Kool & The Gang - In The Heart 1983

 In the Heart is the fifteenth studio album by the funk/R&B band Kool & the Gang, released on November 21, 1983. Four singles were released from the album, with two singles becoming major hits on the US Hot 100. The first single, "Straight Ahead", failed to chart on the Hot 100, but the second single, "Joanna", soared to number two on the charts in the US and UK, and hit number one on the US R&B chart as well. The third single, "Tonight", brought another major hit as it peaked at #13 on the US Hot 100. The fourth single "(When You Say You Love Somebody) In the Heart" did not chart on the Hot 100, but became a moderate hit on the US R&B chart.

 By the time 1983's In the Heart hit the streets, Kool & the Gang had left the fast lanes of funk for the smoother ride of the adult-oriented R&B expressway. Nevertheless, their grasp of 1980s soul sonics ensured that the band continued to top the charts with a verve and style that left their early influences firmly behind. With Ronald Bell temporarily stepping off the stage to shoulder the production, the band entered yet another fruitful era. With the monster hit "Joanna" setting the pace, Kool & the Gang powered their way through a set that seemed light to some, but still had enough force to push In the Heart into gold disc territory. Best heard across the aforementioned number one hit and, also, on the urgent but still smooth "Tonight," the band also excelled on "September Love," a sleepy ballad that holds forth with a tender touch. Elsewhere, Kool & the Gang filled in the gaps with their now-trademarked synthesized brand of smooth R&B standards and, despite its own successes, In the Heart would ultimately be remembered as the beginning of the downward spiral upon which the band would glide for most of the decade.