1977
Harry Casey 4 Ever, I Luv KC - true and Harry Wayne Casey 4 ever plastered all over the title pages of my diary!
January 1977
Sun 2nd Jan. Made a birthday card come valentines card for KC. It was yellow with black and orange bows, and a passage inside containing some of their song titles. (There was a note on the entry saying "see KC box" but sadly I no longer have a copy. I could have a go at making up another one!).
Sun 9th Jan. Went to see Julie. She gave me a picture & short piece about KC- he has a sister but no brothers. The pic is smaller copy of pic no. 13.(What was Picture No. 13 was a popular one, I have even managed to find a copy of it!!)
Tue 11th Jan. Written across top of entry "At the moment I am really mad on KC". Wrote a letter to KC's fan club suggesting they start a swap shop.
Sat 15th Jan. Wrapped up KC's birthday card.(I assume I later posted it as well, or good old Mum did but this isn't mentioned!)
Sun 16th Jan. Mum washed my KC and the Sunshine Band t-shirt and the colours in the transfer didn't run as I thought they might.
Mon 17th Jan. Made a copy of the KC and the Sunshine Band emblem (I meant logo of course!) and put it on my pencil case.
Tue 18th Jan. Julie Arnold bought "The Best of KC and the Sunshine Band" to school- it has pictures of the band on back and front. (None of their albums to date had had any pictures on the sleeves. This album was released by Jayboy following the band going on to TK in the UK and was sort of unofficial. It was mentioned in one of the fan club newsletters as possibly becoming a collectors item. Glad I kept it then!! Not that I would part with it!)
Fri 21st Jan. "I love Harry Casey" written across top of entry. Julie sold me her copy of "best of KC and the Sunshine Band" for £1.75. (No pressure was applied, honest...)
Fri 28th Jan. KC and the sunshine band have an EP out- I Like to Do It, Come On In, Keep it Comin' Love and Boogie Shoes. I didn't keep my original copy of this, but have since managed to get a copy
Sat 29th Jan. Wrote a letter to Record Mirror to see if they could help me find another copy of my fave pic of KC.
Mon 31st Jan. Written at top HARRY CASEY'S BIRTHDAY. (He was 26) Listened to all KC's records except Do It Good to celebrate his birthday and started to write out the words to all his songs. (I don't know why I didn't listen to Do It Good as I always loved that album!)
February 1977
Thur 3rd Feb. TOTP played out with Boogie Shoes
Fri 11th Feb. Wrote 3 letters. One to someone advertising old Record Mirrors for sale. I want Aug- Nov 74 and the one with my fave pic of KC in it. One to someone selling their collection of Jayboy records to see if they had anything interesting, the other was an advert to go in Black Echoes who do a free advert service, wanting the issue of Record Mirror with my fave pic of KC in it.
Sun 20th Feb. Went round to Julies pm. Julie likes the Four Seasons as much as I like KC and she found a bit about KC in the Four Seasons fan club newsletter- a review of a concert the 2 bands did together. KC is definately going to be on the RCA label here according to NME.
Mon 21st Feb. Copied out a recipe for strawberry shortcake which KC loves (well they say the way to a mans heart is through his stomach).(Not with my lack of cooking skills it isn't!
Fri 25th Feb.M KC is definately changing to RCA here according to Black Echoes- they are going to distribute TK.
March 1977
Sat 5th Mar. Ordered "The Sound of Sunshine" by the Sunshine Band from Harlequins.Harlequins was one of the main record chains in the UK in the 70's.)
Tue 8th Mar. Got a letter this morning from the person who advertised the Record Mirrors for sale, saying he had had no offers so I could have the ones I want- aug-nov 74 inclusive and 6-9-75 which has my fave pic of KC in it, for £2.00.
Thur 10th Mar. There was a pic of KC and the Sunshine Band in Kay's "Jackie" which she says I can have tomorrow when she has read the mag. (Jackie was a teen mag, Kay used to buy a copy every week which got passed round the class)
Fri 11th Mar. Went to Harlequins to see of Sound of Sunshine was in and the ****** *** Expletives about the assistant in there removed) in there said they couldn't order single copies of albums. Cancelled the order. Bought Jackie for the pic of KC.
Thur 17th Mar. My parcel came! (There had been several "my parcel didn't come" entries).When I got home I found my parcel had come. There were lots of bits and pieces about KC- reviews of Queen of Clubs and Funky Horn, a concert review, an interview, tour dates for the first tour, 2 other bits about the tour plus large copy of pic. No. 4. My fave pic of KC was also intact in the other one. I am going to frame it and put it on my dressing table. Listened to Do It Good in eve as I felt all nostalgic after reading all those old bits about KC.(Nostalgia at age 16!!!)
