First Reaction to WILD CHERRY "Play That Funky Music" 

The 70s smelled like cigarettes, inner tubes, and diesel smoke. It looked like Saturday morning cartoons, black and white TV, and my dad’s perm. It felt like scrapes, bruises, and fistfights. It tasted like cobbler and homemade ice cream. It sounded like CBs, truck driving music, disco, my dad’s whistle, and music like this. I used to walk a mile to school by myself at 5, stay outside until the street lights came in, drink from hoses, cut through yards, play in streets, build treehouses, and explore all day. I miss it.

Man I am so grateful I was raised in the 70's!! When it came to music and dancing, we were all in!! Back, white, yellow and red!! WE JUST DANCED And had fun!!! PRICELESS!!

In the 70’s, music brought us together, not tears us apart, nobody cared what color anyone was, the only care was if you could jam out and get down!

You hit the nail on the head about the 70s and whites and blacks getting along and coming together. Growing up in the 70s was a magical time. We could laugh at our differences and we cried and smiled at the things that brought us together.

Don't feel bad about not knowing whether an artist is black or white. Back in the 70's we heard them on the radio and lots of time couldn't tell. We didn't have the internet to find out either. It was either album covers, magazines, actual concerts, or shows like American Bandstand, Soul Train, The Midnight Special or one of the many variety shows. I love the way you analyze the songs because sometimes I learn new things about the music I grew up on. I was 16 when this came out in 1976 and it was played on the radio a lot that summer. It was one of those songs you just wanted to turn up the volume and groove to whether I was riding my bike or at the beach or at home. I love watching younger people discover the music from my generation. Just subscribed - can't wait for more reactions!

Youre so right! In the 70's and 80's no one was concerned about the color of skin. If you had a love for music and believe me, those might be the best 2 decades for music, we ALL came together to enjoy it. All genres of music included everyone! My 1st time hearing this song on my clock radio I literally got up and danced. Then I called a different radio station to request it bc it was so good! Then bought the album with babysitting money. Good times man!

Your right, the 70s had Metal,, Rock, Folk, RnB, Motown, Jazz Rock. Disco, and ended with Punk. Greatest ERA for music ever. And we were closer as a Nation because we still may have been Democrat, Republican, Black, White, Gay or Straight. But at the end of the day ? We were all American. Nobody is American first anymore.

i was a teen in the 70's. our age group had the BEST music, cars. i also wore a afro for a few years, without insulting anyone. i don't think we seen color as a problem, in my area growing up. we were blessed with a easy going lifestyle.

I was driving with my then boyfriend and had to pull over when this song came on the radio. Didn't realize that you could 'seat dance,' but we did it. Ran out to buy the vinyl album (still have it) and flipped it over to see the band. Nothing! Had to buy a magazine to see who Wild Cherry was and just laughed. Music had no color back then; good music was simply good music and it didn't matter who played it. Great reaction, Mug...keep 'em coming!

Wild Cherry was formed in 1970. They have a very funky sound. Most people are shocked to see that this is a white band. The band's name "Wild Cherry" was taken from a box of cough drops.

We loved the music growing up in the 70’s. We just had no idea that it would still be celebrated in 2023! I’m 62 now and love to see the younger generations loving it!

My teen years were in the 70’s (graduated high school in the bicentennial year 1976). It really was a great music generation with real singers and musicians who couldn’t hide behind auto tune. We also did think we could change the world and our music reflected that hope. We also were the disco kings and queens who got such masterpieces as Queen doing Live Aid. And our booties still shake when we hear our songs. Much love 💕🐝💕

I was in basic training for the Army. I was on my knees polishing the floor with a freaking shoe brush. This song played and it most certainly gave me the oomph I needed to finish!😊 won't ever forget it!

Thank you so much for this reaction! I was born in 1964 and grew up to the music of the 70’s and even 80’s. Todays music just doesn’t compare to that time. I really appreciate the memory you have provided by reacting to this song! Keep rocking!

