Twice as Kool

AMG Review of Twice as Kool

Sharon Mawer
All Music Guide

There were three distinct phases to the career of Kool & the Gang, the early funk hits based on the style of James Brown that did nothing in the U.K. with tracks such as "Jungle Boogie," "Hollywood Swinging," and "Funky Stuff," the successful disco period of the early 1980s with "Ladies Night," "Celebration," and "Get Down On It" and a period of even greater success with soft soul ballads in the mid-'80s, such as "Joanna" and "Cherish." Although at the time of this double album, they were at the end of their disco period with nonsense hits, "Ooh La La La (Let's Go Dancin)" and "Hi De Hi Hi De Ho," this was a welcome addition to the catalog compiled by Polygram TV (which would go on to be known later as UMTV), the specialist TV division of Universal Music. Every one of their U.K. hits to date were included, even some of their minor singles, "Too Hot," "Take My Heart," and "Hangin Out," and as Kool & the Gang had never been big sellers with albums, a collection of hits was the ideal way to bring them to the attention of this section of the market. Also included was the song they lent to the Saturday Night Fever project, "Open Sesame." Twice as Kool also featured most of the early U.S. funk hits, but for an unknown reason omitted "Jungle Boogie." Obviously later compilations added the big ballad hits from the mid-'80s, but in the summer of 1983, Twice as Kool was an ideal introduction to a band, who, despite some big singles, had largely been overlooked.