CoronaVinyl Day 346 (H): Every 1's a Winner by Hot Chocolate

For an explanation of CoronaVinyl, click here.

Today's CoronaVinyl category is "H," and I decided to keep the 1978 train going for the fourth album in a row, with Hot Chocolate's fourth studio album, Every 1's a Winner.

British soul/funk band Hot Chocolate is probably best known for their 1975 hit "You Sexy Thing" -- which went to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the UK pop chart -- but they are far from a one hit wonder, as discussed more below.  

Every 1's a Winner is a solid late '70s soul/R&B/funk album.  In many places, it reminds me of The Spinners or Al Green.  The album went to #31 on the Billboard album chart (their highest-charting album in the U.S.) and #30 on the UK album chart (their highest-charting album in the UK up to that point), and it produced several hits.  "So You Win Again" was the band's only #1 hit on the UK pop chart, and it also went to #31 on the Billboard Hot 100.  "Put Your Love" in me went to #10 on the UK pop chart, and the title track went to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #12 on the UK pop chart.

Whatever version of the album I have must not have been the U.S. version rather than the UK version, as the album cover is different than the main version I've seen, and there is one track that is switched out ("I'll Put You Together Again" on Side 2 instead of "Run Away Girl").

The band continued to make music into the early '80s and then took a ten-year hiatus from releasing albums.  In total, in the U.S., they had five Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including three Top 10s.  In the UK, including remixes and reissues, they had 29 Top 40 hits on the UK pop chart, including 14 Top 10 songs and one #1.  While their last Top 40 hit in the U.S. was "Every 1's a Winner" in 1978, they remained immensely popular in the UK well into the '80s, and even into the '90s.  "You Sexy Thing" charted on the UK pop chart in the '80s and '90s, the latter perhaps buoyed by its inclusion in the 1997 film The Full Monty.  Two of their greatest hits albums have topped the UK album chart, one in 1987 and another in 1993.  And founding member and main songwriter Errol Brown was awarded the MBE in 2004.

The version of the album on Spotify is an expanded version with five bonus tracks.

Favorite Song on Side 1:  "Confetti Day"
I'm not sure how to characterize this song, as it's kind of like a funk new wave song, with heavy synthesizers and monotone talk singing, and it's about someone's wedding day.

Favorite Song on Side 2:  "Stay With Me"
This is one that reminds me of a funkier Al Green, which is a good thing.  It has a hypnotic beat and riff, and all the soul.