When you put on your boogie shoes, you're ready to party. In this song, our hero wants to take his girl out dancing until the sun comes up.
"Boogie Shoes" was part of the second (self-titled) KC & The Sunshine Band album, released in 1975. It was used as the B-side of the "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty" single in 1976, but got its biggest audience when it was used in the 1977 movie Saturday Night Fever and featured on the soundtrack. In 1978, with all things Fever dominating the chart, it was released as a single, reaching #35 in the US.
KC bassist/songwriter Richard Finch, who wrote the song with lead singer Harry Wayne Casey, told us: "I never expected that record was going to wind up going on a movie soundtrack. But Robert Stigwood was a movie guy and he thought to use that in a scene where the shoes were a very big part of this disco façade thing that was coming out. Remember, back in the day it was all about high heeled rhinestone shoes, glimmering outfits and all that. We were also a part of that, we took advantage of it because it was the movement." (Here's our full Rick Finch interview.)
Films to use this song as part of the soundtrack include: Boogie Nights, 1997, Mallrats, 1995, and Detroit Rock City, 1999. In addition, it's appeared in the TV series Desperate Housewives and the short-lived (1998-2000) TV series Sports Night.
Fun Saturday Night Fever facts: It was a favorite film of the late film critic Gene Siskel, who saw it 17 times and bought John Travolta's white suit at a charity auction for $17,000. Parodies of the movie include a scene from Airplane!, a John Belushi sketch titled Samurai Night Fever, and The Goodies' episode Saturday Night Grease. And, this film is banned in Malaysia.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 5th 1978, "Boogie Shoes" by K.C. and the Sunshine Band entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #83; and seven weeks later on March 26th, 1978 it peaked at #35 {for 2 weeks} and spent 10 weeks on the Top 100... Between 1974 and 1979 the band had fifteen Top 100 records; six of them made the Top 10 with five reaching #1; "Get Down Tonight", "That's the Way (I Like It)", "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", and "Please Don't Go"... The one Top 10 record that didn't make #1, "Keep It Comin' Love", just missed, it peaked at #2 for three weeks... K.C., in a duet with Teri DeSario, reached #2 {for 2 weeks} with "Yes, I'm Ready" in 1980.
Camille from Toronto, OhStill a rocking song almost forty years later. I'd love to see a new video made for this tune with a myriad of stars, famous dancers like Derek Hough and common folks pulling their shoes on and doing a little toe tappin'.
