finetune artist: A Taste Of Honey

A popular US disco/funk group of the late 70s and early 80s, A Taste Of Honey was formed in Los Angeles, California, USA, in 1972 when an earlier band featuring Janice Marie Johnson (vocals, guitar, bass) and Perry Kimble (d. 1999; keyboards) disbanded. After numerous personnel changes the group solidified as a quartet featuring Johnson, Kimble, Hazel Payne (guitar, vocals) and Donald Johnson (drums). The group was signed to Capitol Records and in 1978 recorded the US number 1 and UK number 3 dance single, "Boogie Oogie Oogie". The self-titled album from which the single was drawn reached the US Top 10 and was certified platinum. They became the first black group to win a Best New Artist Grammy at the 1979 awards. In 1980 they were reduced to a duo of Johnson and Payne. A remake of the 1963 Kyu Sakamoto hit "Sukiyaki", with new English words completely unrelated to the original Japanese lyric, became their only other major US chart hit, reaching number 3 in March 1981. The band split in 1984, although they did briefly revisit the UK charts in 1985 with a remixed version of their original hit. "Boogie Oogie Oogie" has been sampled extensively by rap artists.

Listen to A Taste Of Honey at Finetune.

Boogie Oogie Oogie
Sukiyaki
Boogie Oogie Oogie (Single Version 2) (Digitally Remastered 99)
Sukiyaki (2000 Digital Remaster)
Disco Dancin'