KC And The Sunshine Band - Original Album Series: 1974-1979 [5CD Box Set] (2014) *Repost*

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KC And The Sunshine Band - Original Album Series: 1974-1979 [5CD Box Set] (2014) *Repost*

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KC And The Sunshine Band - Original Album Series: 1974-1979 [5CD Box Set] (2014) *Repost*

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2014 five CD box set containing a quintet of original albums packaged in mini LP sleeves and housed in a slipcase. This set from the Disco hitmakers includes the albums: "Do It Good", "KC & the Sunshine Band", "Part 3", "Do You Wanna Go Party" and "Who Do Ya (Love)".

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KC And The Sunshine Band - Original Album Series: 1974-1979 [5CD Box Set] (2014) *Repost*

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KC And The Sunshine Band - Original Album Series: 1974-1979 [5CD Box Set] (2014) *Repost*

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Over the years, there have been many American artists who became well-known in England before becoming well-known in their own country. A perfect example is KC & the Sunshine Band, whose first album, Do It Good, was a major hit in Great Britain but only a minor hit in the United States. It wasn't until the 1975 smashes "Get Down Tonight" and "That's the Way (I Like It)" that KC & the Sunshine Band enjoyed a major commercial breakthrough in their own country; in England, they hit big in 1973 with "Sound Your Funky Horn." This LP contains all of the exuberant singles that put them on the map in the U.K., including "Sound Your Funky Horn," "Blow Your Whistle," "I'm a Pushover," and "Queen of Clubs" (which made it to number 25 on Billboard's R&B singles chart but was a Top Ten hit in England). You won't hear a lot of sociopolitical commentary on Do It Good, although R&B message songs were still quite popular when this album was recorded in 1973 and 1974. Unlike Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and Marvin Gaye, KC & the Sunshine Band was never about trying to save the world - this promising debut made it clear that their forte was pure, unapologetic, escapist party music. Do It Good isn't quite as essential as subsequent efforts like 1975's KC & the Sunshine Band or 1976's Part 2, but the record is exciting more often than not and is easily recommended to disco and funk enthusiasts.

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KC And The Sunshine Band - Original Album Series: 1974-1979 [5CD Box Set] (2014) *Repost*

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This self-titled effort wasn't the Florida band's first album (they'd recorded an underrated album in 1973 titled Do It Good), but it was the first K.C. collection to soar to the top of the charts. Fueled by such addictive funk hits as "That's the Way (I Like It)" and "Get Down Tonight," the album established K.C. as one of the top stars of the disco era. But while K.C. was labeled a disco artist, the truth is that many of these slick yet gritty songs have more in common with the Ohio Players than Silver Convention or Donna Summer. When Rhino reissued this album on CD in 1995 as KC and the Sunshine Band...And More, the company generously included several early K.C. smokers (including "I'm a Pushover") from Do It Good as bonus tracks. The invigorating material proves that even before the outfit hit big, its distinctive sound had been established.

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KC And The Sunshine Band - Original Album Series: 1974-1979 [5CD Box Set] (2014) *Repost*

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When the original LP version of Part 3 came out in 1976, it received more than its share of negative reviews from rock critics. As they saw it, KC's funk/soul/disco was exactly the type of mindless, hedonistic escapism that punk rock was rebelling against. But the critics who lambasted KC missed out on the most important element of all: feeling. Gems like "Shake Your Booty," "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" and "I Like to Do It" may not have either Marvin Gaye's sociopolitical bite or Earth, Wind & Fire's spirituality, but they have a wealth of soul and boast infectious grooves that simply won't quit. Those grooves held up well over time, and by the time Rhino reissued Part 3 as Part 3...And More in 1995, many of its selections had been sampled extensively by one hip-hopper after another, long after KC's name had disappeared from the charts. In addition to containing the original album in its entirety, this generous CD offers over 20 minutes' worth of bonus tracks (most of which are songs that KC recorded as a solo artist in the early 1980s). The solo material is strong, and it demonstrates that while KC wasn't nearly as popular in 1981 as he had been from 1975-78, he could still be relentlessly funky.

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KC And The Sunshine Band - Original Album Series: 1974-1979 [5CD Box Set] (2014) *Repost*

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Both commercially and creatively, Who Do Ya (Love) was a step down for KC & the Sunshine Band. This 1978 LP followed 1976's Part 3, a superb album boasting four gems that reached the Top Five on Billboard's R&B and pop singles chart: "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty," "I'm Your Boogie Man," "Keep It Comin' Love," and "I Like to Do It." But the biggest hit on Who Do Ya Love, a remake of the Four Tops' "It's the Same Old Song," only reached number 30 on Billboard's R&B singles chart. And other singles from this LP didn't fare that well; "Do You Feel All Right" went no higher than number 62 R&B/number 63 pop, and the title song struggled to make it to number 88 R&B/number 68 pop. So is Who Do Ya Love really such a bad album? No, it's actually a decent, if unremarkable, collection of disco-funk and disco-soul, some of which incorporates Latin or Caribbean elements. But when you have been cranking out five-star albums, an LP that is merely decent is going to seem disappointing. And when you have had several number one hits, you aren't going to feel triumphant when your Four Tops cover peaks at number 30 on Billboard's R&B singles chart. Again, Who Do Ya Love isn't a bad album, but after KC & the Sunshine Band in 1975 and Part 3 in 1976, one expected a lot more from the South Florida outfit.

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KC And The Sunshine Band - Original Album Series: 1974-1979 [5CD Box Set] (2014) *Repost*

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After burning up the pop and R&B charts in 1975, 1976, and 1977, KC & the Sunshine Band were disappointed when 1978's decent, if unremarkable, Who Do Ya Love failed to provide any major hits. But 1979 turned out to be a better year for the South Florida disco/funk/soul band, who returned to the top of the singles charts that year. Released in 1979, Do You Wanna Go Party boasts two major singles: the infectious title track song (a number eight R&B hit) and the ballad "Please Don't Go," which soared to number one on Billboard's pop singles chart. Other noteworthy tracks on this good to excellent LP include the Latin-tinged "Hooked on Your Love," the Motown-drenched "Ooh, I Like It," and a cover of Frederick Knight's "I Betcha Didn't Know That." Meanwhile, "Que Pasa" is catchy even if it does sound like KC is trying to recycle "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" or "That's the Way (I Like It)." Do You Wanna Go Party isn't quite in a class with 1975's KC & the Sunshine Band or 1976's Part 3, but the album is impressive more often than not and is a definite improvement over Who Do Ya Love.