Customer Reviews

A Taste of Honey / Twice as Sweet

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Taste of Honey is one of those groups who have unfairly been plastered with "one hit wonder" status with "Boogie Oogie Oogie". Sure, when the song came out, I hated it, but several decades later, it really isn't a bad song. Just listen to the bass playing. On these 2 CD's the ladies of TOH show us that they are much more than disco divas. They do a nice job with ballads including their remake of "Sukiyaki".

There are a few disco cash-in songs like "Disco Dancin" but they are very few and aren't all that bad. To me, the music on these CD's isn't all that different from what Patrice Rushen was doing on albums like "Posh". There are also some similarities to Stephanie Mills or a very toned down Rufus/Chaka Kahn.

Some favorites include "You're In Good Hands", "Sky High", "If We Loved", though all the tracks are quite good. "You're In Good Hands" is a remake of a song Jermaine Jackson recorded early in his solo career.

We also need to remember that the ladies of TOH were also instrumentalists which was rare for a female R&B group of the 70's.

If you like sleek, well produced R&B (both uptempo & slow) you will enjoy these CD's. Don't worry about what your friends say. My friends always laugh when I tell them I like TOH. They don't know what they are missing.

Okay, I'll admit it - I really thought these were gonna be two throw away disco albums by a group that really only had two bonafide hits. Part of that is because I picked up a copy of their second album "Another Taste" about a year ago, and it was just plain bad. But much to my surprise, these girls definitely had it going on, as these two albums demonstrate. There is so much more to them than "Boogie Oogie Oogie," which was the biggest hit of their career. The first album, the platinum "A Taste of Honey" is solid, with a wide variety of styles that reach far beyond disco. Sleek numbers like "World Spin" and "This Love of Ours" show that they could move from the dance floors to sophisticated R&B in the blink of an eye. Great stuff. "Sky High" is another cool number, but "Disco Dancin'" really could have been left as a nonalbum B-side. The 12-inch version of "Boogie" is included on this CD, but it does not hold a candle to the original. Overall, this album is good stuff, and it's a shame that people have dismissed it over the years. Their third album, "Twice as Sweet" was issued after the two guys, Don Johnson and Perry Kibble, departed. This probably would have been a more appropriate second release, since it sort of picks up where their first ended. More upscale and soul-oriented, this album shows a depth missing from other releases. "Resuce Me" is great early '80s pop-soul, while "Superstar Superman" features a smooth arrangement, and Hazel Payne's unique voice. "She's a Dancer" and "Say That You'll Stay" are also great. But the crowning jewel is "Sukiyaki" a nice change-of-pace number that has held up well over the years. Featuring a koto and sleek George Duke production, this cover of a Japanese song helped prove these women could do just about anything musically. Again, we have another really good album that gets overlooked. But if you are interested in A Taste of Honey, these albums paint a good picture of two chics with real chops, as another buyer pointed out below. This just wasn't a good disco group, it was a good group period.

Two of Taste Of Honey's lp's finally on cd! these are two solid albums of R&B, disco.. great musicianship, it's a shame TOH didn't get the props they deserve! some of the highlights are 'This Love Of Ours', 'World Spin', 'Rescue Me'..and of course the big hit 'Boogie Oogie Oogie'!

If you are a fan of the 70's funk, you will love this hard to find
double album CD by A Taste Of Honey.It is worth the extended Boogie
Oggie, Oggie alone. This is a must have for your funk collection!!!!

I love BOTH albums, but just to have "Twice As Sweet" in CD format makes this reissue imperative to own!

What you have here are two classic albums: their debut coupled with their third release, "Twice As Sweet." The latter features the perky and punchy first single, "Rescue Me," the slinky and funky and sexy, "I'm Talkin' 'Bout You" and the dreamy and gorgeous, "Sukiyaki" which features Janice Marie's trademark lazy, creamy vocals backed by Hazel's buttery harmonies. I might add that "Ain't Nuthin' but A Party" doesn't disappoint either. "Twice As Sweet" was DEFINITELY a bid for crossover appeal and the girls succeeded across the board on this outing!

Of course, everyone already knows what a smash hit their debut was with Capitol's first platinum single EVER in "Boogie Oogie Oogie." "If We Love" features Hazel on lead vocals and should be a staple included in Quiet Storm formats.

