Kool & The Gang - People Just Wanna Have Fun (2023) (60th Anniversary)

 

In celebration of Kool & The Gang’s 60th anniversary next year, the iconic funk and soul group announced their new album People Just Wanna Have Fun on Wednesday. The record is set to release on July 14, 2023, and follows their single “Let’s Party” featuring Sha Sha Jones.

The 15-track album is helmed by founding members bassist Robert “Kool” Bell and keyboardist- drummer George “Funky” Brown. The set will be the band’s 34th studio album and features some of the last studio work by legendary founding horn players, Kool’s brother Ronald “Khalis” Bell and Dennis “D.T.” Thomas, who died in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Sha Sha Jones, Shawn McQuiller, Lavell Evans, Dominique Karan, Rick Marcel, Walt Anderson, and rappers Ami Miller & Ole’ provide lead vocals on the album.

Since their start in 1964, Kool & The Gang have garnered two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, a BET Soul Train Lifetime Achievement Award, and star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Their newest project is a summation of the group’s career spanning from their roots to now. “You’ve got the funk, you’ve got the jazzier tracks, we have a few ballads on there,” said Bell in a statement. “Then there are songs that cross over to a pop sort of thing. We go from the ‘70s, the ‘80s, right into now. It’s old school, it’s new school — we kinda captured it all here. With all our music over the years, people have had fun. So I’d say this album just about sums it all up.”