Invictus Album Discography
By David Edwards and Mike Callahan
Last update: March 12, 2007





The Invictus and Hot Wax labels were formed in Detroit Michigan in 1969 by Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland and Eddie Holland. Holland-Dozier-Holland was the most successful writer/producer team in the world when they left the Motown label in 1968. Between the time they left and late 1969, they were effectively prevented from recording by a lawsuit filed by Motown, which eventually was settled out of court. Once the suit was settled, they started Invictus and Hot Wax.

The H-D-H studio style at Motown was to get the songs down first, then find the artists to do them. In 1969, as the new label was being formed, Eddie Holland was talking on the phone to singer Freda Payne about signing with them. During the call, her sister, Scherrie, played loudly enough in the background to get his attention, and Holland signed her, too. Glass House was put together by H-D-H and built around Scherrie. The others were Ty Hunter, Larry Mitchell, and Pearl Jones. They had the distinction of having the first single on the new Invictus label in 1969, "Crumbs Off the Table" [Invictus 9071], which made #7 on the R&B charts. From there, however, the group gradually slid off the charts with each successive single. The group disbanded in 1973, and Hunter joined the Originals and Payne the Supremes.

If the first single on Invictus was a hit, three singles later there was an even bigger hit. The Chairmen of the Board, a group made up of ex-Showmen lead singer General Norman Johnson, ex-Lee Andrews & the Hearts singer Eddie Custis, ex-Stone Soul Children singer Harrison Kennedy, and Johnson's friend Danny Woods, hit #3 on the pop charts with "Give Me Just a Little More Time" [Invictus 9074]. They followed it with several other chart hits, including "(You've Got Me) Dangling on a String" [Invictus 9078], "Everything's Tuesday" [Invictus 9079], and "Pay to the Piper" [Invictus 9081]. The stereo version of "Give Me Just a Little More Time" is interesting, since there is a short mono segment in the bridge on every issue to date. The Chairmen ended up with four albums on Invictus, and Johnson, Woods and Kennedy all did solo albums. Custis left the group after the second album. Johnson was also a successful writer and producer for Invictus and its sister label, Hot Wax. The Chairmen of the Board fell apart in the mid-70s, but regrouped and are still performing today. Johnson, of course, as the voice of the Showmen as well as the Chairmen of the Board, is a very popular "beach sound " vocalist in the Carolinas.

One single after the Chairmen hit, Scherrie's sister Freda Payne hit #3 also, with her signature song, "Band of Gold" [Invictus 9705]. Actually, she had known Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier for years before she signed with Invictus, having known them from their childhood days. They had introduced her to Berry Gordy of Motown years before, and she was an early audition for Motown. After one recording, her parents nixed a career in pop music. Payne had spent most of the 1960s working as a backup singer, as a featured singer with Bob Crosby's big band, and as an understudy on Broadway. In addition to "Band of Gold," Payne would also hit with "Bring the Boys Home" [Invictus 9092], an anti- war tune which was popular and timely, and four other chart records.

The 8th Day started as session bassist Tony Newton. As was the style of H-D-H, they recorded tracks without an artist in mind, so when studio musicians (including Newton) cut "She's Not Just Another Woman" [Invictus 9087] and it became a hit, Newton was asked to put together a group for live shows. The lead vocal was by Clyde Wilson, who sang with Hot Wax' 100 Proof (Aged in Soul) as Steve Mancha. The other hits by the group used the group Newton put together, including Lynn Harter, Melvin Davis, Michael Anthony, Bruce Nazarian, Carole Stallings, Anita Sherman, and Jerry Paul.

With Invictus, Holland-Dozier-Holland certainly proved that they still "had it," with many hits. As the years went by, the hits became less frequent, however. The label hung on till about 1978, although H-D-H consolidated their Invictus and Hot Wax masters into a new label called H-D-H in the 1980s. The original issues were distributed by Capitol, but in 1973 they moved to a Columbia distribution and numbering system. The H-D-H label, distributed by Fantasy, has been used to issue CDs of the greatest hits on Invictus and Hot Wax.

The Invictus label was light blue with black printing. A statue of a seated man (Auguste Rodin's "The Thinker") almost covers the entire label, with "INVICTUS" in dark blue at the top and to the left of the center hole. There are a group of black and white rays coming from the eye of the statue and extending downward to the right.

We would appreciate any additions or corrections to this discography. Just send them to us via e-mail. Both Sides Now Publications is an information web page. We are not a catalog, nor can we provide the records listed below. We have no association with Invictus Records. Should you be interested in acquiring albums listed in this discography (which are all out of print), we suggest you see our Frequently Asked Questions page and follow the instructions found there. This story and discography are copyright 1999 by Mike Callahan.



