Album: Various artists <!-- none onestar twostar threestar fourstar fivestar -->

Invictus Soul Box Set, CASTLE

In the Sixties, Lamont Dozier and the Holland brothers, Brian and Eddie, were princes of the city - the city in question being Detroit. As the writing and production team behind groups such as The Four Tops, Isley Brothers and Supremes, they created a torrent of hits throughout Motown's golden era, until, like all the company's more creative players, they sought a greater degree of control over their work, and greater rewards. Accordingly, at the end of the Sixties, they left to start their own label, Invictus, whose output is anthologised here across three CDs. Their A&R and production skills were clearly undiminished, with Freda Payne's "Band of Gold" giving the label its first global hit, and creditable work coming from the likes of Brenda Holloway and Parliament. But the Chairmen of the Board were the label's real stars, the quirky catch in lead singer General Johnson's voice bringing a distinctive appeal to hits like "(You've Got Me) Dangling on a String" that has lasted every bit as well as H-D-H's Motown classics.

DOWNLOAD THIS: 'Band of Gold', 'Give Me Just a Little More Time', '(You've Got Me) Dangling on a String', 'Elmo James', 'Finders Keepers', 'Pay to the Piper'