September 10, 1985
The Voice
Fresh
On Thursday, September 19,
1985 the Musical group Kool
and the Gang had a concert in
Hedricks Stadium at Fort
Bragg. The concert was
sponsored Dy the Morale
Support Activities Division in
conjunction with Schlitze Malt
Liquor and Sullivan Wholesale.
Concert activities began at 7
p.m. with The Fresh Air Band
opening the show. At about 9
p.m., Kool and the Gang
arrived and gave a very
entertaining show. They played
most of their new hits and even
reached back into the past and
brought a few “moldy oldies but
goodies” out of the closet. Some
of the songs they played were;
“Joanna”, “Too Hot”,
“Celebration”, “Cherish” and as
their finale. “Fresh.”
Kool and the Gang first
started as a group around the
year 1964. The band first
started playing at the Cafe Wha
in Greenwich Village, New
York. Soon, the Jazziacs, as
thoy woro V^orrori
playing Rhythm and Blues. In
1969, when the group changed
their name to Kool and the
Gang, they left most of the jazzy
sound behind and began
concentrating on pop music.
Some of their early hits include:
“Jungle Boogie,” “Hollywood
Swinging,” and “Funky Stuff.”
Things were really going well
for the group until the disco
craze hit the nation. Only by
riding piggy back on a few
other hit movie soundtracks did
the group manage to stay on the
music scene.
In 1979, the group decided
that they needed to look into
another approach to music.
That is when they hired a new
producer, Deodato. They also
took on a new lead singer,
James “J.T.” Taylor who helped
add sex appeal to the group. He
also added a smoother more
melodic sound to the music.
After those changes, the group
produced the album Ladies
Night, which included the hit
songs “Too Hot,” and the title
track. For the first time in
seven years, the group was
back on the charts. Group
leader Robert “Kool Bell
described it as “...like our
resurrection in terms of being
accepted again.” The group
followed up the Ladies’ Night
album with another hit, the
Celebrate album including the
hit single “Celebration” which
went on to become “a national
anthem of sorts that year.”
Since then, the group has added
other hit singles and albums.
Some of their hits include
“Joanna,” “Fresh,” and
“Cherish.”
The band was asked how they
managed to stay together for so
long and did they plan to be
together much longer. They
replied to this question by
saying that they try to promote
a family atmosphere among
themselves. But they did say
that like any family, they do
have their problems but they
manage to control these by
sitting down and talking with
each other. In reference to their
continuing to be together, they
said that they have a few more
challenges to face, such as
doing their own movie, so, they
believe that they will be
together for a long while.
Well, if the group Kool and
the Gang stay together and
continue to give performances
like the concert they gave in
Fort Bragg’s Hedricks
Stadium, they are guaranteed
continued success.
FSU Student
Tours With Fatback
By: Garret A. Davis
As a baby. Ed Walker would
pick up spoons and hit on
whatever was in sight. As he
trouble with teaciiers in grade
school by once again beating on
desks with pencils instead of
paying attention to his
teachers.
But perhaps all this has paid
off, for now Ed Walker is a
professional drummer on his
way to the top.
Ed Walker who likes to be
called Skip, started playing
professionally at the age of 14
wit the group Mello Madness.
He played with the group three
and a half years. Bill Curtis of
the group Fatback recognized
the talent of this energetic
drummer August 22, 1984,
while Mello Madness was at the
same concert with Josilin
Brown at the Cumberland
County Arena.
Just recently, he toured with
Fatback to England, Germany,
and Holland. When asked
about his experience. Skip,
replied:
“The tour with Fatback
allowed me to see what playing
with a group is like. People may
think it is easy but it is not
because you must do careful
individual planning. There are
agoing to be times for everything
if you plan it right. Time to
sight see, meet people, and of
course practice. Opening night
I was of course nervous but,
once the crowd got into me, I in
return got into them and then I
was off and running. The tour
was a great experience for me
w
and I plan to tour again in June
of 1986, back to England.
Sadly Skip is leaving FSU to
ScViooI ot’^Music in January ui
1986 to prepare himself for
studio work as a drummer. His
major will be professional
music.
Skip stated his long term
goals as follows: “Berkle will
prepare me for teaching basic
music and professional music,
such as working in studios. I
would like to do studio work
and tour with bands 2 or 3 times
a year. I really love what I am
doing but I can’t excel without
the quality education that I will
pursue at Berkle. I must pay
my dues now so they can pay off
for me later.”
Skip also said. “I admire
FSU because it gives one a
chance to better one’s weak
pomts academically and it has
been beneficial to me. “What I
learned no one can take away
from me.”
Some of Skip’s major
influences include: Steve
Ferrone. who played with the
Average White Band, and now
plays with Jeffrey Osborne and
George Duke; Steve Jordon
who plays with the band on the
David Letterman Show; and
Billy Cobham who plays for
Stanley Clark.
Incidentally, Johnny
Deberry will be featured on the
next Fatback album; he
attended Fayetteville State
from 1982-1984. It seems as if
Fatback tends to look at
Fayetteville for talent.
Standing L-R: Robert “Spiite” Mickens, Curtis Williams
George Brown, Charles Smith. Seated
R: Clifford Adams, Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, Michael Rav
James “J.T.” Taylor.
Attorney KUSSeil Uontmuea irom page ±
the world is nothing but one
continuous competition.
Russell went on to tell the
Students that “nothing comes to
a sleeper but a dream. But
when he wakes up. even the
dream is gone.”
Through her use of analogies,
Russell made some interesting
points. One was that students
think college is a cafeteria
smorgashborg where they pick
up the appetizers and deserts
and skip the meat and main
course. Russell reminded
students that because of the
large number of qualified
people being turned out by
colleges and universities,
competition is great. As
Attorney Patricia Russell put
it, “ ‘C‘ will not see you
through.”
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