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Title details for Too Hot by George Brown - Available

Too Hot

Kool & the Gang & Me

by George Brown
Midnite Michael
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
Growing up around music, young George was inspired to piece together a makeshift drum set and teach himself to play as he practiced in the dark, dank basement of his rundown New Jersey townhouse. He soon joined forces with his friends to form a group called the Jazziacs, which then evolved into Kool & The Gang, a band that began charting hits while its members were still teenagers. By evolving their sound as musical tastes changed, the band was able to stay on the charts for decades, scoring twelve Top 10 hits in Funk, R&B, Pop, and Rock, and selling over seventy million albums while navigating the highs and lows of their career. In Too Hot, drummer, keyboardist, and primary songwriter George Brown describes life in and out of the band, including a raucous life on the road as the band's popularity grew. He weathered the ups and downs of his musical career and navigated many challenges, including prescription drug addiction and depression. George shares how his recent cancer scare, and subsequent treatment, compelled him to share his story, warts and all, to give listeners a glimpse into a band whose reputation was considered relatively tame, when in reality, it was exactly the opposite.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    July 11, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781696612135
      • File size: 205078 KB
      • Duration: 07:07:14

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 22, 2023
      Brown, a founding member of the funk band Kool & the Gang, disappoints in his debut memoir. In the book’s most memorable sections, he recounts growing up in 1950s Jersey City, N.J., with a violent alcoholic father. Both his parents had lovely singing voices, though, and instilled in Brown a passion for music that led him to spend as much free time as possible practicing the drums. In 1964, he joined the band that would eventually become Kool & the Gang, and it’s from this point forward that the memoir stumbles. Fans looking for insights into the band’s creative process will be frustrated (regarding 1980’s “Celebration,” Brown notes only that it was inspired by “a few key lyrics from ‘Ladies’ Night’ combined with religious teachings from the Koran and references to celebrating when God created Adam”), while other aspects of his life and career—marital troubles, addiction—get only superficial treatment. Questionable generalizations (“One thing I learned is that most women do not handle rejection very well”) and platitudes (“I’ve learned that the awards can’t keep you company”) don’t improve matters. After a strong start, this one loses the beat.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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