Day 111: Kool & the Gang - Ladies’ Night

Short one today because a) it’s a Saturday and b) I accidentally slept so much that my schedule for the day got thrown off. Back in the day, I used to hibernate on weekends. I think my longest continuous sleep is like 18 hours. I’m a reasonable sleeper these days but apparently I’ve still got it.

Album cover courtesy of De-Lite Records

I thought I’d go for a nice, quick and easy record from Kool & the Gang. The band was formed in 1964 by school friends from Jersey City who decided to perform instrumental jazz and funk sets under the name Jazziacs. They were doing gigs under various names, going from the Soul Town Band to the New Dimensions to Kool & the Flames, before eventually landing on Kool & the Gang.

After 1973, the band started to find more commercial success after becoming influenced by disco. Ladies Night, released in 1979, became the group’s biggest hit, as it was their first record to sell platinum. It was also the debut record that featured singer James “J.T.” Taylor.

Is it a good record? Sure. It’s a decent funky R&B-tinged disco album that’s nice to have on, and the singles like “Ladies’ Night” and “Too Hot” are definitely bangers. But it’s within the category of albums to have on when you’re going from point A to point B or when you’re pottering around the house, it’s a nice thing to have on to make your day a little bit better. But it’s probably a one and done for me, I’m sure I can find something I like more in the Kool & the Gang discography.

Ladies’ Night served its purpose: I wanted something nice and mellow to listen to in the car, and I got it. Nothing got added to a playlist but it was a nice listen. Ladies’ Night is a solid 7/10.