A decent article on Kool & the Gang in a New York magazine ...

In it, they talk about their early days playing in a Greenwich Village club; Cafe Wha. The club was owned / run by (rocker) David Lee Roth's uncle. Back then, they were still known as the Jazz Birds and used to dress like hippies and go to a number of Manhattan area clubs ....  

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/06/25/kool-and-the-gang-put-the-fun-in-at-cafe-wha

Edited July 13, 20186 yr by Roburt

.... STRANGE BUT TRUE ....

It seems that the idea for CELEBRATE was originally hatched during a show @ the Cafe Wha ....   ALSO ...   

... the club's exterior is seen in a scene during the SHAFT movie (it's also seen in another movie).

A more contemporary soul song performance @ the club ...  

 

 

Edited July 13, 20186 yr by Roburt

A very lightweight piece glossing over the facts of their genesis. No mention of James Brown’s one-time go-to manager, roadie, chauffeur and one-off Loma Recod label artist, Walter Foster, who was instrumental in the band’s formation.

In checking my archive of soul-related website bookmarks, I’m really disappointed to see Walter has now been written out of the group’s official history on their own website. Once upon a time, and why I archived the bookmark, is that Foster had been given some public dues by the band. Wiping him from their history is a disservice to themselves, the public, and Foster himself. Sad.

https://koolandthegang.com/history/

The article is more about them remembering their days in Manhattan / Greenwich Village clubs in the mid to late 60's and not a full career rundown .. so it doesn't seem strange to me that the interviewer didn't touch on who were their managers back then (or later).