Something Special (Kool & the Gang album)

Something Special
Studio album by
Kool & the Gang
ReleasedSeptember 24, 1981
Recorded1980–1981
StudioHouse of Music (West Orange, New Jersey)
Kendun Recorders (Los Angeles)
Secret Sound (New York City)
Genre
Length36:18
LabelDe-Lite
ProducerEumir Deodato
Kool & the Gang chronology
Celebrate!
(1980) 		Something Special
(1981) 		As One
(1982)
Singles from Something Special
  1. "Steppin' Out"
    Released: September 1981
  2. "Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It)"
    Released: October 1981
  3. "Get Down on It"
    Released: November 24, 1981

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. "Stand Up and Sing" was featured in 1982's The Pirate Movie.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Boston Globe(favorable)[2]
Record Mirror[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[4]

It continued the level of success that the band's previous two albums brought, containing several hit singles including "Steppin' Out" which reached No. 12 on the R&B chart and No. 89 on the Pop chart, "Take My Heart" which went to No. 1 on the R&B chart and No. 17 on the Pop chart, and "Get Down on It" which reached No. 4 on the R&B chart and No. 10 on the Pop chart.[5] In the UK, the album reached No. 10,[6] becoming their first hit album there and most successful studio album of all, largely due to the success of the "Get Down on It" single.

Track listing

Side 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Steppin' Out"James "J.T." Taylor, Ronald Bell, Kool & the Gang4:51
2."Good Time Tonight"Taylor, Bell, Kool & the Gang4:59
3."Take My Heart"Claydes Smith, George Brown, Taylor, Kool & the Gang3:59
4."Be My Lady"Bell, Kool & the Gang4:14
Side 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Get Down on It"Taylor, Bell, Kool & the Gang4:58
2."Pass It On"Brown, Taylor, Kool & the Gang4:34
3."Stand Up and Sing"Taylor, Bell, Kool & the Gang4:35
4."No Show"Brown, Taylor, Bell, Kool & the Gang4:25
CD reissue bonus track[7]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
9."Stop!"Bell, Kool & the Gang3:22

Personnel

  • Bass, backing vocals – Robert "Kool" Bell
  • Lead guitar – Charles Smith
  • Saxophone, keyboards, backing vocals – Ronald Bell
  • Drums, backing vocals – George Brown
  • Lead and backing vocals – James "J.T." Taylor
  • Alto saxophone – Dennis Thomas
  • Alto saxophone, flute, backing vocals – Steve Greenfield
  • Trombone – Clifford Adams
  • Trumpet, backing vocals – Michael Ray, Robert Mickens
  • Keyboards – Brian Jackson
  • Keyboards – Eumir Deodato
  • Additional percussion – Jimmy Maelen
  • Additional handclaps – Platinum Hook
  • Backing vocals – Clifford Adams, Cynthia Huggins, Joan Motley, Kelly Barretto
Production
  • Engineer – Jim Bonnefond
  • Assistant engineers – Bobby Scott Cohen, Cliff Hodson, Joe DeAngelis, Julian Robertson
  • Overdubs engineers – Bob "Ziggy" Winard, Mallory Earl
  • Mixed by – Eumir Deodato, Jim Bonnefond, Gabe Vigorito
  • Mastered by – Tom Coyne, Stephan Galfas (Assistant)
  • Producer – Eumir Deodato
  • Associate producer – Kool & The Gang
  • CD mastering – Joe Gastwirt

Charts

Chart (1981) Peak
position
Billboard Pop Albums[8] 12
Billboard Top Soul Albums[8] 1
UK Albums Chart[6] 10

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[9] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[10] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ^ Lytle, Craig. Kool and the Gang: Something Special > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  2. ^ Allan, Marc D (October 22, 1981). "REVIEWS / RECORDS; KOOL AND THE GANG; SOMETHING SPECIAL; DE-LITE". Boston Globe. ProQuest 294105801.
  3. ^ Wilson, Kevin (November 14, 1981). "Kool & the Gang: Something Special". Record Mirror. Vol. 28, no. 46. p. 14.
  4. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 406.
  5. ^ Kool & The Gang > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles at AllMusic. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  6. ^ a b "Something Special". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
  7. ^ Kool & The Gang – Something Special CD remastered reissue at Discogs
  8. ^ a b Kool & the Gang > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums at AllMusic. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  9. ^ "British album certifications – Kool & The Gang – Something Special". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Formats field. Type Something Special Kool & The Gang in the "Search:" field.
  10. ^ "American album certifications – Kool & The Gang – Something Special". Recording Industry Association of America.
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