The Glass House -

The Glass House was an American soul group from Detroit assembled by the Holland–Dozier–Holland production team in the wake of their split from Motown. The lineup featured lead vocalist Scherrie Payne alongside Ty Hunter, Pearl Jones, Larry Mitchell, and Sylvia Smith. Active on the Invictus label between 1969 and 1972, the group released two albums and several charting singles.

Members: Scherrie Payne (vocals), Larry Mitchell (vocals), Pearl Jones (vocals), Ty Hunter (tenor), Eric Durham (vocals), Sylvia Smith (vocals, 1972)

Background

The Glass House was a Detroit-based soul quartet formed in 1969 as a studio project under the direction of the newly established Invictus label, headed by former Motown producers Holland-Dozier-Holland. Assembled rather than organically formed, the lineup included seasoned falsetto vocalist Ty Hunter, Scherrie Payne (sister of Freda Payne), Pearl Jones, and Larry Mitchell.

Each member brought varying degrees of experience—Hunter had cut sides with The Voice Masters alongside Lamont Dozier and David Ruffin, while Jones had sung with The Embraceable and led a children’s choir. Mitchell came from a background in vocal groups like The Sierras and The Classics. Payne, though inexperienced professionally, had strong vocal instincts and an expressive style Invictus would soon foreground.

The group debuted with “Crumbs Off the Table” in 1969, one of the first Invictus singles and a commercial success on the R&B charts. Though the group recorded several follow-up singles, most notably “I Can’t Be You (You Can’t Be Me)” and “If It Ain’t Love, It Don’t Matter,” their configuration remained fluid and largely driven by the studio production team.

Several tracks originally cut by the Glass House were redirected by producer Greg Perry to other Invictus acts. “Want Ads,” first recorded by the group, was reassigned to Honey Cone after label head Eddie Holland suggested lyrical changes and a new vocal. Honey Cone’s version became a chart-topping hit.

Inside the Glass House

The Glass House released their debut album, Inside the Glass House, in 1971 on Invictus.

The album spans gospel-influenced soul, slower ballads, and tracks with light psychedelic elements. Vocal leads rotate across the group’s members, often shifting within songs.

Ron Dunbar, Greg Perry, and William Weatherspoon produced the album, with songwriting mostly credited to Dunbar and Edith Wayne. Scherrie Payne co-wrote three tracks. Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier are credited on “Touch Me Jesus” and “Heaven Is There To Guide Us.”

“I Surrendered” and “Crumbs Off the Table” feature Payne in the lead, while “You Ain’t Lovin’ Unless You’re Lovin’” and “Look What We’ve Done to Love” center Ty Hunter. The group alternates verses on “If It Ain’t Love (It Don’t Matter).” “Hotel” uses fuzz guitar and an angular structure. “Touch Me Jesus” adopts gospel patterns with uptempo pacing, and “Heaven Is There To Guide Us” shifts toward funk with a heavier arrangement.

A1. “Look What We’ve Done to Love” (4:30) – Doo-wop-inflected opener with a spoken intro and shared leads between Hunter and Mitchell
A2. “You Ain’t Lovin’ Unless You’re Lovin’” (3:03) – Fragile ballad led by Hunter, built around a circular refrain
A3. “I Surrendered” (3:11) – One of the most forceful Payne leads, leaning into high drama with conviction
A4. “Hey There Lonely Girl” (3:29) – Cover of Eddie Holman’s hit, voiced by Mitchell, never resolving its comparison to the original

B1. “If It Ain’t Love (It Don’t Matter)” (2:47) – Ensemble piece with each member taking a lead, among the album’s more dynamic tracks
B2. “Hotel” (3:09) – Payne and Perry co-write with fuzz guitar and an angular rhythm; lyrics aim for social commentary
B3. “Touch Me Jesus” (2:46) – Brightly arranged gospel-pop with a prominent rhythmic structure
B4. “Heaven Is There To Guide Us” (3:40) – Funk-leaning cut with unsteady falsetto phrasing
B5. “Crumbs Off the Table” (2:47) – Payne-led closer with clipped phrasing and layered rhythm, the album’s signature track

Sessions occurred at HDH Sound Studios in Detroit with producers Ronald Dunbar, Greg Perry, and William Weatherspoon. Lawrence Horn engineered the album with arrangements by McKinley Jackson, H.B. Barnum, and Tony Camillo.

