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Description
'The Complete Studio Recordings 1970-1986' is a new 119 tracks / Nine-Disc box set celebrating the career of Hot Chocolate, a multi-racial, pioneering British Soul group who became one of the most popular and accomplished UK chart acts of the era, with 25 Top 40 singles and six Top 40 albums. It includes all eight of their studio albums released in this period, as well non-album tracks, B-Sides, extended mixes and an entire disc dedicated to their early singles.
In extensive new sleeve notes written specially for this release, award-winning author, broadcaster and journalist Pete Paphides argues that the band's commercial achievements have overshadowed the critical acclaim that their body of work undoubtedly deserves - an oversight that we hope this collection will help to put right.
Singer Errol Brown and his Hot Chocolate co-founder Tony Wilson originally signed to Mickie Most's RAK label in 1969 as songwriters, where their original compositions were recorded by Mary Hopkin, Julie Felix and Herman's Hermits. The following year Hot Chocolate had their first chart success when 'Love Is Life' reached No. 6, kickstarting a career that would see the band have at least one hit every year for the next eight years; all but five of those hits were written by Errol and/or Tony. While the pinnacle of their success might be considered the July 1977 No. 1 'So You Win Again', their biggest hits also found an audience in the US - 'Emma' peaked at No. 8 there, 'You Sexy Thing' At No. 3, and 'Every 1s A Winner' at No. 6.
Never tied to one particular music fashion, the albums they released during these years gave the other talented band members - Harvey Hinsley (guitars), Larry Ferguson (keyboards), Patrick Olive (bass) and Tony Connor (drums) - an opportunity to show off their own songwriting skills, for the ensemble to experiment on different genres, to address social issues, and even tackle songs written by Elvis Costello, and The Police.
As their contemporaries on the Soul scene failed to keep up with changes in taste, Hot Chocolate's run of hits continued in the '80s, with three UK Top 40 singles in 1982 alone - 'Girl Crazy' (No. 7), 'It Started With A Kiss' (No. 5), and 'Chances' (No. 32).
Errol Brown left Hot Chocolate in 1985, but their brilliant back catalogue continued to find a new audience - 'You Sexy Thing' has the unique position of being a UK Top 10 hit in the '70s, '80s and '90s, latterly helped by its use in the hit comedy film The Full Monty. A version of their 1973 single 'Brother Louie' (UK No. 7) was a US No. 1 hit for American Rock band Stories that same year, and the ever-growing list of artists who have since covered Hot Chocolate songs ranges from Deee-Lite to the Tom Tom Club, Cud to Stereophonics, and The Sisters Of Mercy to Urge Overkill.
Tracklisting
Level 42
Rainbow
Level 42
Level 42
Ian Dury
Everything But The Girl
Donna Summer
Cast
Hot Chocolate
Hot Chocolate
Hot Chocolate
