Get Down Tonight

"Get Down Tonight" is a song released in 1975 on the self-titled album by the disco group KC and the Sunshine Band. The song became widely successful, becoming the first of their five No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached the top of the Hot Soul Singles chart[3] and was an international chart hit, reaching No. 1 in Canada and charting in Australia (No. 44), Belgium (No. 11), the Netherlands (No. 5), and the UK (No. 21).

"Get Down Tonight"
French 7-Inch Single Cover
Single by KC and the Sunshine Band
from the album KC and the Sunshine Band
B-side"You Don't Know"
ReleasedFebruary 11, 1975
Genre
Length
  • 3:21 (single version)
  • 5:19 (album version)
LabelTK
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Harry Wayne Casey
  • Richard Finch
KC and the Sunshine Band singles chronology
"I'm a Pushover"
(1974)		 "Get Down Tonight"
(1975)		 "Shotgun Shuffle"
(1975)
Official audio
"Get Down Tonight" on YouTube

Composition

The song displays some of the signature characteristics of the disco era such as a fast tempo and repeating lyrics. The song also features a distinctive introduction, employing a guitar solo rendered at double-speed.[4][5]

The song was originally titled "What You Want Is What You Get" before KC changed the title to "Get Down Tonight".

Sampling

In 1998, the song was sampled by the house production act Bamboo for the hit single "Bamboogie". The song reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1998.[6]

Chart performance

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[23] Gold 75,000^
United States (RIAA)[24] Platinum 1,000,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

References
  1. Yorke, Ritchie (1976). The History of Rock'n'roll. Methuen. p. 169. ISBN 978-0-8467-0186-6. And that's the way fans like it, as KC and the Sunshine Band came through with the top disco hit of the year, Get Down Tonight.
  2. Henderson, Alex. "KC & the Sunshine Band – KC and the Sunshine Band". AllMusic. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 315.
  4. "KC and the Sunshine Band's Sped Up Guitar on 'Get Down Tonight'". KOOL-FM. April 7, 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  5. "K.C. & The Sunshine Band History". WODC. April 8, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  6. Roberts, David (2004). British Hit Singles & Albums (17th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. ISBN 0-85112-199-3.
  7. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  8. "KC & The Sunshine Band – Get Down Tonight" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  9. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4035a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  10. "Le Détail par Artiste". InfoDisc (in French). Select "KC & the Sunshine Band" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  11. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 39, 1975" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  12. "KC & The Sunshine Band – Get Down Tonight" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  13. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  14. "KC & the Sunshine Band – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  15. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending AUGUST 23, 1975". Cash Box. Archived from the original on October 3, 2012.
  16. "The Singles Chart" (PDF). Record World. September 6, 1975. p. 25. ISSN 0034-1622. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  17. "Top 200 singles of 1975 as compiled from RPM charts by Brendan Lyttle". RPM. Vol. 24, no. 14. December 27, 1975. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  18. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1975" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  19. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1975" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  20. "Top 100 Hits for 1975". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  21. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – 1975". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 11, 2007.
  22. "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1975". Cash Box. Archived from the original on September 20, 2012.
  23. "Canadian single certifications – K.C. and the Sunshine Band – Get Down Tonight". Music Canada. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  24. "American single certifications – KC & The Sunshine Band – Get Down Tonight". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
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