Search - Hot Chocolate :: Hot Chocolate [Vinyl]

As far as we know.... supply never disproved!

William Blackshear | West Orange, NJ USA | 03/31/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"That only 500 copies of the original album were pressed, and over the years, as far as the writer has observed "offered for sale copies" secured +$1,000 closings! Rarely, did the original album make it to record shows, alternative venues of sale fetched higher numbers! In the world of old-school record collecting this album, originally released in 1971, is classified as one of the best "lost" funk records to slip under the U.S. radio airplay radar charts! This cd (released by UK's "Soul Brother" label) is the reissue of the album, and as usual has a limited life span! This group should not be confused with the band from England, who many are familiar with, they are not one and the same! This group hailed from Canada. "The Sound Of Motown" was prevalent in Toronto during the label's glory years, "cookin" from not too far away Detroit, thus the strong influence it had on the Toronto music scene, is common sense. This "Hot Chocolate" was a funk band. The band was led by the great guitarist Lou Ragland, whose solo work also carries hefty price tags! The album, never really considered by U.S. soul & r+b radio programmers, the limited number of copies produced, and lack of national distribution coverage, insured at time of release it was destined to become a lost funk classic. The album contains some heavy guitar led funk instrumentals, as well as some excellent soul vocals, with a nice, raw soul vibe. For sure, copies of the records when first released were being scurried out of the U.S. years ago (the majority of the records were shipped to the U.S. side of the border), and a number of the writer's record collecting/dealing Japanese/English counterparts secured their copies long ago. Took an English record company to reissue this album onto cd! Early 70s funk and soul, super rare lp. If one's musical taste is, it's Buy Time, while there is time!"