Santana, Sly & The Family Stone, the Allman Brothers, Pacific Gas & Electric were just a small sampling of bands that were on the ground floor of pushing all kinds of music across all kinds of boundaries. Throw in the country-rock movement and going to clubs and festivals was a guaranteed mix that never was delivered to the masses before.

Bell bottoms, a scarf tied like a tie around my neck, my platform shoes -- feeling just about as groovy as a girl could be -- dancing for hours and "being all that and a bag of chips!" That was what I remember about this song!

I miss bands with a horn section. A few years ago, the lead singer was honored by his hometown. He established a scholarship at his old High School for students wanting to study music in college.

Great reaction to a 70's classic! I graduated HS in '77 so grew up in the era of the BEST music ever! We listened to all of it, all the time, and grooved together regardless of the artists' race ( we never really knew, and many bands were mixed anyway!). Culturally, we had a good thing going on; everybody wore afros and platform shoes, everybody wore love beads, bell bottoms and wide collar shirts; we all watched Midnight Special and learned to dance from watching Soul Train. Like you said, my generation grew up on the back end of the Civil Rights movement--and through the hippie movement, Viet Nam and Women's lib. We were, and STILL are, a generation that broke through barriers and valued peace and equality. I'd like to see us recover those values once more; it's sad to have lost ground, because those struggles were real and the gains were hard won. Through learning our music, you're learning our history too...thanks for that! ☮️

I miss the 70's like you can't imagine! The music, the trends, the fun, the freedom feeling, the movements, the clothes, the protests, the dancing, the disco's, & most of all, we all just liked each other, without question, & music didn't have a color,! 💞Great reaction💞

I was 17 when this song came out and I LOVED it!! I boogied my heart out when it played on the radio LOL. Let’s hear it for bell-bottomed jeans, platform shoes and funky music 🎶

I remember cruising around and this song coming on the radio. Full blast volume and singing along. My mother would get pissed because the next time she drove, the volume would scare the hell out of her. I miss the 70s music…

Rare Earth, first white man signed by Motown

This song still makes you want to get up and dance. Graduated in 78 and remember this song being played at school dances. What a great time to grow up.

I'm a 60's baby and use to sneak to the living room at 10 yrs old to watch The Midnight Special where I heard all these great tunes .

I love reactors listening to older music. It was so good back then. It had to be if us oldsters can still sing along after 40 years! Great reaction, I really enjoyed it.

I was a teenager in the mid to late 70s and graduated high school in 79/80 school year; I feel so lucky to have grown up with such fantastic music in that era! I used to sit up late every Saturday night to catch Midnight Special on tv ha.

The 70s had a plethora of phenomenal musicians in every genre of music….. spin the dial on the radio and your bound. Find something you like.😂🎉❤🎵🎶🎈🎉❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

The 70s was IT! I'm an 80s kid but the 1970s had every genre peaking at the same time. From country to punk and everything in between. Not to be repeated phenomenon!

This was my teenager years....... I was born in mid 60's and I would hear this on the Radio & dance to it while cleaning and get my chores done 👍🙄🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😎😎😎😎

My best memory of this song, it was 1976, I was playing Pop Warner football and about 5 of us were in the bed of a pickup truck when this song came on and all of us started singing at the top of our lungs and having a great time with it. We didn't know all the words, but we all knew the hook and we all rocked it. This song was one of the best that summer but there were so many great songs on the radio back then.

I was born in 67 so i got to enjoy the 70s and 80s growing up. I am so glad I did. We had the best music of any generation. God bless!

You are absolutely correct brother, in the 70s our country was coming together, everyone was getting along, and this trend continued up until the 90s and then it started to fade because of things the government was doing, and then in the 2000s it started on a hard downward spiral and now it's almost back to where it was during the civil rights movement. Again because of our government.

Oh my gosh. When the group of my friends first heard this song, we went nuts. Instant favorite. When we went to the disco clubs, or any clubs in general and this song came on, the dance floor instantly filled up. Everybody loved it, no matter your skin color.

