I'm just checking out their 80s jamz now and its quite funky and good. He was changing with the times adding a more pop/new wave feel. Give it up is bumping along with a few others. Anyone else here like their music?

dancerella said:

I'm just checking out their 80s jamz now and its quite funky and good. He was changing with the times adding a more pop/new wave feel. Give it up is bumping along with a few others. Anyone else here like their music?

After their 1980 album, "Do You Wanna Go Party," which featured their HUGE #1 Pop hit, "Please Don't Go," they moved over to Epic/CBS for two albums which flopped, "The Painter" and "All In A Night's Work." The first single from "The Painter" was "Love Me," which had a nice wash of organ and K.C.'s trademark falsetto, but un4tunately, it didn't even chart. The second single, "Don't Run (Come Back To Me") was a sweet ballad featuring Teri Desario. It, too, was a flop. From "All In A Night's Work," he leaned more toward New Wave & Post Disco format with "(You Said) You'd Gimme Some More," which was a MINOR hit on the Disco/Dance charts. He wanted Epic to release "Give It Up," but they refused because they didn't hear a "hit" in it. They were dropped from Epic and went the "indie" route and released it himself. Lo and behold, it was a MONSTER hit. I only wish that these two albums would be remastered/reissued with bonus/vault trax. So far, NOTHING, but petition BBR, Funkytowngrooves, Expansion or any of the other U.K.-based reissue labels. Fingers crossed. <3

[Edited 3/24/15 11:37am]

^^The early 80s was a weird time for some of these disco acts.They panicked and didn't know what direction to go in.I remember in 1980 or '81,the Village People went in a New Wave direction I saw them on one of the chat shows,performing a New Wave song called "5'O Clock In the Morning" and they weren't wearing their trademark costumes.Instead,they were wearing New Wave clothes and make-up...lol...I think some of these acts were unaware that dance music was still popular,only it was now being marketed as 'dance music' and not disco.It would have been easy for them to simply adapt to that new categorization.

During that era,KC and the Sunshine Band came out with a song called "Let's Go Rock and Roll",which I was very disappointed in.That's not their style.They should not have had to hop on that bandwagon.

It's funny that you bring up the Village people and their 1981 New Romantic phase, a lot of gay themed and gay pop music of the early 80s switched to synth pop and new wave/new romantix and the charts filled up with gay or gay like bands like Visage, Bow wow, wow, Haircut 100, Flock of Seagulls, Soft Cell and in 1982 Culture Club featuring Boy George who all had their moment in the sun, maybe if the VP followed them it would work out.

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It didn't, Renaissance was a colossal flop and comical at best, their 1985 album with the nonhit Sex over the Telephone was an even bigger flop and they had a leather and lace look. Even worse was that they were trying to convince the world they were straight, when they were camp as fuck.

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As for KC, the only 80s hit of theirs I really remember was Give it up, which was popular here because of its Island/Reggae Feel.

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In NZ, a lot of disco songs still hit well after 1980, the biggest being Ottawan's, whose Eurodisco smash (Hands up/ Haut les mains) was number #1 for 8 weeks in early 1982. But we are a bit behind the 8ball here.

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Like KC, Donna Summer also had a rough patch in the early 80s, after the glow of a wonderful 1979 left in early 1980 (When Dim all the lights and on the radio left the chart), she had a moderately successful hit with the Wanderer in 1980 and left Casablanca as it went bankrupt. She moved to Epic and had a relative flop with the album Donna Summer in 1982, although State of Independence and Finger on the Trigger (Love is in Control) are great songs, both were pretty unsuccessful chartwise.

She came back in 1983 with the hit, She works hard for the money, but again her career went south and the AIDS comments "God sent AIDS to punish gays for their sinful lifestyles" killed her career until 1989 when she was redeemed with the Stock Aitken waterman hit (This time I know its for real) and apologising. Her 1984 albums Cats without Claws and the bad 1987 album, Dinner with Gershwin were mega flops.

[Edited 3/24/15 22:56pm]

I actually like the Village Peoples Sex over the phone album. Renessaince isnt too bad either. There's a few decent songs on it. Its sad how lost some of those disco acts were when it faded out. I agree with soulalive that it should have been a pretty easy transition with making dance music but it seems most of them just got it all wrong trying to be something they weren't.

As for KC those two 80s albums are quite good. All in a days work is more funky though. Some of the songs have a great groove to them.

SoulAlive said:

^^The early 80s was a weird time for some of these disco acts.They panicked and didn't know what direction to go in.I remember in 1980 or '81,the Village People went in a New Wave direction I saw them on one of the chat shows,performing a New Wave song called "5'O Clock In the Morning" and they weren't wearing their trademark costumes.Instead,they were wearing New Wave clothes and make-up...lol...I think some of these acts were unaware that dance music was still popular,only it was now being marketed as 'dance music' and not disco.It would have been easy for them to simply adapt to that new categorization.

During that era,KC and the Sunshine Band came out with a song called "Let's Go Rock and Roll",which I was very disappointed in.That's not their style.They should not have had to hop on that bandwagon.

