Chairmen of the Board: Give Me Just A Little More Time

Last week, I caught General Johnson and the Chairmen of the Board’s 1970 hit of “Give Me Just A Little More Time” as the backing track of a Swiffer commercial. This TV Thursday hit peaked at #8 on the R&B chart and at #3 on the Hot 100.

Many people confuse this release with a Motown recording – and they are close, as Motown musicians and former songwriters and producers are all over this biggest hit for the Chairmen of the Board. The band was signed to one of the record labels operated by former Motown employees Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland, Jr.

Holland-Dozier-Holland had two labels “Hot Wax” distributed by Buddah and “Invictus,” which was distributed by Capitol. The Chairmen were signed to Invictus and “Give Me Just a Little More Time” was credited to the songwriting team of Edythe Wayne and Ron Dunbar. Dunbar was a real person who worked for Invictus and contributed to the writing of a number of songs.

Edythe Wayne, however, did not exist as a single person as it was a pseudonym used for Holland-Dozier-Holland, as they were still under contract to Motown’s Jobette publishing company. In order not to fill the coffers of Barry Gordy, they decided on an alter-ego to gain both songwriting and publishing royalties through their Gold Forever Music publishing company.

In addition to their owning the label and writing the song, Holland-Dozier-Holland produced the record. The backing track featured the Motown house band – The Funk Brothers. With Motown writers, producers, and musicians, “Give Me Just A Little More Time” has all of the earmarks of the Motown sound without the baggage of Berry Gordy.