The Hot Wax and Invictus labels were formed in Detroit Michigan in 1969 by Lamont Dozier, Brian
Holland and Eddie Holland. Holland-Dozier-Holland were the most successful songwriter/producers in
the world when they left the Motown label in 1968. Because of lawsuits involving their departure from
Motown, they were prevented from recording anything until about a year later.
They seemed to pick up right where they left off at Motown. Their first single for Hot Wax was the Honey
Cone's "While You're Out Looking For Sugar" [Hot Wax 6901], a top-30 R&B hit. The group included
Edna Wright, Shellie Clark, and Carolyn Willis. Wright was the sister of Darlene Love (of Bob B. Soxx
and the Blue Jeans, solo recordings, and the Blossoms). When Darlene's Blossoms developed a conflict
in their schedule, Darlene asked Edna to put together a trio to appear on an Andy Williams special as
backup singers in place of the Blossoms. Edna got Shellie Clark, who was working on the Jim Nabors
Show, and Darlene suggested Carolyn Willis, who at one time had been with Darlene in the group Bob
B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans. The Honey Cone became the most successful and long-lasting of the Hot
Wax groups, including a huge hit, "Want Ads" [Hot Wax 7011] in 1971.
The second single on Hot Wax, "Mind, Body and Soul" [6902], was by a black-sounding white group
called the Flaming Embers. No overnight sensations, the group had been together since 1964. The
group included Lead Singer and Drummer Jerry Plunk, keyboardist Bill Ellis, bassist Mike Jackson, and
guitarist Joe Sladich. After recording a few singles for small labels, they signed with Detroit's Ric-Tic
label in 1966, where they recorded six singles to little success. When Ric-Tic was sold to Motown in
1968, the Flaming Embers' were released from their contract. They shopped around for major labels,
and finally signed with the new Hot Wax label mainly on the reputation of Holland, Dozier, and Holland.
After their first top-30 hit, they charted with followup "Shades of Green" [Hot Wax 6907, #88], then with
two more top-40 tunes, "Westbound #9" [Hot Wax 7003] and "I'm Not My Brother's Keeper" [Hot Wax
7006]. Their fourth single, "Stop the World and Let Me Off" [Hot Wax 7010], essentially ended their radio
airplay, as the country was not ready for the record's Lesbian theme.
The next group to chart for Hot Wax was 100 Proof (Aged in Soul), which included lead singer Clyde
Wilson (Steve Mancha), Joe Stubbs (ex-Falcons and Contours, and brother of the Four Tops' Levi
Stubbs), and Eddie Anderson (Eddie Holiday). The registered four chart singles on the Top 100,
including top-10 "Somebody's Been Sleeping" [Hot Wax 7004].
The fourth major act for Hot Wax was Laura Lee, also a veteran of the music business. She had started
in gospel groups in the 1950s, then signed with Ric-Tic and then Chess and Cotillion in the 1960s. By
1970, she had returned to Detroit, where she was recruited for Hot Wax. She reeled off five top-100
sides for Hot Wax, including "Women's Love Rights" [Hot Wax 7105] and "Rip Off" [Hot Wax 7204]. In
1973, when Hot Wax finally folded due to cash flow problems, H-D-H moved her over to their Invictus
label.
The first Hot Wax label is white with black printing. The top ¬ of the label is black with a drawing of a
record on a turntable with flames coming from it. Below the black portion is "HOT" to the left of the
center hole and "WAX" to the right in red and orange. The second Hot Wax label was white and orange
with black printing. There is a swirl of orange at the top and bottom of the label with white in the middle.
'hot wax" in black above the center hole. Hot Wax was distributed by Buddah.
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 Hot Wax Records, which is currently owned by H-D-H. Should you want to contact
H-D-H/Fantasy, or 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, 2005 by Mike Callahan.
