Genre: soul
Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: Somebody's Been Sleeping In My Bed
Company: Hot Wax
Catalog: HA 704
Year: 1971
Country/State: US
Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+
Comments: still in shrink wrap (opened); small bullet hole through top left corner
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4377
Price: $35.00
Cost: $66.00
I've always wondered why these guys weren't major stars.
Following their break-up with Motown, Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland formed their own Hot Wax label. One of their first creative moves was to form 100 Proof Aged In Soul. The group featured the talents of Eddie Holiday (aka Eddie Anderson), Steve Mancha (aka Clyde Wilson) and former Contours and Falcons alumnis Joe Stubbs.
Released in 1969, the trio debuted with the single 'Too Many Cooks (Spoil the Soup)' b/w 'Not Enough Love To Satisfy (Hot Wax catalog number HS-6904). A minor hit (top-40 R&B and top-100 pop), the single was followed by nursery rhyme-ish 'Somebody's Been Sleeping In My Bed' b/w 'I've Come To Save You' (Hot Wax catalog number HS-7004). The second single went top-10 pop and R&B, leading Hot Wax to eventually finance a supporting album.
Boasting one of the year's oddest cover (see the picture to the left), the cleverly-titled "Somebody's Been Sleeping In My Bed" showcased the cream of Hot Wax's writing and production staff (Angelo Bond, Ronald Dunbar, General Johnson and Greg Perry) on a first rate selection of highly commercial, Motown-ish soul. Boasting two top-notch lead vocalists in Mancha and Stubbs (the two sounded very similar to my ears), most of the 11 tracks had commercial potential. First rate melodies with entertaining lyrics made tracks such as 'Not Enough Love To Satisfy', 'Age Ain't Nothing But a Number' and the tougher 'She's Not Just Another Woman' a sheer pleasure. In fact the only track that didn't really click with me was Stubbs' extended make out ballad 'Ain't That Lovin' You (For More Reasons Than One)'. The album included all four tracks off of the first two singles. Elsewhere 'One Man's Leftover's (Is Another Man's Feast)' b/w 'If I Could See the Light In the Window' (Hot Wax catalog number HS-7009) was also released as a single.
"Somebody's Been Sleeping In My Bed" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Somebody's Been Sleeping In My Bed (General Johnson - Greg Perry - Angelo Bond) - 4:11
2.) Love Is Sweeter (The Second Time Around) (General Johnson - Greg Perry - Ronald Dunbar) - 3:32
3.) One Man's Leftover's (Is Another Man's Feast) (General Johnson - Greg Perry - Angelo Bond) - 2:43
4.) I've Come To Save You (Clyde Wilson) - 2:09
5.) Ain't That Lovin' You (For More Reasons Than One) (Barney Duke Browner) - 6:34
6.) Not Enough Love To Satisfy (Clyde Wilson - Donald Dunbar) - 3:23
(side
2)
1.) Age
Ain't Nothing But a Number (Greg Perry - Clyde Wilson - Ronald
Dunar - General Johnson) - 2:52
2.) She's Not Just Another Woman (Clyde Wilson - Ronald Dunbar) - 3:21
3.) Too Many Cooks (Spoil the Soup) (Ronald Dunbar - E. Wayne - Angelo Bond) - 2:52
4.) I Can't Sit and Wait (Til Johnny Comes Marching Home) (William Weatherspoon) - 3:05
5.) Backtrack (Z. Perry - General Johnson - Greg Perry - Angelo Bond) - 2:39
