KC AND THE SUNSHINE BAND - “Give It Up”
At first listen - and honestly at tenth listen - “Give It Up” seems like another disco carriage clock hit: thanks for all the hard work boys, now have a number one. On the other hand, if you want a splashy summer hit you could do far worse - this is a little rigid and lacking in bottom end perhaps, but full of bright carnival touches. It’s a marvellously airy record - good (as I’ve discovered this week) for clearing the head on a muggy day. The production aesthetic is “salad of all the trebles” - buzzy synths, high rhythm guitar, falsetto and brass all hustling for prominence. KC himself isn’t the intense central presence he was on “Please Don’t Go” - he’s upstaged by the backing singers, whose “Nana-nana-nanananananaNOW!” is the song’s most delightful (and enduring) element.
Tom • FT/ Pop/ Popular • 16 Comments
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