KC and The Sunshine Band

KC and The Sunshine Band

KC and The Sunshine Band are a US funk, R&B and disco group from Hialeah, Florida, formed in 1973 and still active. The core partnership is between Harry Wayne Casey, known as KC, and Richard Finch, with Fermin Goytisolo also listed among the members. The group takes its name from Casey’s nickname and from Florida’s nickname, the Sunshine State.

Formation and early work

The group begins at TK Records in Miami, where Finch works as a studio engineer and Casey works in the record store and part-time at the label. An introduction through Clarence Reid leads to their musical partnership. They first work together as songwriting collaborators, then Finch adds guitarist Jerome Smith and drummer Robert Johnson, both TK studio musicians.

Their first singles, including “Blow Your Whistle” and “Sound Your Funky Horn”, have limited impact. A separate writing and production project for George McCrae leads to “Rock Your Baby”, which becomes a major hit and establishes their reputation. “Queen of Clubs”, with uncredited vocals by George McCrae, is also a hit in England and leads to a UK tour in 1975.

Major hits and albums

Their self-titled 1975 album brings the first major US hit, “Get Down Tonight”, which tops both the R&B chart and the Billboard chart. “That’s the Way (I Like It)” also reaches number one later that year, and the group does well at the 1976 Grammy Awards. The 1976 album Part 3 yields three top-five singles: “I’m Your Boogie Man”, “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty” and “Keep It Comin’ Love”.

Their later hit “Please Don’t Go” becomes the first number one single of the 1980s. After TK Records goes bankrupt, the group moves to Epic Records in 1980. Following the split between Finch and Casey in 1981, Casey issues two pop-oriented albums, The Painter and Space Cadet, under his own direction. “Give It Up”, originally recorded before the split and included on All in a Night’s Work, restores the group’s profile in the UK and later reaches the US Top 40. It also appears on KC Ten, though Epic refuses to release it as a single in the US, leading Casey to form Meca Records and issue it himself.

Later activity

The group falls into inactivity around 1985 when Casey retires. He returns in 1991 during renewed interest in disco and reformulates the band with new members, apart from the percussionist, then resumes touring. Rhino Records issues a large run of compilation albums, often with new material. After a ten-year gap between studio albums, Oh Yeah! appears in 1993, and I’ll Be There For You follows in 2001.

The band also appears in the 2003 remake of The In-Laws. Several KC/Finch songs feature in the Dance Dance Revolution video game series, including “That’s the Way (I Like It)”, “Shake Your Booty” and “Get Down Tonight”. “Keep It Comin’ Love” appears on the soundtrack to Blow, “I’m Your Boogie Man” is used in Watchmen, and many of their songs, especially “I Get Lifted”, are sampled in hip hop.