'WE WROTE WHAT WE FELT' SONGWRITING TEAM HOLLAND-DOZIER-HOLLAND TURNED THEIR LOVE OF MANY MUSICAL STYLES INTO MOTOWN'S GREATEST HITS.Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer When brothers Eddie and Brian Holland and friend Lamont Dozier Dozier may be: People:
Credited simply as Holland-Dozier-Holland on enduring songs like ``Stop! In the Name of Love,'' ``Baby Love'' and ``Where Did Our Love Go,'' the team was an essential ingredient in Motown's rise as perhaps the most pervasive sound in pop history. Go through a day and try to keep track of all the Motown you hear - easy-listening versions in the supermarket; arm-flapping amateur renditions on TV's ``American Idol''; covers by the Beatles, the Beatles, The, English rock music group formed in the late 1950s and disbanded in 1970. The members were John Lennon, 1940–80, guitar and harmonica; (James) Paul McCartney, 1942–, guitar and piano; George Harrison, Dixie Chicks and James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, born in Belmont, Massachusetts. ; and, of course, the original heartfelt singles belted out by the likes of Marvin Gaye Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr.) (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American singer-songwriter, musician and performer who gained international fame as an artist on the Motown label in the 1960s and 1970s. , the Supremes and the Four Tops on oldies Oldies is a generic term commonly used to describe a radio format that usually concentrates on Top 40 music from the '50s, '60s and '70s. Oldies are typically from R&B, pop and rock music genres. KRTH-FM (101.1). Holland-Dozier-Holland songs aren't only the ``sound of young America Young America may refer to: Cities, towns, townships, etc.
The consistently earning Holland-Dozier-Holland catalog has spurred more than 100 million spins on radio and TV and generated a similar number of dollars. A few years ago, the trio quickly raised $40 million by jointly issuing a bond against future royalties of 300 songs. (Investors are repaid from the royalties earned over 15 years. Royalties come whenever a song is played on radio or TV, sold on CD or featured in a film or commercial). So, how'd the threesome do it? First, each had a deep love of music as kids even before setting a toe in the business or hooking up with Berry Gordy's then-fledgling Motown label. Raised in Detroit in the 1940s and 1950s, Holland, Dozier and Holland soaked up a rich soundtrack of blues, jazz, classical music and show tunes. Lyricist lyr·i·cist n. A writer of song lyrics. Also called lyrist. Noun 1. lyricist - a person who writes the words for songs lyrist Eddie Holland was encouraged by a teacher to write poetry. ``Because we came up the way we did, we developed styles of our own,'' said Dozier, seen recently on ``American Idol'' as a guest judge during an episode devoted to Motown. ``We didn't go to music schools. We were three guys with raw talent. We danced to our own beat. We wrote what we felt. All we knew was that it felt good to us.'' Even from the earliest days, it was a tough combination to beat. After writing partners Dozier and Brian Holland called Eddie to complete the team in 1963, the threesome cranked out ``Come and Get These Memories "Come and Get These Memories" is a 1963 soul single by Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. Their second single released under Motown's Gordy Records subsidiary, "Memories" became the group's first hit single, reaching number 29 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart, and ,'' a hit for Martha Reeves Martha Rose Reeves (born July 18, 1941) is an African-American Grammy Award winning R&B and soul singer and was the lead singer of the legendary Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. , a former secretary at the company. The song sparked Motown's move from the r&b chart to the broader landscape of the pop best-sellers list. That was the start of one of music's biggest success stories and most storied assembly lines. ``We worked long hours,'' Brian Holland remembers. ``We never stopped. It was total involvement. Usually, three guys that are equal don't last long together. They each want to break off and start their own thing so they can be the boss. But we didn't have a lot of arguments or falling out for the most part. It's like I used to say, 'There's a purpose to this. This is a calling.' '' Despite a warehouse full of awards, plaques and trophies, the enigmatic but warm men behind the songs are looking forward to May 13, when the performing rights Performing rights are the right to perform music in public. It is part of copyright law and demands payment to the music’s composer/lyricist and publisher (with the royalties generally split 50/50 between the two) when a business uses music in a public performance. organization BMI BMI body mass index. BMI abbr. body mass index Body mass index (BMI) A measurement that has replaced weight as the preferred determinant of obesity. awards the trio its 2003 BMI Icon trophy at a dinner in Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, city (1990 pop. 31,971), Los Angeles co., S Calif., completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles; inc. 1914. The largely residential city is home to many motion-picture and television personalities. (the Icon was awarded for the very first time last year to Chuck Berry Noun 1. Chuck Berry - United States rock singer (born in 1931) Charles Edward Berry, Berry , James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3 1933[1][2] – December 25 2006), commonly referred to as "The Godfather of Soul" and " , Bo Diddley and Little Richard Little Richard, 1935–, American musician and singer, b. Macon, Ga., as Richard Wayne Penniman. One of the first rock musicians in the 1950s, he recorded "Tutti Frutti," "Long Tall Sally," and "Good Golly Miss Molly." Since then, he has turned to religion. ). At noon one day earlier, fans are invited to see Holland, Dozier and Holland inducted into Hollywood's RockWalk. ``They started writing hits over 40 years ago, and their songs are still played every single day throughout the world,'' said Cheryl Dickerson, senior director of writer-publisher relations at BMI. ``This tremendous body of work is extremely important to us both as an organization and as music lovers. The Icon award is our way of honoring the greatest writers we have at BMI.'' Unlike the Funk Brothers, the Motown session crew that never really realized how indispensable they were to the label and only now is enjoying recognition, Holland-Dozier-Holland knew early. In 1967, after penning 37 pop and r&b smash hits for Motown over four years, the trio refused to write another note unless they received a full financial accounting. Gordy sued for breach of contract, the composers countersued, and litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. continued for years. Yet, little bitterness apparently remains today. ``It was a great time,'' said Dozier, who like his comrades is in his early 60s and lives in Los Angeles. ``Nobody really knew how big it would all get. Everyone was making it up as they went along. Nobody guessed this music would become an industry. We thought it would last five minutes.'' In the decades since Motown, the Holland brothers worked separately from Dozier on various projects, reuniting under the H-D-H Records banner, whose roster includes funk, hip-hop and smooth jazz acts. But are there any current hits Holland, Dozier and Holland wish they had written? Dozier laughs, speaking for all three: ``That song by Norah Jones ('Don't Know Why,' which was written by her guitarist Jesse Harris). I hear that thing and I say, 'Where was I when they were passing that around?' '' HOLLAND-DOZIER-HOLLAND What: The legendary Motown songwriting team will be inducted into Hollywood's RockWalk. Where: RockWalk, in front of Guitar Center, 7425 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. When: Noon May 12. Tickets: No charge. Info: (323) 874-1060 or visit www.rockwalk.com. Think it oh-oh-ver Motown staff composers Holland-Dozier-Holland penned more than 200 songs, including many of the biggest hits of the 1960s. Their work fueled the rise of Motown as a dominant music powerhouse. Here are the team's 10 best-known tunes and the artists that made them famous. ``Baby Love,'' Supremes ``Baby I Need Your Loving,'' Four Tops ``Can't Help Myself,'' Four Tops ``How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You,'' Marvin Gaye ``Reach Out I'll Be There,'' Four Tops ``Stop! In the Name of Love,'' Supremes ``This Old Heart of Mine,'' Isley Brothers ``Where Did Our Love Go,'' Supremes ``You Can't Hurry Love "You Can't Hurry Love" is a number-one single recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label, released during the summer of 1966 (see 1966 in music). Written and produced by Motown's main production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland, "You Can't Hurry Love" is one of the signature ,'' Supremes ``You Keep Me Hangin' On,'' Supremes CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) Spin City Motown songwriters Holland-Dozier-Holland made records that redefined a generation's music (2) Brian Holland, left, Eddie Holland and Lamont Dozier wrote more than 200 songs, including many of the biggest hits from the golden era of '60s soul and r&b. The trio will be honored in Hollywood May 12. David Sprague/Staff Photographer Box: Think it oh-oh-ver (see text) |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion