News

The songbook of Brian Holland (b. 1941), Lamont Dozier (1941-2022), and Eddie Holland (b. 1939) is filled with some of the most popular melodies ever written: “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You),” “Baby, I Need Your Loving,” “You Can’t Hurry Love,” and “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” among them.  All of those, and so many other indelible hit records, were written under the aegis of Hitsville, USA, a.k.a. Berry Gordy’s Motown Records empire.  But by 1967, the relationship between the label chief and his star writer-producers was deteriorating.  Within two years, the H-D-H team struck out on their own, forming Invictus Records, distributed by Capitol, and Hot Wax Records, distributed by Buddah.  H-D-H’s new wrinkle on the Sound of Young America eventually encompassed the Music Merchant label as well, and gave Motown a run for its money with hits from The Chairmen of the Board, Freda Payne, and The Honey Cone.  Ultimately, the labels’ time was short-lived, but the music has endured.  Edsel has recently revisited the catalogues of Invictus and Hot Wax with two new 2CD compilations in 7-inch packaging: Invictus: The Definitive Collection and Hot Wax: The Singles.

The H-D-H family of labels launched with the June 1969 release of The Honey Cone’s “While You’re Out Looking for Sugar” on Hot Wax; it opens Hot Wax: The Singles which features all of the label’s A-sides only.  The Glass House’s “Crumbs off the Table” arrived that fall, and both singles went to the R&B Top 10.  H-D-H assembled their own mini-Hitsville on Detroit’s Grand River Avenue with such figures as Ronald Dunbar, Greg Perry, and Angelo Bond.  McKinley Jackson led the de facto house band including drummer Zachary Slater and Funk Brothers/MFSB bassist Bob Babbitt; Motown expats such as arranger Paul Riser also joined the team.

As an Invictus A-sides collection would take a full four discs, The Definitive Collection instead offers 41 highlights from the label’s discography (including B-sides and album tracks), presented in non-chronological fashion.  In January 1970, Invictus scored its first smash hit with “Give Me Just a Little More Time” from the Chairmen of the Board.  Two months later, Freda Payne took “Band of Gold,” credited like “Give Me Just a Little More Time” to Ronald Dunbar and Edith Wayne, to the same No. 3 spot.  Edith (sometimes spelled Edyth or Edythe) Wayne, however, couldn’t enjoy the song’s good fortunes-as she didn’t exist.  Wayne was a pseudonym for Holland-Dozier-Holland, whose lawsuits with Motown precluded them from taking credit.

The Invictus-Hot Wax labels soon churned out releases from Flaming Ember, 100 Proof Aged in Soul (with Four Top Levi Stubbs’ brother Joe), The 8th Day, Laura Lee, and George Clinton’s Parliament.  In 1972, H-D-H launched the Music Merchant label with a single from another Motown veteran artist, Brenda Holloway, and the three principals also made their return to singing.

Invictus/Hot Wax/Music Merchant remained an active concern for Holland-Dozier-Holland between 1969 and 1974, but by the end of this period, the principals had already diversified.  In 1973, Dozier left the labels and released a solo record for ABC-Dunhill.  By 1975, all three men had reconciled with Motown, with Dozier spearheading an album by The Originals (California Sunset) and Brian taking on projects by Michael Jackson, The Jackson 5, The Dynamic Superiors, and his old friends, The Supremes.  Invictus continued issuing new music through 1977 at which time it quietly folded.

Both of these collections are rich in classic R&B, soul, and pop, with The Hot Wax Singles including such key tracks as Flaming Ember’s “Westbound # 9,” Honey Cone’s “Want Ads” (No. 1 Pop/No. 1 R&B), “Stick Up” (No. 11 Pop/No. 1 R&B) and “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show” (No. 15 Pop/No. 5 R&B), and Laura Lee’s “Rip Off” (No. 3 R&B) among its 43 A-sides. Invictus Records: The Definitive Collection offers (in addition to “Band of Gold” and “Give Me Just a Little More Time”) Freda Payne’s anthemic “Bring the Boys Home” (No. 12 Pop/No. 3 R&B) and “Deeper and Deeper” (No. 9 R&B), The Glass House’s “Crumbs Off the Table” (No. 7 R&B), The 8th Day’s “She’s Not Just Another Woman” (No. 11 Pop/No. 3 R&B) and “You’ve Got to Crawl (Before You Walk)” (No. 28 Pop/No. 3 R&B), and cuts from Ruth Copeland, Parliament, and Holland-Dozier with Lamont Dozier plus obscurities such as the band Lucifer’s “Don’t You (Think The Times A-Comin’).”