We had such a wide variety of music, it was just incredible.

Thanks for your comments about the music of my day! I was going into my senior year of high school (Yes, I'm getting old). It made for some great party and dating times. The girls of the time went crazy over the rhythm of this song. My friends and I all thought this was a black group but found out differently when we got the album. I still have the album from1976. This is still a great song!! Oh, by the way I'm white. Back in the '70's, color of skin didn't matter to me and my friends. We are all of the same race - the human race. Keep up the good work!

I’m a 70’s baby and it was amazing. All we did was listen to music and had fun. The 80’s were fun too but I think the 70’s were better lol.

I'm fortunate enough that I lived through the very best times of the USA. I saw the best bands, best music and discovered every genre from Country to Surf rock, Punk, Reggae, Metal and R&B to jazz and Pop. There will never be another time like we had in the USA between the 1940's to the 1990's in music. I can't say the 60's or 70's were better but they offered so much new music that nothing since 2000comes anywhere near what we had back then. At 69, I know most all of the music we were blessed with. It's nice to see new generations are appreciating it.

1976 I had a baby son who didn't like to sleep unless he was being rocked, this song kept me going lol. The late 60's and 70's were an amazing time to live in, nothing like today.The music was so varied, look at any top 40's charts, the mixture was so diverse. If time travel was a thing, I'd go back in a heartbeat and I'd stay there.

During the 60's and 70's there was so much good music, it's hard to decide when you would have heard a specific song. We listened to transistor radios, vinyl records, and 8-track tapes (NOT cassette tapes). We dressed up in our finest clothes to go to the school dances and tried our best to look as cool as John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.

Great reaction!...but you HAVE to check out this song LIVE, on the MIDNIGHT SPECIAL!!!..with the AMAZING Brothers on the horns!!!! BEST VERSION!!!!!!!!!!

I remember the first time I heard this Legendary Song! I can’t tell you how many times I bumped to this on the dance floor. I miss the music--ALL of the music-of the 70’s! We listened to everydamnedthing! You didn’t have to choose one genre back then. I’m sorry for two things we no longer enjoy: amazing music and decent NBA basketball games.

Everyone my age and a little older loved this song 🎧 💓 🎶

I was in High School when I first heard this song. The 70's were almost the best music of my life. I still love the mid to late 60's music over the 70's.

70's was best music era. So blessed to grow up in the 70's. So much good music of all genre's. Disco was actually big in the 80's.

To get a small feeling of what it was like in the 70s you can still see one of the funkiest bands live in concert now, Atlanta's own mothers finest

Love your reaction! You can’t help but move…can ya? I was at home the first time I heard it. The kitchen became a disco dance floor. I was bumping with the wall and the kitchen table! 🕺🏿🕺🏿🕺🏿

I was driving my car home from work when this song came on the radio. I was keeping time with my head bobbing and my hands tapping the steering wheel in time with the drums. Everytime I hear this song, it takes me back to my early twenties. Great song and beat.

The seventies were an eclectic mix of music. You still had the British invasion going strong, with the inclusion of a second wave. You had easy listening grabbing spots on the charts. You had psychedelic, progressive, southern and hard rock along with metal. Then you had Motown going and disco came along. Some groups had success, others fell into the dreaded "1 Hit Wonder" category. Quite a few did.

I remember this song so well - I was 11 and my neighbour played it while showing off his new mood ring - we were like wow! That tune and the colour changing magic ring - the dude was so cool ... he had a perm, platform boots and wide leg jeans - the complete look - a hairy-chested Greek with gold like Mr T - that day is imprinted on my brain - thanks for bringing back the memory - it made me smile... -Peace

I came up in the late 70's thru the 80's musically. I always thought they were a super funky black group. I never felt the need to check for anything different. ALWAYS bopped and danced to it when I heard it on the radio. You can't help not! I LOVED LOVED LOVED this reaction. Never saw you laugh so hard. Thanks for the good time and smiles. I will carry that through today.

