The Glass House

Listen/Download – The Glass House – Crumbs Off The Table MP3

Greetings all.

One of the first funky records I really fell in love with back in the day was Laura Lee’s epic ‘Crumbs Off the Table’, a record that still holds firm place in my all-time Top 10.

It is one of the finest productions to emerge from the house of Invictus/Hot Wax, Holland/Dozier/Holland’s amazing, post-Motown operation.

It was a few years after digging that record that I happened upon the 45 you see before you today, a version of the very same song by a group called the Glass House.

The Glass House version is not only the original recording of the song (written by H/D/H under the Ronald Dunbar/Edith Wayne psuedonyms), predating Laura Lee’s release (on the Hot Wax label) by three years. It was also the very first 45 released on Invictus after H/D/H’s break with Berry Gordy and Motown.

The Glass House was composed of Scherrie Payne (sister of Freda), Ty Hunter (who had been in the Originals) , Pearl Jones (who had recorded as Barbara Mercer) and Larry Mitchell. They were formed in 1969 and recorded two albums and a grip of 45s for Invictus between then and 1972, and during that period placed five records in or near the R&B Top 40.

‘Crumbs Off the Table’ was their biggest hit, making it into the R&B Top 10 (Pop #60) in the late Summer of 1969.

Their version of the song is very cool, edging over into funkadelic territory with some twangy guitar and a funky groove. Things are taken at a more relaxed pace than the Laura Lee version, and it has a great lead vocal by Scherrie Payne.

Of the group, only Scherrie Payne recorded extensively after their dissolution.

Edsel Records in the UK did a very nice reissue of the group’s two albums (plus bonus tracks) in 2010 and there is a solid Best Of available in iTunes.

I hope you dig the tune and I’ll see you on Friday.

Keep the faith

Larry

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PS Head over to Iron Leg too.