Tavares

Tavares and Hot Chocolate fall into the same category -- bands that seem like one-hit wonders but actually have more to offer than one big single. Tavares actually had a long-running string of Top 40 R&B singles that lasted for nearly a decade, but they're best remembered for two mid-'70s hits -- "It Only Takes a Minute" and "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel (Part One)." Hot Chocolate's hit-making lifespan was shorter -- just under four years -- but they had three Top Ten singles: "You Sexy Thing," "Every 1's a Winner" and "Emma." In other words, both groups had just enough hits to make them good candidates for EMI-Capitol's Back 2 Back Hits series, which features five cuts apiece from two similar artists. All the above songs are included, and that alone makes this an entertaining listen worth its budget price. Tavares five selections also include the lesser hits "Remember What I Told You to Forget," "Whodunit," and "My Ship," but not "More Than a Woman," because that was not recorded for Capitol. Hot Chocolate's other two songs are "Disco Queen" and "So You Win Again," a pair of fine singles that are often overshadowed by their bigger hits. And that's the case for the rest of this disc -- the hits are what count, and they sound pretty terrific in this context. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide