Lamont Dozier--Trying To Hold On To My Woman (1973)

     Before getting started with today's post, I wanted to direct you to a blog that you might find interesting. For several months now, I've been reading Mike Descz's, "A Bit Like You and Me". It also takes a song a day, but his focus is on songs that are a bit more obscure than what we do here on the bus. It's a fun trip and hope you check it out.  ABitLikeYouAndMe.blogspot.com

     Lamont Dozier was born in Detroit in 1941, and from 1957 to 61 recorded with groups like The Romeos and The Voice Masters until signing a deal with Motown in 1962 and teaming up with brothers Brian and Eddie Holland.
      Beginning with Martha and the Vandellas, they began crafting hits like, "Heatwave", and "Quicksand". But it was 1964, when hit the top of the charts with, "Where Did Our Love Go", that the team of Holland-Dozier-Holland took off and for the next four years, this songwriting team produced 12 number one hits.
      H-D-H left Motown in 1968 to form their own company, Invictus/Hot Wax which was moderately successful and in 70, Dozier went back to his recording career. During the first half of the 70's, Dozier had success, especially on the R&B charts. It was this song in late 73/early 74 that was became his highest charting hit. He continues to write and record. His website is, http://www.lamontdozier.com/

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The Four Tops--I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)--1965

Levi Stubbs was born this day in 1936...he died in 2008 at the age of 72....

The Four Aims having become The Four Tops in 1956 had been bouncing around the supper club circuit for years. They signed a contract with Chess records in 56 (which precipitated the name change), but had gone nowhere, moves to Red Top and Riverside produced similar results. They were playing the best clubs in the country, but couldn't make that major breakthrough. In 64' they signed with Motown and after a bit of time experimenting on Berry Gordy's experimental label Workshop Jazz, they settled in with the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team and things began to pop.

"Baby, I Need Your Lovin" was the first charting song for them in 1964, and "I Can't Help Myself" would bring them a #1 hit., they would reach the top twenty 16 more times before the last, "Used to be My Girl" in 1981. During that time Levi would refuse to have his name in top billing like Diana Ross or Smokey Robinson would do, nor would he opt for a solo carrier choosing to remain true to his fellow mates. He would remain their lead singer until a stroke in 2000 put an end to his career.

For those younger, one might also remember Stubbs as the voice of Audrey II in the 1986 movie "Little Shop of Horrors"....

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