The greatest secret behind Motown’s success?
At the Motown hit factory, you’d find a house band, artists, engineers, and perhaps the biggest secret behind Motown’s success – The songwriters working for the label!
In the 60s, the main team was Lamont Dozier and brothers Eddie and Brian Holland.
From 1962 to 1967, Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote and produced all Motown songs. Following the immense success during these years, H-D-H sued Motown which left them writing under pseudonyms. Dozier later said in 2008:
“The lawsuit was just our way of taking care of business that needed to be taken care of – just like Berry Gordy had to take care of his business which resulted in the lawsuit. Business is business, love is love.”
This would turn into one of the longest-running lawsuits, starting in 1967, it ended in 1977. In the subsequent decades, H-D-H has been inducted into most Hall Of Fames.
During their glory years, they wrote an immense amount of hits, including Baby Love, Band Of Gold, Can I Get A Witness, Heat Wave, How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch), Jimmy Mack, Nowhere To Run, Reach Out (I’ll be There), Stop! In The Name Of Love, You Can’t Hurry Love, and You Keep Me Hanging On.
Also worth considering is how much the team must have influenced all other artists around Motown’s headquarters during those days.
Perhaps it is impossible to estimate how important Holland-Dozier-Holland has been to the modern pop song.
In 2018, Lamont Dozier released the album Reimagined where he’d sing most of his old hits himself, as well as with other singers as duets. After having a listen it is clear that it was team work that made the dream work back in the day!
Hollan Dozier Holland tunes | Related pages
Baby Love
| C | C7/Bb | A7 | Dm |
Baby love, my baby love, I need you, oh how I need you.
| Dm | C | F | C |
But all you do is treat me bad, break my heart and leave me sad.
Band Of Gold
| G | G | D/F# |
Now that you’re gone, all that’s left is a band of gold.
| D | C | C |
All that’s left of the dreams I hold, is a band of gold.
Can I Get A Witness
| Eb Ab | Db Ab | Eb Ab | Db Ab |
Ah listen, everybody, especially you girls,
| Eb Ab | Db Ab | Eb Ab | Db Ab |
is it right to be left alone by the one you love is never home?
Jimmy Mack
| Ebm | Gbmaj7 | Dbmaj7 | Gb |
Jimmy Mack, Jimmy. Oh, Jimmy Mack, when are you comin’ back.
| Ebm7 | Gbmaj7 | Dbmaj7 | Gb Ab |
Jimmy Mack, Jimmy. Oh, Jimmy Mack, when are you comin’ back.
Reach Out I’ll Be There
| Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db | Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db |
Now if you feel that you can’t go on, because all of your hope is gone.
| Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db Db6 | Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db |
And your life is filled with much confusion, until happiness is just an illusion.
Reach Out I’ll Be There chords.
You Can’t Hurry Love
| Bb | Bb | Eb Bb | Bb |
I need love, love, to ease my mind.
| Dm Gm7 | Gm7 | Eb F | F |
I need to find, find, someone to call mine, but mama said.
Hollan Dozier Holland on the web
