Tuesday 6 February 2024

Namesakes #71: Hot Chocolate

Because Sam's far too young to drink coffee, and yet he still has to accompany me into lots of coffee shops, his beverage of choice is the hot chocolate. 

Here are some bands I could play next time he's indulging... but which would be your chocolate choice?


HOT CHOCOLATE #1

Errol Brown, Franklyn De Allie, Jim King, Patrick Olive, and Tony Wilson blended our first Hot Chocolate in 1968. With an ever-evolving line-up, the band were mainstays of the UK singles chart throughout the 70s and 80s - in fact, they were one of only three acts to score a Top 40 hit in every year of the 70s... the other two were Elvis and Diana Ross. Errol left in 1986, and the band trundled on without him, but were never quite the same. Only drummer / bassist Patrick Olive is still present from the original line-up.

Here's my favourite song of theirs, the one in which Errol sings about his Close Encounter of the Third Kind...
 

HOT CHOCOLATE #2

Meanwhile, over in Cleveland, Ohio (which, I'm reliably informed by Ian Hunter, Rocks), 1971 ushered in another Hot Chocolate, formed by George Pickett and Lou Ragland. I'm betting this will be George's favourite this week, as they wrote a song about geese...


HOT CHOCOLATE #3

Also in 1971, this funky instrumental emerged from Brazil... or maybe Detroit. Opinions vary. They were also known as The Hot Chocolates.


HOT CHOCOLATE #4

Please be upstanding for Hot Chocolate, a Ukrainian girl band from just 10 years ago... but happier times for that particular country.
 

LOS HOT CHOCOLATES #5

And finally, try a taste of some Dixieland swing... from Spain, circa 2015.


Special mention to the band Hot Chocolate Party. Here's their tribute to IKEA.

Which would you order? Or perhaps you'd prefer a coffee?

5 comments:

  1. If you had posted Emma or It Started With A Kiss I would have automatically voted for #1. But you did not. #2 is the one to beat, and it's a certainty for vol 214 od my Download series.

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  2. #3 was disappointingly bland. #4 instantly forgettable, and this dixieland #5 is damned annoying, I really dislike it. So my vote goes to #2.

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  3. Reluctantly I have to agree with George.Number 2 was rather good.

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  4. I think #3 is from Memphis. That is where Duke Records were based and the owner Don Robey was notorious for giving himself spurious writing credits used the pseudonym Deadric Malone in order to keep the royalties so is presumably the D. Malone credited here).

    #2 is good but #1's the winner baby that's for sure.

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  5. Everyone's A Winner.....(I'll get my coat).

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