WRAG Radio Raggedy

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Chocolate Milk -- Pretty Pimpin' Willie, How About Love


(l.: prototype of "Pretty Pimpin' Willie -- sure looking kinda silly.) 




Everybody Funk Up This Tuesday!


Chocolate Milk  had a few minor hits in the mid 70's. The one title that I instantly associated with the group's name was of course Actions Speak Louder Than Words, which got quite some air time in 1975. After that, I can't remember anything worth mentioning from the group. Lately, though, while I was digging my way through a stack of 70's Funk groups, I came across a song by Chocolate Milk that had me listen up first -- and move next. That bass guitar is irresistible. Give it a good listen!
Chocolate Milk was a group of eight men who met in Tennessee and formed their band around sax player Ammadee Castenell Jr. They followed in the footsteps of such enormously successful groups as Kool and The Gang and Earth, Wind and Fire -- a kind of competition that is hard to beat.
Later, they moved to Louisiana, replacing The Meters as Allen Toussaint's band. After they split with Allen Toussaint in the 80's, they went through several personnel- and producer changes. (They also did some recording with Paul McCartney.)  Chocolate Milk still fared well during the Disco era, but once the Disco sound was no longer in demand, the group split and vanished.


How About Love


Pretty Pimpin' Willie

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