Comments on: KC AND THE SUNSHINE BAND – “Give It Up”

By: PondScrum

PondScrum — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:54:41 +0000

It was fresh in our house, but by 1982 the American public no longer had the patience for idiosyncrasies like “nanananananaNOW”. Like the “Abracadabra” of the Steve Miller Band it was favored by the roller rink crowd.

By: MildredBumble

MildredBumble — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:21:53 +0000

peter and Brooksie – yup, KC and them were having hits in the UK and Europe long before the US caught on. In spring 74 the fabulous Queen of Clubs was a UK hit. Took them another nearly-2 years to break into the US Top 20.

By: Brooksie

Brooksie — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:41:16 +0000

@ Peter (above): Pop has always gone down better here than in the States. KC’s biggest US hits were Disco, but this is pop. Pure pop and the sound of summer captured on vinyl. Good enough to sing along with whenever you hear it. Who could ask for more?

By: peter goodlaws

peter goodlaws — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:27:20 +0000

KC and SB were, of course, massive in the US with a string of number ones there before “Give It Up” came along, which didn’t do nearly as well. The fact that it was so big here is for me rather curious, as I think it is a weak effort in comparison to their disco heyday. The summery feel to it certainly helped it without question but there wasn’t a shaken booty in sight.

By: Matthew H

Matthew H — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:20:53 +0000

I bloody love this song, but recall buying it only to complete that week’s Top 3 (I already had ‘Gold’ and ‘A Paris’). It’s grown on me over the decades, and actually continues to.

We went on a 10-day family holiday to France when this had just climbed from 30 to 18 (I think). A fairly unremarkable creep up the charts, so as an avid chart-watcher I was astonished to find it at No.1 on my return. I believe it suddenly leapt from 18 to 3 – I wonder why?

By: Stuart P

Stuart P — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:21:33 +0000

think you’re being well harsh on this with the 6 – that puts it on a par with Paul Young.

It’s top summery pop: 7.5, borderline 8 for me.

By: Billy Smart

Billy Smart — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:28:46 +0000

TOTPWatch: KC & The Sunshine Band thrice performed ‘Give It Up’ on Top Of The Pops;

28 July 1983. Also in the studio that week were: Elvis Costello & The Attractions, The Lotus Eaters, Malcolm McLaren (performing ‘Double Dutch’ with the assistance of ‘Dynamo’s Skip’!) Robert Plant, George Benson and Bananarama. Mike Read & Janice Long were the hosts.

25 August 1983. Also in the studio that week were; David Grant, Carmel, UB40, Shalamar, Level 42 and The Style Council. Simon Bates & Mike Smith were the hosts.

25 December 1983. Also in the studio that Christmas were; Freeez, Shakin’ Stevens, Eurythmics, Adam Ant, Bucks Fizz, Heaven 17, UB40 and The Flying Pickets. Simon Bates, Janice Long, Mike Smith, Andy Peebles, Adrian John & Gary Davies were the hosts.

By: pˆnk s lord sükråt cunctør

pˆnk s lord sükråt cunctør — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:01:37 +0000

NEVER BE ASHAMED OF LOVING LEVEL 42

By: pink champale

pink champale — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:29:13 +0000

reading this thread (specifically the mention of nanananananana) it has come to my attention that the song i commented on (very briefly) up thread was in fact not ‘give it up’ by kc and the sunshine band, but (googling reveals) “the sun goes down (livin it up)” by level 42. i imagine ol’ thunderthumb would be delighted to have be mistaken for kc, but i can’t help feeling soiled.

as for ‘gold’: the bathetic second “gold” in the chorus lets it down a bit but the rest of it is great. i really love the first verse about coming home as a conquering hero and it all being really awkward with friends and family not knowing quite how to deal with you. but then i always love songs about being a pop star and have never understood the general popcrit rule that these are a bad thing – popstardom is intrinsically interesting and – as one of the few with that experience – what a pop star has to say about it is rather more likely to be insightful than anything they say about romantic love or the undesirability of war as a means of resolving political or territorial issues.

By: Erithian

Erithian — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:44:09 +0000

I remember this as pretty unremarkable disco fare, like most of their records not actually objectionable but not something you’d let go of the dial for if you were retuning the radio. Hard to tell why this and not many other records from the time with perfectly serviceable hooks made the top. In terms of KC’s back catalogue even this discophobe would make an exception for “Queen of Clubs” though, that was a cracker – high energy before it was called Hi-NRG perhaps.

And the main memory of the time that this brings back is of being caught in a heavy storm in the streets of South Manchester one day after work. The previous few days had been stiflingly hot, so instead of scurrying for cover I just threw my head back and enjoyed the cooling shower – must have looked like a madman. As I said earlier, this was the ”other” famously hot summer after ’76, and the village of Liphook in Hampshire was mentioned so often on weather reports as setting record temperatures you began to wonder if they were keeping the thermometer over the stove.

