In the mid-’70s, a unique disco funk track was released, and it took the world by storm.
“(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty” by KC and the Sunshine Band made its debut on May 27, 1976, defining the sound of a decade with its signature upbeat, funk-driven rhythm. The band’s founding members, Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch, were inspired by the dance moves that they had seen when they were sneaking onto the dance floor in the nightclubs in Miami. Namely, the booty shaking.
“We’d pay attention to what the people were doing, either body moves or body language, and try to transfer that back into the next production,” Finch explained to Songfacts in 2009. “As soon as we got back off the road we’d go right into the studio with that freshly captured energy, start recording, and not try to think too much.”
On Sept. 11, 1976, “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty” reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for one week. In total, the track spent 21 weeks on the chart.
The song also reached No. 1 in Canada and enjoyed chart successes in many other countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
The band performed the Grammy-nominated song on Dolly Parton‘s variety TV show, Dolly, which aired between 1976 and 1977.
“You’ve been giving out some goosebumps yourself with all the hit records you’ve had,” the “Jolene” singer told front man Casey. “You’re just about the hottest thing going.”
KC and the Sunshine Band had previously performed its fan-favorite “That’s the Way I Like It” on the show, with the country music star joining Casey for a duet.
“I’ll tell you what, since tonight is special, why don’t we just kind of be ourselves and pretend like we’re kind of in concert,” Parton said while introducing the band. “You do your thing, like, you do it and I’ll do my thing. … I just wondered if you would sing a song with me.”
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