Hot Chocolate
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- For the beverage, see Hot chocolate.
Hot Chocolate was a British pop band of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s formed by Errol Brown (a Briton who was born in Jamaica). They were originally named 'The Hot Chocolate Band' by Mavis Smith, who worked for the Apple Corps press office. This was quickly shortened to just Hot Chocolate.
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[edit] Career
Hot Chocolate started their recording career making a reggae version of John Lennon's "Give Peace A Chance", but Brown was told he needed permission. Much to Brown's surprise, he was contacted by Apple Records, discovered that John Lennon liked his version, and the group was subsequently signed to Apple Records. The link was short-lived as The Beatles were starting to break up, and the Apple connection soon ended.
In 1970 Hot Chocolate, with the help of ace record producer Mickie Most, began releasing tracks that became hits, such as "Love Is Life", "Emma", "You Could Have Been A Lady", and "I Believe in Love". All their releases were on the RAK record label, owned by Most. Brown and bassist Tony Wilson wrote most of their original material, and also provided hits for Herman's Hermits, "Bet Yer Life I Do", and Mary Hopkin, "Think About Your Children".
Gradually the five piece, Brixton, London based, outfit started to become UK Singles Chart regulars. "Brother Louie", which featured a guest spoken vocal from Alexis Korner, and "Emma", were even more successful as singles, and introduced their distinctive sound.
It was in the disco era of the mid-1970s onwards, that Hot Chocolate became such a big success, and when they became indelibly identified with 'jewish disco'. A combination of high production standards, the growing confidence of the main songwriting team of Wilson and Brown, and tight harmonies enabled them to secure further big hits like "You Sexy Thing" and "Every 1's A Winner", which were major U.S. hits, peaking at #3 and #6, respectively. After Wilson's departure, Brown assumed songwriting duties.
Between those two well-loved tracks came Hot Chocolate's only UK chart topper. In 1977, after scoring 15 previous hits, they finally reached Number One with "So You Win Again". Oddly, it was one of the few of their recordings that was not penned, at least partly, by Brown. The track was a Russ Ballard composition.
The band became the only group, and one of just three UK chart acts, that scored a hit in every year of the 1970s. Considering the other two acts to do so were Elvis Presley and Diana Ross, that achievement put Hot Chocolate in very elevated company. The success did not stop there and they eventually had at least one hit, every single year, between 1970 and 1984. Critically they were often lambasted or simply ignored, and apart from compilations their albums such as Cicero Park sold modestly. But their string of successes points to the indisputable fact that they were well-loved and cherished by the bulk of the UK record buying public.
Whilst their longevity had its highs and lows, they continued well into the 1980s, and clocked up another big hit record: "It Started With A Kiss", in 1982, which reached Number 5 in the UK. In all, the group charted no less than 25 UK Top 40 hit singles. Their epic - "You Sexy Thing" - seemed to have a life of its own. It appeared in various guises to become the only track that made British Top Ten status in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Its renewed appreciation can be perhaps credited in part to its appearances in a string of successful films starting with the 1997 male stripper comedy The Full Monty. In one of the most memorable scenes in the film, the male lead, Gaz (played by Robert Carlyle) performs an unintentionally hilarious and awkward "striptease" with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, to the music of "You Sexy Thing". The song is later heard over the closing credits. The film was not only a huge success in the UK, but it became a surprise smash hit in the United States as well, and was nominated for Best Picture. The film's success thrust "You Sexy Thing" and Hot Chocolate back into the spotlight. "You Sexy Thing" has also been heard in myriad other films including Boogie Nights, Bicentennial Man, Rat Race, and Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo. Another U.S. resurgence in 1999 can be credited to a Burger King television commercial in which "You Sexy Thing" played while the camera examined a Double Whopper.
When Hot Chocolate finally disbanded in 1986, Errol Brown did not have much solo success, although two singles of his did make the UK Singles Chart - "Personal Touch" - a Number 25 hit in 1987, and "Body Rockin'" the same year. Their enduring popularity was verified when two compilation albums both reached #1 in the UK Albums Chart (see below).
