The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriters of record (the full band plus Eumir Deodato), no formal dispute found. The dual-origin discrepancy — Ronald Bell’s Quran account vs. Robert “Kool” Bell’s “Ladies’ Night” account, per The Guardian — is presented evenhandedly as an unresolved disagreement between the two brothers, not settled either way.
Quick Facts
Released1980
AlbumCelebrate!
GenreFunk, Soul, R&B
LabelDe-Lite Records
ProducerEumir Deodato
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of record — Kool & the Gang (full band) & Eumir Deodato
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — De-Lite; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Unknown · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
A near-universal celebration standard — sports coverage, the 1981 hostage homecoming, weddings; part of this catalogue’s Kool & the Gang thread.
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; confirmed songwriter(s) of record.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
Same band and producer; the earlier hit named in the alternate origin account (this batch)
Same band and producer (this batch)
Same band, earlier era (already in this catalogue)
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Kool & the Gang (the full band) & Eumir Deodato
A dual-origin discrepancy, presented evenhandedlyCo-founder Ronald Bell has repeatedly said the song was inspired by a passage in the Quran about God creating Adam, with angels celebrating — crediting that as the source of its core lyric and chords. Per The Guardian, his brother Robert “Kool” Bell has given a more mundane account: that Ronald was listening back to their own earlier “Ladies’ Night” (1979) and built a new song from a line already in it. Presented as a real, documented disagreement between the two brothers, not resolved either way. No lyrics reproduced.
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
The 1981 hostage homecoming
The song became closely associated with the Jan 27, 1981, homecoming of the 52 American hostages from the Iran Hostage Crisis — widely played on radio and at their welcome-home celebrations.
Songfacts · read it →
A godfather named Thelonious Monk
Robert “Kool” Bell’s godfather was jazz pianist Thelonious Monk, who lived in the same New York apartment building as the Bell family growing up.
Songfacts · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
—
Times sampled
The band’s only #1 Hot 100 hit
Covers
—
First flip
Who to Contact
CE
Kool & the Gang & Eumir Deodato (De-Lite)
The confirmed songwriters of record
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 19/20)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass