Give It Up (KC and the Sunshine Band song) explained

Give It Up
Cover:	Give It Up.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	KC and the Sunshine Band
Album:	All in a Night's Work KC Ten
Released:	August 1982 (US) August 1983 (International)
Recorded:	1981–1982
Prev Title:	Don't Run (Come Back to Me)
Prev Year:	1982
Next Title:	Are You Ready?
Next Year:	1984

"Give It Up" is a song by American disco and funk band KC and the Sunshine Band, although it was simply credited as KC in many markets, including the United States. Following the backlash against many disco artists on the charts at the beginning of the 1980s, "Give It Up" was a comeback hit for the band in the US. Epic Records refused to release it; however, the independent Meca Records label showed its support and "Give It Up" peaked at number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in March 1984. "Give It Up" had been an even bigger hit in the United Kingdom several months earlier, where it had hit number one on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in August 1983.^[1] It went on to become the 18th best-selling single of the year in the UK. It was the last of the band's hit singles in the US and UK, and the most successful of its ten UK hits. "Give It Up" also peaked at number two in Belgium, number three in Australia, and reached the Top 10 in several other markets.

In 1993, Danish group Cut 'N' Move scored a big hit with their version of "Give It Up", which went to number one in Australia and their native Denmark.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1983–1984)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[2]	3
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)^[3]	2
South Africa (Springbok)^[4]	6
US Billboard Hot 100^[5]	18
US Dance/Disco Top 80 (Billboard)^[6]	24
US Cash Box Top 100^[7]	17

Year-end charts

Chart (1983)	Rank position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[8] ^[9]	17
UK Singles (OCC)^[10]	19

Chart (1984)	Rank position
US (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)^[11]	127
US Billboard Hot 100^[12]	75

Cut 'N' Move version

Give It Up
Cover:	Cut_'N'_Move-Give_It_Up.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Cut 'N' Move
Album:	Peace, Love & Harmony
Released:	February 3, 1993
Recorded:	1992
Genre:	Eurodance
Length:	4:22
Label:	SoulPower Productions
Prev Title:	Spread Love
Prev Year:	1991
Next Title:	Peace, Love & Harmony
Next Year:	1993

"Give It Up" was covered by Danish Eurodance group Cut 'N' Move and released in February 1993 as the first single from their second album, Peace, Love & Harmony (1993). Their version reached number one in Denmark for five weeks and in Australia for four weeks. The song also peaked at number two in Norway, number five in New Zealand, and number six in Austria, Germany, and Sweden. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it reached number 31 in August 1993. In Australia, it was certified platinum. It is sung by singers Zindy Laursen and Thera Hoeymans. The rap part is performed by MC Zipp (a.k.a. Jens Kjær Larsen). A colorful music video was produced to promote the single. Cut 'N' Move covered the song again in 1997 for Dancemania Covers.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1993–1994)	Peak position
Denmark (IFPI)^[13]	1
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[14]	31
Spain (AFYVE)^[15]	7
UK Dance (Music Week)^[16]	23
UK Club Chart (Music Week)^[17]	72

Year-end charts

Chart (1993)	Position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[18]	58
Germany (Official German Charts)^[19]	33
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[20]	174

Chart (1994)	Position
Australia (ARIA)^[21]	13
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[22]	32

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)
Europe	February 3, 1993		SoulPower Productions	^[23]
United Kingdom	September 20, 1993		EMI	^[24]
Japan	June 29, 1994	Mini-CD		^[25]

Cover versions

In 1998, the song was covered by Québécois singer Jacynthe, both as a solo cover version, one in French, and one as a collaboration with KC himself.

The song was covered by Captain Jack on their 2003 album, Party Warriors.

It was covered by the German pop band beFour on their 2008 album, We Stand United.

It was covered by Annie Lennox and Chrissie Hynde during a live performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London on February 9, 1986.

"Love You Long Time" by The Black Eyed Peas, from their 2010 album, The Beginning, contains a sample of "Give It Up".^[26]