The Hot Wax singles, along with the complete Invictus and Music Merchant singles, previously appeared on the long out-of-print 2014 box set Holland-Dozier-Holland: The Complete 45s Collection: Invictus/Hot Wax/Music Merchant 1969-1977 from Demon’s (now-defunct) Harmless arm.  These two new collections happily bring much of that material back into print.  Both volumes are housed in 7-inch digipaks featuring liner notes by Stuart Cosgrove and credits with discographical annotation.  Phil Kinrade has remastered all audio at AIR Studios.  Hot Wax: The Singles and Invictus: The Definitive Collection are available now from Edsel.  You’ll find the track listings and pre-order links below.  Both titles are also available in 1LP vinyl highlights editions.  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Various Artists, Hot Wax: The Singles (Edsel EDSL0266, 2025)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP Highlights (tracks indicated with (+)): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

CD 1

1. Hot Wax 6901 Honey Cone – While You’re Out Looking For Sugar (+)
2. Hot Wax 6902 Flaming Ember – Mind, Body and Soul
3. Hot Wax 6903 Honey Cone – Girls It Ain’t Easy (+)
4. Hot Wax 6904 100 Proof (Aged In Soul) – Too Many Cooks (Spoil The Soup)
5. Hot Wax 6907 Flaming Ember – Shades of Green
6. Hot Wax 7001 Honey Cone – Take My Love
7. Hot Wax 7003 Flaming Ember – Westbound # 9 (+)
8. Hot Wax 7004 100 Proof (Aged In Soul) – Somebody’s Been Sleeping in My Bed (+)
9. Hot Wax 7005 Honey Cone – When Will It End
10. Hot Wax 7006 Flaming Ember – I’m Not My Brothers Keeper
11. Hot Wax 7007 Laura Lee – Wedlock Is A Padlock (+)
12. Hot Wax 7008 Silent Majority – Frightened Girl (+)
13. Hot Wax 7009 100 Proof (Aged In Soul) – One Man’s Leftovers (Is Another Man’s Feast)
14. Hot Wax 7010 Flaming Ember – Stop The World And Let Me Off
15. Hot Wax 7011 Honey Cone – Want Ads (+)
16. Hot Wax 7102 McKinley Jackson & The Politicians – Love Machine Part 1 (+)
17. Hot Wax 7103 Flaming Ember – Sunshine
18. Hot Wax 7104 100 Proof (Aged In Soul) – Driveway
19. Hot Wax 7105 Laura Lee – Women’s Love Rights (+)
20. Hot Wax 7106 Honey Cone – Stick Up (+)
21. Hot Wax 7108 100 Proof (Aged In Soul) – 90 Day Freeze (On Her Love) (+)
22. Hot Wax 7109 Flaming Ember – If It’s Good To You (It’s Good For You)

CD 2

1. Hot Wax 7110 Honey Cone – One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show Part I
2. Hot Wax 7111 Laura Lee – Love And Liberty
3. Hot Wax 7112 Silent Majority – Something New About You
4. Hot Wax 7113 Honey Cone – The Day I Found Myself
5. Hot Wax 7114 Politicians – Free Your Mind (Instrumental)
6. Hot Wax 7201 Laura Lee – I Don’t Want Nothing Old (But Money)
7. Hot Wax 7202 100 Proof (Aged In Soul) – Everything Good Is Bad
8. Hot Wax 7204 Laura Lee – Rip Off
9. Hot Wax 7205 Honey Cone – Sittin’ On A Time Bomb (Waitin’ For The Hurt To Come)
10. Hot Wax 7206 100 Proof (Aged In Soul) – Don’t Scratch Where It Don’t Itch
11. Hot Wax 7207 Laura Lee – If You Can Beat Me Rockin’ (You Can Have My Chair)
12. Hot Wax 7208 Honey Cone – Innocent ’til Proven Guilty
13. Hot Wax 7210 Laura Lee – Crumbs Off The Table (+)
14. Hot Wax 7211 100 Proof (Aged In Soul) – Since You Been Gone
15. Hot Wax 7212 Honey Cone – Ace In The Hole
16. Hot Wax 7301 Honey Cone – If I Can’t Fly (+)
17. Hot Wax 7303 Lee Charles – Somebody’s Gonna Hurt You, Like You Hurt Me (+)
18. Hot Wax 7305 Laura Lee – I’ll Catch You When You Fall
19. Hot Wax 9254 100 Proof (Aged In Soul) – My Piece Of The Rock (Vocal)
20. Hot Wax 9255 Honey Cone featuring Sharon Cash – Somebody Is Always Messing Up A Good Thing (+)
21. Hot Wax 9256 100 Proof (Aged In Soul) & New York Port Authority – I’m Mad As Hell (Ain’t Gonna Take No More) Part 1

