Chocolate Milk


Band members                         Related acts

  line up 1 (1974)

- Amandee Castenell Jr. -- vocals, sax

- Ernest Dabon -- bass

- Robert Dabon -- keyboards

- Joseph Fox III -- horns, vocals

- Frank Richard -- lead vocals

- Mario Tio -- lead guitar

- Dwight Richards -- drums, percussion

- Kenneth Williams -- percussion

 

  line up 2 (1974-76)

- Amandee Castenell Jr. -- vocals, sax

- Ernest Dabon -- bass

- Robert Dabon -- keyboards

- Joseph Fox III -- horns, vocals

- Frank Richard -- lead vocals

- Mario Tio -- lead guitar

- Dwight Richards -- drums, percussion

- Kenneth Williams -- percussion

 

  line up 3 (1976-78)

NEW - David Barard -- bass (replaced Ernest Dabon)

- Amandee Castenell Jr. -- vocals, sax

- Robert Dabon -- keyboards

- Joseph Fox III -- horns, vocals

NEW - Steve Hiughes -- lead guitar

- Frank Richard -- lead vocals

- Mario Tio -- lead guitar

- Dwight Richards -- drums, percussion

- Kenneth Williams -- percussion

 

  line up 4 (1978)

- Amandee Castenell Jr. -- vocals, sax

- Robert Dabon -- keyboards

- Joseph Fox III -- horns, vocals

- Frank Richard -- lead vocals

- Mario Tio -- lead guitar

- Dwight Richards -- drums, percussion

- Kenneth Williams -- percussion

 

  line up 5 (1978-79)

- Amandee Castenell Jr. -- vocals, sax

- Robert Dabon -- keyboards

- Joseph Fox III -- horns, vocals

- Frank Richard -- lead vocals

- Mario Tio -- lead guitar

NEW - Clyde Toval -- bass (replaced David Barard)

- Dwight Richards -- drums, percussion

- Kenneth Williams -- percussion

 

  line up 6 (1980-83)

- Amandee Castenell Jr. -- vocals, sax

- Robert Dabon -- keyboards

- Joseph Fox III -- horns, vocals

- Frank Richard -- lead vocals

- Mario Tio -- lead guitar

- Dwight Richards -- drums, percussion

 

 

 

 

 

Amandee Castenell Jr (solo efforts)

 

 

 


 

Genre: funk

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Blue Jeans

Company: RCA Victor

Catalog: AFL-3896
Year: 1981

Country/State: New Orleans, Louisiana

Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+

Comments: --

Available: SOLD

Catalog ID: SOLD

Price: SOLD $10.00

 

I'm not sure, but think 1981's "Blue Jeans" was Chocolate Milk's 6th or 7th studio LP and to be honest, by this point in time they were basically functioning on automatic pilot.  With their Allen Toussaint partnership ancient history, this set found the band working with former Bar-Kays producer Allen Jones.  Best described  as professional, but perfunctory, the collection found the band taking stabs at a variety of dance and funk genres.  Musically there wasn't a great deal going on here with prime song writers Howard Redmon and Lee Hayes casting around for a recipe that borrowed equal parts from George Clinton ('Honey Bun'), Kool and the Gang ('Running On Empty'), The Ohio Players (the title track) and scores of other late-'70s funk outfits.  As lead singer Frank Richards was actually pretty good, having a voice that was quite versatile, equally adept at nailing James Taylor (of Kool and the Gang fame), The Ohio Players' Bobby Lee Fears, or even Earth, Wind And Fire's Phillip Bailey.  Nothing here was particularly original, but there were some moments of pleasure scattered throughout the set (the title track and the Chic-styled 'Let's Go All the Way' were two highlights).  Moreover, it was one of those throwaway album's that was fun to listen to, if only to play-spot-the-influences.

 

- Okay, Okay I'll admit that the title track was a mindless guilty pleasure.  The hook was pretty strong and listening to them run through a list of early '80s jean manufacturers (almost all out of business now), was fun.  It was also tapped as the leadoff single.  For anyone interested, here's a YouTube clip showing a 2008 reunion performance of the track:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKAbbnrwNgc   rating: *** stars

- 'Like My Lady's Love' was a pretty, but largely anonymous ballad.   In other words, it was prime radio fodder.   rating: ** stars

- Kicked along by Frank Richard's best James Taylor and Kool and the Gang impression, 'Running On Empty' was a bouncy dance number with some tasty horns.  

- A band composition, 'Honey Bun' was the album's most hardcore funk number and sounded like they'd spent a weekend borrowing snippets from George Clinton's last dozen LPs.  If nothing else, it was fun to play spot-the-influences on this one.  rating: ** stars

- Probably the album's most commercial track, 'Let's Go All The Way' managed to slap a Chic rhythm pattern on top of an Earth, Wind and Fire song structure.  It doesn't sound particularly promising, but was actually quite commercial and catchy - besides how could you not laugh at the band's own name checks ?   The track was tapped as the album's second single.   rating: *** stars

- Kudos to the band for covering an Otis Redding classic, though their rote version added absolutely nothing to Redding's classic version and stretching it out over six minutes wasn't the smartest move.   rating: ** stars

- 'Video Queen' closed the album out with a Funkadelic-meets-new wave hybrid.  Imagine George Clinton doing a collaboration with The Buggles and you'd have a feel for what this one sounded like.  Quite strange, but in an entertaining, offbeat fashion.   rating: *** stars

 

- As mentioned, RCA tapped the album for a series of singles:

 

  7" format

- 1980's 'Blue Jeans' b/e 'Dawn' (RCA Victor catalog number PB-12335)

- 1981's 'Let's Go All the Way' b/w 'Honey Bun' (RCA Victor catalog number PD-13026)

 

  12" format

- 1980's 'Blue Jeans' b/e 'Dawn' (RCA Victor catalog number PD-12336)

- 1981's 'Let's Go All the Way' b/w 'Honey Bun' (RCA Victor catalog number PD-13027)

- 1981's 'Video Queen' b/w 'Like My Lady's Love' (RCA Victor catalog number PD-13212)

 

"Blue Jeans" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Blue Jeans   (Howard Redmon - Lee Hayes) - 7:40
2.) Like My Lady'
s Love  (Dwight Richards - Joe Smith III - Frank Richard - Amandee Castanell - Robert Dabon - Mario Tio) - 4:04
3.) Running On Empty
   (Howard Redmon - Lee Hayes) - 5:17

(side 2)
1.) Honey Bun  (Dwight Richards - Joe Smith III - Frank Richard - Amandee Castanell - Robert Dabon - Mario Tio) - 4:58

2.) Let's Go All The Way  (Dwight Richards - Joe Smith III - Frank Richard - Amandee Castanell - Robert Dabon - Mario Tio) - 4:36
3.) I've Been Loving You Too Long  (Otis Redding) - 6:25
4.) Video Queen
  (Dwight Richards - Joe Smith III - Frank Richard - Amandee Castanell - Robert Dabon - Mario Tio) - 4:48

 

 

 

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