Some songs take me back to a point in time. This one is no different but it takes me to two points. I remember this when I was a small kid growing up. I didn’t hear it again until the early 2000s.
I was driving around in Panama City Beach Florida and this song came on the radio. As soon as I heard it I knew the song but I didn’t know what band did it. I loved that riff and that tone…was it a guitar or synth??? Whatever it was I had to find it. I searched for it on the internet…I used the only word I remembered…”winner” plus a great guitar riff. This one finally came up and I was on my way. I grew up with a single my sister had by them called “You Sexy Thing.”
1978 Roland GR500
Everyone 1’s A Winner came off an album of the same name by Hot Chocolate. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard 100,#5 in Canada, #7 in New Zealand, and #12 in the UK in 1978.
It’s known for the great guitar riff that was played using the first Roland guitar synth with the Les Paul-type guitar-the GR500. Yea my urge that my wife hates is kicking in…the urge to track one of these babies down and buy it.
They are best known for “You Sexy Thing” but this is one that sticks with me. Hot Chocolate was briefly signed with The Beatle’s Apple Records and they did a reggae version of John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance.”
This band charted a song every year between 1970 and 1984. The song was written by Errol Brown the lead singer.
Lead Guitar player Harvey Hinsley: The guitar I used on most of our records was an SG standard, It had a thicker sound than Fenders, Usually double-tracked the riffs, etc; The amp was a sound city 200 watt, or 125 pa amp, [no distortion on amps back then-just turned amp up] – they sounded much the same; On early stuff like Brother Louis, You’ll always be a friend & I believe in love, -I used Larry Ferguson’s Leslie cab; On Cadillac, I used a phaser pedal; On Emma, Sexy thing, so you win, I used a foot volume pedal too, on Every 1′ a winner I used the first Roland guitar synth with the Les Paul type guitar-the GR500; Put your love in me I used a Watkins echo & a waa-waa pedal set half on to give a more trebly sound
Lead singer Errol Brown: “I was getting nowhere with it when I heard my eldest daughter crying in a particular rhythm and used that for the melody.”
Every 1’s A Winner
Never could believe the things you do to me,Never could believe the way you are.Every day I bless the day that you got through to me,‘Cause baby, I believe that you’re a star.
Everyone’s a winner, baby, that’s the truth (yes, the truth)Making love to you is such a thrill.Everyone’s a winner, baby, that’s no lie (yes, no lie)You never fail to satisfy (satisfy)
Never could explain just what was happening to me,Just one touch of you and I’m a flame.Baby, it’s amazing just how wonderful it isThat the things we like to do are just the same.
Everyone’s a winner, baby, that’s the truth (yes, the truth)Making love to you is such a thrill.Everyone’s a winner, baby, that’s no lie (yes, no lie)You never fail to satisfy (satisfy)
Let’s do it again.
Everyone’s a winner, baby, that’s the truth (yes, the truth)Making love to you is such a thrill.Everyone’s a winner, baby, that’s no lie (yes, no lie)You never fail to satisfy (satisfy)
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 
How about that guitar eh!
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Man…i would love to locate that guitar. I saw one for sale on Reverb for $350. I don’t like synths very much as you know…but I love the sound he got.
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Yeah, I wouldn’t bother with the synth part! but that guitar looks good. Japanese craftmanship strikes again
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I like buttons and knobs on those Japanese guitars.
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This song has a beat that drives into your brain, and it is very satisfying.
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Thanks for the reminder about this song. The Wilson brothers have a lot of talent, maybe because they’re from the UK I thought they were doing something different than their peers.
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Yes they were different and I never realized how successful they were…at least in the UK and somewhat over here.
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Good post! It shows how we all learn from each other. I wrote about that one not long ago, coincidentally, and you commented on the guitar. So when I re-listened to it I went ‘oh ya!” I’d never stopped to really think about that sound, cool as it was, but I might have guessed it was just some sort of synthesizer not a guitar with effects. Like you said, I was surprised to say the least when I found how big they had been in the UK.
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Thanks Dave…yes I believe we combined to covered this all the way around. You concentrated on one thing and me the other. I was going to post this that day you did lol…it was last Friday my 3000th post…I had it lined up for that day. We will do it one day with some song.
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Driving around in Panama City I thought you would be hollering VH’s Panama! Man I forgot about this song so I watched the video. Good time tune Max…love that guitar synth …it rocks
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Lol… that would have been more appropriate! Yea man I may have to snag one of those guitars while Jen is not looking
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haha…
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I definitely have not heard this song since it first came out. Didn’t know it had charted that high, but it certainly makes sense it did. Good tune.
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Thats what I love about blogs…finding songs you haven’t heard since they were released…some I would like to forget but I like this one.
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The radio station I listen to in the car is “Classic Rock” so I THINK I’ve heard this quite a bit!
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Yea it was popular back in the day…but yea I heard it on a Classic channel also. It’s not one they wear out though.
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Hot Chocolate were a singles band par excellence. Hooks you can’t shake off, lyrics clear as a bell yet always blessed a great beat. Perfect in a pop band, and that isn’t faint praise. This is another case of, for whatever reason, a talented deserving brit band not making it big in the States. Another musical mystery.
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You Sexy Thing was the big hit over here…well and this one but I can’t remember many more except Could Have Been A Lady…but yea like you said… in the UK they ruled.
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My fave Hot Chocolate song! Dude, you are on a roll. Bad ass song.
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I must be on a roll lol! Another one!
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Well, I did like Come Monday, too.
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So I am on a hot streak…you will know tomorrow’s song…I don’t know if you will like it but you will know it.
See….I like posting songs that are not as known
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I like obscure stuff, too.
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Yea after next week I’m getting back into it
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Heck yes, love this song and glad you brought it back to me. I remembered You Sexy Thing but forgot about this one. The guitar working with the organ gives it a groovy funkiness that is the best. I love how the beginning of the first video has the singer waving his crotch in the center of the shot. Very strange angle they filmed it at.
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Yea I noticed the angle of them looking down. I do like this song and had forgotten about it for a long time.
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While I generally prefer the beverage over the band, the sound on that tune is definitely cool and pretty distinct. I always thought it was done with an electric guitar and some pedals. Now the riddle has been solved! 🙂
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Yea I love that sound… I even learned the riff tonight lol.
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Literally on my running playlist and it’s a real party starter!!! and yes that guitar solo! 🤣🤌🏾🤌🏾
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This one got a ton of radio play. Love the riff, love the voice, but hate the lyrics.
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