Various Artists, Invictus: The Definitive Collection (Edsel EDSL0265, 2025)

CD: (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP Highlights (tracks indicated with (+)): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

CD 1

1. Invictus 9075 Freda Payne – Band of Gold (+)
2. Invictus 9074 Chairmen of the Board – Give Me Just a Little More Time (+)
3. Invictus 9087 8th Day – She’s Not Just Another Woman (Single Mix) (+)
4. Invictus 9071 Glass House – Crumbs Off the Table (+)
5. Invictus 9092 Freda Payne – Bring the Boys Home
6. Invictus 9079 Chairmen of the Board – Everything’s Tuesday (+)
7. Invictus 9098 8th Day – You’ve Got to Crawl (Before You Walk)
8. Invictus 9079-B Chairmen of the Board – Patches
9. Invictus 9072 New Play starring Ruth Copeland – The Music Box (+)
10. Invictus 9104 Barrino Brothers – I Had It All
11. Invictus 9081 Chairmen of the Board – Pay to the Piper
12. Invictus 1269 Tyrone Edwards – Can’t Get Enough of You
13. Invictus 1264 Laura Lee – I Need It Just as Bad as You (+)
14. Invictus 1260 Lee Charles – Sittin’ on a Time Bomb (Waiting for the Hurt to Come)
15. Invictus 9126 Chairmen of the Board – Let Me Down Easy
16. Invictus 9120 Ty Hunter – Hey There Lonely Girl
17. Invictus 1274 Hi Lites – That’s Love (Vocal)
18. Invictus 1275 Earl English – Wanting You (Vocal)
19. Invictus 1255 Freda Payne – Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right
20. Invictus 1279 New York Port Authority – I Got It (+)
21. Invictus 9073 Freda Payne – The Unhooked Generation (+)

CD 2

1. Invictus 9078 Chairmen of the Board – You’ve Got Me Dangling on a String (+)
2. Invictus 9080 Freda Payne – Deeper and Deeper
3. Invictus 1280 Eloise Laws – Put A Little Love Into It (When You Do It) (+)
4. Invictus 1283 New York Port Authority – I Don’t Want to Work Today
5. Invictus 9077 A Parliament Thang – Little Ole Country Boy
6. Eloise Laws – Ain’t It Good Feeling Good (from Invictus LP PZ 34379, 1977)
7. Invictus 9125 Holland-Dozier feat. Lamont Dozier – Why Can’t We Be Lovers (+)
8. The 8th Day – Free Your Mind (from Edsel CD EDSD2066, 2009) (+)
9. Invictus 1251 Chairmen of the Board – Finders Keepers (Vocal)
10. Invictus 1257 Freda Payne – Mother Misery’s Favorite Child
11. Invictus 9116 Danny Woods – Let Me Ride
12. Invictus 9112 Harrison Kennedy – Sunday Morning People
13. The 8th Day – Cheba (from Invictus LP ST-9809, 1973)
14. Lucifer – Don’t You (Think The Times A-Comin’) (from Invictus LP ST-7309, 1971)
15. Invictus 9096 Ruth Copeland – Gimme Shelter (Single Version) (+)
16. Invictus 9091 Parliament – Red Hot Mama
17. Invictus 9129 Glass House – Thanks I Needed That
18. Invictus 9084 Barrino Brothers – I Shall Not Be Moved
19. Westbound W205 Parliament – Loose Booty
20. Invictus 1255 Freda Payne – We’ve Gotta Find A Way Back To Love​ (+)