Everything about Hot Chocolate screamed smooth. The look, the sound, the vocals and frontman Errol Brown's chrome dome. The pervading presumption, therefore, was that the cool gang must have come together through the dry-ice of a ultra-trendy Manhattan nightclub. Not so. Get this. This highly commercial pop group was actually formed in Brixton, London. The founding members were percussionist Patrick Olive, guitarist Franklyn De Allie and drummer Ian King. Songwriter/vocalist Errol, bass player Tony Wislon and pianist Larry Ferguson joined later in 1969.
John Lennon was instrumental in getting the gang on the go. Well, a little bit. The band sent Apple records a slight reggae demo of the Lennon song 'Give Peace A Chance'. John loved it and the label released it. Once onboard the chaps also provided label-mate Mary Hopkin with the hit Think About Your Children. See, it wasn't always smooth R&B or delicious disco.
Although the Chocolate were a formidable chart machine who enjoyed at least one hit every year between 1970 and 1984, they became best known for one particular hit, 'You Sexy Thing'. This monster track was the only song to make the Top 10 in the '70s, '80 and '90s. The biggest revival came after being prominently used in the 1997 hit UK movie The Full Monty. Not that the specific success was a problem for vocalist and songwriter Errol, he says: "I remember dreaming of having a classic song. And to have one is marvellous."
When Errol departed in 1985, the group broke-up soon after. The shaven-head talisman struck out solo and had a hit a hit with 'Personal Touch'. He went on to complete two albums but could never replicate the band's success. In a further drift away form all things cool, the Hot fella ended up appearing in a TV commercial for a cocoa-style based drink. The strapline for the feature promised a full 'hot chocolate experience', more like a turn of the stomach.
Now that the iconic star has more spare time on his hands he's found an alternative pursuit to get the adrenalin pumping again - he's taken up golf. Yup, along with Alice Cooper and Robbie Williams, Errol can now be spotted meandering thorough various countryside retreats waving a metal stick in the air. Not sure how well the golf club fraternity will take to one of it's members strolling around in skin-tight shiny silver sequined trousers. You certainly never see Colin Montgomerie doing it.