Today’s classic song of the day is “Somebody’s Been Sleeping” by the R&B group 100 Proof (Aged in Soul). This single, on Hot Wax Records, was released in September of 1970 and peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #6 on Billboard’s R&B chart.
“Somebody’s Been Sleeping” was written by Angelo Bond, Greg Perry, and General Johnson. Johnson was lead singer for Chairmen of the Board, a group that recorded on Invictus Records. Hot Wax and Invictus were labels founded by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland (AKA Holland-Dozier-Holland, AKA H-D-H) after they left the Motown label over a financial dispute.
H-D-H put together 100 Proof (Aged in Soul) specifically for their new Hot Wax label. The group consisted of Joe Stubbs (brother of Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops) and Steve Mancha as co-lead singers, along with fellow singer Eddie Holiday. Mancha sang lead on “Somebody’s Been Sleeping.”
100 Proof (Aged in Soul) also recorded the track “She’s Not Just Another Woman,” which was slated for release around the same time as “Somebody’s Been Sleeping.” To avoid confusion among disc jockeys and record buyers, H-D-H released the second song under the name the 8th Day, on the Invictus label. That single hit #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on Billboard’s R&B chart.
The group 100 Proof (Aged in Soul) released a few more singles under their own name but didn’t have any further hits. They broke up in 1973.
