KC And The Sunshine Band rose from obscurity in Florida to massive success in the disco genre. The band churned out a series of eminently danceable hits with enough pop smarts to ensure that they pleased those nowhere near the strobe lights.
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In 1979, they came back after a bit of a fallow period with the No. 1 single “Please Don’t Go”. It showed a brand-new side of the band, even though it wasn’t long before they started to implode.
Disco Dominators
Harry Casey and Richard Finch were working behind the scenes at TK Records in Hialeah, Florida, when they decided to start making records of their own. Their first big success came when they wrote and produced “Rock Your Baby” in 1974 for George McRae.
When that song rose to the top of the charts, the Casey/Finch pair had the juice to start up their own band. They recruited some musicians and became KC And The Sunshine Band, releasing their first album in 1974.
While that initial LP managed only local success, the band took off in 1975. They timed their ascent perfectly, churning out a series of irresistible singles that were tailor-made for dance floors all over the country.
Over the course of just two albums (KC And The Sunshine Band and Part 3), they put together a run that any artist might have envied. Four No. 1 singles came pouring forth, while a fifth (“Keep It Comin’ Love”) came up just short. However, as the popularity of disco subtly began waning at the end of the 70s, Casey and Finch needed to prove they could adjust.
“Go” Time
The 1978 album Who Do Ya (Love) struggled to make anywhere near the same impact as the previous two Sunshine Band albums. Even more concerning, their stretch of successful singles ended with a thud.
Casey himself was starting to tire of being locked into the disco box. He sat down at a piano one day and started playing some soft chords that could never be confused for a disco foundation. Instead, they formed the basis for “Please Don’t Go”, which he once again co-wrote and co-produced with Finch.
After a two-year drought, “Please Don’t Go” put KC And The Sunshine Band back on top of the pop charts. Not long after, Casey and Finch fell out. They wouldn’t work together again after the comeback hit “Give It Up” in 1983.
Behind the Lyrics of “Please Don’t Go”
“Please Don’t Go” gave Harry Casey the opportunity to show off the more soulful side of his vocal range as he pleads for his lover to stick around. The lyrics are straightforward laments: “That I’m gonna miss your love/The minute you walk out that door.”
Later, he explains that even if she does leave, he’ll be more grateful than angry. “I’ve had one dream come true,” Casey belts. “I was blessed to be loved/By someone as wonderful as you.”
“Please Don’t Go” veered away from the formula that KC And The Sunshine Band had perfected. These days, it sounds much more like yacht rock. That change of pace allowed these disco warriors one last hurrah on top of the pop charts.
Photo by Brian D. McLaughlin/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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