Celebration (Kool & the Gang song)

"Celebration" is a song released in 1980 by Kool & the Gang from their album Celebrate!. It was the band's first and only single to reach number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.

"Celebration"
Single by Kool & the Gang
from the album Celebrate!
B-side"Morning Star"
Released1980
Genre
Length3:39 (Single Version)
4:18 (Video Version)
5:00 (Album Version)
LabelDe-Lite
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Eumir Deodato
  • Kool & the Gang
Kool & the Gang singles chronology
"Hangin' Out"
(1980)		 "Celebration"
(1980)		 "Jones vs. Jones"
(1981)
Music video
"Celebration" on YouTube

Origins

Co-founder Ronald Bell, the group's saxophonist and musical arranger, explained the origins of the song:

"The initial idea came from the Quran. I was reading the passage, where God was creating Adam, and the angels were celebrating and singing praises. That inspired me to write the basic chords, the line, 'Everyone around the world, come on, celebration".[2]

Composition

"Celebration" is in the key of A♭ in common time and was written as a collaboration by the whole band.[3] The song moves at a tempo of 123 beats per minute.[4] The group's vocals span from A♭3 to E♭5.[3]

Commercial performance

"Celebration" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 7, 1981, and held that position for two weeks before being ousted by Dolly Parton's "9 to 5".[5] It remains the band's only No. 1 hit.

By late 1980, the song had also reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Dance and R&B charts. The song was featured heavily on the radio throughout the year and is still heard today at weddings and parties,[5] and is a popular anthem for sporting events. It was commonly played by radio stations in honor of the release of US hostages from captivity in Iran.[6] It was also an international hit, reaching No. 7 in the United Kingdom on November 29, 1980, spending 13 weeks in the chart.

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[32] Platinum 150,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[33] Silver 250,000^
United States (RIAA)[34] Platinum 2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Dragon version
"Celebration"
Single by Dragon
from the album Bondi Road
B-side"Blue Blue is the Radio"
Released1987
Length3:56
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)David Hirschfelder
Dragon singles chronology
"Nothing to Lose"
(1987)		 "Celebration"
(1987)		 "River"
(1988)

"Celebration" was covered in 1987 and released as a single by the New Zealand/Australian band Dragon. It was released as the lead single from the band's ninth studio album, Bondi Road (1989). The song peaked at number 11 on the Australian Kent Music Report.

Charts
Chart (1987) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[35] 11

Kylie Minogue version
"Celebration"
Single by Kylie Minogue
from the album Greatest Hits
B-side
  • "Let's Get to It"
  • "Too Much of a Good Thing"
Released1992
Length3:57
LabelPWL
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Phil Harding
  • Ian Curnow
Kylie Minogue singles chronology
"What Kind of Fool (Heard All That Before)"
(1992)		 "Celebration"
(1992)		 "Confide in Me"
(1994)
Music video
"Celebration" on YouTube

"Celebration" was covered as a 1992 single by Australian singer-songwriter, Kylie Minogue. It was recorded by Minogue in 1991 for her 4th studio album, Let's Get to It, but it was not included on the album's release. However, it later appeared on the 1992 Greatest Hits album and was released as the second single. It peaked at no. 20 in the UK Singles Chart and at no. 21 in Australia. One of Minogue's least commercially popular singles, it has been cited many times as one of her favorite songs, and unlike "Finer Feelings" and "What Kind of Fool (Heard All That Before)", "Celebration" was included on her greatest hits compilation albums Ultimate Kylie, The Best of Kylie Minogue and Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection. The techno-rave mix of the track is featured on the Kylie's Non-Stop History 50+1 album. It was also Minogue's last single with PWL and Stock Aitken Waterman. The music video was filmed in Rio de Janeiro.

Live performances

Minogue performed the song on the following concert tours:

The song was also performed on:

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of Minogue's version of "Celebration".

CD single

  1. "Celebration"
  2. "Celebration" (Have a Party Mix)
  3. "Let's Get to It" (12" Mix) – 4:52

7" single

  1. "Celebration"
  2. "Let's Get to It" – 3:50

12" single

  1. "Celebration" (Have a Party Mix)
  2. "Let's Get to It" (12" Mix) – 4:52

Australian CD single

  1. "Celebration"
  2. "Celebration" (Have a Party Mix)
  3. "Too Much of a Good Thing"

Japanese CD maxi single

  1. Celebration
  2. Celebration (Have A Party Mix)
  3. Celebration (Techno RAVE Remix)
  4. Let's Get To It (7" Mix)
  5. Let's Get To It (12" Mix)

Weekly charts
Chart (1992–1994) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[36] 21
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[37] 26
Ireland (IRMA)[38] 11
UK Singles (OCC)[39] 20
UK Music Week Dance Singles[40] 25

See also

References
  1. "Kool & The Gang – Gangthology". Uncut. June 1, 2003. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  2. Aidi, Hisham (December 9, 2014). "Did Coltrane say 'Allah Supreme'?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  3. "Celebration". Sheet Music Direct. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  4. "Celebration – Kool & The Gang". Spot on Track. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  5. Dean, Maury (2003). Rock N' Roll Gold Rush. Algora. p. 287. ISBN 0-87586-207-1.
  6. Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th ed.). Billboard Books. p. 536. ISBN 978-0-82307-677-2.
  7. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  8. "Ultratop.be – Kool & The Gang – Celebration" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  9. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0319." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  10. "Le Détail par Artiste". InfoDisc (in French). Select "Kool & the Gang" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  11. "Offiziellecharts.de – Kool & The Gang – Celebration". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  12. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Celebration". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  13. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Kool & The Gang - Celebration" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  14. "Dutchcharts.nl – Kool & The Gang – Celebration" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  15. "Charts.nz – Kool & The Gang – Celebration". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  16. "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (K)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  17. "Swisscharts.com – Kool & The Gang – Celebration". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  18. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  19. "Celebrate! – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  20. Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 132.
  21. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending FEBRUARY 14, 1981". Cash Box. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012.
  22. "Record World Singles" (PDF). Record World. February 21, 1981. p. 27. See last week peak position. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  23. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  24. "Lescharts.com – Kool & The Gang – Celebration" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  25. "Jaaroverzichten 1981" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  26. "Top 100 Singles of 1981". RPM. Vol. 35 no. 22. December 26, 1981. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  27. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1981" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  28. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1981" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  29. "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1981". Rock.co.za. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  30. "Top 100 Hits for 1981". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  31. "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1981". Cash Box. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012.
  32. "Canadian single certifications – Kool & the Gang – Celebration". Music Canada.
  33. "British single certifications – Kool & the Gang – Celebration". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Celebration in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  34. "American single certifications – Kool & the Gang – Celebration". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  35. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives: Australian Chart Book. p. 94. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  36. "Australian-charts.com – Kylie Minogue – Celebration". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  37. "Ultratop.be – Kylie Minogue – Celebration" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  38. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Celebration". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  39. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  40. "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. November 28, 1992. p. 20. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
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