice as Kool: The Hits of Kool & the Gang
Singles	"Let the Music Take Your Mind" "Funky Man" "Funky Stuff" "Jungle Boogie" "Hollywood Swinging" "Summer Madness" "Caribbean Festival" "Higher Plane" "Spirit of the Boogie" "Open Sesame" "Ladies' Night" "Too Hot" "Celebration" "Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It)" "Steppin' Out" "Get Down on It" "Big Fun" "Joanna" "Misled" "Fresh" "Cherish" "Stone Love" "Rags to Riches" "Raindrops" "In the Hood" "No Show"
Related articles	Discography
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