The songs from Canada’s Hott Roxx certainly have a (mostly) 70’s British sound, while some would say pub rock, but to my ears not quite, there’s a load of toe-tapping piano and reverent 70’s Brit pop that has a certain amount of charm.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Hott Roxx
ALBUM: Rock N Roll’s Gone Hollywood
LABEL: Force One Records
SERIAL: FO 7002
YEAR: 1978
CD INFO: Discogs Info List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Canada
LINEUP: Jim Tovey – vocals * John King – guitars, vocals * David Harrison – guitars * George Bland – keyboards, harp * Scott Shelson – bass, vocals * Tony Ciacca – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 Here We Go Again * 02 I Ain’t Easy * 03 An Eye For An Eye * 04 Rock N Roll’s Gone Hollywood * 05 Buzz Buzz * 06 Please Louise * 07 Good Times * 08 Made In The Shade * 09 Put Your Foot Right Down
Background
Hott Roxx are surely a rarity among Canadian melodic rock albums. Though that oft heard phrase around this site ‘your mileage will vary’ applies like a band aid to this long lost Toronto group.
A couple of the band members had lives in previous bands. Jim Tovey and George Bland were once in Rockit 88, Tovey was also in the Alpha String Band alongside his future brother in law Dave Cooper.
Many will remember Cooper from stints with Garnett Ford, the Ian Thomas Band, Klaatu and Brian Plummer etc.
Hott Roxx formed a few years after these excursions for Tovey, the band originally started out as a Rolling Stones tribute band, and I guess that’s where the Hott Roxx story starts and ends for this bunch, but to be fair, the band are more than just a doorstop for Jagger and co.
The Songs
The Hott Roxx songs certainly have a (mostly) 70’s British sound, while some would say pub rock, but to my ears not quite. There’s a load of toe-tapping piano and reverent 70’s Brit pop that has a certain amount of charm.
There is also a hint of power-pop, but it doesn’t quite drop on the bullseye. It’s bundled with an innocent Canadian overlay, not quite prairie sounding as per Streetheart or Harlequin.
If given the chance to explore their sound on a second album, perhaps they could have morphed toward this direction, but that never happened. The material on ‘Rock N Roll’s Gone Hollywood’ is basic sounding, with songs varying from the sassy ‘Put My Foot Right Down’ to the jangly light boogie of ‘Please Louise’, to the Elvis Costello lite of ‘I Ain’t Easy’.
In Summary
Unfortunately for melodic rockers looking for the next Moxy or April Wine you won’t find it on this record. Hott Roxx are heavily cemented in the mild and unassuming British 70’s pop/rock era.
You won’t get much change unless you enjoy outings by Shabby Tiger, Blackfoot Sue and bands of that persuasion. And so there you have it.. Hott Roxx are another one from the Canadian history books accounted for.
Hott Roxx on Video
An Eye For A Eye