INVICTUS ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY

Number - Title - Artist [Release Date] (Chart) Contents

7300 Series (Distributed by Capitol):

ST-7300 - Give Me Just a Little More Time - Chairmen of the Board [1970] (5-70, #133) Give Me Just A Little More Time/Come Together/Bless You/Patches/Since The Days Of Pigtails And Fairytales/I'll Come Crawling //You've Got Me Dangling On A String/Bravo, Hooray/Didn't We/Feelin' Alright?/My Way/Tricked And Trapped

ST-7301 - Band of Gold - Freda Payne [1970] (8-70, #60) Band Of Gold/I Left Some Dreams Back There/Deeper And Deeper/Rock Me In The Cradle/Unhooked Generation/Love On Borrowed Time //Through The Memory Of My Mind/This Girl Is A Woman Now/The World Don't Owe You A Thing/Now Is The Time To Say Goodbye/Happy Heart/The Easiest Way To Fall

ST-7302 - Osmium - Parliament [1970] I Call My Baby Pussycat (S)/Put Love In Your Life (S)/Little Old Country Boy (S)/Moonshine Heather (S)/Oh, Lord, Why Lord-Prayer (S)//My Automobile (S)/There Is Nothing Before Me But Thang (S)/Funky Woman (S)/Livin' The Life (S)/The Silent Boatman (S)

ST-7303 - Self Portrait - Ruth Copeland [1970] Child Of The North/Thanks For The Birthday Card/Your Love Been So Good To Me/The Music Box/The Silent Boatman//To William In The Night/No Commitment/I Got A Thing For You Daddy/A Gift Of Me/Un Bel Di (One Fine Day)

ST-7304 - In Session - Chairmen of the Board [1970] (11-70, #117) Chairmen Of The Board/Everything's Tuesday/Pay To The Piper/Twelfth Of Never/All We Need Is Understanding/Patches //It Was Almost Something/Bridge Over Troubled Water/Hanging On To A Memory/I Can't Find Myself/When Will She Tell Me She Needs Me/Children Of Today

ST-7305 - Inside the Glass House - Glass House [1971] Look What We've Done To Love/You Ain't Livin' Unless You're Lovin'/I Surrendered/Hey There Lonely Girl //If It Ain't Love (It Don't Matter)/Hotel/Touch Me Jesus/Heaven Is There To Guide Us/Crumbs Off The Table

ST-7306 - The 8th Day - 8th Day [1971] (8-71, #131) She's Not Just Another Woman/You've Got To Crawl Before You Walk/Too Many Cooks/La-De-Dah/Enny-Meeny-Miny-Mo (Three's A Crowd) //Just As Long/I Can't Fool Myself/I'm Worried/I've Come To Save You

SMAS-7307 - Contact - Freda Payne [1971] (6-71, #76) I'm Not Getting Any Better/Suddenly It's Yesterday/You Brought The Joy/He's In My Life/You've Got To Love Somebody (Let It Be Me) //Prelude/The Road We Didn't Take/Odds And Ends/Cherish What Is Dear To You (While It's Near To You)/I Shall Not Be Moved/Mama's Gone

ST-7308 - I Shall Not Be Moved - Barrino Brothers [1971]

ST-7309 - Lucifer - Lucifer [1971] Pearl For A Girl/Old Mother Nature/In A Garden/Don't You (Think The Times A-Comin')/For Kids Only//Time Gonna Change Everything/Bloodshot Eyes/Have You Heard/Laugh/We Gotta Go

ST-7310

ST-7311 - Black Mass - Lucifer [1972]


9800 Series (Distributed by Capitol):

ST-9801 - Bittersweet - Chairmen of the Board [1972] (5-72, #178) Bittersweet/Elmo James/I'm A Sign Of Changing Times/I'm On My Way To A Better Place/Men Are Getting Scarce/Saginaw County Line/So Glad You're Mine/Weary Traveler/Working On A Building Of Love

ST-9802 - I Am What I Am - Ruth Copeland [1972]

ST-9803 - Generally Speaking - General Johnson [1972] Saginaw County Line/God's Gift To Man/It Was Almost Something/Every Couples' Not A Pair/All We Need Is Understanding/Everything's Tuesday //I Never Get Tired Of You/My Credit Didn't Go Through/Things Are Bound To Get Better Later On/Mary Lou Thomas

