A Taste of Honey is one of those minor funk bands that happened to strike pay dirt. Twice.
Although they had been around since 1971, the band didn’t release an album until 1978’s A Taste of Honey and by that point their frontwomen were Hazel Payne (guitar) and Janice Marie-Johnson (bass). Backing them up were Perry Kibble on keyboards and Donald Ray Johnson on drums.
The debut record was a smash going platinum on the strength of their first pay-dirt single, “Boogie Oogie Oogie” which topped the R&B and pop charts. It went platinum as well.
After that, the band struggled through the rest of ‘78, 1979, and 1980 to get another hit although they released two albums, Another Taste and Twice As Sweet. After their initial funky single (“Rescue Me”) from the latter album didn’t smash the charts, the band finally got that second pay dirt with the belated release of “Sukiyaki”. The ballad sailed to #1 R&B and #3 pop and went gold.
One more LP followed in 1982 (Ladies of the Eighties), but it wasn’t much of a success and was easily the weakest album they had recorded.
Since then the band has reunited on occasion, but no new material has been put out in four decades.
Anyways, hope y’all enjoy the reviews and playlist (about 90 minutes long) I made of their best material.
They aren’t an essential band from the funky disco era, but they sure are a fun one and you won’t regret giving them a spin.
PLAYLIST on Tidal
ALBUM REVIEWS
A Taste of Honey: B+
Another Taste: B
Twice As Sweet: B-
Ladies of the Eighties: D+