Somebody's Been Sleepin' In My Bed

Like the 8th Day, 100 Proof (Aged in Soul) were a creation of the Invictus/Hot Wax label -- a studio group assembled by Holland-Dozier-Holland to sing the creations of their stable of writers and producers. 100 Proof was more stable than the 8th Day, though they shared Steve Mancha as their lead singer, as well as the single "Too Many Cooks (Spoil the Soup)." They also stuck closer to the big, splashy, early Invictus/Hot Wax sound, never detouring into the funk-rock jams that hampered the second 8th Day record. And, apart from the tremendous "Somebody's Been Sleeping in My Bed," they didn't have singles as brilliant as "She's Not Just Another Woman" or "You've Got to Crawl (Before You Walk)," which the 8th Day had to their credit. What 100 Proof did have was consistency, as Castle's complete collection Somebody's Been Sleeping in My Bed: The Hot Wax Sessions proves. Containing their two albums -- 1971's Somebody's Been Sleeping in My Bed and the following year's 100 Proof -- this 22-track collection provides song after song of thrills similar to the hits: songs with big, colorful productions; lots of hooks; and lots of sweet vocals. This is assembly-line soul at its best, a celebration of craft -- craft of song and craft of sound. Yes, these records don't define an era the way Motown did, and the songs are often silly, but as a pure rush of sound, these are irresistible. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine|