KC and the Sunshine Band...(help?!)

You might like this ballad, too. A very early (1973) B-side:

KC - "Why Don't We Get Together"

 

Here's an interesting video that someone just brought to my attention-- it's a 1988 cover of "Get Down Tonight" by the band Shriekback, and
the video is of particular interest because KC himself (who had pretty much disappeared from public life by 1988) makes a cameo appearance as a dancer in the crowd:

 

25th Anniversary compilation has bass boosted to the point of excess. Avoid.

 

That's interesting--I know one of the common criticisms of their original recordings is that they lack bass, so I assume they were trying to compensate on the 25th if that's the case. I didn't hear too much difference between the 25th comp and the 'best of' CD. I'll have to take another listen. I got both collections used and inexpensive.

 

"Queen of Clubs" is an obvious example. There was already a lot of bass on the original Rhino Best of KC and the Sunshine Band. The 25th anniversary compilation heaps more bass onto the disc to the point of ridiculousness.

 

If it's this one...

https://www.amazon.com/KC-Sunshine-.../ref=tmm_msc_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

The Amazon mp3 samples sound identical to my VH1 Behind The Music CD I have right in front of me, listening on Sony MDR V6 Studio Monitor headphones. In fact there isn't enough bass on a lot of KCSB CD's except the hip-hop bass style Remix.

And to really hone it down the real issue with '70's disco bass is it's too punch in the 80Hz region and needs what I call "bass sculpting" with an EQ. The adjustments that gives a nice fat, less punchy bass in my editing attempts seems to require a 3 to 6db increase between 40Hz to around 100Hz in the shape of a hump or tapering to zero db not farther than 125Hz. Sometimes just a flat line 3db EQ increase between 40Hz to 200Hz will do the trick.

 

As a rule, our host says that he doesn't boost bass when he masters. The 25th Anniversary CDs are a perfect reason why it's a good idea not to try to artificially add bass presence to mixes. The original producer or engineer didn't feel the need for more bass at the time. Why second guess the original artistic intent? If you want more bass do a remix.

 

When MARRS Pump Up The Volume came out, there was a DJ that added some of KC's songs to it. The first half of the song was Pump Up The Volume, the second half was a few of the KC hits mixed into a medley with the PUTV beat. It was done really well. I have looked and looked for a copy of this and have never found one. It's not on you tube either. My conclusion is that it must have been done by a local DJ. I would really like to hear this again as this was over 30 years ago when it came out.

 

Wow, I'll really have to listen to that again.

That sounds really great, too bad you can't find it. I'd love to hear it.

 

Here's a bit of a mystery I recently stumbled on...

A few months ago, I was at a record show (which will probably be the last, for a while), and I bought an original LP of KC's greatest hits. I noticed right away that there was an alternate line in the song "Let's Go Rock And Roll", and the ending is also slightly different (compared to all the CD versions I've heard). It's the line where he says "touchin' me with your hand...hell of a man" and on the CD versions that line is kind of unintelligible.

My curiosity got the better of me and I checked a few different 45 versions to see what the difference was (hey, I'm bored and stuck in the house...)

Well, both versions were released on 45, and the difference in the two versions is clearly indicated by a catalog number. The version where the "hell of a man" line is clearly audible, are marked either TKX-1036/TKX1036R2 -or- TKX-1036DJ/TKX-1036R2. The "unintelligible" version is simply # TKX-1036/TKX-1036-A.

The question is - why? If it was for censoring purposes, why would the promo "DJ" copy have the more clearly enunciated "hell" lyric?

Any guesses???

I'll post both versions so you can hear the difference. It's at the 1:30 mark.

This is the clearer version (which actually sounds like a needle drop):

 

...and this is the somewhat unintelligible version (1:30):

 

With all the mentions of Boogie Shoes and I Get Lifted, it's interesting to note that when SNF gave Boogie Shoes a new lease on life, it was issued with I Get Lifted on the flip side.

 

Then I guess you don't buy a newer remastering of an album? That was done by a professional engineer. And most of them sound more different than better, so whose artistic intent are we going with? The dude who bought all those versions and still thinks it wasn't worth it or do you appreciate the effort and tenacity of the buyer to do it them self and REALLY do a better job but "sometimes" just like the pro who was paid good money to make it sound better?

BTW I just bass boosted and added more clarity to KCSB's "I Get Lifted" and it now has a nice big fat bottom end kick drum beat 50Hz is at -10db and I don't feel the back of my neck aching due to the punchy thin kick drum beat of the original.

A/B'ing it sounds BETTER! Not different from the original intent.

And what's even more suspicious about CD songs is these files are of very high quality over the Chicago Group Portrait CD .aiff files, so something isn't standard in the remastering biz. Not all files edit well even when produced by a professional.

 

I'm going to relate to those interested in why some CD's just don't sound right like my comparison to KCSB "Get Lifted" vs editing Chicago's Group Portrait CD files.

When I edited "I Get Lifted" with a 32 band EQ I was trying to bring up the rhythm guitar that is playing in wide stereo listening on headphones. It sounded very thin and tinny and I was trying to bring up the bottom end to give a fuller sound. Couldn't get anything. So I just made it sound as close to the original which has the guitar sort of receding into the background on big box speakers. There was NO kick drum frequencies I could boost. It was all a huge hum sound so I left it alone. Editing in 32bit floating point I went beyond zero db and brought it back down to zero with Audacity's "Amplify" effect.

OK, on the second round of the EQ all of a sudden I could bring up more detail in the guitar, including the bottom end and brought it more up front. I also got more detail out of KC's lead vocals.

So where was all this detail on the original and why did I not hear it even on headphones? It doesn't make any sense. This does not happen editing Chicago's Group Portrait comp songs. It's more like wack-a-mole with the EQ.

Both bands have pretty much the same instruments, a brass section, bass, rhythm guitar, vocal chorus, kick drum and filler instruments like a tambourine and drum high hat taps. Why do they respond so differently to an EQ edit? It's just 1's and 0's. This happens a lot across a wide range of CD music from different labels and music artists. There's no consistency even though most are recordings of similar instruments and vocals.

 

They are label mates. Basically "Rock Your Baby" is a KC & The Sunshine Band record with a different lead vocal instead of KC. Equally awesome Funk/Soul/R&B/early disco goodness.

 

Rick Finch was their main producer and engineer, and he was also the bass player. You'd think that a bass player would have put the bass more out front, but for whatever reason he didn't. I can't really argue with his decisions because he put out some really great-sounding records, in spite of the fact that at times he was working with a lot less than many engineers had access to.

 

If Finch produced it, he created some very well behaved and balanced finished audio files. He really knows how to apply reverb to vocals and make it sound right. They don't make upfront vocals and instruments recede into the background as much listening on big box speakers. Even the reverb on the chorus harmonies on "I' Like To Do It" sound authentic like maybe he just recorded them that way in a room and didn't add reverb in post. There is a consistent sound quality across all instruments and vocals as if they were recorded in the same room and not separately in a sound proof booth and pieced together like a puzzle in the mix.

 

Yes, for all his faults (and he has MANY), Rick Finch was one hell of a producer/engineer.

Here's an interesting interview where he goes into some detail about his process:
Rick Finch : Songwriter Interviews

There's also a chapter on Rick Finch in Leif Garrett's new autobiography...pretty shocking stuff!

 

I ended up sitting next to KC (Harry Wayne Casey) at a Paul Simon concert in Hollywood, FL back in December 2011. He wasn't particularly friendly. I still like some of his music though.

 

That's interesting...I've heard differing accounts from people who've met him...some that say he's very warm and generous to fans, and others that say he's kind of cold and dismissive.

 

This is great---I love watching this guy enjoy this song, especially since it's one of my favorites:

 

For those who've been considering getting the MoFi version of their self-titled sophomore album, MoFi has the LP back in stock for $24.99

KC and the Sunshine Band - KC and the Sunshine Band LP

 

Do you know where I can listen to a sample of Mobile Fidelity masterings to A/B against the original?

 

What compilation (single CD if it's posible) would you recommend me? Most important things: tracklist and sound.

I have the 2CD 25th anniversary... but it's "too much" (for me) and the bass it's a bit excessive for my taste...

 

The old "Rhino best of" is a good one.