Your not going to get any arguement that A Taste Of Honey were an extrodinarily underrated act and,like so many were written off for two reasons.A) Because of the nature of the disco era and B) Because of the huge success of the single "Boogie Oogie Oogie".Now about that song,featured on the first disk on this set,their self titled album from 1978 was described by Musichound R&B: The Essential Album Guide (Musichound Essential Album Guides) as being "hardly top flight disco" but of course that could'nt make less sense.Because this song has an intro (with that great mildly psychedelic guitar line) and it's unbeatable hook "Boogie Oogie Oogie" is actually one of the FINEST disco hits of the era.But....DON'T DISMISS THE REST!'A Taste Of Honey' is actually a genuine album as opposed to a collection of singles.There are a couple ballads in the string laden "This Love Of Ours" and the Motownish "You're In Good Hands",written by their own Mizell brothers.But for the most part,as mentioned in this review A Taste of honey specialize in rhythmic funk and dance music.Even though he didn't produce this album there are signs on the funky "Distant","World Spin","If We Loved" and the MONSTEROUS "You" that the influence of George Duke is strongly felt. The light breezy rhythm of "Sky High" rounds out this great collection.But if your into George Duke.....theres always the second album 'Twice As Nice'.This album (the duos third) from 1980 features Duke's production,and trademark Yamaha CP-30 electric piano playing all over it.It starts out in the best way possible with the franticly funky "Ain't Nothin' But A Part" and continues on with a series of other like selections,especially the upbeat "Superstar Superman".This album also contains the other song asociated with A Taste Of Honey in their cover of "Sukiyaki",a pretty love song and one of George Duke's crowning achievments as a producer-he keeps the heavy oriental motif and ultra slow pace of this ballad intact and it's a lovely way to end this recording.A Taste Of Honey have a greatest hits album out but to get a "taste" (no pun intended) on what thus duo are about artistically this album comes about as close to perfection in that respect as anyone could ask.

from this Dynamic Duo.they don't get the Love they should for being so Good&solid not only as Musicians but also as Composers."Boogie oogie oogie",is the jam.that Bass line still is slamming.If we Loved is solid.then on the 2nd disc is "Rescue Me",& the Great " Sukiyaki".that song is so chill&relaxing.they weren't just a Disco act they have Real Chops.

For years we've all known the disco staple "Boogie Oogie Oogie" mostly for it's unforgettable and distinct bass lines, courtesy of Janice Johnson. The very thing that makes the megahit unforgettable is the reason that, all these years later, I broke down and bought this two-disc set. Ironically, it was the flip side of their 1981 hit "Sukiyaki," a lovely smooth jazz number called "Don't You Lead Me On" that was my No. 1 reason for wondering if I was missing out on a group that got unfairly labelled as "disco" as many artists of the day did. Glad I finally followed my own instincts, because both these albums are great and worth your while if you like a great mixture of soul, funk, jazz, pop, and dance music. Not only are bassist and major vocalist Janice Johnson and guitarist Hazel Payne a diversified duo, but they had the savvy--yes, BACK THEN--to write their own songs and take on male territory as well as Janis Joplin had the bluesy kahoonas to do it. Do you hear some resemblance to both the Brothers Johnson and a touch of Earth Wind and Fire? Exactly, and you know that is both gutsy and cool.

Strongest points on both albums:
A TASTE OF HONEY:
Both versions of "Boogie Oogie Oogie," of course.
Gorgeous and sweeping "This Love of Ours."
The very Brothers Johnson resemblant and totally funky-cool "You."
"If We Love" is Carpenters gone soul.
The sweet soul ballad "You're in Good Hands."

TWICE AS SWEET:
A personal favorite, Earth Wind and Fire-like irrisistible dance tune, "Ain't Nothin' but a Party." Note if you will that jazz great George Duke co-wrote this song, taking it up 100 degrees!
"Rescue Me" is very resemblant to Cheryl Lynn's hit "Got to be Real"--at first. This song is funkier and far cooler.
"Superstar Superman" is a very nice pop track from Hazel, and another of my favorite ballads on here.
"Don't You Lead Me On," another co-write with George Duke, has smooth jazz written all over it, and I have always appreciated the classiness of this sophisticated song.
I love all the layers to "Say that You'll Stay," again a Duke co-pen, and it is an impressive song on many levels.

The ladies were very talented, and I think they could have gotten farther if they hadn't been cursed with the disco label. They were so much more than that, and their albums still prove it. Want some good R&B by two ladies who don't just stand around and wiggle like Spice Girls, but play their own instruments, write a hell of a good diversified collection of songs, and have decent voices? Toss those old preconceived notions to the wind and have yourself A Taste of Honey, because it is indeed very sweet.

okay a taste of honey is a few of disco groups i like, distant has a funky vibe to it, and if we loved is one of my favorite ballads, sukiyaki is on here a song used by a million rappers, rescue me was sampled by positive k, and the funky 4 plus 1, sky high has nice lyrics this was no oridinary disco group unklike other talentless divas these girls use melodies, and instruments, still love it.