Fri 18th Mar. Ordered Sound of Sunshine from Russell Acotts and got KC's EP from Smiths.
Sat 19th Mar. Entry ends "I love KC- official".
Thur 31 Mar. In Black Echoes this week there was a feature on the TK label with pic of KC and the Sunshine Band.
April 1977
Fri Apr 1st. Mum got my copy of The Sound of Sunshine" from Russell Acotts- its good (and it still plays today albeit with a lot of crackles!)
Tue 5th Apr. Got the best letter I've ever received this morning from KC's fan club. There was a note from the secretary thanking me for the birthday card I sent to KC plus a piece of paper with Thank You all over it. And in the middle a space occupied by KC's autograph in red biro. I was over the moon about it. RED LETTER DAY COS I GOT KC'S AUTOGRAPH (Again I didn't keep this :((((. Though some nagging doubt in my mind is saying, I wonder if I do still have it, deep in a cupboard somewhere???)
Sun 10th Apr. Julie gave me another copy of the pic of KC sat on a wall.(Another often seen one, and in fact I have a copy of this from a Dutch magazine now)
Wed 13th Apr. Got the re-release of Part 3 on the TK label with the gatefold sleeve containing pictures of the band. There are 12 of KC. (The fan club newsletter had mentioned there would be pics, but the original release here on Jayboy didn't have any).
Tue 19th Apr. Written at top... Very important happening- a miracle occured. GOT a NEWSLETTER from KC's Fan club today, the 1st since Aug 1976, including telling us that Rick Finch gave KC a scarlet Macaw for Christmas. She's called Rainbow.(Huge thanks to Bee who scanned a copy of this newsletter and sent it to me)
Wed 20th Apr. Wrote a letter to a girl called Cathy Carr who lives in Swansea and who belongs to KC's fan club. I chose her from the list because she got a birthday mention in the same newsletter as me and with her address being included is the only person as well as me to get 2 mentions in the newsletter.(Cathy and I became very good friends and were like sisters for a few years. Sadly we lost touch about 20 years ago. Cathy married in 82 and became Cathy Gibson. Cathy, if you are out there and see this please get in touch.)
Thur 21st Apr. Review of Part Three in Black Echoes and I'm Your Boogie Man in Record Mirror.
Tue 26th Apr. The people who went to America were back. Linda (schoolfriend) got me a copy of Tiger Beat but couldn't find any mags with KC in them.(Our school did an exchange with a school in Washington DC. Sadly I wasn't able to go due to lack of funds)
Wed 27th Apr. Started writing my own history of KC and the Sunshine Band.
Thur 28th Apr. There was a pic of KC in Blues and Soul today.
Sat 30th Apr. Got a pile of American mags from a jumble sale but nothing about KC in any of them. Did some more of my history up to the first newsletter.
May 1977
Sun 1st May. Julie gave me a review of I'm Your Boogie Man from NME. Did some more on my history of KC up to and including writing the reviews of I'm Your Boogie Man.
Mon 2nd May. Wrote out an interview with KC for my history.
Tue 3rd May. Copied out the July 76 newsletter for my history.
Wed 4th May. Got my 1st letter from Cathy who I wrote to via the fan club.
Wed 11th May. Wrote out some more record reviews for my history of the band.
Thur 19th May. Got a letter from Cathy and she copied out some bits from magazines about KC for me. He's helping with an anti-smoking campaign (good for him, it's a disgusting habit) & there was a bit giving his shirt, ring, sweater, belt size etc, fave colours and what he likes as gifts- he likes hand made things best.
Guess what! Thanks to good old e-bay I have managed to find both these!
June 1977
Wed 8th Jun. Got a letter from Cathy plus loads of bits about KC which she got duplicated for me, including 2 big pics of him & loads of bits I haven't got. Later part of entry..... stuck one of the big pics of KC Cathy sent me- one with no shirt on- on my wall
Thur 9th Jun. Stuck the other big pic of KC Cathy sent me on my wall.
Fri 10th Jun. Went to Minchery Farm (another club we sometimes used to go to) with Kay. I had my KC and the Sunshine Band badge on (the fan club used to have the logo on their letter head and envelopes and I made the badge myself from one of those). And someone rushed over and asked "where can I get a badge like that". He turned out to be a KC fanatic like me. He got Keep it Comin' Love and I'm Your Boogie Man played for two official KC fans& also Do It Good. He asked to see me again tomorrow night- his name is Gerry Brady. (Poor man probably still has nightmares about the nutty KC fan he once met!)
