Lamont Dozier, one third of the legendary Motown songwriting team Holland Dozier Holland, passed away on August 8. Along with the Holland brothers, Dozier was the creative force behind dozens of hits in the 1960s and early '70s for nearly every Motown act, including the Supremes, the Four Tops, the Temptations, Martha and the Vandellas, the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Junior Walker, the Isley Brothers, and many others, including a few after they left Motown in a royalties dispute with Gordy Berry. They were probably responsible for more hits in a shorter time span than any other composers -- save perhaps Lennon and McCartney -- including the Brill Building songwriters. Here is a sampling of HDH songs by the original acts (there have been plenty of covers).
Late addition: Sam Gooden, of the Impressions, died on August 4. The Chicago-based Impressions had the distinction of being fronted by both Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield, overlapping and separately, with Gooden singing baritone and bass for both iterations. There are two Impressions clips -- one with Mayfield, one with Butler -- at the bottom of this post.
Post-Motown
Post-Motown
Curtis Mayfield singing lead, in the only known video:
Although not as famous as Curtis Mayfield, his high school classmate, Jerry "Iceman" Butler also had a great solo career, in addition to serving for over 30 years on the Cook County Board.
One can remember when this site was a forum for discussion of topics related to legal academia, to be sure sometimes heated, with the occasional, dare one say it, conservative pov.
Now, aside from the occasional job listing or self-promotional or self-referential post by persons other than Steve Lubet, this is no longer the Faculty Lounge.
Accordingly, shouldn't this blog be renamed?
Perhaps, "Lubet's Lounge"?
Posted by: anon | August 13, 2022 at 01:50 PM
Kudos on a great selection of Dozier songs.
You can't spell "Motown" without Lamont Dozier!
Here's another cover of "Can I get a Witness" by a group who, early on, did so much to bring black songwriters' work to white audiences:
https://youtu.be/w5AyjnsDbTY
Posted by: Vinnie Alonge | August 13, 2022 at 09:41 PM