ST-9804 - Best of Freda Payne - Freda Payne [1972] (4-72, #152) How Can I Live Without My Life/Bring The Boys Home/Cherish What Is Dear To You (While It's Near To You)/He's In My Life/Band Of Gold/Just A Woman //Now Is The Time to Say Goodbye/The Road We Didn't Take/Deeper And Deeper/You're The Only Bargain I've Got/Come Back/Through the Memory Of My Mind

ST-9805

ST-9806 - Hypnotic Music - Harrison Kennedy [1972] Hypnotic Music/Closet Queen/Night Comes Day Goes/Sunday Morning People //Gimme A Glass Of Water/Come Together/You Hurt Your Mother Again/Up-The Organization/Children Of The Day

ST-9807 - Invictus' Greatest Hits - Various Artists [1972] Band Of Gold - Freda Payne/Give Me Just A Little More Time - Chairmen Of The Board/She's Not Just Another Woman - 8th Day/Crumbs Off The Table - Glass House/Bring The Boys Home - Freda Payne //Everything's Tuesday - Chairmen Of The Board/You've Got To Crawl (Before You Walk) - 8th Day/Patches - Chairmen Of The Board/The Music Box - Ruth Copeland/I Had It All - Barrino Brothers/Pay To The Piper - Chairmen Of The Board

ST-9808 - Aries - Danny Wood [1972] Everybody's Got A Song To Sing/Let Me Ride/Roller Coaster/Try On My Love For Size/It Didn't Take Long/Working On A Building Of Love //Funny How Time Slips Away/Two Can Be As Lonely As One/I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)/Danny Boy

ST-9809 - I Gotta Get Home - 8th Day [1972] I Gotta Get Home (Can't Let My Baby Get Lonely)/Cheba/Good Book/Anythang//Rocks In My Head/Faith Is The Answer/Get Your Mind Straight/Heaven Is There To Guide Us

ST-9810 - Thanks, I Needed That - Glass House [1972] V.I.P./A House Is Not A Home/I Don't See Me In Your Eyes Anymore/Horse And Rider/The Man I'll Never Have/Thanks I Needed That/Giving Up The Ring/Don't Let it Rain On Me/Stealing Moments From Another Woman's Life/Let It Flow/Don't Go Looking For Something (You Don't Want To See)

ST-9811 - Livin' High Off the Goodness of Your Love - Barrino Brothers [1972] I Had It All/It Doesn't Have To Be That Way/Rain//Try It, You'll Like It/I Can't Believe You're Gone/Livin' High Off The Goodness Of Your Love/When Love Was A Child/Well Worth Waiting For Your Love

ST-9812

ST-9813

ST-9814

ST-9815 - Black Vampire - George Clinton [1973] There is some disagreement as to whether this album was officially released.


Invictus Records (Distributed by Columbia):

KZ-32493 - Reaching Out - Freda Payne [1973] Two Wrong's Don't Make A Right/Reaching Out/For No Reason/The Man Of My Dreams/Mother Misery's Favorite Child //We've Gotta Find A Way Back To Love/Mood For Love/Rainy Days And Mondays/If You Go Away/Right Back Where I Started From

KZ-32526 - The Skin I'm In - Chairmen Of The Board [1973] Everybody Party All Night/Skin I'm In/Morning Glory/Life And Death, Part 1/White Rose (Freedom Flower)/Life And Death, Part 2 //Let's Have Some Fun/Love At First Sight/Only Love Can Break A Heart/Live With Me, Love With Me/Finder's Keepers

KZ-33133 - I Can't Make It Alone - Laura Lee [1973] I Can't Make It Alone/Don't Leave Me Starving For Your Love/We've Come Too Far To Walk Away/Every Little Bit Hurts //Crumbs Off The Table/I Need It Just As Bad As You/(If You Want To Try Love Again) Remember Me/Mirror Of Your Soul

PZ-33134 - Love and Beauty - Lamont Dozier [1975] The Picture Will Never Change/Why Can't We Be Lovers/Don't Stop Playing Our Song/If You Don't Want To Be In My Life//Don't Leave Me/Don't Leave Me (Instrumental)/New Breed Kinda Woman/Enough Of Your Love/Slipping Away

PZ-34379 - Ain't It Good Feeling Good - Eloise Laws [1978]

PZ-34380 - Three Thousand Miles From Home - NYPA [1978] I Got It/I Use To Hate It (Till I Ate It)/I Don't Want To Work Today/Rainbow //Three Thousand Miles From Home/Guess I'm Gonna Cry/Twilight Alone/Home On A Rainy Day


RELATED COMPACT DISCS:

