“Do What You Wanna Do” by T-Connection

This high-powered funk/disco jam packed dance floors throughout the U.S. and the U.K. back in 1977. It’s masterfully arranged, featuring a scorching beat, crackling keyboards and some wicked bass. The track is further bolstered by an electrifying synthesizer solo and a roof-raising percussion breakdown. “Do What You Wanna Do” is about doing your own thing and not allowing others to dictate how you should live your life. Its message is that you’ve only got one life, so you might as well live it the way you want and do the things that make you happy, as long as you’re not hurting or negatively affecting others. 

“Do What You Wanna Do” is Bahamian funk/disco outfit T-Connection’s biggest hit. It topped Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart and peaked at #15 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart. And it climbed to #46 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart and reached #11 on the U.K. singles chart. Written by bandleader Theophilus Coakley, “Do What You Wanna Do” was a single from T-Connection’s debut album Magic, released in 1977 on Dash Records, a subsidiary of T.K. Records.

"Do What You Wanna Do” has been sampled on 17 songs, per WhoSampled.com. Additionally, it was featured in a scene from the HBO series The Deuce (season 2, episode 2, 2018). And it’s included on the soundtrack for the British comedy slasher film Prevenge (2016).

The full band lineup for Magic was Theophilus Coakley (keyboards, lead vocals), Kirkwood “Kurt” Coakley (bass, background vocals), Berkley Van Byrd (drums, background vocals), Monty Brown (guitar, background vocals) and Anthony “Monks” Flowers (percussion, background vocals).

T-Connection performing "Do What You Wanna Do" live in 1977

"Do What You Wanna Do" available at Amazon

Related blog entry: Everything Is Cool by T-Connection