Day: 2 February 2020

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell reviewing Hot Chocolate: Remixes and Rarities, Deluxe 3CD Digipak Edition

by

REMIXES & RARITIES    Hot Chocolate  (3CD)
Happy new Year to all Smarties and welcome to the first Smart Sounds review of 2020. Ah Hot Chocolate just what we need on a cold January morning! The latest in Cherry Red’s R & R series is a real gem. Few bands can lay claim to the longevity and success, or, the calibre of Hot Chocolate. From their first release in 1969 (Lennon’s Give Peace A Chance) right thru the 70’s, 80’s & 90’s the band had massive success. Charting 29  UK Top 40 singles, a number 1 and 3 US Top 10’s  they were seldom off our TV screens or our radio’s. This comprehensive 3CD set,, as ever housed beautifully in a sturdy fold out digipack with extensive liner booklet, does what it say’s on the tin and brings together 36 tracks of rare,  hard to find remixes, ‘B’ sides and some tracks finding their way onto CD for the first time. The plethora of remixes feature some of HC’s most beloved songs including ‘Everyone 1’s A Winner’ ‘Mindless Boogie’ ‘Heaven Is In The Back Seat Of My Cadillac’ ‘No Doubt About it’ and of course ‘You Sexy Thing’. There are in fact 6 remixes of the latter, some might consider that overkill, but for those completists and collectors out there they will be warmly welcomed. Indeed YST is probably my own personal less favoured track, probably due to its overexposure over the years in films and (extensively) in TV advertising. There are 2 Megamix’s I would have loved to have available all those years ago when I was still doing live DJ shows. you could guarantee that people would get up on their feet to HC. The first of these and in my eyes the best features ‘Emma/So You Win Again/You Sexy Thing/Every 1’s A Winner/So You Win Again/No Doubt About It a sure floor filler.

The last track of the Megamix  ‘No Doubt About It’ is one of my favourite HC tracks and involves a strange and personal connection. In 1978 I lived in London off Finchley Road and coming home from a gig in the early hours I saw what I can only say was a UFO having woken up my flatmate who saw it too and confirmed I wasn’t drunk or dreaming! the sight stayed with me always. Then along in 1980 came ‘No Doubt About It’ co-written by Dave Most (brother of record whiz Mickie) based on the experience of seeing a UFO…which I later found out was seen over…yes you’ve guessed it..Finchley Road! Spooky! Anyway back to earth, this new collection has been remastered from (where possible) the original master tapes and sounds wonderful and has given my speakers a good work out. Hot Chocolate produced some classy and classic material over their peak years and this release adds to that admirably. With new members the band still tours to this day, Errol Brown sadly left us in May 2015 but im sure he’s looking on and busting some moves, no doubt about it. Enjoy.

For more information go to … https://www.cherryred.co.uk

Til next time……………..Colin

Monica Bane… Loved Hot Chocolate. Have some of their music!

Mick O’Dowd… Great stuff! They were an excellent band with a terrific singer. Worked with them once and saw them on another occasion. Nice blokes. Sad loss of Errol.

Julie Findlay-Jones… Went to see them with your sister Alan, brilliant concert.

Peter O’Donnell… Talented man.

David Edwards… Great band with Errol’s honey laden vocals what’s not to like about them

John Parnell… Saw them in their very early days in September 1968 at the Narracott Grand hotel, Woolacombe, Devon. Excellent band. I particularly remember Errol’s very energetic performance in addition to his great singing.

 

What Records Make You Want To Get Up And Dance?

by

Alan Esdaile… A couple that spring to mind for me are The Doobie Brothers Long Train Running, Osibisa Music For Gong Gong, Curtis Mayfield Move On Up, Los Bravos Black Is Black and Mony Mony Tommy James & The Shondells.

John Wilde… Martha and the Vandellas Dancing in the Streets, Stevie Wonder Uptight, Arthur Conley Sweet Soul Music, Aint Nothing but a House Party The Showstoppers, Sly and the Family Stone Dance to the Music, Prince Kiss, Ramsey Lewis Wade in the Water.

Julie Morris… Earth, Wind & Fire – September … and Let the Music Play!