Sat 11th Jun. Went out with Gerry. I took him a membership form for
KC's
fan club. He knows a lot about the music side of the band (I know more
about their personalities) & is learning to play the organ (which is what
KC plays). He works part time as a DJ. He knows a few KC fans and has
found out that the band are hopefully coming to tour in Sept. He has
contacts in the music biz and hopes to be able to get KC to Oxford.
(Fifi, one of our cats had kittens. One has a kinky tail. We are calling
it Casey Kinkytail)
Sun 12th Jun. Julie came round. I showed her the bits about KC which Cathy sent, and the pics I've got stuck to my wall (the older one from Blues and Soul I have had for ages. (KC pinups just did not happen here, the one from Blues and Soul was a centrepage spread of the band and was one of the only colour pictures I had. It was legendary Picture No. 13!)
Wed 15th June. (Get the violins out, bit of teenage angst here) Gerry was supposed to come round, but he didn't. (Not surprising, it seems boys only want me for one thing, or they take an istant dislike to me. I think I'll stick to KC, it's easier. The only trouble is, I liked Gerry. At least KC can't stand me up). It hurts to be stood up- seems I don't appeal to boys in looks or personality. KC probably wouldn't like me either. What it must be like to be pretty.
Mon 27th Jun. Got a letter from Cathy this morning plus 5 gorgeous pics of KC including one of him with his hairy chest and hairy tummy revealed.
Tue 28th Jun. I covered the pics of KC Cathy sent me with the sticky stuff for covering books.
Thur 30th Jun. Laura McKinley came to stay from the US. She bought me some teen mags including a "16" which had a pic of KC. (Our school did an American exchange. I didn't go but Laura wanted to come here so we agreed to host her).
July 1977
Tue 5th Jul. Two years ago today I saw KC in concert. Happy memories came flooding back.
Fri 8th Jul. Got home from Yenworthy (A Level Geography field trip) there was a letter and parcel from Cathy. The letter was a letter (!) and some pics of KC (I now have 80 pics of him) The parcel was Cathy's KC t-shirt as my birthday present and a single "I'm Your Boogie Man".
Tue 12th Jul. My birthday and I got a letter from KC's FAN CLUB!
Mon 18th Jul. Mum got me a scrapbook & I spent the afternoon sticking my interviews and cuttings about KC in it. I didn't finish though.
Thur 19th Jul. Finished sticking my bits about KC in my scrapbook.
Sat 23rd Jul. Wrote a letter to KC just telling him how gorgeous he is etc etc. (Blush- I was only 17!)
Thur 28th Jul. We call one of our kittens Casey after a certain lovely man.
August 1977
Tue 2nd Aug. Watched Donny and Marie in eve because KC recently filmed a show- however the series being shown was filmed in 76. He may be on but its not the recent one. He wasn't on tonight.
Fri 5th Aug. My old pic of KC which I take to bed with me (blush, I WAS only 17!!) Is wearing out so I've got a new one.- one of the duplicated ones which was stuck on my wall, instead.
Sat 6th Aug. Got a locket- a large one, heart shaped which now contains 2 pics of KC.
Tue 9th Aug. Watched Donny and Marie- KC wasn't on.
Thur 11th Aug. Got a letter from Cathy this morning plus more lovely KC pics including one of him sat in the bath with his clothes on... which is now on my wall.
Fri 12th Aug. Stuck some interviews with KC that Cathy sent me in my scrapbook.
Thur 16th Aug. (cringe cringe but I did say I would put ALL my diary entries about KC on here.... and I WAS only 17!) I think Cuddles would be a lovely nickname for KC as he looks all cuddly like a teddy bear.
Thur 25th Aug. Julie presented me with a copy of "Crawdaddy", an American mag, which she got me in London yesterday because it had an interview with KC in it plus a lovely colour pic of him. (I have actually managed to get a copy of this again).
Fri 26th Aug. Got a letter from Cathy this morning plus lots more pictures of KC including a full colour one of his face wearing a suit and bow tie.(That looks a bit odd, he was wearing the suit and bow tie not his face wearing them!!)
September 1977
Thur 1st Sep. A girl called Ann I write to in Wyoming sent me some KC pics. I've got most but there was one pic and an article I hadn't.
Tue 6th Sep. I got a heart shaped pendant on a metal choker at the fair for 25p (St Giles Fair, still going 2 day funfair which is held in Oxford every September). I had KC engraved on it instead of my name.
Sat 17th Sep. Got a letter from Cathy this morning plus a few more KC pics, I now have 96!
This was my last entry to mention KC. My innocence was shattered on sat 24th sept. All my diary entries had the name of the man/men I was keen on at the top, and after 23rd oct it just had *** - the man I was having an affair with. Poor KC was forgotten... until I rediscovered the music about 3 years ago. Story of my revived interest to follow...
Last update 7th April 2004 by Jackie Hewitt