Before they became a well-oiled hit machine and the punch line to millions of unfunny discophobic jokes, KC & The Sunshine Band were a tight little funk group who cut a brilliant, undersung debut in 1974 titled Do It Good, which still sounds vital more than 50 years later. Their next album, 1975’s KC & The Sunshine Band, boasted two #1 hits: “Get Down Tonight” and “That’s The Way (I Like It).” Keyboardist/vocalist Harry Wayne Casey and bassist Richard Finch formed a formidable songwriting duo, excelling at hooks and grooves as scorching as their home state of Florida’s sun, and they were on one hell of a roll.
So it’s weird that their third album, The Sound Of Sunshine, was recorded under the truncated moniker the Sunshine Band and basically consisted of all instrumentals. I suspect Casey and Finch recorded these tracks around the time of Do It Good, and then shoved them out to market after their sophomore LP exploded, to capitalize on its momentum. That still doesn’t explain the shortened name. Whatever the case, The Sound Of Sunshine is a true heater to which even some KC haters might bust a move.
The album begins swimmingly with “Shotgun Shuffle,” whose easy-going, loping funk pleases with uplifting horns and circular, ringing guitar riffs. It’s a rudimentary, Kool & The Gang-like jam that’s exceptionally effective at raising pulse rates and spirits. As a bonus, the Fire backing vocal group (Beverly Champion, Margaret Reynolds, Jeanette Williams) shout “shotgun” near the end, to really launch this party. Remember “Rock Your Baby,” a chart-topper for George McCrae in 1974? Well, it’s interesting to hear this version done by its composers, following McCrae’s mellow proto-disco version, which John Lennon and ABBA’s Björn and Benny loved. Saxophones carry the main melody and the buoyant, midtempo groove pairs well with the Andrea True Connection’s “More More More.” As another bonus, Clarence Reid (aka Blowfly) cowrote “Funky ’75,” a light-footed specimen of mid-’70s funk that can’t help putting a smile on your feet.
That’s a helluva opening triptych, but there are other highlights on this 26-minute gem. For example, “Miss B. (Theme),” whose tenseness makes it prime spy-thriller/action-sequence material—soaring and as funky as Wilt Chamberlain’s headband. The slow, swampy funk of “Just A Groove” creeps on in à la the Band’s “Up On Cripple Creek”; it’s shocking that nobody’s sampled it. “Sunshine City”’s fleet, airy funk eradicates your worries with alacrity. Its essence should be bottled and sold as a healthcare supplement. Once again for the slow learners at the back of the class: KC & The Sunshine Band were no joke. -Buckley Mayfield
Located in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, Jive Time is always looking to buy your unwanted records (provided they are in good condition) or offer credit for trade. We also buy record collections.
