Harry Wayne Casey has revisited an unreleased song from the 1986 film Knights Of The City, teaming with longtime collaborator NYNE to finally give “Love Goes Up And Down” an official release four decades after it was first recorded.
by Paul Cashmere
KC And The Sunshine Band have opened a new chapter in their catalogue with the official release of “Love Goes Up And Down”, a song originally recorded for the 1986 film Knights Of The City but never commercially issued. The track has now been reworked as a collaboration between Harry Wayne Casey, better known as KC, and NYNE, the band’s current music director, singer and multi-instrumentalist, marking the song’s first official release nearly 40 years after it was first written.
The release brings renewed attention to a little known part of KC’s career. While the Miami hitmaker is best remembered for defining the disco era with classics including “Get Down Tonight”, “That’s The Way I Like It” and “Shake Your Booty”, his work extended well beyond the charts of the 1970s. During the mid 1980s he contributed music to film projects, including Knights Of The City, where “Love Goes Up And Down” was performed but remained absent from any official soundtrack or commercial release.
After years of performing together on tour, KC and NYNE decided to revisit the recording in the studio. The new version pairs the rhythmic funk foundations associated with KC And The Sunshine Band with NYNE’s contemporary production approach while preserving the original melody.
KC said the lyrics reflect the unpredictable nature of relationships.
“Love goes in many directions. Sometimes you fall in love, fall out of love, and then find your way back in love again. You break up, you make up, and you start all over again. Love goes up and down. Love goes round and round.”
NYNE described the collaboration as a significant personal milestone.
“The song is definitely a testament to the sphere of emotion that comes with relationships. At any point, it’s always ok to dance. It’s a blessing and an honor to be able to work with a beast of the ’70s and ’80s.”
The song’s origins date back to Knights Of The City, an action drama that underwent a lengthy and complicated production before reaching cinemas in 1986. Originally filmed in Florida during 1984 under the title Cry Of The City, the project was delayed for more than a year before being released by New World Pictures with a new title.
Directed by Dominic Orlando and written by Leon Isaac Kennedy, the film followed a multicultural street gang known as The Royals, led by Kennedy’s character Troy. Hoping to escape gang life through music, Troy attempts to steer his friends towards a professional recording career while navigating rival gangs, police corruption and community violence. Their determination ultimately leads them to a talent competition offering a recording contract, placing music at the centre of the film’s story.
The production also carried an unusual backstory. It was produced by Michael Franzese, who later became widely known for leaving organised crime and speaking publicly about his former life. Filmed across Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, Florida, the movie featured appearances by several major music figures of the era.
KC appeared as himself in the film alongside Smokey Robinson, Kurtis Blow and television dance personality Denny Terrio. The soundtrack also featured Shannon’s dance hit “Let The Music Play”, while performances from Kurtis Blow and The Fat Boys reinforced the film’s strong connection to the music scene of the mid 1980s.
Although Knights Of The City failed to become a major commercial success, it has remained an interesting footnote in KC’s extensive career. The release of “Love Goes Up And Down” now recovers one of the few pieces of music from the film that had never previously been available to fans.
KC And The Sunshine Band continue to maintain an active touring schedule nearly five decades after the group’s breakthrough. Harry Wayne Casey has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, earned three Grammy Awards and played a significant role in shaping the crossover between disco, funk and pop music during the 1970s. The band continues to perform more than 100 concerts each year across North America, Europe, Australia and South America.
For NYNE, whose online presence and production work have introduced him to a new generation of listeners, the collaboration represents both a continuation of his role within KC’s touring band and an opportunity to bring an overlooked recording into the modern era.
With “Love Goes Up And Down” finally receiving an official release after almost four decades, the collaboration offers both longtime fans and newer audiences the chance to hear a previously hidden chapter in the musical history of KC And The Sunshine Band.
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