Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate, formed in 1968, began their career as the Hot Chocolate Band in Brixton, London. The initial lineup included lead vocalist Errol Brown, bassist Tony Wilson, percussionist Patrick Olive, guitarist Franklyn De Allie, and drummer Jim King, with keyboardist Larry Ferguson joining in 1969. Their early work included a reggae cover of John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance,” which led to their signing with the Beatles’ Apple Records. Following this period, the band partnered with producer Mickie Most and his RAK label, where Brown and Wilson also contributed songwriting for other artists. From 1970 to 1973, Hot Chocolate released numerous singles, achieving Top 10 UK hits with “Love Is Life,” “I Believe (In Love),” and “Brother Louie.” A cover of “Brother Louie” by Stories topped the charts in the U.S.

Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, Hot Chocolate released eight albums. Their 1974 album, “Cicero Park,” was notable for its exploration of themes like race and class, producing the Top 10 UK and US single “Emma.” The 1975 album “Hot Chocolate” featured the hit “You Sexy Thing,” which also reached the Top 10 in both the UK and US pop charts, becoming a significant pop-disco track. The band achieved their first UK number one with “So You Win Again” in 1977, a track from their 1978 album “Every 1’s a Winner.” Hot Chocolate made history as one of the few acts to have at least one hit in every year of the 1970s in the UK charts, a streak that extended to every year between 1970 and 1984. They accumulated 25 UK Top 40 hit singles.

The band continued to achieve success into the 1980s, scoring another major hit with “It Started with a Kiss” in 1982, which reached number 5 in the UK. Errol Brown departed from the band in 1986, leading to the group’s disbandment, though a reconstituted lineup featuring new vocalists and members emerged in the early 1990s and continued performing. Brown pursued a solo career, releasing several albums and singles. In 2003, Errol Brown received the MBE, and in 2004, he was honored with the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. Brown passed away in 2015 due to liver cancer.