Emergency is the sixteenth studio album by the American band Kool & the Gang, released in 1984. It ultimately became the group's biggest selling career album, earning Double Platinum status in America, Platinum in Canada, and Silver in the UK.
The album produced four US top 20 hit singles including "Fresh" (US #9); "Misled" (US #10); the title track "Emergency" (US #18); and the album's biggest hit, the million-selling "Cherish" (US #2). "Fresh", "Misled", and "Cherish" also cracked the top 40 in the UK reaching #11, #28, and #4 respectively while "Emergency" only reached #50 in that country.
Track listing
Personnel
Kool & The Gang
James "J.T." Taylor – lead vocals, backing vocals
Curtis "Fitz" Williams – keyboards, Yamaha DX1, Yamaha DX7, Oberheim OB-Xa, Oberheim OB-8, Oberheim Xpander, Roland Juno-60 Ronald Bell – Oberheim OB-8, tenor saxophone, backing vocals Claydes Charles Smith – guitars Robert "Kool" Bell – bass guitar George "Funky" Brown – drums Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas – alto saxophone Clifford Adams – trombone, additional backing vocals (1) Robert "Spike" Mickens – trumpet Michael Ray – trumpet
Additional musicians
Rick Iantosca – guitars (1-3, 5, 6) Kendal Stubbs – bass guitar (3), backing vocals Jimmy Maelen – percussion Starleana Young – backing vocals
Production
Kool & The Gang – producers
Ronald Bell – producer, mixing
Jim Bonnefond – producer, engineer, mixing
Kendal Stubbs – engineer, mixing
Gabe Vigorito – mixing, album coordinator
Jim Roth – assistant engineer
Jose Rodriguez – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York, NY) Joni Weinstein – art direction, design, cover concept Murry Whiteman – art direction Lumel/Whiteman Graphics Design – graphics Brian Hagiwara – cover photography Lazaro Arias – stylist Roz Burns – make-up Gerald Delet – management