THIS OLD HEART OF MINE (IS WEAK)
Now that he’s gone, all that’s left are the two Hollands… Motown titan Lamont Dozier has died aged 81. Such is his CV that posting a raw list of every classic song he had a hand in would make a lengthy obit as is. While attending a jazz concert as a toddler, the excited reactions in the audience showed him the way music can reach ouuuuuut to people. In high school he formed a short-lived doo-wop group that notched a regional hit but abruptly ended after Dozier misgauged them as album-worthy before even releasing a second single. Further attempts as a recording artist gained little momentum, but a change in fortunes would soon come when a nascent Motown recruited him as a songwriter.
He quickly discovered a creative kinship with the brothers Brian and Eddie Holland, forming one of the greatest songwriting teams of the 60s. Dozier and Brian typically composed while Eddie wrote the lyrics. Their intense songwriting process fused gospel/R&B roots with pop appeal, churned out more hooks than a pirate convention, and through it all never lost the human touch. They knew which songs to give which artist – for instance, “sugar pie, honey bunch” (a phrase Dozier recalled his grandfather having a habit of saying) would sound closer to a 1950 record than Motown out of most mouths, yet Levi Stubbs could moan it without a hint of schmaltz.
Martha and the Vandellas were the first to notably benefit from Holland-Dozier-Holland’s capabilities, blazing the charts with high-energy classics “Heat Wave” and “Quicksand”. Another girl group prospered even more – The Supremes were so dominant on the US charts that peaking at No. 2 kept Berry Gordy hangin’ on with disappointment. 10 of their 12 charttoppers were penned by HDH. HDH got their most ambitious with the Four Tops, pushing Levi Stubbs’s chords to the limit for “Reach Out I’ll Be There”, which was written in a higher pitch than Stubbs’s normal range to add to the emotional urgency. Despite the Tops’ reluctance towards the approach, it ended up the band’s (and perhaps HDH’s) finest moment. And that’s without mentioning “This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)” by the Isley Brothers, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)” by Marvin Gaye, or “There’s a Ghost in My House” by R. Dean Taylor. On top of many, many others.
After HDH split from Motown due to creative differences, they formed two labels of their own – Invictus and Hot Wax Records. Despite rarely reaching the commercial heights they did under Motown, the likes of “Give Me Just a Little More Time” by Chairmen of the Board and the funkily furious “Band of Gold” by Freda Payne proved the creative spark was still there. The songwriting partnership soon dissolved, and Dozier’s solo ventures included a US Top 20 hit and collaborations with the likes of Phil Collins and Mick Hucknall.
Just naming five of Holland-Dozier-Holland’s best songs would give Lamont Dozier a sound legacy, let alone the full extent of his discography. Now that he’s been bulldoziered, POPPED THEIR CLOGS nabs a unique hit. Now to hope none of the Hollands are DDP hits under my watch because there wouldn’t be a lot of different things to say in their obits!
Lamont Dozier
16 June 1941 – 8 August 2022, aged 81
💀💀💀💀💀💀 + 👻 = 10 POINTS