H-D-H (US)
HCD-3901-2 - Greatest Hits - Chairmen of the Board [1990] Give Me Just A Little More Time/(You've Got Me) Dangling On A String/Everything's Tuesday/Patches/Pay To The Piper/Bless You/Chairmen Of The Board/Hanging On To A Memory/Try On My Love For Size/Men Are Getting Scarce/Everybody's Got A Song To Sing/Let Me Down Easy/Finders Keepers/Bravo Hooray/Let's have Some Fun

HCD-3905-2 - Freda Payne's Greatest Hits - Freda Payne [1990] Band Of Gold (S)/The Unhooked Generation (S)/Deeper And Deeper (S)/Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right (S)/You Brought The Joy (S)/Through The Memory Of My Mind (S)/Bring The Boys Home (slight hiss) (S)/Cherish What Is Dear To You (S)/I'm Not Getting Any Better (S)/The Road We Didn't Take (S)/I Shall Not Be Moved (S)

HCD-3908-2 - The Best of Glass House - Glass House [1992] Hotel (S)/If It Ain't Love It Don't Matter (S)/Look What We've Done To Love (S)/The Man I'll Never Have (S)/You Ain't Livin' Unless You're Lovin' (S)/Crumbs Off The Table (S)/Horse And Rider (S)/The Fox (S)/A House Is Not A Home (S)/I Can't Be You You Can't Be Me (S)/Hey There Lonely Girl (S)/I Surrendered (S)/Heaven Is There To Guide Us (S)/Touch Me Jesus (S)/I Don't See Me In Your Eyes Anymore (S)/Thanks I Needed That (S)/Giving Up The Ring (S)/Let It Flow (S)/Stealing Moments From Another Woman's Life (S)

HCD-3910-2 - The Best of 8th Day - 8th Day [1992] She's Not Just Another Woman (S)/You Gotta Crawl Before You Walk (S)/Too Many Cooks (S)/Eeny-Meeny-Miny-Mo (Three's A Crowd) (S)/The Good Book (S)/Anythang (S)/Rocks In My Head (S, crossfades into next track)/Faith Is The Answer (S, crossfades in from previous track)/Get Your Mind Straight (S, indexing error makes song start at 0:04 of track)/Heaven Is There To Guide Us (S)/I Gotta Get Home (S)/I've Come To Save You (S)/If I Could See The Light (M)


CASTLE COMMUNICATIONS (UK)
CCSCD 810 - The Best of Chairmen of the Board - Chairmen of the Board [1997] Give Me Just A Little More Time (S, mono from 2:08-2:22 as usual)/Everything's Tuesday (S)/Hanging On To A Memory (S)/Elmo James (S)/Bless You (S)/I'm On My Way To A Better Place (S)/Since The Days Of Pigtails (S)/Chairman Of The Board (S)/Men Are Getting Scarce (S)/Bittersweet (S)/Working On A Building Of Love (S)/Try On My Love For Size (S)/Finders Keepers (M)/Tricked & Trapped (M)/Everybody's Got To Sing A Song (S)/When Will She Tell Me She Needs Me (S)/Patches (S)/Everybody Party All Night (E)/I'll Come Crawling (S)/Pay To The Piper (S)/You've Got Me Dangling On A String (S)


HI (UK)
HIUKCD 109 - You Got My Mind Messed Up - Quiet Elegance [1990] After You/Mama Said/Do You Love Me?/Something You Got (Sho'Nuff Makes Me Hot)/I'm Afraid Of Losing You/You Brought The Sun Back Into My Life/I Need Love/Tired Of Being Alone/Will You Be My Man (In The Morning)?/You Got My Mind Messed Up/Your Love Is Strange/Roots Of Love/Love Will Make You Feel Better/Have You Been Making Out OK?/Set The Record Straight/How's Your Love Life Baby?


SEQUEL (UK
NEMCD-998 - Crumbs Off The Table: The Invictus Sessions - Glass House [1999] Look What We've Done To Love/You Ain't Livin' Unless You're Lovin'/I Surrendered/Hey There Lonely Girl/If It Ain't Love (It Don't Matter)/Hotel/Touch Me Jesus/Heaven Is There To Guide Us/Crumbs Off The Table/ V.I.P./A House Is Not A Home/I Don't See Me In Your Eyes Anymore/Horse And Rider/The Man I'll Never Have/Thanks I Needed That/Giving Up The Ring/Don't Let it Rain On Me/Stealing Moments From Another Woman's Life/Let It Flow/Don't Go Looking For Something (You Don't Want To See)/Playing Games/Bad Bill Of Goods/He's In My Life/I Can't Be You (You Can't Be Me)


Thanks to Robert Rostkowski, Mikal Williams, Mike Stewart, Chris Williamson, and Anthony Parker.



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