Breaks: 8th Day

At some point folks figured out that exploiting musicians or what they create was as good a business decision as any other. Of course, nurturing a nascent group was also a possibility, but that green, green, greed seems to blind pretty much everyone - and especially those that we all think of as successful in the music industry. As unfortunate as that is, that’s all the basis for the group 8^th Day and its creation.

During the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, there weren’t really any stronger writing teams in soul music than Holland-Dozier-Holland (Brian, Lamont and Eddie). The trio concocted some of the best known soul cuts from the genre’s peak and really allowed for the Motown label to persist for as long as it did. And when Barry Gordy moved his stable from Detroit to Los Angeles, Dozier and the Hollands went along. Of course, it was probably a part of the plan to found their own label. So, eventually, when out there on the west coast, the song writing team founded Inviticus as well as the lesser known Hot Wax Recordings.

As the songwriting team found itself a hit in early 1970 with 100 Proof’s "Somebody's Been Sleeping in My Bed," all involved were set to release a follow up. Not wanting to disturb its then bread winner, though, Dozier and the Hollands sought to release a single recorded by 100 Proof under the name of 8^th Day on the independent Inviticus label.

What resulted was "You Got to Crawl Before You Walk," which wound up hitting the charts as well. The success of the single prompted the need for an actual group to tour and do promotions, though. That presented a problem for all involved. 100 Proof wouldn’t be able to masquerade as some other outfit, so 8^th Day was cobbled together from singers that were around already or a part of the Inviticus stable.

It should have sounded like a raw deal from the beginning, but of course, those that want fame and recognition will do pretty much anything they can to get it.

It’s really unclear as to what was recorded before 8^th Day became a proper group, but the ensemble’s first, self titled album was as much fiction as truth. The ensemble’s hit was obviously tossed on there. Unfortunately, though, there weren’t too many other efforts that matched the success of the previously released track.

Making all of this even more convoluted is the fact that a Melvin Davis (he was one of the recruits) track was included on the 8^th Day disc. The song’s appearence only obfuscates who played what and when. While that’s not really the point, it renders the disc a weird Frankenstein of soul.

 “Eeny-Meeny-Miny-Mo (Three's A Crowd)” might have been a cutesy track about there being too many folks around for a relationship, but it was also one of the few songs that reached a fever pitch. And that really just renders this slab interesting from storytelling point of view as opposed to entertainment.