Janice Marie Johnson &
A Taste Of Honey - THEN
PART TWO
A Taste Of Honey had become international stars almost overnight. More than a year would pass before they would release their second LP, "Another Taste" in the Spring of 1979. They were in the unenviable & almost impossible position of having to top, or at least match the monster success of their debut LP.
Unfortunately, Capitol released just ONE single from the LP, the down-tempo funk workout, "Do It Good". "Do It Good" was another bass driven song, with a markedly slower tempo. It was catchy as hell & full of hooks. It peaked at # 13 R&B & likely due to the less frenetic pace that the Disco crowd preferred, it stalled at # 79 Pop.
"Another Taste" contained two good ballads, "Let's Begin" & the beautifully romantic, "Your Love". Those three songs were the highlights, as the rest of the LP seemed to lack the cohesion & spirit of their debut LP. None of the up-tempo cuts came remotely close to matching the energy, charm or appeal of "Boogie Oogie Oogie".
The LP peaked at # 26 on the R&B charts, but did not approach the sales or popularity of their debut. When you consider that Capitol chose to release just one single from the LP, one would come to the conclusion that Capitol did not believe in this LP & was counting on the popularity of the first LP to push sales. If that was their thinking, they were sadly mistaken.
This LP was quite successful outside of the 50 States. At the 8th Annual Tokyo Music Festival, this LP earned A Taste Of Honey the "Gold Prize" & earned Janice-Marie the "Gold Prize" for Songwriter & the single "Do It Good" was certified "Gold" as well.
Another factor for the lack of success of the LP here in the states, was the "anti- Disco" backlash. The "Disco Sucks" campaign was beginning in earnest & Disco was under fire from a myriad of sources. Since "Boogie Oogie Oogie" was an up-tempo song, the group was unfairly typecast as a "Disco" group. Despite the fact that their debut LP featured primarily ballads & mellow songs, they were still stereotyped as a "Disco" group.
Unfortunately, most up-tempo R&B/Soul music was immediately branded "Disco" & that suddenly negative connotation, served to undermine & destroy many veteran R&B/Soul artists careers. After a mere two LPs, it already appeared as though A Taste Of Honey would have to re-group. Could they overcome the "Disco" typecast & could they re-capture the imaginations of mainstream America.
We wouldn't have to wait too long to find the answer.
ON TO A TASTE OF HONEY - PART THREE
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