Cicero Park


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.
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". Cicero Park did not contain the song "Brother Louie", which had been a 1973 US hit for the American band Stories, though the song replaced "Bump And Dilly Down" on US, Canada, Japan, and New Zealand editions of the album. The Hot Chocolate version of "Brother Louie" was later issued on CD as part of the 2009 Cicero Park bonus disc.
The album was issued on CD for the first time in an expanded 25-track 2-disc set in 2009.

Reception

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:
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 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" a real treasure, although a depressing one.

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" – 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

    1974 US, Canada, Japan, and New Zealand issues

Side one
  1. "Cicero Park" – 4:43
  2. "Could Have Been Born in the Ghetto" – 5:50
  3. "A Love Like Yours" – 3:30
  4. "You're a Natural High" – 3:07
  5. "Emma" – 3:51
Side two
  1. "Changing World" – 4:30
  2. "Disco Queen" – 3:30
  3. "Makin' Music" – 3:44
  4. "Funky Rock 'n' Roll" – 4:52
  5. "Brother Louie" – 4:57

    2009 bonus disc

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

    Personnel

Hot Chocolate
  • Errol Brown – lead vocals
  • Harvey Hinsley – guitar, backing vocals
  • Larry Ferguson – keyboards
  • Tony Wilson – bass, vocals, backing vocals
  • Tony Connor – drums
  • Patrick Olive – percussion, backing vocals
Production
  • Mickie Most – producer
  • Errol Brown and Tony Wilson – producer
  • Chris Foster – photography

    Charts