Laura Lee: The Hot Wax / Invictus Anthology (1970-1974)

When Holland-Dozier-Holland broke up with Motown in 1968, two female vocalists proved crucial in putting the songwriters' newly established record labels on the map. First Freda Payne was signed to Invictus and scored a massive crossover hit with 'Band of Gold' in 1970. Out of contract with Chess, Laura Lee was convinced to record for Invictus' sister label Hot Wax. The title track of 1972's Women's Love Rights made up for its average chart success with its perfectly timed manifesto and rallying cry for downtrodden women. Three decades later, music magazine Mojo would also recognize the album's anthem-like qualities by including 'Wedlock Is a Padlock' in a Top 100 of protest songs for its May 2004 issue. In its turn, the bolshie monologue preceding the Buddy Johnson ballad 'Since I Fell for You' would be acknowledged as the lyrical jump off point for Millie Jackson. Although it spawned four Top 40 R&B chart hits, Lee would always remain more of a critics' favorite. The singer would go on to record two more albums for Holland-Dozier-Holland of which Two Sides of Laura Lee nearly matches her debut. On Two Sides she added a new element to Brenda Holloway's classic 'Every Little Bit Hurts,' turning the waltz-tempo whiner into a deep soul extravaganza, while her heartfelt versions of two standards, 'At Last' and 'Guess Who I Saw Today,' made them accessible to soul listeners who normally wouldn't give them the time of day. Her last Hot Wax effort, I Can't Make It Alone, had crack arrangements by HB Barnum and Eugene Moore which mixed strings and soul into a stellar blend. The album featured the breakbeat classic 'Crumbs Off the Table' (also included on Two Sides), plus the cuts '(If You Want to Try to Love Again) Remember Me', 'Mirror of Your Soul', and 'I Need It Just As Bad As You'. Lee left Hot Wax in 1975 and signed with Ariola Records, but became seriously ill shortly afterwards and retired from the music industry for several years. I have gathered here most of Laura Lee's Hot Wax / Invictus repertoire, including her three LPs for the label (not the duplicated tracks, obviously), plus all but three of the non-album sides, including an extended version of 'Her Picture Matches Mine'. http://www.dustygroove.com/, http://www.allmusic.com/

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Laura Lee, performing her Blackpool Mecca anthem 'To Win Your Heart', recorded for Ric-Tic Records in 1965:

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