Hey, Soul! Yeah..."Let's Go Rock And Roll" SUCKED!!! It wasn't their signature sound and ended up being just below mediocre, experimental "New Wave," as you had said; the direction they all were goin' at that time. I'm not entirely sure that KCSB, after 1982, could have hung in there via outside production, where their sound was soooo "signature" that mixing in an "outside" sound would have most likely destroyed them. "Love Me," on the other hand, should have taken off, but again, the times were in transition then and even a veteran band such as KCSB, got lost in the shuffle of the incumbent younger artists/producers. Did u remember all that? Good! Quiz toMORROW!!!

[Edited 3/26/15 18:44pm]

"Do You Wanna Go Party" was the JAM!!!!!

Adorecream said:

Like KC, Donna Summer also had a rough patch in the early 80s, after the glow of a wonderful 1979 left in early 1980 (When Dim all the lights and on the radio left the chart), she had a moderately successful hit with the Wanderer in 1980 and left Casablanca as it went bankrupt. She moved to Epic and had a relative flop with the album Donna Summer in 1982, although State of Independence and Finger on the Trigger (Love is in Control) are great songs, both were pretty unsuccessful chartwise.

She came back in 1983 with the hit, She works hard for the money, but again her career went south and the AIDS comments "God sent AIDS to punish gays for their sinful lifestyles" killed her career until 1989 when she was redeemed with the Stock Aitken waterman hit (This time I know its for real) and apologising. Her 1984 albums Cats without Claws and the bad 1987 album, Dinner with Gershwin were mega flops.

actually,it was Geffen Records that she signed to she was the first artist signed to that label.

"Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)" was a sizable hit for Donna.It did very well on the R&B charts (which is what David Geffen wanted) and reached the Top 10 on the pop charts too.

She did OK in the 80s compared to most disco acts.Her rough patch began in 1984 with the Cats Without Claws album.It was her first album that failed to reach gold status.

whitechocolatebrotha said:

SoulAlive said:

^^The early 80s was a weird time for some of these disco acts.They panicked and didn't know what direction to go in.I remember in 1980 or '81,the Village People went in a New Wave direction I saw them on one of the chat shows,performing a New Wave song called "5'O Clock In the Morning" and they weren't wearing their trademark costumes.Instead,they were wearing New Wave clothes and make-up...lol...I think some of these acts were unaware that dance music was still popular,only it was now being marketed as 'dance music' and not disco.It would have been easy for them to simply adapt to that new categorization.

During that era,KC and the Sunshine Band came out with a song called "Let's Go Rock and Roll",which I was very disappointed in.That's not their style.They should not have had to hop on that bandwagon.

Hey, Soul! Yeah..."Let's Go Rock And Roll" SUCKED!!! It wasn't their signature sound and ended up being just below mediocre, experimental "New Wave," as you had said; the direction they all were goin' at that time. I'm not entirely sure that KCSB, after 1982, could have hung in there via outside production, where their sound was soooo "signature" that mixing in an "outside" sound would have most likely destroyed them. "Love Me," on the other hand, should have taken off, but again, the times were in transition then and even a veteran band such as KCSB, got lost in the shuffle of the incumbent younger artists/producers. Did u remember all that? Good! Quiz toMORROW!!!

yeah I remember all that,lol

It's interesting how "Give It Up" became a surprise hit,after Epic refused to release it as a single.

dancerella said:

I actually like the Village Peoples Sex over the phone album. Renessaince isnt too bad either. There's a few decent songs on it. Its sad how lost some of those disco acts were when it faded out. I agree with soulalive that it should have been a pretty easy transition with making dance music but it seems most of them just got it all wrong trying to be something they weren't.

Exactly.

It's funny how "Give It Up" took off BIG! Epic was prob'ly KICKIN' themselves 4 droppin' 'em from the label after THAT! LOL! Oh WELL...That's SHO-bizz! What's perplexing 2 me is that they never signed with another major label after that. K.C. stayed the indie route. From what I hear NOW, his voice isn't all that good anymore. He's in his mid-sixties now.

SoulAlive said:

whitechocolatebrotha said:

Hey, Soul! Yeah..."Let's Go Rock And Roll" SUCKED!!! It wasn't their signature sound and ended up being just below mediocre, experimental "New Wave," as you had said; the direction they all were goin' at that time. I'm not entirely sure that KCSB, after 1982, could have hung in there via outside production, where their sound was soooo "signature" that mixing in an "outside" sound would have most likely destroyed them. "Love Me," on the other hand, should have taken off, but again, the times were in transition then and even a veteran band such as KCSB, got lost in the shuffle of the incumbent younger artists/producers. Did u remember all that? Good! Quiz toMORROW!!!

yeah I remember all that,lol

It's interesting how "Give It Up" became a surprise hit,after Epic refused to release it as a single.

coming soon from FunkyTownGrooves Records....

Expanded Edition of KC & The Sunshine Bands 1982 album "All In A Nights Work & 1981 album "The Painter"