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Hot chocolate

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For the beverage, see Hot chocolate.
Hot Chocolate was a British band of the 1960s, and 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.

Contents

Career

Errol started their recording career making a reggae version of John Lennon's "Give Peace A Chance", but he was told he needed permission. Much to Errol's surprise, he was contacted by Apple Records, and discovered that John Lennon loved his version, and they subsequently signed to Apple Records. The connection was short-lived, as The Beatles were in their death throes, and the Apple connection soon fizzled out.

In 1970 Hot Chocolate, with the help of ace record producer Mickie Most, began releasing tracks that became hits, such as "Love Is Life", "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 'funky 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". 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, like '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. 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 a myriad of other films, including "Boogie Nights", "Bicentennial Man", "Rat Race", and "Deuce Bigalow - Male Gigilo"


When Hot Chocolate finally disbanded in 1986, Errol Brown did not have much solo success.  Although, two singles of his did make the chart - "Personal Touch" - a Number 25 hit in 1987, and "Body Rockin'" the same year.


In 2003, Errol Brown received the MBE; and in 2004, the Ivor Novello Award for his outstanding contribution to British music.



Discography


Albums



Singles



Band Personnel


For the bulk of the group's career, they were  served by the following individuals :-



External link

















 





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