Posted by b. thomas on 12/23/2006, 9:27 pm
76.171.247.140

-1969- Kool & The Flames play the Cheeta Club in NYC. Wille Fester & The Mighty Magnificents feat Skip, Sonny & The Pace Brothers turned the show out. Kool & the Flames decide to add choreography to their act. Kool, Ronald, Claydes, George, Dennis, Spike and Ricky record their first album for Gene Redd on Redd Coach Records. To avoid any confusion with James Brown’s "Famous Flames" they decided to make their recording debut as Kool & The Gang. The album spawned their first Billboard R&B charted single Kool and the Gang and later Let The Music Take Your Mind. Redd Coach signs the group over to De Lite Records. Under the careful tutelage of Gene Redd, Kool & The Gang developed a dynamic performance style. De Lite was located on 56th and 8th Avenue in NYC. George Clinton of The Parliaments lived across the street on 56th and 8th. Ronald and Dennis run into George one day. He has shaved the moon and stars into his afro. He tells them about a concept he is working on - Parliament & The Funkadelics. Kool & The Gang decide to add costumes to their act. Ronald dons a psychedelic wig. He becomes Funky Man. . . -b

Link: http://www.koolandthegang.com/history/1961.shtml