Artist

Honey Cone

Los Angeles, United States • 1968 – 1973

Honey Cone is a music group from Los Angeles, United States, active 1968–1973. Their discography on Gatefold includes 5 records.

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Photo of Honey Cone

5

Albums tracked

4

In collections

1968

Since

Biography

Edna Wright, Carolyn Willis, and Shellie Clark comprised the vocal trio Honey Cone, which only stayed together for four years. Although Honey Cone (which lead singer Wright formed in 1969) was based in Los Angeles, their recordings were Northern-style soul — specifically, Detroit soul. Martha & the Vandellas and the Marvelettes — two of the female vocal groups that epitomized Motown Records' sound in the '60s — were among Honey Cone's main influences

The Arc of Honey Cone

The pivots — what forced Honey Cone to reinvent.

  1. The Ghost Production Years

    When HDH launched the label in '69, Honey Cone became the guinea pigs for a rougher, more experimental soul sound that bypassed the Motown assembly line. Because of the ongoing legal battle with Gordy, the production was credited to a dummy corporation, but you can hear the classic HDH stomp all over the 'Take Me With You' sessions. The tracks felt frantic and slightly unhinged compared to the clean Detroit pop of the mid-60s. It was a calculated risk that paid off by establishing a distinct, tougher identity for the trio right out of the gate.

  2. The Invictus Peak

    1971 was the year the facade dropped and the hits became undeniable with the release of 'Soulful Tapestry.' They moved away from the standard girl-group pining and leaned into 'Woman’s Lib' anthems, trading the sweet harmonies for a more conversational, assertive lead from Edna Wright. The instrumentation got funkier, heavily influenced by the psych-soul movement happening across town at Westbound. This era defined the 'Invictus Sound'—tight, driving percussion paired with lyrics that actually addressed the grit of the dating market and domestic reality.

  3. The Rapid Burnout

    By 1973, the Hot Wax/Invictus empire was crumbling under the weight of distribution nightmares and internal financial rot. The group's final sessions for 'Love, Peace & Soul' felt scattered as the label struggled to keep up with the shifting tides of disco. Without the focused guidance of the Holland brothers, who were increasingly distracted by the label’s legal collapse, the group’s momentum stalled. They called it quits before the mid-70s could turn them into a legacy act, leaving behind a brief but scorching five-year run of pure Detroit gold.

Influences

  • The Blossoms — Edna Wright cut her teeth in the LA session scene alongside her sister Darlene Love, literally learning the trade in the shadow of this group. You hear that professional, bulletproof session-singer precision in Honey Cone’s vocal stacks even when the tracks get chaotic. It’s the sound of singers who can’t be rattled by a bad monitor mix.
  • The Andantes — As the primary background vocalists for Motown, they set the standard for the 'Detroit sound' that HDH brought with them to Invictus. Honey Cone was essentially a reaction to this style, taking that same tight discipline and roughening it up for a more aggressive independent label vibe. It’s the template they had to break to find their own voice.
  • Aretha Franklin — Edna Wright cited Aretha as her primary north star for vocal phrasing, specifically the way she attacked the front of a note. You hear it on 'Stick Up,' where Edna abandons the girl-group coo for a gospel-drenched grit that wouldn't have been allowed at Motown. She wasn't just singing the melody; she was testifying over it.
  • The Ikettes — Shelly Clark did a stint as an Ikette before Honey Cone, which brought a high-energy, choreographed stage presence to the trio. This DNA is visible in their live clips from Soul Train, where they brought a frantic, Ike Turner-style discipline to their movement. They moved like a unit, not just three people standing behind mics.
  • Ray Charles — The group’s early repertoire and Edna’s solo aspirations were rooted in the soul-jazz hybrid Ray perfected in the early sixties. The influence shows up in their ability to handle mid-tempo swing and blues inflections that other pop-soul trios usually avoided. They had a musicality that went deeper than just hitting the high notes.

Discography

Their records — most-collected first.

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