Kool & The Gang [2021] - Pursuit Of Happiness (Rap Version) [Omnivore]

The lead single "Pursuit Of Happiness (Rap Version)" from  a new Kool & The Gang album titled "Perfect Reunion" scheduled for release on 20 Aug 2021. Don't despair as the album will contain a non-rap version of the single which sounds to me like something R. Kelly could have recorded. Both were originally scheduled for release in Apr. I believe that this will be their first album of new material since "Still Kool" in 2007.

The song was written in 2012 by, the now late, Ronald Bell (aka Khalis Bayyan) as a song of hope during president Obama's re-election campaign.

I can only find it on YT currently, it is not on any of the DSP's, so I imagine that this is a 'teaser' for the forthcoming album rather than an official release?

UPDATE: It was released today (9 Jul 2021) and is available on the usual DSP's.

Kool & The Gang should need little introduction. They were formed by brothers Robert and Ronald Bell along with five of their school friends from New Jersey in 1964 as a jazz band called the Jazziacs Several name changes ensued including The Soul Town Band and The New Dimensions and they started playing Motown covers. By 1967 they decided to form their own identity and renamed themselves Kool & The Flames. later changed to Kool & The Gang in 1969 under advice of their manager Gene Redd to avoid conflict with James Brown & The Famous Flames.

They released their first single as the first release on Gene Redd's Red Coach label (most famous to rare soul followers for being the label The Carstairs "It Really Hurts Me Girl" was discovered on), and was a funky instrumental with the same title as the band's name, with another funk instrumental on the flip "Raw Hamburger". Redd became a producer on a new label De-Lite who then signed Kool & The Gang and released the Red Coach 45 on the new label.

Robert Bell witnessed the stage performance of another New Jersey group, Willie (Feaster) & The Mighty Magnificents (signed to All Platinum who released the funk masterpiece "Funky (8) Corners", sampled, and speeded up, by WMCA DJ Frankie 'Love Man' Crocker for "Ton Of Dynamite" on All Platinum subsidiary Turbo the same year which became a popular tune on the Northern Soul scene years later) and realised that they had to up their game if they wanted to be stage performers. 

They had some success in the mid 70s with their 70s street funk sound "Funky Stuff" (#29), "Jungle Boogie"(#4) and "Hollywood Swinging" (#8) being their biggest hits, along with minor hits for "Summer Madness" (#35) featured in "Rocky" movie and "Open Sesame" (#55) featuring in Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, and the only track I'm aware of played on the Northern Soul scene by them. 

It was the early 80s under the production of Eumir Deodato and the addition of lead singer James "J.T." Taylor, when they began to hit pay dirt again with a string of hits including ten US top 10 hits between 1979-86: "Ladies Night", "Too Hot", "Celebration", "Get Down On It", "Joanna", "Fresh", "Misled", "Cherish", "Victory" and "Stone Love".

I've also embedded a video interview with Robert 'Kool' Bell from earlier this year which covers a little of their history.

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist.

Details

Rating:	7.8
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Album
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	Omivore
Year:	20/08/2021
Key/BPM:	N/A
Value:	£?