Do It Good

Personnel: Jerome Smith (electric guitar); Mike Lewis (tenor saxophone); Whit Sidener (baritone saxophone); Vinnie Tanno, Kenneth Faulk (trumpet); Harry Wayne "K.C." Casey (keyboards); Richard Finch (electric bass, drums, percussion); Robert Johnson (drums); Fermin Goytisolo (percussion); George McCrae, Jeanette Williams, Jimmy "Bo" Horne, Margaret Reynolds, Betty Wright, Beverly Champion (background vocals).
Recording information: 1973-1974.
Arranger: Richard Finch.
Over the years, there have been many American artists who became well-known in England before becoming well-known in their own country. A perfect example is KC & the Sunshine Band, whose first album, Do It Good, was a major hit in Great Britain but only a minor hit in the United States. It wasn't until the 1975 smashes "Get Down Tonight" and "That's the Way (I Like It)" that KC & the Sunshine Band enjoyed a major commercial breakthrough in their own country; in England, they hit big in 1973 with "Sound Your Funky Horn." This LP contains all of the exuberant singles that put them on the map in the U.K., including "Sound Your Funky Horn," "Blow Your Whistle," "I'm a Pushover," and "Queen of Clubs" (which made it to number 25 on Billboard's R&B singles chart but was a Top Ten hit in England). You won't hear a lot of sociopolitical commentary on Do It Good, although R&B message songs were still quite popular when this album was recorded in 1973 and 1974. Unlike Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and Marvin Gaye, KC & the Sunshine Band was never about trying to save the world -- this promising debut made it clear that their forte was pure, unapologetic, escapist party music. Do It Good isn't quite as essential as subsequent efforts like 1975's KC & the Sunshine Band or 1976's Part 2, but the record is exciting more often than not and is easily recommended to disco and funk enthusiasts. ~ Alex Henderson