A Taste of Honey (band)
A Taste of Honey was a Grammy -prämierte American disco - band , the 1978 Boogie Oogie Ooogie one of the biggest hits of disco recorded -time. It was not until three years later that a similar succeeded with the ballad Sukiyaki . In 1983 the band broke up.
history
The group was founded in 1972 in Los Angeles . Around the founders Janice Marie Johnson and Perry Kibble, other members formed again and again until 1978 when the great success unexpectedly occurred. The self-written song Boogie Oogie Oogie from the debut album A Taste of Honey fit exactly into the time of the disco wave of that time and was at the top of the American charts for three weeks . The group received platinum for the single and the accompanying album and was the first black band to receive a Grammy for "Best New Artist". The award was discussed controversially in the press, as the also nominated rock acts The Cars and Elvis Costello were rated as much higher favored.
The follow-up single Disco Dancin ' flopped. Things went better in 1979 with Do It Good from their second album Another Taste - at least 79th in the US and 13th on the R&B hit list. A Taste of Honey also went on tour with artists such as The Commodores , The Isley Brothers and Betty Wright .
In 1980 only Johnson and Hazel Payne remained as a duo. The two achieved another big hit in the USA in 1981 with a cover version of Kyu Sakamoto's Sukiyaki . However, this new version had a completely new text compared to the original. A Taste of Honey's last album was released in 1982. It also contained the last Hot 100 hit I'll Try Something New , a cover version of a song by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. After that, A Taste of Honey split up. By this time, the formation had placed a total of eight hits in the R&B charts.
In 1984 Janice released her first solo album One Taste of Honey , from which the single Love Me Tonite was decoupled. The song reached a modest number 67 on the R&B charts. Another solo album was released in 2000 ( Hiatus of the Heart ), followed by a single in 2002 ( Until the Eagle Falls ). Johnson, a Stockbridge - Munsee - Mohican , was awarded the Native American Music Award for Best Producer in the same year and in 2008 she was inducted into the NAMA Hall of Fame .
Perry Kibble (keyboard) died in February 1999 of complications from a heart defect.
Discography
Albums
year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DE | UK | US | R&B | |||
1978 | A taste of honey | - | - |
US6th
platinum
(27 weeks)US |
R&B2 (27 weeks) R&B |
Producers: Fonce Mizell , Larry Mizell
|
1979 | Another button | - | - |
US59 (13 weeks) US |
R&B26 (13 weeks) R&B |
Producers: Larry Mizell, Fonce Mizell
|
1981 | Twice as sweet | - | - |
US36 (32 weeks) US |
R&B12 (32 weeks) R&B |
Producer: George Duke
|
1982 | Ladies of the Eighties | - | - |
US73 (12 weeks) US |
R&B14 (15 weeks) R&B |
Producer: Al McKay
|
Compilations
- 1984: Golden Honey
- 1990: Anthology (Past Masters II)
- 1995: Anthology
- 1997: Beauty & the Boogie
- 2002: Back to Back Hits
- 2002: Classic Masters
- 2004: Best of a Taste of Honey
- 2010: Divas of Disco - Live (including tracks by Ce Ce Peniston , Thelma Houston , Linda Clifford and France Joli )
Singles
year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DE | UK | US | R&B | |||
1978 | Boogie Oogie Oogie A Taste of Honey |
DE40 (3 weeks) DE |
UK3
silver
(20 weeks)UK |
US1
platinum
(23 weeks)US |
R&B1 (25 weeks) R&B |
Authors: Janice M. Johnson, Perry Kibble
|
1979 | Do It Good Another Taste |
- | - |
US79 (4 weeks) US |
R&B13 (14 weeks) R&B |
Authors: Janice M. Johnson, Perry Kibble
|
Disco Dancin ' A Taste of Honey |
- | - | - |
R&B69 (4 weeks) R&B |
Authors: Allan Barnes, John Malone
|
|
1980 | Rescue Me Twice as Sweet |
- | - | - |
R&B16 (16 weeks) R&B |
Authors: Byron Miller, Janice M. Johnson, Roland Bautista
|
I'm Talkin '' Bout You Twice as Sweet |
- | - | - |
R&B64 (7 weeks) R&B |
Authors: George Duke , Janice M. Johnson
|
|
1981 |
Sukiyaki Twice as Sweet |
- | - |
US3
gold
(24 weeks)US |
R&B1 (24 weeks) R&B |
Authors: Hachidai Nakamura, Rokusuke Ei
Original: Kyū Sakamoto - Ue o muite aruk , 1961 |
1982 | I'll Try Something New Ladies of the Eighties |
- | - |
US41 (10 weeks) US |
R&B9 (14 weeks) R&B |
|
We've Got the Groove Ladies of the Eighties |
- | - | - |
R&B75 (4 weeks) R&B |
Authors: Al McKay , Janice M. Johnson
|
More singles
- 1978: Distant
- 1978: You're in Good Hands
- 1979: Race
- 1979: Take the Boogae or Leave It
- 1979: She's a Dancer
- 1982: Sayonara
swell
- ↑ 20 Strangest Best New Artist Grammy Wins , rollingstone.com, accessed March 3, 2014
- ↑ a b Chart sources: Singles UK US
- ↑ a b gold / platinum database US UK
Web links
- Official website of Janice Marie Johnson
- A Taste of Honey on Allmusic (English)
- A Taste of Honey at Discogs (English)