By: lonepilgrim

lonepilgrim — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:37:14 +0000

I do not understand the love for ‘Gold’ at all – pedestrian bellowing over a wannabe Bond theme in my opinion.

By: sonnypike

sonnypike — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:00:56 +0000

My favourite thing about this song was its inspired use as a football chant by Crystal Palace fans a few years ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdVxsiIseUA (from 00:20).

‘Gold’ would be a clear 9, at least.

By: JonnyB

JonnyB — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:00:30 +0000

Once more I find myself astonished that this was a #1. I don’t remember it at all from the time – just as one of the filler tracks on disco compilations.

It kept ‘Gold’ off number one?!? Golly. 6/10 – very fair mark.

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:41:52 +0000

“Gold” is a lot better than “True” – would have been a good shout for a 9.

By: Billy Smart

Billy Smart — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:47:36 +0000

Number 2 Watch: Two weeks of Spandau Ballet’s aspirational ‘Gold’. As a series of signifiers of class and sophistication, the effect on me is like that of ‘True’ with a faster tempo.

By: The Intl

The Intl — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:50:05 +0000

Is that one of Michael Jackson’s kids on the cover?

By: Matos W.K.

Matos W.K. — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:35:40 +0000

IIRC, in the U.S. the record was promoted as just “KC”–no Sunshine Band. I think they were trying to rebrand him as not-disco, since even in ’83, the year of “Billie Jean,” one of the greatest disco records ever, “disco” still had a stigma people were trying to escape.

By: TomLane

TomLane — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:57:25 +0000

This song went to #18 in the States. Not up there with his mid-70′s Sunshine Band songs, but damn catchy regardless. And isn’t that the whole point of KC’s catalog?

By: Rory

Rory — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:20:16 +0000

#10 Tom, you’re right, four weeks from 5 February 1994 apparently, but I couldn’t remember it at all – shows how much I was paying attention to the charts by then. Triple J (the alternative radio station) was the place to be in the 1990s. Anyway, here’s the Cut ‘n’ Move version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYDemDKgsX8

That’s no remix, that’s a cover.

By: Billy Smart

Billy Smart — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:21:52 +0000

Well, I REALLY like this one. The “Everybody wants you! Everybody wants your love!” make me think that this is really a song about lust, about chasing a woman who everybody fancies, hence the buzzy trebleyness of it conveys a singer getting slightly too overexcited and overheated to me. It’s a highly imperfect seduction song, and thus more endearingly human than most.

BUT THEN – many years later – I had an awful realisation that that isn’t actually the reason why this song was written. The one who everybody wants may well be a nubile female mask for a recovery programme song by Harry Casey sung to himself about hey, he has so much to give to the world, and how he really needs to give ‘it’ up, ‘it’ almost certainly being cocaine.

This idea has always put me off ‘Give It Up’ to some extent ever since it came to me, but not so much as to ever stop it giving me a buzz when I hear it.

By: Conrad

Conrad — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:41:02 +0000

Pleasant enough ditty, a bit surprised it went to number 1. I was in the South of France at the time staying in Aix, and enjoying myself as a 16 year old let loose in the South of France might…

So, don’t really remember much about it. I do remember buying the Shalamar album ‘The Look’ in a French record store though.

By: lonepilgrim

lonepilgrim — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:58:07 +0000

This has the bright summer sound that reminds me of Gloria Estefan – which may well reflect their common Miami background. It sounds pretty timeless because of the lack of obvious 80s signifiers (other than the sleeve) and is a unalloyed joy.

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:25:09 +0000

Rory according to Wikipedia the Oz charts got a remix of this at #1 about a decade later? How was it?

By: Rory

Rory — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:49:30 +0000

It’s an eye-opener how readily I can slot these 1983 tracks into the categories “Mine” and “My Brother’s”; he played a bigger part in my earlier musical history than I’d suspected. This one was “his”, even though I don’t think he ever owned it, because something about the “Nana-nana-nanananananaNOW!” makes me think of him singing it. Which is a happy effect, given that we’ve washed up on opposite sides of the world. A cheery 6 for you, Mr C.

By: wichitalineman

wichitalineman — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:37:15 +0000

I had a fun summer job gutting a burnt out house in Coulsdon, Surrey, preparing it for the builders to do it up. The weather, as now, was sticky hot. Give It Up reminds me of the smell of burnt furniture, a Tupperware box of cheese and pickle sandwiches, and almost swallowing a wasp which had flown into my lukewarm can of Coke.

Enough of the glory days. It was indeed a shot of Tizer that summer, all air bubbles but irrespressible. I willed it to the top, a genuine moment of pop naivety in a bummer of a year that kept the gaudy Gold pinned at no.2. Give It Up and Malcolm McLaren’s Double Dutch (a no.3 behind Paul Young and Freeez) were my summer picks of ’83.

My friend Pete thought the opening verse was “everybody wants your love, I just want to make you in my own mind” which would make it a jaunty successor to Happy Together and Just My Imagination. Except, of course, he’d misheard – KC was used to shakin’ his booty and winning his girl.