Literally EVERY person who reacted to this song paused it 10 seconds in and said the exact same thing you did. Props. 🙂

I remember the shock of seeing how Boy George looked like the first time back in junior high… amazing and totally enamored. The 70s-80s was a great time to grow up.

If you love Wild Cherry , you will dig the Average White Band, legendary soul !

Absolutely no reason to apologize, there was so much great music and so many talented musicians of all colors, lots of times, the race of the musicians was unknown to us until we saw them play on tv or in concert.

I was born in 1953. I worked in a disco in 1977. So much fun. Everyone got along great. The vest of times.

I lived through the 70’s. LOVED the funky music! Loved this song, loved Sly and the Family Stone, and Average White Band ….. Went to high school and college parties and this was always playing. Good memories!

I was really young, at a skating rink with my family when this was played and was my first time hearing it. And if I had a video of myself at that time, I was jamming to it hard core! I miss the 70's so bad!

Just speaking for myself, I can't really remember the first time I heard most songs from the '70s. Back then we couldn't just open Spotify and pick a song to listen to. Unless we were a superfan of some group -- buying and listening to their LPs -- mostly we heard part of a song on Radio Top-40 somewhere, and probably heard it in the background several times before actually making a point of really listening to it. The immense quantity and diversity of music in the '70s and '80s was the soundtrack of my life, and there's usually some event (or feeling) permanently imprinted in memory that's triggered when I hear a song, but normally not relevant to the first time I may have heard it.

I graduated High schools in 1970. We had a blast muscle cars, great music going out dancing on the weekends. The 70’s were the best

This song came out 1976, which helped uplift our country’s Bicentennial celebration. This was a time neighborhoods got together and celebrated the 4th of July together with eats and treat and possibly a parade that usually involves kids. I was 10 going on 11 and this song stood out on the car radios as well as home stereos. It leaked out onto the airways and most couldn’t help themselves, but to get drunk on the vibe and move to the music… we were spoiled with good music in those days.

I’m 52 years old, when I was a kid I used to sing this song out loud on my way to buy cigarettes for my parents… These days I still get ID’d for alcohol and singing this song would out loud would win me a trip to HR😮😂

I grew up with this music. I really liked rock but when disco came out we were able to dance to it. This song was great to dance to! We would see how low we could go while doing the bump lol! Motown was our dancing music till real disco came out. It was awesome back then! So much for you to learn. We all got along back then also. ❤

I am 59 Years old .I graduated High School in 1982. This song was played at my school Dances and Parties and at the Skating Rink. The 70's and 80's were a golden era of Music. We all partied together and all Genres were played on the Radio.

Oh my goodness, this was pure fun and joy! I was disco-ing to this song on platforms and swaths of polyester! 😂😂. Years fell away finding this reaction, wow 🤩 If I could, without any hesitation whatsoever, I’d go back to when EVERYBODY had a fro despite ethnicity. Where is my DeLorean??!!! Thanks for the memories! ❤

1976 and this tune was in heavy rotation at "Roller King" which was life at 10 years old. You are absolutely right about the 70's. There has never been any era like it since. I grew up in a "Potluck Society" everyone was one just about. Laid back and cool. People were different. Like the music, we all just were mon che`ri. Great and Fun Reaction! Have you listened in on, KC & The Sunshine Band? Peace On Ya

The seventies were my teen years graduating in 1977. I lived in Hollywood at the time and Rock and Disco were polar opposites back then. If you liked Rock you didn't DARE mention that you liked Disco. Finally at a concert in the early 80's held up a banner that said Disco Sucks and that went viral and pretty much killed it. I was on the Rock side although I did like some of it, Bee Gees and this song and some others but not much because Rock had thought provoking lyrics and styles, Disco did not it was mostly for dancing and grooving at the night clubs of the day.

