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Get Down Tonight

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"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

"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[4] 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).

Composition

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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.[5][6]

The song was originally titled "What You Want Is What You Get" before KC changed the title to "Get Down Tonight".[7]

Sampling

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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.[8]

Chart performance

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[24] Gold 75,000^
United States (RIAA)[25] Platinum 1,000,000‡

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

See also

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References

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  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. ^ Weeks, Marcus (2015). "KC & The Sunshine Band – "That's the Way (I Like It)". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. New York: Universe. p. 350.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 315.
  5. ^ "KC and the Sunshine Band's Sped Up Guitar on 'Get Down Tonight'". KOOL-FM. April 7, 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  6. ^ "K.C. & The Sunshine Band History". WODC. April 8, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  7. ^ Joe Bosso (July 15, 2014). "Classic tracks: Harry Wayne Casey on KC And The Sunshine Band's Get Down Tonight". MusicRadar.
  8. ^ Roberts, David (2004). British Hit Singles & Albums (17th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. ISBN 0-85112-199-3.
  9. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  10. ^ "KC & The Sunshine Band – Get Down Tonight" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  11. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4035a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  12. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 39, 1975" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  13. ^ "KC & The Sunshine Band – Get Down Tonight" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  14. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  15. ^ a b c "KC & the Sunshine Band – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  16. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending AUGUST 23, 1975". Cash Box. Archived from the original on October 3, 2012.
  17. ^ "The Singles Chart" (PDF). Record World. September 6, 1975. p. 25. ISSN 0034-1622. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  18. ^ "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.
  19. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1975" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  20. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1975" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  21. ^ "Top 100 Hits for 1975". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  22. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – 1975". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 11, 2007.
  23. ^ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1975". Cash Box. Archived from the original on September 20, 2012.
  24. ^ "Canadian single certifications – K.C. and the Sunshine Band – Get Down Tonight". Music Canada. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  25. ^ "American single certifications – KC & The Sunshine Band – Get Down Tonight". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
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