A Taste Of Honey - Twice As Sweet (1980) [2011, Remastered & Expanded Edition]

Digitally remastered and expanded edition of this 1980 album from the Grammy-winning R&B duo. TWICE AS SWEET was their third album overall and was produced by Jazz legend George Duke. The single 'Rescue Me' returned the band to the R&B Top 20 and also quickly became heavily-sampled in early Hip Hop. However, it was the album's third single, a cover of a Japanese pop song with new English-language lyrics written by Johnson, that gave the band a massive surprise hit. 'Sukiyaki' topped the Adult Contemporary charts and gave the band a second R&B chart-topper as well as making #3 on the US Pop chart and becoming a million-selling single. A Taste Of Honey's 3rd release saw the quartet reduced to a duo of Janice Marie Johnson and Hazel Payne and the two enlisted the production skills of expert jazz musician George Duke for this intriguing outing. The results are funkier then expected. The danceable and slick numbers like AINT NOTHIN' BUT A PARTY, RESCUE ME, SUPERSTAR SUPERMAN, I'M TALKIN `BOUT YOU, and SHE'S A DANCER are all funky and sexy. The mid-tempo songs like DON'T YOU LEAD ME ON, GOOD-BYE BABY and SAY THAT YOU'LL STAY are also winners. All have a great catchy hook and the musicianship is first rate on all of them. And of course the last track on this album is the across the border smash SUKIYAKI, which placed A TASTE OF HONEY back into the Top 3 on the Pop Charts and it alone is worth the price of admission here. The song is chillingly pretty and remains a classic. The ladies are in fine vocal form as well. Long out of print, this BBR re-master has everything you have come to expect from a BBR re-master. Amazing sound quality, beautiful faithful packaging with original artwork, and informative fascinating liner notes which includes interviews with Janice Marie Johnon and Hazel Payne. Thanks BBR for another job well done. After debuting in 1978 with Capitol's sole Platinum single, "Boogie Oogie Oogie" and a disappointing sophomore affair, "Another Taste" in 1979, A Taste of Honey was reduced from a quartet to a duo and came back strong with 1980's powerful "Twice As Sweet" which featured a Top 20 R&B hit in the first single, "Rescue Me," some serious Funk in the second single, "I'm Talkin' 'Bout You" and a surprise SMASH Pop hit in it's 3rd and final single, "Sukiyaki." After dabbling in Disco/Dance stylings, it was refreshing to hear the girls come out and sink their teeth into a gorgeously arranged Pop ballad courtesy of producer, George Duke. Of course, the deliciously creamy vocals of Janice Marie Johnson didn't hurt either with her heartbreaking delivery of a Japanese classic turned AMERICAN classic with intelligent English translation via a tender R&B rendering coupled with Hazel Payne's very adroit koto playing. The rest boasts gentle lyrical ballads and funky upbeat dance grooves in their typical "Taste of Honey" vein. There is no "Boogie Oogie Oogie" nor "Do It Good" here, but what IS HERE should satisfy even the most discriminating R&B tastes with progressive Post-Disco Funk and Pop fare. Miss Hazel even turns out a sweet vocal on "Superstar Superman," while Janice Marie KILLS the opening, "Ain't Nothin' but A Party."