“Crumbs Off the Table” was released as a single in 1969 and reached No. 7 on the R&B chart. “If It Ain’t Love (It Don’t Matter)” and “Look What We’ve Done to Love” followed in 1970 and 1971, respectively.

In late 1971, Invictus revised the Glass House lineup. Pearl Jones departed and was replaced by Sylvia Smith, a Tennessee-born vocalist with gospel roots. The group issued multiple singles throughout 1972—“Playing Games,” “Let It Flow,” “Thanks I Needed That,” “Giving Up the Ring,” and “V.I.P.”—before releasing their second and final album that year.

Thanks I Needed That

The Glass House released their second and final album, Thanks I Needed That, in 1972 on Invictus.

Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Scherrie Payne co-wrote multiple tracks, with Ty Hunter contributing “Giving Up the Ring.” Side A includes songs by Angelo Bond, General Johnson, and Greg Perry (“V.I.P.”), Burt Bacharach and Hal David (“A House Is Not a Home”), and Brenda Holt and Pearl Jones (“The Man I’ll Never Have”). Edith Wayne and Ron Dunbar wrote the final cut.

“The Man I’ll Never Have” places Sylvia Smith at the center of a sparse ballad, her delivery pitched with restraint and tension. Payne leads “I Don’t See Me In Your Eyes Anymore” and “Don’t Let It Rain On Me,” both shaped around mid-tempo pacing and subdued instrumentation. Hunter carries “Giving Up the Ring,” a slow farewell. “Horse and Rider” stretches over five minutes with harmonic swells and shifting internal dynamics. “Stealing Moments From Another Woman’s Life” distills its theme in a tight form.

A1. “V.I.P.” (3:55) – Steady funk rhythm with narrative phrasing and ensemble accents
A2. “A House Is Not a Home” (3:17) – Subdued cover version paced by electric piano and minor turns
A3. “I Don’t See Me In Your Eyes Anymore” (3:44) – Slow fade of a relationship, anchored by Payne
A4. “Horse and Rider” (5:11) – Extended ballad form with soft swells and brief dynamic peaks
A5. “The Man I’ll Never Have” (3:08) – Smith-led lament, sparse and evenly paced

B1. “Thanks I Needed That” (2:45) – Lightly syncopated rhythm with clipped, repetitive phrasing
B2. “Giving Up the Ring” (2:39) – Hunter’s farewell lead over gentle backing
B3. “Don’t Let It Rain On Me” (3:28) – Payne vocal over measured, weighty instrumentation
B4. “Stealing Moments From Another Woman’s Life” (2:35) – Elliptical lyric wrapped in a short form
B5. “Let It Flow” (2:57) – Payne sings over slinky, low-register bass lines and layered rhythm
B6. “Don’t Go Looking for Something (You Don’t Want to See)” (3:33) – Clipped phrases, mid-tempo pacing, with alternating leads

Sessions occurred at HDH Sound Studios in Detroit with production by Holland–Dozier–Holland and engineering by Ed Redd.

“Thanks I Needed That” reached No. 47 on the R&B chart. “V.I.P.” and “Giving Up the Ring” were also released as singles.

Postlude

Invictus disbanded the Glass House in late 1972. Ty Hunter joined Motown stalwarts The Originals, while Scherrie Payne entered The Supremes lineup in 1973, where she remained through their final 1977 configuration. Larry Mitchell retired from the music scene, while Sylvia Smith recorded Woman of the World, a 1975 solo album for the Cream label. Eric Durham, an earlier Glass House member, re-emerged in the late ’70s with credits on Cameo albums including Cardiac Arrest and Ugly Ego.