Customer Reviews

Cicero Park

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The first time I heard Hot Chocolate was when their first American hit "Emma" saturated the airways back in 1975. Around this time I was living in an apartment with a friend over a local backstreet bar in Eynon, PA. At that time our mutual musical tastes ran to then (?) mostly obscure British Progressive Rock like Henry Cow and Hatfield & the North, but the song we probably listened to most during our brief tenure there was "Emma". Some bar patron (or more? we never knew, since we never frequented the joint) kept playing "Emma" over and over ad nauseam, whether due from a lost love, or maybe just obsessed with that tuned down guitar hook, I'll never know, but the funny thing is, that no matter how many times "Emma, Emmalene" swirled through my ears, I never tired of her. Later I began to find Hot Chocolate's albums in the cut-out bins, and a life long love of their music was born. Although they lost their songwriting edge with the future loss of co-songwriter (with Errol Brown), vocalist and bassist Tony Brown, Hot Chocolates early albums had "nary a duff track", with most cuts equal or better than the hits. For years I've been wishing for reissues of their first three classic albums, and thanx to 7T's/Cherry Red Records here they come, with bonus tracks, fine booklets, pictures of single sleeves, the works! Even more impressive is the first to be released, CICERO PARK, buffed up with enough single-only cuts to warrant TWO CD's! Containing the hits "Emma" (#8) and "Disco Queen" (#28), and two songs that became hits for others, "You Could've Been A Lady" (for April Wine), and "Brother Louie" (a #1 hit in a radically different, but obviously viable arrangement by Stories). The only caveat is that you'll have to hold on to 2005's excellent and not quite redundant release A's B's & RARITIES, the only place to find their debut single for Apple Records (Yes, THAT Apple!) as The Hot Chocolate Band. A fine reissue of a very under-rated and due for re-discovery group's debut album. Can't wait for the next two......Hot Chocolate, Man to Man, A's, B's & Rarities, Stories/About Us, The Hits..Over 60 Minutes With

Released in the early seventies, this album is a true masterpiece. I originally bought the record in vinyl format after hearing EMMA on the radio. I was so impressed by Erroll Brown's vocals that I had to get the record. I will start by the original tracks (10), then make a quick mention on the bonus materials included in this release.

This is probably the most interesting release from this band that did not really survive the disco era and lot its soul with and after that period. In this collection, you get deep soul tracks such as "Makin music", "Cicero Park", "Could have been born in the ghetto"(a track that could have been main song for any "blaxploitation film like Shaft, Jackie Brown, Superfly, etc) , "You're a natural High" or the famous and tragical "Emma", more funky tracks ("Funky Rock n roll", "Bump and Dilly down", and yes, "Disco Queen"). Granted, all these songs are heavily marked by the seventies seal, but the interesting quality of this band, besides the unique voice of its singer, was its blend of styles and the fusion of instruments used. Powerful winds, aggressive electric guitar, purring bass, and strings with probably a Hammond or Rhodes. It is also a blend of cultures, with a cross between Jamaican, British and US styles. In its way, it reminds me of Bands as AWB (a band of good ole Irish and Scotsmen who were heavily funky), because they were able to create something different new and specific in style. All in all, an excellent album not be ashamed of owning in a respectable collection. I liked this band and album so much that I bought the follow ups during my frequent trips to London (still talking of the seventies, this stuff wasn't available on the net nor in regular record stores outside Britain).Hot Chocolate, Man to Man.

Now to part 2, the extra tracks. For the most part, they are just documents and early tracks from the band, as pointed by the previous reviewer. The sound is typically sixties. I had the impression I was listening to the Hollies, the Papas and the Mamas, or even the Beatles at times. It's interesting to hear the musical shift of the band through this extra material, but I would probably not pay extra for them unless I am a big fan of Hot Chocolate.

If you like the sounds of the seventies with a personnalized touch in this case, forget the corny name of the group, get this abum. I you do not want to buy the whole thing, get the original 10 tracks and add the last five tracks of the bonus cd. In any case, like Barry White said, Let the music play !!!