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A Taste of Honey: Contagious but Sweet!

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A Taste of Honey was the name of an American band which experienced a great success during the disco era. The band was composed of Janice Marie Johnson (Vocalist and bassist), Hazel Payne (Vocalist and guitarist), Perry Kibble (Keyboardists) and Donald Johnson (drummer). In 1980, the group was reduced to a duo that consisted of Janice Marie Johnson and Hazel Payne only.

Their first single "Boogie Oogie Oogie" was a popular disco song included in their debut album A Taste of Honey (1978).  "Boogie Oogie Oogie" was during three weeks at the top of the Hot 100 in 1978. Thanks to this single, they won platinum record. They even won a Grammy for Best New Artist. However, that was not the only achievement; Janice-Marie received also a nomination in 2 more categories: Best Vocal Performance by a Group or Duo and Best New Artist of the Year.

With their next singles “Do It Good” and “Rescue Me” from Another Taste (1979), they did not attract the attention as with "Boogie Oogie Oogie" but they helped the band be recognized internationally. In their third album Twice As Sweet (1980), they reached the top again with "Sukiyaki" (the cover version, originally performed by Kyu Sakamoto). This single was number 1 in Billboard R&B and number 3 in Hot 100. Moreover, they won gold record for "Sukiyaki."

In 1982, A Taste of Honey released their last album Ladies of the Eighties. Two singles were released and they reach high positions in some charts. For instance, “I'll Try Something New" reached number 41 in Hot 100. Another cover “Smokey Robinson and the Miracles” was number 9 in R&B charts and number 29 in Adult Contemporary Charts. After leaving the band, Janice and Hazel stayed in the music industry working on solo albums and other projects.




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