“James Brown always said, ‘I’m the most humble man out there – and Kool, that guy’s number two to me’”: Kool & The Gang’s Robert Bell on how he laid down three top 10s in a single session –and became one of the most sampled artists in history

Robert Kool Bell.

Robert “Kool” Bell, the founding member of Kool & The Gang, likes to keep the bass simple: “It’s always about the foundation,” he says. “Then we build the house. We start with the drummer, then the keyboards, guitar, horns, and the lead singer.”

From that approach, cuts like Funky Stuff and Jungle Boogie became ‘70s funk staples, as did ‘80 tracks Celebration and Get Down on It. As a result, Kool & The Gang has been sampled many times. “They’re all over the place,” Bell says.