Wild and Peaceful
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 1973
RecordedApril–May 1973
StudioMediasound, New York City
GenreFunk, R&B, jazz[1]
Length37:45
LabelDe-Lite
ProducerKool & the Gang
Kool & the Gang chronology
Good Times
(1972)
Wild and Peaceful
(1973)
Light of Worlds
(1974)
Singles from Wild and Peaceful
  1. "Funky Stuff"
    Released: September 1973
  2. "Jungle Boogie"
    Released: November 24, 1973
  3. "Hollywood Swinging"
    Released: April 6, 1974
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
BBC(favourable)[3]
Rolling Stone(mixed)[1]
Stereo Review(favourable)[4][5]

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.[6] 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.[7] The latter two singles both sold over a million copies and were certified Gold by the RIAA. The album itself was also certified Gold.

Record World said the lead single "Funky Stuff" provides "funk & fun from the gang and includes lotsa percussion and whistles."[8]

Track listing

Side 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Funky Stuff"Brown, Kool & the Gang3:00
2."More Funky Stuff"Kool & the Gang2:50
3."Jungle Boogie"Kool & the Gang3:03
4."Heaven at Once"Bell, Kool & the Gang5:01
5."Hollywood Swinging"Kool & the Gang, Westfield4:36
Side 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."This Is You, This Is Me"Brown, Kool & the Gang5:23
2."Life Is What You Make It"Kool & the Gang, Thomas3:53
3."Wild and Peaceful"Bayyan, Kool & the Gang9:26

Personnel

  • Robert "Kool" Bell – bass, vocals
  • George "Funky" Brown – drums, percussion, vocals
  • Ricky West – electric piano, vocals
  • Clay Smith – lead guitar
  • Dennis "D.T." Thomas – alto saxophone, flute, congas, vocals
  • Ronald Bell – tenor and soprano saxophones, vocals
  • Robert "Spike" Mickens – trumpet, vocals
Additional personnel
  • Don Boyce – backing vocals (3)
  • Rory Bell – backing vocals (4)
  • Tomorrow’s Edition (Jerome Gourdine, Aaron Mathis and Wesley Thomas) – backing vocals (6)

Production

  • Produced and Arranged by Kool & The Gang
  • Engineers – Harvey Goldberg and Jeff Lesser
  • Recorded at MediaSound Studios (New York, NY).
  • Cover Artwork – Joseph Askew
  • Album Design – Richard Askew

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[9] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ a b Gersten, Russel (11 April 1974). "Kool & the Gang: Wild and Peaceful". Rolling Stone. No. RS 158. Straight Arrow. ISSN 0035-791X. Archived from the original on 16 November 2007.
  2. ^ Hamilton, Andrew. "Kool & the Gang: Wild and Peaceful > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  3. ^ Easlea, Daryl (2009). "Kool & The Gang Wild And Peaceful Review". bbc.co.uk. BBC.
  4. ^ Vance, Joel (November 1974). "Kool and the Gang: Wild and Peaceful" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Vol. 33, no. 5. Stereo Review. p. 102.
  5. ^ Vance, Joel (November 1974). "Kool and the Gang: Wild and Peaceful" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Vol. 33, no. 5. Stereo Review. p. 103.
  6. ^ "Wild and Peaceful > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums" at AllMusic. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  7. ^ "Wild and Peaceful > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles" at AllMusic. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  8. ^ "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. July 14, 1973. p. 14. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  9. ^ "American album certifications – Kool & The Gang – Wild & Peaceful". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links