In popular culture

• The song has been turned into a sporting chant in the United Kingdom, especially at football games in England and Scotland.
  • For example, after Liverpool F.C. defeated Manchester United F.C. on October 25, 2021, Liverpool's travelling fans mocked under pressure Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær by singing "Ole's at the Wheel" to the tune of "Give It Up".^{[27] [28]}
  • At an UEFA Europa Conference League match on September 8, 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, a crowd of Shamrock Rovers F.C. supporters at Tallaght Stadium were heard singing the chant as "Lizzie's in a Box" to mock the death (owing to historic anti-British sentiment in Ireland).^[29]
  • The song is commonly used in support of UFC mixed martial artist Tom Aspinall during his fights.
• The chord progressions is borrowed by Utha Likumahuwa in his song titled "Puncak Asmara"
• A version of the song is also sung by the Barmy Army for England batter Alastair Cook, with the words "Ali, Ali Cook" replacing "Baby, Give it up". For the final few overs of day four of Cook's final test match at The Oval (when he had just scored a farewell century), the song was sung continuously by the raucous crowd- led by Cook's friends in a hospitality box.
• The song is heard in Richmond Valentine's lair when Valentine activates the V-Day program in .^[30]
• The song is the walk-on music of professional darts player Vincent van der Voort.
• The song played in the background of a television advertisement for Old Navy during the late 1990s.
• The song was performed by the Filipino band Channels on Eat Bulaga! and Oh No! It's Johnny in 1998.
• The song was chanted by Braehead Clan fans in their appreciation of netminder Kyle Jones.
• The song is chanted by Manchester United supporters in their appreciation of Nicky Butt.
• The song is chanted by Tottenham Hotspur supporters in their appreciation of Rafael van der Vaart and Micky van de Ven.
• The song was featured as the closing theme for Obrolan Artis dalam Berita, an infotainment program on Indonesian television network SCTV from its debut in 2002 until the final episode in early 2005.
• The song was featured in the last series of Play Away performed by Brian Cant, Floella Benjamin and Tony Robinson and arranged by Jonathan Cohen, broadcast on January 7, 1984. It was wiped by the BBC but has now been returned following a YouTube upload.
• At Queen's University, the song is used for the "Clark Hall Pub Dance", an engineering tradition performed at frosh week, sporting events, and other large gatherings.
• The song is chanted by Ajax supporters in their appreciation of Donny van de Beek.
• The song is played at the beginning of concerts by Scottish singer Gerry Cinnamon.^[31]
• The song can also be heard playing off and on during the cruise ship scene in the 2011 Adam Sandler film, Jack and Jill.
• 76ers fans chant this as “Philadelphia, Delphia, Philadelphia...”.
• Darts fans supporting Michael Smith chant this during his matches
• It is used in the opening scene of British anthology series Black Mirror, episode "Loch Henry"
• The fans of the swedish football club GAIS chant this as "GAIS is going up, GAIS is going up" for two consecutive seasons (2022 and 2023).

Notes and References

1. Book: Roberts , David . 2006. British Hit Singles & Albums. 19th. Guinness World Records Limited. London. 1-904994-10-5. 426.
2. Book: Kent, David . . David Kent (historian) . Australian Chart Book . . 1993 . 0-646-11917-6.
3. Web site: Give It Up – KC & The Sunshine Band . VRT . Top30-2.radio2.be . nl . July 25, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120409063716/http://top30-2.radio2.be/#/song-info/1645 . April 9, 2012 . Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 1
4. Web site: SA Charts 1965–March 1989. September 5, 2018.
5. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 . Joel Whitburn . 2013 . Record Research . 453.
6. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 143.
7. Web site: CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MARCH 24, 1984 . May 25, 2016 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20120930235121/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19840324.html . September 30, 2012 . . Cash Box magazine.
8. Web site: Kent Music Report – National Top 100 Singles for 1983 . . Imgur.com . January 22, 2023.
9. Book: Kent, David. Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6.
10. Book: Peter . Scaping . Top 100 singles: 1983 . BPI Year Book 1984 . . 42–43 . 1984 . 0-906154-04-9.
11. Book: Whitburn, Joel . 1999 . Pop Annual . Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin . Record Research Inc. . 0-89820-142-X.
12. December 22, 1984 . Talent Almanac 1985: Top Pop Singles . TA-19 . Billboard . 96 . 51 .
13. Top 10 Sales in Europe. Music & Media. 20. March 6, 1993. August 15, 2019.
14. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 23. August 21, 1993. April 15, 2019.
15. Top 10 Sales in Europe. Music & Media. September 11, 1993. April 16, 2019.
16. Dance Singles . . October 2, 1993 . 26 . April 9, 2021.
17. The RM Club Chart. Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). July 24, 1993. 4. May 10, 2023.
18. 1993 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. December 18, 1993. November 27, 2019. Music & Media.
19. Web site: Top 100 Singles – Jahrescharts 1993. GfK Entertainment. de. July 16, 2019.
20. Web site: Jaarlijsten 1993. nl. Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. December 1, 2019.
21. Web site: 1994 ARIA Singles Chart. ARIA. July 16, 2019.
22. Web site: End of Year Charts 1994. Recorded Music NZ. July 16, 2019.
23. 'North' Give In for Cut 'N' Move. Cartigny. Wally. Music & Media. 10. 21. 20. May 22, 1993.
24. Single Releases. Music Week. 25. September 18, 1993. Misprinted as September 13.
25. Web site: ギブ・イット・アップ カット'N'ムーブ. Give It Up Cut 'N' Move. Oricon. ja. September 19, 2023.
26. Web site: Black Eyed Peas's Love You Long Time sample of KC & the Sunshine Band's Give It Up . WhoSampled . March 29, 2014.
27. Web site: Ole's at the Wheel! Lyrics & story behind famous Man Utd chant . Goal . January 17, 2022.
28. Web site: Liverpool Fans Singing Ole's At The Wheel Live At Old Trafford!! . YouTube . Mark Goldbridge Best Clips MGBC . January 17, 2022.
29. Web site: Murphy . Nick . Grennan . Dan . September 9, 2022 . Shamrock Rovers fans sing 'Lizzie's in a box' song after Queen dies . September 9, 2022 . DublinLive . en.
30. https://web.archive.org/web/20210119154618/https://roseshavethoughts.com/2015/01/29/review-kingsman-the-secret-service/ Review: Kingsman, The Secret Service
31. https://www.bigissue.com/culture/a-superstar-an-enigma-gerry-cinnamon-is-our-next-folk-hero-ready-to-leap/ A superstar? An enigma? Gerry Cinnamon is our next folk hero ready to leap