HOT WAX ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY
Number - Title - Artist [Release Date] (Chart) Contents
HA-701 - Take Me With You - Honey Cone [1970] Sunday Morning People/Son Of A
Preacher Man/Take Me With You/Girls It Ain't Easy/You Made Me So Very Happy/Are You Man Enough,
Are You Strong Enough?//Aquarius/Take My Love/While You're Out Looking For Sugar/My Mind's On
Leaving But My Heart Won't Let Me Go/The Feeling's Gone
HA-702 - Westbound Number 9 - Flaming Ember [1970] (8-70, #188) Spinning
Wheel/Westbound #9/Mind, Body And Soul/Shades Of Green/Going In Circles/Why Don't You
Stay//Flashbacks And Reruns/This Girl Is A Woman Now/Stop The World And Let Me Off/Heart On
(Loving You)/Where's All The Joy/The Empty Crowded Room
HA-703 - When Will It End - Honey Cone [unissued]
HA-704 - Someone's Been Sleeping In My Bed - 100 Proof Aged in Soul [1970] (12-70,
#151) Somebody's Been Sleeping/Love Is Sweeter (The Second Time Around)/One Man's Leftovers (Is
Another Man's Feast)/I've Come To Save You/Ain't That Lovin' You (For More Reasons Than One)/Not
Enough Love To Satisfy//Age Ain't Nothing But A Number/She's Not Just Another Woman/Too Many
Cooks (Spoil The Soup)/I Can't Sit and Wait (Til Johnny Comes Marching Home)/Backtrack
HA-705 - Sunshine - Flaming Ember [1971] Livin' High, Money Low/1200 Miles From
Heaven/Heart On Lovin' You/Stop The World (And Let Me Off)/Sunshine//Gotta Get Away/I'm Not My
Brother's Keeper/Ding Need Dong (To Ding-A-Ling-A-Ding-Dong)/One Step Beyond/Ember Blues
HA-706 - Sweet Replies - Honey Cone [1971] (6-71, #137) Want Ads/You Made Me
Come To You/Blessed Be Our Love/Are You Man Enough, Are You Strong Enough?/When Will It
End/The Feeling's Gone//Sunday Morning People/Deaf, Blind, Paralyzed/Take Me With You/My Mind's
On Leaving, But My Heart Won't Let Me Go/We Belong Together/The Day I Found Myself
HA-707 - Soulful Tapestry - Honey Cone [1972] (12-71, #72) All The King's Horses (All
The King's Men)/The Day I Found Myself/Don't Count Your Chickens (Before They hatch)/How Does It
Feel/Little More/One Monkey Don't Stop No Show, Parts I & II/Stick Up/V.I.P./Want Ads/Who's It Gonna
Be
HA-708 - Woman's Love Rights - Laura Lee [1972] (1-72, #117) Women's Love
Rights/Wedlock Is A Padlock/I Don't Want Nothin' Old (But Money)/(Don't Be Sorry) Be Careful If You
Can't Be Good/Love And Liberty/It's Not What You Fall For, It's What You Stand For//Since I Fell For
You/Two Lovely Pillows/That's How Strong My Love Is/Her Picture Matches Mine
HA-709 - Deliciously Yours - 100 Proof (??)
