Introduction to 8th Day
8th Day was a 1970s American R&B group, actually put up together by the Motown songwriting team of as Holland-Dozier-Holland or HDH. The (initially) non-existent group’s first single “She’s Not Just Another Woman” became very successful and even broke into the Top 20. After the success of another single “You’ve Got to Crawl (Before You Walk),” the songwriting trio decided to put up an actual group under the name 8th Day in hopes to sustain their own success. But after subsequent poor-selling records, 8th Day were becoming no more, although the name was used again in 1983 for a Brian Holland-led one-shot production.
Origins of 8th Day
The renowned songwriting group of Lamont Dozier and brothers Eddie and Brian Holland, also collectively known as Holland-Doizer-Holland (or HDH) had formed acts that were either supergroups or assembled together. These acts had signed to a variety of labels including Hot Wax/Invictus and Music Merchant.
One of the songwriting group bands, 100 Proof (Aged In Soul) was put together by Holland-Dozier-Holland and led by Steve Mancha and Eddie Holiday. 100 Proof (Aged in Soul) was scoring a big hit through the single “Somebody’s Been Sleeping In My Bed.” Released on Hot Wax label, it peaked at #8 on the pop chart in the fall of 1970.
Holland-Dozier-Holland wanted to release “She’s Not Just Another Woman” as another single as radio stations began playing it on the air. But rather than upsetting the sales of the prior single by 100 Proof (Aged in Soul), HDH instead released “She’s Not Just Another Woman” under a different name called 8th Day in 1971. The act, by the way, was formed in Detroit, Michigan.
“She’s Not Just Another Woman”
“She’ Not Just Another Woman” was written by Ronald Dunbar and Clyde Wilson (the names, by the way, were only pseudonyms devised by Holland-Dozier-Holland) and released on Invictus label. The single climbed to its peak position at #11 on the Hot 100 and #3 on the R&B singles chart in 1971. The single sold over a million copies and was awarded with a “gold” certification.
“You’ve Got to Crawl (Before You Walk)”
8th Day was also able to sustain the success of their first single with a follow-up, “You’ve Got to Crawl (Before You Walk),” written by General Johnson (as Norman Johnson), Greg Perry (credited as Greg S. Perry) and Angelo Bond. It rose again on both Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts, peaking at #28 and #3, respectively.
The formation of a real 8th Day group
Goaded by the success brought by two 8th Day singles, Holland-Dozier-Holland decided to assemble a real, existing group under the same name. The 8th Day’s original lineup consisted of singer Melvin Davis, bassist Antonio “Tony” Newton, organist/keyboardist Lyman Woodard, guitarist Larry Hutchison, and another member Ron Bykowski as well as three female vocalists. The singles, such as “Eeny-Meen-Miny-Mo (There’s a Crowd)” and “If I Could See the Light,” never really got to surpass or even just equal the first two hits, which they never performed anyway.
Dissolution and disbandment
Davis was disenchanted by his unfruitful stay at Invictus/Hot Wax, claiming that there was no opportunity to “jam or exchange ideas.” Lately, the group developed a knack for releasing songs with subtle gosple messages in them; aesthetically they were actually good but they failed to sell either.
Ultimately, 8th Day quickly collapsed after releasing a few more unsuccessful singles — just as Invictus/Hot Wax folded. Davis went on to become a songwriter, penning such tunes as Johnny Taylor’s “I Don’t Wanna Lose You.”
The name 8th Day was revived for the last time during the early 1980s for a musical project created by Brian Holland and Harold Beatty, featuring ex-Undisputed Truth member Tyrone Douglas.