Hot Chocolate Discography Warming Up from EMI

EMI must believe in miracles, because they’ve prepped a set that combines all of the studio albums by pop group Hot Chocolate.

The Brixton-based band, fronted by Jamaican singer Errol Brown, first gained prominence for one single on The Beatles’ Apple label, a reggae-fied cover of “Give Peace a Chance.” (That song, credited to “The Hot Chocolate Band,” was resurrected on last year’s Come and Get It: The Best of Apple Records compilation.) Several Top 10 hits followed – in fact, the band had at least one U.K. hit for 14 years straight, between 1970 and 1984 – but the most enduring would have to be British chart-topper “So You Win Again” and “You Sexy Thing,” the upbeat disco hit that remains their best-known song here in the U.S.

The Cherry Red offshoot label 7Ts expanded the band’s first four albums – Cicero Park (1974), Hot Chocolate (1975), Man to Man (1976) and Every 1’s a Winner (1978) – in 2009 with non-LP tracks and mixes (none of which appear here). But Box Selection: Their 8 RAK Albums 1974-1983, presents all the studio albums newly remastered across four discs. Notable, then are the widespread CD release of the latter four albums, which included hits like “No Doubt About It” (a U.K. No. 2) but some interesting covers on the actual albums (1980’s Class has versions of The Police’s “Walking on the Moon” and “Green Shirt” by Elvis Costello and The Attractions!)

This set will be released January 31 in the U.K.; pre-order it here and check out the track list after the jump.

Hot Chocolate, Box Selection: Their 8 RAK Albums 1974-1983 (EMI 50999 947487 2 7, 2011)

Disc 1: Cicero Park and Hot Chocolate

1. Cicero Park
2. Could Have Been Born in the Ghetto
3. A Love Like Yours
4. You’re a Natural High
5. Emma
6. Changing World
7. Disco Queen
8. Makin’ Music
9. Funky Rock ‘n’ Roll
10. Bump and Dilly Down
11. Hello America
12. The Street
13. Call the Police
14. You Sexy Thing
15. A Child’s Prayer
16. A Warm Smile
17. Amazing Skin Song
18. Love’s Coming on Strong
19. Lay Me Down

Disc 1, Tracks 1-10 released as Cicero Park (RAK SRAK-507 (U.K.), 1974)
Disc 1, Tracks 11-19 released as Hot Chocolate (RAK SRAK-516 (U.K.), 1975)

Disc 2: Man to Man and Every 1’s a Winner

1. Dollar Sign
2. Heaven is in the Back Seat of My Cadillac
3. Living on a Shoe String
4. Sugar Daddy
5. Man to Man
6. You Could’ve Been a Lady
7. Sex Appeal
8. Harry
9. Don’t Stop It Now
10. Seventeen Years of Age
11. Every 1’s a Winner
12. Confetti Day
13. Sometimes It Hurts to Be a Friend
14. So You Win Again
15. Stay with Me
16. Runaway Girl
17. I’m Gonna Make You Feel Like a Woman
18. Put Your Love in Me

Disc 2, Tracks 1-10 from Man to Man (RAK SRAK-522, 1976)
Disc 2, Tracks 11-18 from Every 1’s a Winner (RAK SRAK-531, 1978)

Disc 3: Going Through the Motions and Class

1. Love is the Answer One More Time
2. Going Through the Motions
3. I Just Love What You’re Doing
4. Dreaming of You
5. Dance (Get Down to It)
6. Mindless Boogie
7. Night Ride
8. Congas Man
9. Love Me to Sleep
10. Losing You
11. Gotta Give Up Your Love
12. Walking on the Moon
13. Green Shirt
14. Children of Spacemen
15. Brand New Christmas
16. Are You Getting Enough of What Makes You Happy

Disc 3, Tracks 1-8 from Going Through the Motions (RAK SRAK-536, 1979)
Disc 3, Tracks 9-16 from Class (RAK SRAK-543, 1980)

Disc 4: Mystery and Love Shot

1. Girl Crazy
2. Mystery
3. Are You Getting Enough Happiness
4. No Tears
5. Chances
6. It Started with a Kiss
7. You’ll Never Be So Wrong
8. Emotion Explosion
9. One Night’s Not Enough
10. Sexy Carribean Girl
11. Let’s Try Again
12. Secret Hideaway
13. Tears on the Telephone
14. Jeannie
15. I’m Sorry
16. Friend of Mine
17. Touch the Night
18. Love is a Good Thing
19. I Gave You My Heart (Didn’t I)

Disc 4, Tracks 1-9 from Mystery (RAK SRAK-549, 1982)
Disc 4, Tracks 10-19 from Love Shot (RAK SRAK-1653831, 1983)