KC and the Sunshine Band is an American disco and funk band which was
founded in 1973 in Hialeah, Florida. Their best-known songs include
the hits "That's the Way (I Like It)", "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake
Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", "Get Down
Tonight", "Boogie Shoes", "Please Don't Go" and "Give It Up". The band
took its name from lead vocalist Harry Wayne Casey's last name ('KC')
and the 'Sunshine Band' from KC's home state of Florida, the Sunshine
State. The group had six top 10 singles, five number one singles and a
number two single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.The band was formed
in 1973 by Harry Wayne Casey (KC), a record store employee and
part-timer at TK Records in Hialeah, Florida. KC originally called the
band KC & The Sunshine Junkanoo Band, as he used studio musicians from
TK and a local Junkanoo band called the Miami Junkanoo Band. He was
introduced to Richard Finch, who was engineering records for TK, and
the Casey-Finch musical collaboration began. They were soon joined by
guitarist Jerome Smith (June 18, 1953 â€" July 28, 2000) and drummer
Robert Johnson, both TK studio musicians.The first few songs, "Blow
Your Whistle" (September 1973) and "Sound Your Funky Horn" (February
1974), were released as singles, and did well enough on the U.S. R&B
chart and overseas that TK wanted a follow-up single and album.
However, while working on demos for KC & the Sunshine Band, the song
"Rock Your Baby" (George McCrae) was created, featuring Jerome Smith
on guitar, and became a number one hit in 51 countries in mid-1974.
The band's "Queen of Clubs", which featured uncredited vocals by
McCrae, was a hit in the UK, peaking at #7, and they went on a tour
there in 1975.With the release of the self-titled second album KC and
the Sunshine Band in 1975 came the group's first major U.S. hit with
"Get Down Tonight". It topped the R&B chart in April and hit number
one on the Billboard Hot 100 in August. "That's the Way (I Like It)"
also became a number one hit in November 1975 and the group did well
at the 1976 Grammy Awards. The 1976 album Part 3 yielded two number
one singles: "I'm Your Boogie Man" and "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake
Your Booty". Another hit, "Keep It Comin' Love", peaked at number two.
Their success lasted until the fifth album from 1979; their last chart
topping hit was "Please Don't Go", hitting number one for one week in
January 1980, and becoming the first number one hit of the 1980s. With
the explosion of new wave music and the declining popularity of disco,
the group explored other styles and changed labels, joining Epic
Records in 1980 after TK Records went bankrupt.
founded in 1973 in Hialeah, Florida. Their best-known songs include
the hits "That's the Way (I Like It)", "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake
Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", "Get Down
Tonight", "Boogie Shoes", "Please Don't Go" and "Give It Up". The band
took its name from lead vocalist Harry Wayne Casey's last name ('KC')
and the 'Sunshine Band' from KC's home state of Florida, the Sunshine
State. The group had six top 10 singles, five number one singles and a
number two single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.The band was formed
in 1973 by Harry Wayne Casey (KC), a record store employee and
part-timer at TK Records in Hialeah, Florida. KC originally called the
band KC & The Sunshine Junkanoo Band, as he used studio musicians from
TK and a local Junkanoo band called the Miami Junkanoo Band. He was
introduced to Richard Finch, who was engineering records for TK, and
the Casey-Finch musical collaboration began. They were soon joined by
guitarist Jerome Smith (June 18, 1953 â€" July 28, 2000) and drummer
Robert Johnson, both TK studio musicians.The first few songs, "Blow
Your Whistle" (September 1973) and "Sound Your Funky Horn" (February
1974), were released as singles, and did well enough on the U.S. R&B
chart and overseas that TK wanted a follow-up single and album.
However, while working on demos for KC & the Sunshine Band, the song
"Rock Your Baby" (George McCrae) was created, featuring Jerome Smith
on guitar, and became a number one hit in 51 countries in mid-1974.
The band's "Queen of Clubs", which featured uncredited vocals by
McCrae, was a hit in the UK, peaking at #7, and they went on a tour
there in 1975.With the release of the self-titled second album KC and
the Sunshine Band in 1975 came the group's first major U.S. hit with
"Get Down Tonight". It topped the R&B chart in April and hit number
one on the Billboard Hot 100 in August. "That's the Way (I Like It)"
also became a number one hit in November 1975 and the group did well
at the 1976 Grammy Awards. The 1976 album Part 3 yielded two number
one singles: "I'm Your Boogie Man" and "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake
Your Booty". Another hit, "Keep It Comin' Love", peaked at number two.
Their success lasted until the fifth album from 1979; their last chart
topping hit was "Please Don't Go", hitting number one for one week in
January 1980, and becoming the first number one hit of the 1980s. With
the explosion of new wave music and the declining popularity of disco,
the group explored other styles and changed labels, joining Epic
Records in 1980 after TK Records went bankrupt.
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