1975 Funk Classic Originally Had a Different Name, Now It's a Decade-Defining Hit
1975 Funk Classic Originally Had a Different Name, Now It's a Decade-Defining Hit
Lucille BarillaSat, April 11, 2026 at 10:26 AM UTC
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Long before it topped best of the decade lists, this 1975 funk classic was nearly released under a different name.
“Get Down Tonight” continues to be a crowd-pleaser more than 50 years after its release by KC and the Sunshine Band. However, the song’s origins include a surprising twist few fans know about.
The hit tune was declared one of the Best of the 1970s by U Discover Music. It is listed among other funk classics such as War's "Low Rider," Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight," and A Taste of Honey's "Boogie Oogie Oogie."
However, when Harry Wayne Casey (KC) wrote the song, it had a completely different title. He shared the story in an interview with Songfacts.
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KC explained, "'Get Down Tonight' was originally called 'What You Want Is What You'll Get.' A lot of times I will have an idea of a song, and during recording I'll just sing whatever comes into my mind and then go back, and if I don't like that, will change it to another complete title."
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"For that particular song and 'I'm Your Boogie Man,' it was different," he continued. "My working title was 'What You Want Is What You'll Get,' and that's what I used during the recording of the record."
He concluded, "Then I came back and decided to change it to 'Get Down Tonight.' I just thought, 'What are the things I like to do?' I love to dance, and so do other people. Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight."
The songwriter discussed the lingo of using the phrase "get down" in the title. He said it was a "common term" that was "floating around." He added, "it was natural to pull from the lingo of the day to make it part of the title."
RELATED: 1973 Romantic Hit Was a Music Legend’s First Song, Today It’s Ranked One of the Decade’s Best"Get Down Tonight," today a cornerstone of the decade's disco era, landed at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 in August, 1975. It remained on the charts for 15 weeks.
KC and the Sunshine Band are still performing and touring in 2026, with numerous dates scheduled for their "Get Lifted" tour, per their official website.
MORE: 1973 Nostalgic Hit Topped the Charts —Now It’s Named One of the Decade’s Best
This story was originally published by Parade on Apr 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
