KC AND THE SUNSHINE BAND: HITS & MORE (ITALY)
Release Date: 1996
CD Availability: Italian import. Can sometimes be found at larger record stores, online, or on Ebay.
Becky Rating: 10 Suns (out of 10)

BELLA, BELLA

The Italians perfected ensemble brass playing back in the days of the Renaissance. The trumpet, trombone, and piano were developed in Italy ('trombone' and 'piano' are Italian words). The first modern orchestras were Italian. Is it any surprise, then, that the Italian greatest hits compilation called KC and the Sunshine Band Hits & More contains more instrumental tracks than any other KC greatest-hits CD I've found so far? (Whaddya mean, NO?)

Any KCSB greatest hits release worth its price includes all of "the biggies:" the five U.S. pop Number 1 hits "Get Down Tonight," "That's The Way I Like It," "Shake Your Booty," "I'm Your Boogie Man" and "Please Don't Go;" the U.S. R&B Number 1 hit "Keep It Comin' Love;" and the Saturday Night Fever track "Boogie Shoes." All of these are present on the Italian CD; in fact, these are the first seven tracks on the CD.

It is what follows that makes this CD exceptional. Four - count 'em, four - instrumental cuts from The Sound of Sunshine are included: "Shotgun Shuffle," "Black Water Gold," "Rock Your Baby" and the not-available-on-CD-anywhere-else "Funky 75." "Funky 75" is, of course, the instrumental track to "Sound Your Funky Horn", and it's positioned right before that song on this CD for easy comparison.

The other cuts are the best of the minor hits and album tracks: "I Like to Do It," "It's the Same Old Song," "Wrap Your Arms Around Me," "Do You Feel All Right," "Do You Wanna Go Party," do you get the idea?

There is no filler at all. No falsetto songs, no non-hit ballads, no five minutes of armpit noises. The two major KC songs not present are "Queen of Clubs" and "Give it Up," but again, licensing problems may preclude the inclusion of the latter.

From the striking black and gold cover art (which I will try and scan soon) to the track selection, this is a CD worth seeking out pronto.

(c) 2002 Becky Banfield for Dos Gardenias Productions