Open Sesame is the eighth studio album by the funk band Kool & the Gang, released in 1976 on Mercury Records.[3] The album reached No. 9 on the US Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 33 on the US Billboard Top Jazz LPs chart.[4][5]
| Open Sesame | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 1976 | |||
| Recorded | 1976 | |||
| Genre | Funk, disco | |||
| Length | 35:03 (LP) 51:33 (CD) | |||
| Label | De-Lite | |||
| Producer | Kool and the Gang | |||
| Kool & the Gang chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The New Rolling Stone Record Guide | [2] |
Compendium
editOpen Sesame was the second of two studio albums released by the band in 1976. The title track became a top ten R&B single, and later part of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. The single "Super Band" also reached the R&B top twenty.
Record World said that in the title track the group is "laying down a funky backbeat geared for the discos."[6]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Open Sesame (Groove with the Genie)" | Ronald "Khalis Bayyan" Bell, Kool & The Gang | 3:46 |
| 2. | "Gift of Love" | Ronald "Khalis Bayyan" Bell, Donna Johnson, Kool & The Gang | 4:07 |
| 3. | "Little Children" | Claydes Charles Smith, Donna Johnson, Kool & The Gang | 5:28 |
| 4. | "All Night Long" | Claydes Charles Smith, Donna Johnson, Kool & The Gang | 3:53 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Whisper Softly" | Ronald "Khalis Bayyan" Bell, Donna Johnson, Kool & The Gang | 6:04 |
| 2. | "Super Band" | Kool & The Gang | 4:54 |
| 3. | "L-O-V-E" | George Brown, Kool & The Gang | 3:23 |
| 4. | "Sunshine" | Robert "Spike" Mickens, Donna Johnson, Kool & The Gang | 3:28 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Open Sesame, Part 2 (Groove with the Genie)" (Single Version) | Ronald "Khalis Bayyan" Bell, Kool & The Gang | 4:26 |
| 10. | "Super Band" (Single Version) | 3:20 | |
| 11. | "Open Sesame (Groove with the Genie)" (12″ Extended Disco Version) | Ronald "Khalis Bayyan" Bell, Kool & The Gang | 8:44 |
Personnel
editKool & the Gang
- Ronald Bell – arrangements (1, 2, 5, 6, 8), vocals, keyboards, clavinet, ARP synthesizer, ARP String Ensemble, percussion, vibraphone, tenor saxophone, alto flute
- Ricky West – vocals (1), vibraphone (3), keyboards (4, 8)
- Claydes Charles Smith – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, percussion, arrangements (3, 4)
- Robert "Kool" Bell – bass guitar, percussion, vocals,
- George Brown – drums, percussion, keyboards (7), clavinet (7), vocals (7), arrangements (7)
- Dennis Thomas – alto saxophone, flute, percussion, congas, vocals
- Otha Nash – slide trombone, valve trombone, percussion, vocals
- Larry Gittens – trumpet, flugelhorn
- Robert "Spike" Mickens – trumpet, flugelhorn, percussion
Additional personnel
- Jimmy J. Jordan – special effects
- Ellouise Vaughn – harp
- Don Boyce – vocals
- Cynthia Huggins – lead vocals (2, 5, 7, 8)
- Donna Johnson – lead vocals (2)
- Something Sweet (Renee Connel, Cynthia Huggins, Joan Motley and Beverly Owens) – backing vocals
- Carry Muse – backing vocals (7)
Production
- Produced and arranged by Kool & The Gang
- Co-producer – George Brown
- Executive producers – Ronald Bell and Claydes Charles Smith
- Engineers – Terry Rosilleo and Nils Salminen
- Mixing – Terry Rosilleo
- Mastered by Nimitr Sarikanada at Frankfurt/Wayne Recording Labs (Philadelphia, PA)
References
edit- ^ "Kool & the Gang: Open Sesame" at AllMusic. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ^ The New Rolling Stone Record Guide. Random House. 1983. p. 283.
- ^ Kool and the Gang: Open Sesame. Mercury Records. 1976.
- ^ "Kool and the Gang". Billboard.
- ^ "Billboard Top Jazz LPs" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Billboard. December 25, 1976. p. 139.
- ^ "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. October 9, 1976. p. 20. Retrieved 2023-03-03.