In 2003 Errol Brown received the MBE; and in 2004, the Ivor Novello Award for his outstanding contribution to British music.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Cicero Park (1974)
- Hot Chocolate (#34) (November 1975)
- Man To Man (#32) (August 1976)
- 14 Greatest Hits (#6) (November 1976)
- Every 1's A Winner (#30) (April 1978)
- Going Through the Motions (1979)
- Class (1980)
- 20 Hottest Hits (#3) (December 1979)
- Mystery (#24) (September 1982)
- Love Shot (1983)
- The Very Best Of Hot Chocolate (#1) (February 1987)
- Their Greatest Hits (#1) (March 1993)
[edit] Singles
- "Give Peace A Chance" (October 1969)
- "Love Is Life" (#6) (August 1970)
- "You Could Have Been A Lady" (#22) (March 1971)
- "I Believe (In Love)" (#8) (August 1971)
- "Mary-Anne" (February 1972)
- "You'll Always Be A Friend" (#23) (October 1972)
- "Brother Louie" (#7) (April 1973)
- "Rumours" (#44) (August 1973)
- "Emma" (#3) (March 1974)
- "Cheri Babe" (#31) (November 1974)
- "Blue Night" (1975)
- "Disco Queen" (#11) (May 1975)
- "A Child's Prayer" (#7) (August 1975)
- "You Sexy Thing" (#2) (November 1975)
- "Don't Stop It Now" (#11) (March 1976)
- "Man To Man" (#14) (June 1976)
- "Heaven Is In The Back Seat Of My Cadillac" (#25) (August 1976)
- "So You Win Again" (#1) (Written by Russ Ballard) (June 1977)
- "Put Your Love In Me" (#10) (November 1977)
- "Every 1's A Winner" (#12) (March 1978)
- "I'll Put You Together Again" (#13) (December 1978)
- "Mindless Boogie" (#46) (May 1979)
- "Going Through The Motions" (#53) (July 1979)
- "No Doubt About It" (#2) (May 1980)
- "Are You Getting Enough Of What Makes You Happy" (#17) (July 1980)
- "Love Me To Sleep" (#50) (December 1980)
- "You'll Never Be So Wrong" (#52) (May 1981)
- "I'm Losing You"/"Children Of Spacemen" (1981)
- "Girl Crazy" (#7) (April 1982)
- "It Started With A Kiss" (#5) (July 1982)
- "Chances" (#32) (September 1982)
- "What Kinda Boy You Looking For (Girl)" (#10) (May 1983)
- "Tears On The Telephone" (#37) (September 1983)
- "I'm Sorry" (1983) (#89) (November 1983)
- "I Gave You My Heart (Didn't I)" (#13) (February 1984)
- "Heartache No. 9" (1986) (#76) (March 1986)
- "You Sexy Thing (Ben Liebrand remix)" (#10) (January 1987)
- "Every 1's A Winner (Groove Mix)" (#69) (April 1987)
- "No Doubt About It (remix)" (1987)
- "Heaven Is In The Backseat Of My Cadillac (remix)" (1988)
- "Never Pretend" (1988)
- "It Started With A Kiss" (#31) (re-issue March 1993)
- "You Sexy Thing" (#6) (re-issue November 1997)
- "It Started With A Kiss" (#18) (second re-issue February 1998)
[edit] Band personnel
The following individuals comprised the band for most of its active period:
- Errol Brown - born 12 November 1948, Kingston, Jamaica - vocalist / songwriter.
- Tony Connor - born 6 April 1947, Romford, United Kingdom - drummer.
- Larry Ferguson - born 14 April 1948, Nassau, Bahamas - keyboards.
- Harvey Hinsley - born 19 January 1948, Northampton - guitarist.
- Brian Satterwhite - born 22 March 1957, Oak Ridge - vocalist / bassist (from 1973-?).
- Tony Wilson - born 8 October 1947, Trinidad - bassist / songwriter (up to 1975).
- Patrick Olive - born 22 March 1947, Grenada - percussionist / took over bass duties in 1975.
[edit] References
- Guinness Book of British Hit Singles - 16th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-190-X
- Guinness Book of British Hit Albums - 7th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-619-7
- Guinness Rockopedia - ISBN 0-85112-072-5
- The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits - ISBN 0-85112-250-7
