Tag: Roland GR-500

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 is
That 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)