I was born the the 70s, so the first time I heard this would've been sitting in a car seat with the radio on. It certainly was a fun one with a great beat! As an adult, I was as surprised as you to learn who the singer was

You’re right….70’s is the best music…EVER! All artists were true artists and we just listened, before there was too much MTV, and we had no idea how anyone looked. I thought KC & The Sunshine Band was an all black band-until I bought the 8 track, I think it was….😊😊This was definitely a JAM! And I thought they were black, too. So don’t feel bad. 😊

Don't apologize for mistaking the racial make up of a band. I am a 74 year old white woman following Motown for years, lol. They had the most polished, coolest groups around. Music knows no color. Love your reactions!

Please react to Redbone singing Come and Get Your Love.

l graduated in 1962. Experienced beginning of Rock and Roll with Elvis and Rhythm and Blues from Los Angeles in the 1950"s. Love music with heavy beats, soul and funk. I"m 79 years young now and "Play That Funky Music" is on my playlist. I instantly started dancing while watching Your reaction. Thank You for this joy today. Music is great, isn't it? I wish that All people could Feel the Love and Unity that abides within the Movement of Sound.

I was dancing in the clubs! I like Vanilla Ice's take on it too! Those were the good ole days! It's like yesterday! Let's not get it twisted, I still got the moves!

You're right. We were way more together then.

"I gotta give props to my Caucasian brethren.." < -- love this observation

You know, when I first heard this, I was one of the "rock and rolling minds'' they had a hard time changing. I was a teenage rocker in high school who felt threatened by the whole disco craze taking over the radio and my generation. It wasn't til sometime in the 90s when I started to get into EDM / rave / house that I revisited and started enjoying 70s disco and funk.

This song started the evolution of locker style dancing also called breakdancing 🙏🤙🏽❤️

I didn't see the black guys on the horns Why not? The man trying to keep the brother down?😂

You’re right about race relations. When I was a kid in the 80’s there was one racist old man up the street but that’s it. We commingled so well. I didn’t realize how much animosity there was towards whites from blacks until the Obama administration.

I'm a child of the 70's. Best music ever. In my 60's now and still rock out!

I hea this MANY MANY MOONS ago. I loved it. AND I am super glad you ate liking it too. I am now 70 years old. and still remember some of the various danced we had back then.

Omg when i first heard this song i was in the highschool cafeteria and it was on the juke box, and me and my friends just started jumpin and dancin all over the place, and yes it was a true favorite, we loved it!!! Still do 😂😂😂 And the reason you get the feelin that we were kinda jammin together, black, white whatever, is because we were. We were having a great time with each other, it was truly the best of music and times! ❤❤

Aussie white woman born in '69. Loved that song, still do. Great era for music. Disco was popular everywhere, (and of course we had the BeeGees too). We only had a few tv stations but we had music shows and I remember seeing groups like Boney M on the TV (others I can't remember). My siblings were old enough to go to the disco's, the disco dancing was a big thing. I felt sad when you commented about people seeming to be more 'coming together' back then. When you get to the 80's, if you want to, look up Aussie band INXS and their song Original Sin. It was banned in several of your country's states back then apparently, which shocked me when I found out years later. As a teenager at the time, it was a popular song and although I guess it was a protest song, we just loved the song. The 80's had it's fair share of protest songs but I think, as a teenager , the 80's had more protest songs than we realised at the time, because the music was just so good.

Grew up in the 70s. Music has never been the same. Loved this song. A lot of our music listening habits were not done without, shall we say some "help" of some sort? 😁

I think this was 1976 and I was a young mother enjoying life! working and being a Mom was my life, but music was always part of my life and I loved this song when it came out especially when they had the two black guys pointing at him saying "Play the funky music white boy" I always thought that was hysterical, you should seek out a copy of the Midnight special performance I think they are on that one together! Love your channel and your reactions to these songs from my youth!

