Day 383: KC and the Sunshine Band – KC and the Sunshine Band

Another Disco Friday is upon us! Whew, it’s been a long week, not a particularly bad one but just long. I need to do something especially funky to boost my spirits and get me ready for the weekend, so I thought I’d finally listen to one of the biggest disco-funk heavy hitters: KC and the Sunshine Band.

Album cover courtesy of TK Records

KC and the Sunshine Band was formed in Miami in 1973 by record store worker and part-time record label employee Harry Wayne “KC” Casey. He’d worked his way up from sweeping the warehouse into working in the studio at TK Records and writing songs for other artists, but eventually he moved on into recording his own songs with his band. They reached mainstream fame with their second self-titled album, which reached number four on the Billboard 200.

I’ve never in my life sat down to listen to KC and the Sunshine Band, but I found that I knew more than half of the songs from this album, they’ve got such cultural cachet that their songs have been hard to escape over the years. And yet, I had no idea about them, gun to my head I couldn’t have named KC nor told you anything about the band. But that’s kind of fun, they’re just a dependable good-time band who everybody knows, but whose members can probably walk down the street without getting too much trouble.

And there’s a reason why their songs have such lasting power, they’re practically drenched in sunshine and an easygoing loosey-goosey but upbeat energy that does really want to make you do a little dance, make a little love and get down tonight, as they advise in one of their songs. There’s something very fun and dependable about them, especially knowing that they’re still active and touring today. I bet they’d be incredibly fun live.

Sonically, though, the record could have a bit more panache. I thought it’s maybe the remaster that’s dampening the experience a little bit, but that’s the only version that’s on Apple Music so I can’t even test that theory. Something about the album sounds flat, which made the experience a bit less enjoyable for me.

But it was still a nice album of happy good-time music. It’s not my favourite disco-funk record by a long shot, but it was still a nice listening experience. I just have a heart full of love for people who put out music where the only purpose is to make you happy and facilitate you having a fun, I think it’s a noble pursuit. KC and the Sunshine Band gets a 7.5/10.