A long-overdue addition to Ace’s ongoing Songwriter Series, the words and music of brothers Brian and Edward Holland and their colleague Lamont Dozier were and still are the foundation on which the international success of The Motown Sound was built.
Between 1963 and 1968 Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote hit after hit for Berry Gordy’s company, their songs making stars of some of Motown’s biggest names – including but not limited to the Supremes and Four Tops. From 1969 to 1973 the trio carried on penning smashes and classics for their own Invictus/Hot Wax/Music Merchant set up, creating new stars in the Honey Cone and Freda Payne, among others.
Holland-Dozier-Holland songs have been revisited many times by all sorts of artists, and “A Different World” brings two dozen diverse names and interpretations of their repertoire, with Motown and Invictus stalwarts like the aforementioned Supremes and Tops (as well as Martha and the Vandellas, Kim Weston, the Miracles and more) sharing disc space with The Band, Brenda Lee, The Vanilla Fudge, Laura Nyro and even The Fall – just a few of the non-traditional names who reinterpret Holland-Dozier-Holland’s vison of ‘The Sound Of Young America’ in their own individual and inimitable ways.
As ever, “A Different World’s booklet is packed with label shots, copious other images and an extensive sleeve note that gives deep detail about the featured songs. It may be long-overdue, but it is an essential tribute to a stellar writing team and is well worth the wait!
1. WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO - DONNIE ELBERT All Platinum AP-2330 (1971)
2. LOVE'S GONE BAD - CHRIS CLARK V.I.P. 25038 (1966) 2.21
3. JIMMY MACK - MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS “Watchout!” LP Gordy S 920 (1966)
4. DON'T DO IT - THE BAND Capitol 3433 (1972)
5. BABY I NEED YOUR LOVING - MARVIN GAYE AND KIM WESTON “Take Two” LP Tamla TS 270 (1966)
6. HOW SWEET IT IS (TO BE LOVED BY YOU) - BRENDA LEE “Feels So Right” LP MCA 5626 (1985)
7. REACH OUT, I'LL BE THERE - GLORIA GAYNOR “Never Can Say Goodbye” LP MGM M3G 4982 (1974)
8. HEAVEN MUST HAVE SENT YOU - DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES “25th Anniversary” LP Motown 5381ML3 (Recorded 1967) (1986)
9. MEDLEY OF SOUL (I CAN'T HELP MYSELF/IT'S THE SAME OLD SONG/SOMETHING ABOUT YOU) - BIG AL DOWNING Silver Fox 11 (1969)
10. WHILE YOU'RE OUT LOOKING FOR SUGAR - THE HONEY CONE Hot Wax HS 6901 (1969)
11. THERE'S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - THE FALL Beggars Banquet BEG 187 (1987)
12. TAKE ME IN YOUR ARMS (ROCK ME A LITTLE WHILE) - THE ISLEY BROTHERS Tamla-T-54164 (1968)
13. YOU KEEP ME HANGIN' ON - THE VANILLA FUDGE Atco 6590 (1968)
14. A LOVE LIKE YOURS (DON'T COME KNOCKING EVERYDAY) - DUSTY SPRINGFIELD “It Begins Again” LP Mercury 9109 607 (1978)
15. THIS OLD HEART OF MINE (IS WEAK FOR YOU) - BETTYE SWANN “The Complete Atlantic Recordings” Real Gone Music CD RGM 0213 (2014)
16. NEW BREED KINDA WOMAN - HOLLAND-DOZIER FEATURING LAMONT DOZIER Invictus ZS7 1254 (1973)
17. BAND OF GOLD - FREDA PAYNE Inferno HEAT 17 (1979)
18. LEAVING HERE - EDDIE HOLLAND Motown M-1052 (1963) 2.30
19. I'M IN A DIFFERENT WORLD – THE FOUR TOPS Motown M-1132 (1968) 3.00
20. I THINK YOU NEED LOVE - DIONNE WARWICK “Just Being Myself” LP Warner Brothers BS 2658 (1973)
21. (COME ‘ROUND HERE) - I'M THE ONE YOU NEED - THE MIRACLES Tamla T-54140 (1966)
22. COME SEE ABOUT ME - BARBARA MASON “Yes, I’m Ready” LP Arctic ALP-S 1000 (1964)
23. HELPLESS - KIM WESTON Gordy 7050 (1965)
24. COME AND GET THESE MEMORIES - LAURA NYRO “Angel In The Dark” CD Rounder 11611-3176-2 (2001)
Stereo except *Mono
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