Cicero Park

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Cicero Park
Cicero Park (Hot Chocolate album).jpg
Studio album by Hot Chocolate
Released June 1974 (1974-06)
Recorded Morgan Studios, London
Genre
Length 1:36:43 (with bonus CD)
Label RAK, Big Tree (US)
Producer Mickie Most
Hot Chocolate chronology
Cicero Park
(1974)		 Hot Chocolate
(1975)Hot Chocolate1975
Singles from Cicero Park
  1. "Emma"
    Released: 25 February 1974
  2. "Changing World"
    Released: May 1974
  3. "Disco Queen"
    Released: 25 April 1975

Cicero Park is the debut album by British soul band Hot Chocolate. It was released in June 1974 on the RAK Records label, owned by Mickie Most, who was the band's producer. The album peaked at number fifty-five on the US Billboard 200 album chart.[1]

The original 1974 LP release comprised ten original songs by the band's writing team, lead vocalist Errol Brown and bassist Tony Wilson. The album included the group's first major international hit, "Emma" and "Disco Queen", which had been a US hit for the American band The Stories.

The album was issued on CD for the first time in an expanded 25-track 2-disc set in 2009.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 2/5 stars[2]

Cicero Park has received varying reviews from contemporary critics.

In his obituary of Errol Brown in The Independent, Spencer Leigh praised the LP for its lyrical content:

"Although Hot Chocolate are known as a singles band, they should be commended for their 1974 album Cicero Park, which touched on issues of race and class. Many credit The Real Thing as being the first British band to do this, but Hot Chocolate's album pre-dates 4 from 8 by three years."[3]

Alex Henderson writing for Allmusic gave the album a mixed review. Citing that Hot Chocolate's albums including Cicero Park tended to be mildly uneven, but more often than not, the material [on Cicero Park] is quite promising. Henderson praises the title track, the Curtis Mayfield-influenced "Could Have Been Born in the Ghetto", the funky "Disco Queen" but singles out "Emma" [as] a real treasure, although a depressing one.[2]

Track listing

All tracks written by Errol Brown and Tony Wilson; except where indicated.

1974 LP issue

Side one
  1. "Cicero Park" – 4:41
  2. "Could Have Been Born in the Ghetto (Theme from Love Head)" – 5:50
  3. "A Love Like Yours" – 3:29
  4. "You're a Natural High" – 3:08
  5. "Emma" – 3:52
Side two
  1. "Changing World" – 4:31
  2. "Disco Queen" – 3:35
  3. "Makin' Music" – 3:45
  4. "Funky Rock 'n' Roll" – 4:48
  5. "Bump And Dilly Down" – 2:59

2009 bonus disc

  1. "Love Is Life" – 3:39
  2. "Pretty Girls" – 2:26
  3. "You Could've Been a Lady" – 3:41
  4. "Everybody's Laughing" – 3:10
  5. "I Believe in Love" – 3:53
  6. "Caveman Billy" – 4:02
  7. "Mary Anne" – 3:54
  8. "Ruth" (Joe Chambers) – 4:02
  9. "You'll Always Be a Friend" – 3:29
  10. "Go Go Girl" – 3:49
  11. "Brother Louie" – 4:59
  12. "I Want to Be Free" – 2:51
  13. "Rumours" – 4:32
  14. "A Man Needs a Woman" – 3:56
  15. "Makin' Music" (Single Version) – 3:51

Personnel

References

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