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An excellent album from this sublime soul trio! The record's got a nice heavy style – similar to the funky soul that was creeping into the sound of other artists on the Invictus label – and it rumbles along with a nice fuzzy edge that adds a whole new dimension to the incredible vocals of the group. Holland-Dozier-Holland produced, but the real skill here is that of General Johnson and Greg Perry – who wrote all the songs on the album save one – and whose vocal genius really makes the whole thing soar. The album yielded no hits for the group, but still has plenty of great numbers – and with General Johnson's vocals, just about anything would sound great! Cuts include "Bittersweet", "Weary Traveler", "So Glad You're Mine", "Elmo James", "Working On A Building Of Love", and "Men Are Getting Scarce". CD featyures two bonus tracks – "Let Me Down Easy" and "Everybody's Got A Song To Sing".

A motherlode of music from the glory days of Chairmen Of The Board – tremendous tunes from that time when the group were one of the freshest things in soul music – partly for their unique vocal approach, and partly for the bold, upbeat sound of their backings! All the work here comes from the Invictus Records years of the early 70s – and the set rolls out strongly with bold production from Holland Dozier Holland – often with a heady vibe that adds a nice degree of righteousness to the mix. The set's got over 20 tracks in all – and titles include "Skin I'm In", "Feeling Alright", "Elmo James", "Finders Keepers", "I'm A Sign Of Changing Times", "Let's Have Some Fun", "So Glad You're Mine", "Everything's Tuesday", "Chairman Of The Board", "Pay To The Piper", "Give Me Just A Little More Time", and "Working On a Building Of Love".

A landmark album of 70s soul – and perhaps the most enduring full LP by this enigmatic harmony group! The vocals of General Crook alone are more than enough to win us over – some of the most distinct lead soul singing we've ever heard, pitched perfectly with the backings of the rest of the group. But the overall package is even better – righteous arrangements that really show the new Holland-Dozier-Holland energy for the 70s – more of a punch than most of Motown a few years before, and open to some headier elements that only serve to do even more with the vocals! Titles include the group's huge hit "Give Me Just A Little More Time", a totally compelling number with a scattershot beat, and some wonderful lead vocals from the always-great General Johnson – plus, their cover of Clarence Carter's "Patches" – which was a big single for them – and the tracks "Bravo Hooray", "Since The Days Of Pigtails & Fairytales", "Come Together", "You've Got Me Dangling on a String" and "Tricked & Trapped".

A killer album by the Chairmen of the Board! The record's their second – and although the "In Session" title, photos on the front, and liner notes all make it appear to be a live album, it's actually a studio session, with the same great Holland-Dozier-Holland production as the first! The album includes an amazing track called "All We Need Is Understanding", a jaunty groover with this funky organ at the beginning, and some killer vocals by General Johnson. It's one of the group's best tracks ever – and the record has plenty of other nice ones – like "Pay To The Piper", "Hanging On To A Memory", "When Will She Tell Me She Needs Me", and "Chairmen Of The Board". Plus, the record includes their great version of "Patches", which they wrote for Clarence Carter – already on their first album, but featured here again for some strange reason! Who cares, though – because we love the track! CD also features the bonus cut "Try My Love On For Size".

Probably the rarest of all albums by The Chairmen Of The Board – and also the last! The album was cut after the band re-formed briefly, and it's got a fuzzed-out heavy soul sound that's quite different from some of the group's earlier work. There's heavy guitar on many tracks – riffing away in a psychedelic mode that dominates most tracks, but which almost buries the group's vocals. The album's a great one if you dig the funk side of the Chairmen – and at times, it almost reminds us of The Politicians, who were kind of labelmates of the group. Includes the excellent two-part funk track "Life & Death" – plus "Love At First Sight", "Everybody Party All Night", "Let's Have Some Fun", "Finder's Keepers", "Skin I'm In", and "White Rose (Freedom Flower)". Lots of bonus tracks too – including "Finders Keepers (inst)", "Someone Just Like You", "Come On In & Dance", and "You've Got Extra Added Power In Your Love".

A wonderful album from this enigmatic soul group! Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose were one of a handful of early 70s groups – like Chairmen Of The Board or 100 Proof Aged In Soul – who had a sound that was incredibly hard to peg. There were bits of southern rawness in the vocals, but the overall approach also had plenty of elements of smoother Northern Soul, and wasn't afraid to use strings or uptown arrangements when they were needed. This album's their best, and features 10 tracks written by Eddie Cornelius, plus a great little cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together". Tracks include the sublime easy soul number "Too Late To Turn Back Now", choppy odd groover "Treat Her Like A Lady", and the cuts "Gonna Be Sweet For You", "Let Me Down Easy", and "Lift Your Love Higher".

A great solo album by this member of Chairmen of the Board – done with some wicked Holland Dozier Holland production, at a level that almost makes Johnson sound heavier here than in his work with his more famous group! The vocals have that same sort of crazy pinched sound that he had with The Chairmen, and there's loads of great original tunes here – plus a few Chairmen numbers, thrown into the mix, in the way that things sometimes got repeated on the Invictus label – but that's OK with us, because the tunes are so great. The grooves are nice and bouncy – and cuts include "God's Gift To Man", "Every Couple's Not A Pair", "I'll Never Get Tired Of You", "Mary Lou Thomas", and "My Credit Didn't Go Through". CD also features four bonus tracks – "Only Time Will Tell" in vocal and instrumental versions, plus "Savannah Lady", and "I'm In Love Darling".

A stone burner from 100 Proof Aged In Soul – a group who really take off with this tight second record! The album's a classic from the days when soul music ruled AM radio on both sides of the tracks – and the rest of the album is equally great – packing that tight post-Motown punch that made the Hot Wax label one of the best proponents of Detroit soul in the 70s! Arrangements are by a huge amount of early 70s heavyweights – McKinley Jackson, Paul Riser, and HB Barnum – and the set was produced by General Johnson and Greg Perry, in a style that soars along with the Chairmen Of The Board albums of the time. Titles include "Words", "I Don't Care If I Never Get Over You", "Everything Good Is Bad", "Ghetto Girl", "Nothing Sweeter Than Love", and "Don't You Wake Me". CD features lots of bonus tracks – "I'd Rather Fight Than Switch", "If I Could See The Light In The Window (version 2)", "My Piece Of The Rock (vocal)", "My Piece Of The Rock (inst)", and "I'm Mad As Hell (parts 1 & 2)".

One of the best-remembered groups from the Detroit scene of the early 70s – thanks to the massive title track on this album, and a whole host of other wonderful cuts as well! The group features the great Steve Marcus on vocals – an artist who'd cut some key Northern soul singles for smaller labels in the 60s – but who really bursts out of the box here with great presentation from the Holland Dozier Holland empire! The record features some great songs by General Johnson and Greg Perry – and Perry also handled some of the production work for the record – really pushing the group with the sort of full, rich sound the Chairmen Of The Board brought to their own work. Titles include "Somebody's Been Sleeping", "Too Many Cooks (Spoil The Soup)", "One Man's Leftovers", "Love is Sweeter", "Age Ain't Nothin' But a Number", and "Back Track". CD features five bonus tracks – "90 Days Freeze", "Somebody's Been Sleeping (UK single edit)", "If I Could See The Light In The Window (version 1)", "Driveway", and "Somebody's Been Sleeping (US single)".

A rare solo effort from Danny Woods – a record cut away from Chairmen Of The Board during a stretch when the group had temporarily disbanded – and an excellent showcase for Danny's strength on his own! Woods is really wonderful here – with a proud, righteous quality that really soars out away from General Johnson and Harrison Kennedy – perfect for the righteous backings arranged by HB Barnum and McKinley Jackson – whose spirits really fit some of the more progressive modes of the music. There's plenty of upbeat, positive moments throughout – and titles include "Two Can Be As Lonely As One", "Let Me Ride", "It Didn't Take Long", "Everybody's Got A Song To Sing", "Working On A Building Of Love", and "Roller Coaster". CD also features the bonus track "Everybody's Tippin".

A stone burner from 100 Proof Aged In Soul – a group who really take off with this tight second record! The album's a classic from the days when soul music ruled AM radio on both sides of the tracks – and the rest of the album is equally great – packing that tight post-Motown punch that made the Hot Wax label one of the best proponents of Detroit soul in the 70s! Arrangements are by a huge amount of early 70s heavyweights – McKinley Jackson, Paul Riser, and HB Barnum – and the set was produced by General Johnson and Greg Perry, in a style that soars along with the Chairmen Of The Board albums of the time. Titles include "Words", "I Don't Care If I Never Get Over You", "Everything Good Is Bad", "Ghetto Girl", "Nothing Sweeter Than Love", and "Don't You Wake Me".

A greatest hits two-fer – made even greater with the addition of 27 bonus tracks! First up is Invictus' Greatest Hits – heavy soul from the house of Holland-Dozier-Holland – some of the best bits from their Invictus powerhouse label of the early 70s – definitely a scene-setting imprint at the time! Invictus had some of the deepest grooves ever recorded by the trio – heavy, rumbling bottom sounds – soaring vocal passages – and production that took the Motown lessons of the late 60s to a whole new level. The package is overflowing with gems – and titles include "Crumbs Off The Table" by The Glass House, "Band Of Gold" and "Bring The Boys Home" by Freda Payne, "Give Me Just A Little More Time" and "Everything's Tuesday" by The Chairmen Of The Board, "You've Got To Crawl" and "She's Not Just Another Woman" by The 8th Day, and "I Had It All" by The Barrino Brothers. Hot Wax Greatest Hits is a great collection of some of the best numbers from the Hot Wax label of the early 70s – second generation Detroit soul that really set the standard for the 70s! The tunes here were massive back in the day – blasting out of juke boxes, car radios, and a fair bit of home stereos too – all for good reason, given the care and balance the Holland-Dozier-Holland team brought to their work in the studio, and their ears for selecting singers to handle the work. Titles include "Want Ads" and "Stick Up" by Honey Cone, "Somebody's Been Sleepin" and "Too Many Cooks" by 100 Proof Aged In Soul, "Westbound #9" and "Mind Body & Soul" by Flaming Ember, "Woman's Love Rights" by Laura Lee "Women's Love Rights", and "Frightened Girl" by Silent Majority. 2CD set also features 27 bonus tracks that include "Somebody's Gonna Hurt You" by Lee Charles, "Colors Of My Love" by The Silent Majority, "Love Machine" by The Politicians, "Touch Me" by Eloise Laws, "Hey There Lonely Girl" by Ty Hunter, "Wanting You" by Earl English, "That's Love" by The Hi-Lites, "Can't Get Enough Of You" by Tyrone Edwards, "I Need It Just As Bad As You" by Laura Lee, "VIP" by Scherrie Payne, "Guess I'm Gonna Cry" by New York Port Authority, "Something New About You" by Silent Majority, and "You Too Me From A World Outside" by Lee Charles.

An amazing solo effort from Harrison Kennedy – a record that's quite different than his work with Chairmen Of The Board, and a set that's easily one of the most compelling albums ever issued on the Invictus Records label! The set's nice and funky at times – the heaviest expression of that early 70s Holland Dozier Holland groove – but there's also moments that have kind of a playful, offbeat mode that's almost folksy soul – hard to peg adequately in words, but touched with these acoustic elements that are quite different than Kennedy's work with the Chairmen. The oddity of the record almost puts it in Rodriguez territory – especially given the raspy charm of Harrison's vocals – and titles include "Night Comes Day Goes", "Gimme A Glass Of Water", "Hypnotic Music", "Closet Queen", and "Up The Organization".