A Taste Of Honey

A Taste Of Honey

A Taste Of Honey emerged from Los Angeles in the early 1970s and developed into one of the disco era’s most distinctive groups, combining funk, R&B, soul and polished pop with genuine instrumental ability. The group grew from the musical partnership of bassist and vocalist Janice-Marie Johnson and keyboard player Perry Kibble, who met while auditioning for cruise work before building their experience in Southern California clubs and on military bases around the world.

The best-known line-up eventually consisted of Johnson on bass and vocals, Kibble on keyboards, Hazel Payne on guitar and vocals, and Donald Ray Johnson on drums. Signed to Capitol Records, they achieved their breakthrough in 1978 with the irresistible “Boogie Oogie Oogie”. Driven by Janice-Marie Johnson’s memorable bass line, the single reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold more than two million copies. Their self-titled debut album also achieved platinum status.

A Taste Of Honey Beyond the Disco Boom

Their success brought one of the music industry's most prestigious honours. A Taste Of Honey won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, triumphing in a field that included The Cars, Elvis Costello, Chris Rea and Toto. The achievement was particularly significant because the group became the first Black group to receive the Best New Artist Grammy.

Although inevitably associated with disco, the band demonstrated considerably more range than their biggest dance hit might suggest. After the original four-piece configuration changed, Johnson and Payne continued as a duo. Their elegant interpretation of “Sukiyaki” became another major success, reaching No. 1 on Billboard's R&B chart and No. 3 on the US pop chart in 1981.

That contrast between the exuberant funk of “Boogie Oogie Oogie” and the romantic melancholy of “Sukiyaki” demonstrates why A Taste Of Honey deserve to be remembered as more than a disco phenomenon. Johnson and Payne were singers as well as accomplished instrumentalists, giving the group an identity that went beyond the studio-created disco acts of the period.

Johnson later pursued solo work, while she and Payne reunited for PBS performances in 2004. Today, A Taste Of Honey remain closely associated with an era when funk, soul, pop and disco converged — leaving behind two remarkably different songs that continue to introduce new listeners to their music.