Peter Fairless… Boogie Nights – Heatwave, Dave Edmunds Rockpile I knew the bride, Bobby Freeman Do You Want To Dance.

Alex Chapman… None, dancing plays havoc with my sciatica! 🙂 but if it didn’t a nice smoochy dance to ‘Only The Lonely’ Roy Orbison

Caz Simpson… Road Runner Junior Walker and Jumping Jack Flash. For a slow one..What does it take (to win your love) Junior Walker, Harlem Shuffle.. Bob and Earl.

Geoff Peckham… Loads spring to mind. First are: Iko, Iko – The Dixie Cups;
Alright Now – Free; Cisco Kid – War; Now That We’ve Found Love – Third World; Boogie Chillun – John Lee Hooker; he mentions Hastings in it too!

Alan Pepper…. Songs that get me out the zimmer …..I can’t help myself 4 Tops, Get up off that thing James Brown, Play that funky music Wild cherry
And any of those chosen by Mr Wilde . You can’t sit down !!

Clifford Rose… I haven’t stopped dancin’ yet – Gonzalez.

Mick O’Dowd… I Can’t Help Myself 4 Tops, Young Hearts Run Free Candi Staton and many many others!

Wendy Weaver… What Ever You Want – The Quo. Iko Iko – The Belle Stars. Lots of others too

Sarah Harvey… Slade Run Runaway.

Dave Nattress… Well Saturday night it was “King” by Years and Years – mesmeric stuff, thankfully (Dad-Dancing) in the secrecy of my own home.

John Wilde… and if I feel psychedelic, I dance to All along the Watchtower, Jimi Hendrix. or Queen, Sheer Heart Attack.

Caz Simpson… Who bumped bums to The Bump? Ashamed to say I did.

Matt Thomas… I Feel Love – Donna Summer, Boogie Wonderland – Earth,Wind & Fire,Funky Town – Lipps Inc

Andy Qunta… Me too, Caz. Funnily enough, Rick Driscoll, the lead singer of Kenny, who did that song, has been a good friend of mine since 1981!

Alan Esdaile… Remember bumping to Joe Tex Ain’t Gonna Bump No More, Caz.

Philip John… Gonna take you Higher – Sly & The Family Stone , most stuff by The Temptations / Isley Brothers and Chic with Nile Rogers.

Mick O’Dowd… Oh come on you lot! Who’s gonna admit their list should include the classics Agadoo, Superman, Hokey Cokey (Judge Dread version) and Macarena to name but a few. Cowards!

John Wilde… I can honestly say I have NEVER danced to those.
Now the Birdie song that’s class.

Clifford Rose… nobody’s mentioned Tangerine Dream yet?

David Miller… Club Country – The Associates, Good Stuff – B52’s, Big time – Peter Gabriel, anything by Dudley Moore.

Phil Thornton… Pure pleasure seeker : Moloko !! how about Open up : Leftfield Lydon ? Chime : Orbital, Born Slippy : Underworld, Phat Planet : Leftfield, etc.

Matt Thomas… Moloko fantastic choice.

Jimmy Kent… To be honest as a dance music fan they’re too many to mention so I thought I the only thing I could do is list 5 records that currently makes me want to waddle on that dancefloor at events I regularly go to :- Love Gone Bad. – Chris Clark, Summer In The Park – East Coast Connection, It’s Just Love – John Andrews, Hold On – Judy Freeman & Blackrock, Mr Big Shot – Gene Chandler. Sorry Mick O’Dowd I’ll mention Agadoo next time mate.

Wendy Weaver… Yellow River by Christie and Just Wanna Dance the Night Away by The Mavericks and then there is Putting on The Ritz by Peter Sarstedt or even Fred Astaire

Eugene Hughes… Something Old Something New The Fantastics

David Miller… I enjoyed this thread a lot two years ago – nice to see it’s still up and running…dancing even…as I am.

Peter Fairless… David Bowie John I’m Only Dancing, Toots and The Maytals Monkey Man

Caz Simpson… Wilson Pickett – Midnight Hour, The Kingsmen – Louie Louie

Lance Collins… Frankie Smith Double Dutch Bus

Jimmy Kent… Freddy King – Now I’ve Got A Woman

Angela Frances Gardner… I was a real Stones fan so anything by them.