Kc And Sunshine Band Greatest Hits

[Isabella Kells]

DoIt Good [T.K., 1974]

Keyboard player (and now vocalist) H.W. Casey and bassman Richard Finch made so much moolah for T.K. prexy Henry Stone that he told them they could spend as much as $3150 on their own LP. What they come up with is the real Miami sound--the sensual Latin accents that really are sensual in New Orleans sound altogether more hyped-up here. "Queen of Clubs" was a smash in the Queen's clubs, while "Sound Your Funky Horn" and "I'm a Pushover" have creased America's soul charts, which makes three hooks right here. A weirdo and a sleeper. B+

K.C. & the Sunshine Band [T.K., 1975]

No matter what you label them, these otherwise meaningless dance tunes are as bright and distinct as the run of disco mush is dull--when it comes to formula, always opt for top forty, which compels innovation, over Muzak, which forbids it. The horns and vocals are less candidly soulful here than on their debut, and the result is an album that's poppier, lighter--almost airy. And though the songs do all sound alike, that doesn't mean they are. Far from it. A-

Part 3 [T.K., 1976]

I don't know how many KC albums the record lover need own. One may well be enough, but zero is certainly too few. This is less consistent than the second and more predictable than the first, but it's a close question: Casey and Finch are remarkably inventive within their unique little ambit. Like the others, this sounds so samey you think the riffs will never kick in--and then they do. B+

Do You Wanna Go Party [T.K., 1979]

The slight shifts in rhythmic and compositional strategy are dubious. But this band is like the Ramones--the hooks sneak up on you. What can I say? Not only do I love the title cut, but I find myself humming everything else on the record--the slow one, the cover version, the one in Spanish. B+

Greatest Hits [T.K., 1980]

Bubblegum funk, kvetch some. Right, bubblegum funk, kvell I--beats cocktail funk, avocado-and-sprouts-sandwich funk, TV-dinner funk. Thank God there's nothing suave or healthy or mass-produced about it--just sweet and silly. I need say no more because anybody reading this already knows what they sound like: except maybe for their brothers in crime the Bee Gees, nobody since the Beatles has concocted a sound more broadly familiar. They didn't sustain, and they could have been chewier, but if you've always thought they might be fun to play at parties, or feared that nothing so ebullient could escape oblivion, this is the investment you've been waiting for. A-

The Best of KC and the Sunshine Band [Rhino, 1990]

Just for fun, I pushed some buttons on my CD changer and played only the five songs that aren't--or weren't, rather--on the old 11-cut version, which suffered a tragic early death. And when they came up, they sounded almost as infectious, ebullient, catchy, dancy, et cetera as the hits. Explain to the historically minded that they were an important minor band and this is all that's left of them. Then have fun. A-

The Miami Sunshine band is a fantastic tribute band playing a set of non-stop classic hits recreating in sound and vision the energetic funk and disco sounds of the 70s & 80s disco scene. The group keeps you dancing and singing along as the songs keep on coming!

Seventies style has been rekindled for the alternative music scene. But the alternative retro-movement has forgotten the 70s' most lasting effect on contemporary pop culture: the music. Groups like Chic and Kool and the Gang paved the way for artists such as Cameo, Chakka Kahn, and even Tina Turner's 80s chart-toppers. Seventies music, as a whole, had a major influence on the succeeding decade.

Listed below are what I consider the 10 best disco hits of all time. Some notable songs like "Y.M.C.A.," and "Celebration" have not been included, but I preferred to encompass the whole genre of the music, rather than focus on any particular groups.

"Le Freak," released in 1978, encompasses everything that the disco connoisseur desires in a song. Right after a groovin' scream in the intro, the base settles into a panacea of flashing lights and disco balls. Even the squarest lounge lizard can't help but do the freak.

Originally a C-side cut, "I Will Survive" became Gloria Gaynor's greatest hit and the anthem of the oppressed minority during the late '70s. The song, unfortunately, has a polyester, naugahyde feel, but the bluesy instrumental, in conjunction with the inspirational lyrics, makes "I Will Survive" a landmark in the landscape of musical empowerment. So on those late nights when you're seeking the solace of Room 13, save yourself the walk. Instead, listen to Gaynor's hit and your world of despair and heartache will suddenly blossom into a thriving disco kingdom of multicolored lights and smooth leisure suits.

One of the first disco hits to break Billboard's Top 40, "Macho Man" was the first hit in the Village People's distinguished career. Although "Y.M.C.A." is better known, "Macho Man," released in 1978, is more noteworthy because it establishes the roots of the '70s urban cowboy trend.

The Village People were created in New York City's gay club scene; all their members, except for the lead singer (Policeman), were homosexual. "Macho Man" was written to parody the stereotypical '70s stud. But the image was accepted in straight bars all across the country and what had been a intended as a satire of the straight man became the refrain of the stud man.

This 1975 hit blazed new ground in music history. The first disco megahit, "The Hustle" features melodious horns and, of course, that catchy flute riff which compels you to swing your hips into a series of pelvic thrusts until the sweat is flying off your hairy chest and the strobe light beams off your faux gold medallion.

"Stayin' Alive" is one of the best dance songs ever recorded. Even if you have never experienced the thrill of disco, this work of art will have you strapping on your elevator shoes and opening up that butterfly collar. Soon you will be dancing like a John Travolta with this high-pitched symphony of disco melody.

Beethoven's fifth symphony with a disco twist. How can you go wrong? This groovy classical/disco magic was also released on the popular Saturday Night Fever album. Beethoven himself would have slipped into his lavender leisure suit, grabbed the gal closest to him, and funky-chickened his way across the dance floor.

Although the riff follows the basic disco patterns, the lead vocalist's solo foreshadows early '80s pop and gospel music. "We are Family" carries you into a disco paradiso of warm, mellow lava lamps, hot incense, disco togetherness, and the aura of love.

"Disco Inferno" tells the tale of a burning disco tower. The Trammps' 1977 hit is filled with jazzy riffs, and raging base lines of which even Dante would approve. "Disco Inferno" takes the listener through a world of mythical disco beasts and three-headed gyrating monsters. Just remember the warning: Abandon all hope, all ye who enter into this steamy disco inferno.

Another in a long line of disco one-hit wonders, "Funkytown" epitomizes the mechanical, methodical sounds of '70s robot funk. The Minneapolis studio group's lone hit was released in 1980, and it features some of the best production techniques of the late '70s and early '80s. Where, exactly, is "Funkytown?" Once it's pulsing beat gets hold of you, you no longer care.

"Please Don't Go" stands at the top of the disco ballads, approached only by Yvonne Elliman's "If I Can't Have You." The song's smooth rhythms and cool vocals make it the finest attempt at disco blues.

3a8082e126