I feel blessed to live thru those times. I feel there were so many people givin' music a shot that there were a lot of chances for the cream to rise to the top. I think that the professionalism coming out of Motown Records made their music more acceptable to a wider crowd of people and opened the door for others to give it their shot, even without the power of Motown behind them.

oh ya one thing you may not know about wild cherry was a rock band back then they open up for lot of funk groups at one concerts they ware playing some one in the crowd yelled out play some funky music white boy so right after that concert he was in his hotel room and wroght out this song in one night. before that song all they did played was rock songs only so the next time they did a concert when some one yelled out play some funky music white boy they stopped playing and broke out this song to play every one there cound not belive what they ware hearing. can you imagine being at a concert and for the first time seeing this band start to play one of the best funky music you have ever heard of before then. man i wish i was there. i do not know about you but ya i really wish i was at that concert to hear that song for the very first time ever. how lucky you would be.

Great talent from the 60's, 70's and 80's. True musicians. KIDS for the most part being master musicians.

Roller skates and Friday nights… I was born 1963- my parents loved music and theatre. We always had a radio going or the stereo as kids… not a lot of tv. We were park kids mostly, played sports n stuff together…. and when we got older… the 80’s picked us up and off we went…. Band Aid, Live Aid, Farm Aid, We are the world… we tried to do everything possible ❤🎶❤️

I saw them on Midnight Special in the '70s while Wild Cherry was on the charts. My mouth dropped open when I saw they mostly white except for the saxman and trumpet player. The song blew me away. 8:41

You have to remember. It was a funk revolution. Growing up in the 70's was one of the best times ever. It really didn't matter what color you were. We all just sang, danced and rocked together. Disco was great. Between R&B, rock, funk, motown, blues, & disco. We had it all. I wish we could all get back to those time. I would hold up in my bedroom with my lil record player and dance in front of the mirror, sing with the vacuum cleaner cord as my microphone. Those were the days. God bless the 70's. Funk on people of RU-vid 🎉😊

I was a kid when this came out, but it was big! It wasn't the biggest, but it came out in an age when everyone was cool with each other. There were issues on an individual level, but overall people were cool with each other, and when it came to partying, everyone was all in for a good time (probably because the 60s were so exhausting). This song hung on the radio for a few years and it was a party favorite. My older brother had this album.

I was born in 63, so i got enjoy music from the 60s,70s,80, etc. great time great music

I was a teenager. Loved this song. Sang along with it on the radio all the time. I was born in 61. We had the best music and we knew it

I started dancing with my daughter in the kitchen ( 1976 ) , she is in her 50's now and every time she visits we play this on my old 45 rpm turntable and do it all again . Always love your reactions, they are so genuine.

My roommate and I attended JMU when this song came out. We went down to Hampton Coliseum to see concert. We were blown away to see they were white. We are white and totally expected them to be black. Isley Brothers we’re the first band. The audience was mixed and it was a great show, we had so much fun!

I was out on a date with my wife that Saturday night in San Francisco California when we first heard this song played by the live band at the disco club. We loved it so much that we danced to it all night! We sure had fun back then in the 70s, blacks,whites,latins,Asians were all dancing together and had fun as one group!!!! Really miss those funky times. Everyone treated each and everyone with respect,love and peace!!! We were all like one huge family, brothers and sisters. We all got along as peaceful yet fun loving Americans in San Francisco!! Yeah to the 1970s era!! 🤗❤👍❤👍❤😊

When I here this song I get up and dance to the groove.

Dude, this goes back to the 50s. When Elvis Presley was young and started to get some radio play. A lot of it was in the South and a lot of it was on black radio stations and apparently a lot of people including some of the DJs or quite surprised to find out that he was a white guy. He became good friends with the blues Legend BB King and the two of them highly respected each other. It was so cool.

I was playing music all over the US in the 70's and 80's... music was music, dancing was dancing and people were people!!

In 1970 I was 11, in 1979, 20. The 70's was my era. The music was my era. I am so grateful for modern technology, and the ability to have a 20 hour playlist of 70's music, to relive all the good parts of those years. Even as an old lady, I can still grove with this tune. It never gets old.