HA-710 - Hot Wax Greatest Hits - Various Artists [1972] Want Ads - Honey
Cone/Somebody's Been Sleepin' - 100 Proof (Aged In Soul)/Mind Body and Soul - Flaming Ember/Too
Many Cooks (Spoil The Soup) - 100 Proof (Aged In Soul)/Women's Love Rights - Laura
Lee//Westbound #9 - Flaming Ember/Stick Up - Honey Cone/90 Day Freeze (On Her Love) - 100 Proof
(Aged In Soul)/Frightened Girl - Silent Majority/I'm Not My Brother's Keeper - Flaming Ember
HA-711 - The Politicians featuring McKinley Jackson - Politicians [1972] Psycha-Soula-
Funkadelic/The World We Live In/Church/Free Your Mind/Everything Good Is Bad//A Song For
You/Speak On It/Funky Toes/Politicians Theme/Close Your Big Mouth
HA-712 - 100 Proof - 100 Proof [1972] Everything Good Is Bad/Since You Been
Gone/Nothing Sweeter Than Love/Ghetto Girl//Words/I Don't Care If I Never Get Over You/Don't Scratch
Where It Don't Itch/Don't You Wake Me/Never My Love
HA-713 - Love, Peace and Soul - Honey Cone [1972] (9-72, #189) O-O-O Baby,
Baby/Stay In My Corner/Who's Lovin' You/A Woman's Prayer//Sittin' On A Time Bomb (Waitin' On The
Hurt To Come)/Innocent Til Proven Guilty/I Lost My Rainbow/Ace In The Hole/Woman Can't Live By
Bread Alone/Don't Send Me An Invitation
HA-714 - Two Sides of Laura Lee - Laura Lee [1972] At Last/Crumbs Off The
Table/Every Little Bit Hurts/Empty Bed Blues/Guess Who I Saw Today//If You Can Beat Me
Rocking/Workin' And Lovin' Together/Rip Off/When A Man Loves A Woman/If I'm Good Enough To
Love (I'm Good Enough To Marry)/You've Got To Save Me
HA-715 - Best of Laura Lee - Laura Lee [1972] Crumbs Off The Table/Love And
Liberty/Woman's Love Rights/If You Can Beat Me Rockin' (You Can Have My Chair)/Rip Off//Since I Fell
For You/At Last My Love Has Come Along/Guess Who I Saw Today
HA-716 - Think of the Children - Satisfaction Unlimited [1973] Bright City Lights/I Know
It's Love/Spread Your Love Around/Let's Change The Subject/Think Of The Children//Time For
Us/Somebody Else's Woman/Why/Seeing You Through the Eyes Of A Blindman/Don't Call Me, I'll Call
You/Come On Back
RELATED COMPACT DISCS:
H-D-H (US)
HCD-3902-3 - Honey Cone's Greatest Hits - Honey Cone [1990] Want Ads (S)/Stick Up
(S)/One Monkey Don't Stop No Show (S)/The Day I Found Myself (S)/Take Me With You (S)/Woman
Can't Live By Bread Alone (S)/When Will It End (S)/While You're Out Looking For Sugar (S)/Girls It Ain't
Easy (S)/Sitting On A Time Bomb (S)/Innocent Until Proven Guilty (S)/Ace In The Hole (S)/The Truth Will
Come Out (S)/If I Can't Fly (S)
HCD-3903-2 - Laura Lee's Greatest Hits - Laura Lee [1990] Rip Off (S)/Women's Love
Rights (S)/Love And Liberty (S)/Her Picture Matches Mine (S)/Two Lonely Pillows (S)/You've Got To
Save Me (S)/I Can't Hold On Much Longer (S)/Crumbs Off The Table (S)/Since I Fell For You
(S)/Wedlock Is A Padlock (S)/I'll Catch You When You Fall (S)/If You Can Beat Me Rockin' (You Can
Have My Chair) (S)/If I'm Good Enuff To Love (M)
HCD-3904-2 - Greatest Hits - 100 Proof (Aged in Soul) [1990] Somebody's Been
Sleeping In My Bed (S)/One Man's Leftovers (Is Another Man's Feast) (S)/90 Day Freeze (M)/Everything
Good Is Bad (S)/Not Enough Love To Satisfy (S)/Nothing Sweeter Than Love (S)/Too Many Cooks
(Spoil The Soup) (S)/Driveway (M)/Love Is Sweeter (S)/Since You've Been Gone (S)/Don't Scratch
Where It Don't Itch (S)/I'd Rather Fight Than Switch (M)
HCD-3906-2 - The Best of the Flaming Ember - Flaming Ember [1992] Mind Body And
Soul (S)/Heart On Loving You (S)/Don't You Wanna Wanna (S)/Stop The World And Let Me Off
(S)/Westbound #9 (E)/Why Don't You Stay (E)/Sunshine (S)/Robot In A Robot's World (M)/1200 Miles
(S)/I'm Not My Brother's Keeper (S, long version)/Shades Of Green (S)/Deserted Village (S)/Ding Need
Dong (To Ding-A-Ling-A-Ding-Dong) (S)
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