The Invitations

Side A - It Was A Woman
Side B - Heavenly Love

Catalogue # SJ509

Posted in: Release Listings

Release Date: Monday October 11th 2010

The Invitations came to prominence through their classic 60’s soul recordings, “What’s Wrong With Me Baby” and “Skiing In The Snow” on Dynovoice records. More recently their second release for the MGM label “”Watch Out Little Girl” has grown in popularity within the Northern Soul scene.

After the groups association with MGM finished they then signed with the Diamond label, releasing just one single “Got To Have It Now”. The Diamond label was owned by Joel Diamond who during the early 70’s re-signed the Invitations to his Polydor distributed ,”Silver Blue” label. Where they cut a string of excellent releases with the likes of “Look On The Good Side” and “They Say The Girls Crazy” ensuring the group continued popularity.

A later 70’s release the funky “We Don’t Allow (no sitting In Here)” would appear on the Red Greg label.

During the late 60’s and early 70’s the group were regular visitors to the UK, firstly performing under the stage name of the “American Drifters” before eventually reverting to the Invitations on later tours. They returned to the UK in 2005 to perform at the Assembly Rooms Derby followed by the Hemsby” Motown” Weekender.

In 2009 the group under their own Invite records banner released the” Missing You” album. Although being little more than a vanity project to sound out a potential market with a limited pressing run of only 100 copies the album did contain some excellent songs.

It is from this album that we have taken the following songs “It Was A Woman” backed with “Heavenly Love” which incidentally only appears on the album as a instrumental version, for our next Soul Junction 45 release.

soulchoonz website: Thursday 30th September 2010

Huge applause to John Anderson and Dave Welding at Soul Junction for this superb 7" which hits the streets on October 11th.

I absolutely love it when my favourite artists of yesteryear return strong after almost 4 decades on vinyl with a strong NEW song. Isn't it amazing that great 60s artists are still there and able, in 2010, to deliver the goods. The traditions still stands and they keep the flame of the rich street corner / Doo wop sound burning. This double header is absolutely blinding and the quality of the vinyl is excellent! In fact, it appears to be much better than it was over 20 years ago. Anyway, this is a single that has been cherry-picked from the groups tentative 2009 release "Missing You" which was limited to 100 copies! On the strength of these two songs I would love to hear the rest of that set.

"It Was A Woman" is a no-nonsense slab of REAL, traditional soul in the classic street corner tradition and acts as a much-required reminder to society on the role of women, imploring the listener to respect their mothers and that she should be your number one girl. Much music - loosely coined - is about women as sex objects or toys and it's a necessary statement from the fellas at this time to put a restraining hand up to halt the relentless march of these dullard R&B artists and show them how things are, should be, and how real R&B should be made. For me, though, the flipside is the real strong contender and i was taken aback by the sheer quality and contemporary feel. "Heavenly Love" is said track, and I understand that on the album it stands as an instrumental...so this song for the single contains a fully-fledged vocal and it is AMAZING. It has a wonderful vibe that reminds me of Michael Cooper's "Marry Me Again", with a few minor New Jack Swing elements thrown in a la Mint Condition. Vocally this is strong, musically it is superb and I cannot stop playing it.

This is a solid, solid release and solidifies further the quality status of Soul Junction records. Essential.

Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe

The Paul Miller Radio Soul Show - BBC: Sunday October 3rd 2010

Jealousy (remix) - Noel McKoy - 2010
Step By Step - JD73 - 2010
I Like It - Intrigue - 1982
So Glad I'm The One - Instant Funk - 1976
Sugar Fish - Paul Brown - 2010
You Got Me Wrong Ely Bruna - Capital F - 2010
Right Combination - Linda Clifford & Curtis Mayfield - 1980
It Was A Woman - The Invitations - 2010
What A Surprise - Cooly's Hot Box - 2002
Soul City Walk - Archie Bell & The Drells - 1975
Don't You Worry Baby - Bessie Banks - 1976
S.T.O.P. - The Lorelei - 1971
Filled With Desire - Baltimore First Class - 1976
In Your Dreams - J. Red - 2010
Cognitive Sensuality - Philly Fusion Project - 2009
The Anointing - Phillip Brooks - 2010
Love Love Love - Kirk Whalum - 2010
Parisienne Girl - Incognito - 1980
Keep On - Touch - 1982
It's Time For Love - Teddy Pendergrass - 1981
Do You Know - Will Downing - 2010
The Price Of love - Greg Blackman - 2010
It Really Doesn't Matter - Tower Of Power - 1997
Love To The World - L.T.D. - 1976

Download the Track Listings and Show details - CLICK HERE