The Four Tops – “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” Pop # 6, R&B 2 By Joel Francis Holland-Dozier-Holland had so much fun and success with the arrangement of “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” they decided to do it again as “Standing in the Shadows of Love.” Unlike most sequels, this one was just as [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Holland-Dozier-Holland’
The Four Tops – “Standing in the Shadows of Love”
Posted in Motown, Song Review, tagged Aerosmith, Four Tops, Funk Brothers, Hall and Oates, Hitsvil, Hitsville U.S.A., Holland, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Isaac Hayes, Jackson 5, Levi Stubbs, Michael Jackson on July 13, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The Temptations – “(I Know) I’m Losing You”
Posted in Motown, tagged Cornelius Grant, David Ruffin, Every Picture Tells a Story, Funk Brothers, Hitsville U.S.A., Holland-Dozier-Holland, Norman Whitfield, Rare Earth, Rod Stewart, soul music, the Faces, The Temptations on June 17, 2009 | 2 Comments »
The Temptations – “(I Know) I’m Losing You,” Pop # 8, R&B # 1 By Joel Francis The list of Motown songs based around a guitar riff is a short one, but this masterpiece should be at the top of that one and several others. Producer Norman Whitfield wrote the song with Edward Holland of [...]
The Four Tops – “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)”
Posted in Motown, tagged Beatles, Diana Ross, Elton John, Four Tops, Funk Brothers, Gloria Gaynor, Hitsville U.S.A., Holland-Dozier-Holland, James Jamerson, Levi Stubbs, Michael Bolton, Michael McDonald, Motown vs Stax, Paul McCartney, Reach Out I'll Be There, Stax on June 10, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The Four Tops – “Reach Out (I’ll Be There),” Pop # 1, R&B # 1 By Joel Francis The dramatic introduction to “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” owes more than a little to Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound and was Motown’s most cinematic chart-topper to date. While the flute gets the signature melody, check out [...]
The Elgins – “Heaven Must Have Sent You”
Posted in Motown, tagged Diana Ross, Elgins, Hitsville U.S.A., Holland-Dozier-Holland, Pointer Sisters, Saundra Edwards, Supremes, Vandellas on May 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The Elgins – “Heaven Must Have Sent You,” Pop #50 , R&B #9 By Joel Francis I suspect that if you took this single and replaced the word “Elgins” with “Supremes” and gave it to DJs with no other changes, it would have been a far bigger hit. Not that Saundra Edwards’ voice sounds like [...]
Temptations – “Beauty Is Only Skin Deep”
Posted in Motown, tagged Berry Gordy, Bruce Springsteen, David Ruffin, Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, Funk Brothers, Hitsville U.S.A., Holland-Dozier-Holland, James Jamerson, Jimmy Ruffin, Mary Wilson, Norman Whitfield, Paul Riser, Pistol Allen, Smokey Robinson, Supremes, Temptations, The Miracles on May 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Temptations – “Beauty Is Only Skin Deep,” Pop #3, R&B #1 By Joel Francis After teaming to give the Tempts a No. 1 R&B hit with “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg,” Norman Whitfield and Eddie Holland paired again to deliver “Beauty Is Only Skin Deep,” which fared even better. The song was the Temptations’ third [...]
The Supremes – “You Can’t Hurry Love”
Posted in Motown, tagged Brian Setzer, Buddy Miles, California Raisins, Diana Ross, Electric Flag, Funk Brothers, Genesis, Hitsville U.S.A., Holland-Dozier-Holland, James Jamerson, Jimi Hendrix, My Girl, Phil Collins, Rock This Town, soul music, Stray Cats, the Supremes, Whoopi Goldberg on May 13, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The Supremes – “You Can’t Hurry Love,” Pop #1, R&B #1 By Joel Francis The bouncing bassline that opens this song is courtesy of James Jamerson, the same man who delivered the delightful and legendary three-note thump that introduces “My Girl.” The intro to Holland-Dozier-Holland’s masterpiece “You Can’t Hurry Love” is a lesson in how [...]
Chris Clark – “Love’s Gone Bad”
Posted in Motown, tagged Berry Gordy, Christine Clark, Diana Ross, Elvis Presley, Hitsville U.S.A., Holland-Dozier-Holland, Sam Phillips, The Lady Sings the Blues on May 6, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Chris Clark – “Love’s Gone Bad,” Pop #105, R&B #41 By Joel Francis Producers had been looking for a “white singer with a black sound” long before Sam Phillips signed Elvis Presley. But Berry Gordy’s quest definitely added a layer of irony to the process. Not that Gordy fared any better than the majority of [...]
Jr. Walker and the All Stars – “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)”
Posted in Motown, tagged Berry Gordy, Hitsville U.S.A., Holland-Dozier-Holland, Junior Walker, Marvin Gaye, soul music, Supremes on April 22, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Jr. Walker and the All Stars – “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),” Pop #18, R&B #3 By Joel Francis Because he owned both the label and its publishing, it’s no surprise that Berry Gordy frequently had other label artists cut versions of earlier Motown hits. While there are several notable exceptions, [...]
Jr. Walker and the All-Stars – “(I’m A) Roadrunner”
Posted in Motown, tagged Fleetwood Mac, Hitsville U.S.A., Holland-Dozier-Holland, Humble Pie, James Taylor, Jerry Garcia, Junior Walker, King Curtis, Peter Frampton on March 2, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Jr. Walker and the All-Stars – “(I’m A) Roadrunner,” Pop #20, R&B# 4 Not to be confused with similarly titled hit by Bo Diddley, or the great pre-punk anthem by the Modern Lovers, this “Roadrunner” is a pure Holland-Dozier-Holland confection. Jr. Walker has clearly overcome his earlier trepidation with the microphone to confidently deliver this [...]
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