5 Beloved Lamont Dozier Songs That Redefined Motown

When Motown songwriter-producer Lamont Dozier died last Aug. 8, at age 81, celebrities and fans mourned. He was a fixture at the Holland-Dozier-Holland trio and was responsible for creating masterful tracks like "Stop! In The Name Of Love," "Heat Wave," and "Standing in The Shadows of Love."

Dozier even went as far as to refer to Brian and Eddie Holland, two of the trio, in his memoir, saying, "We thought of H.D.H. as a factory within a factory."

Dozier's music is still listened to, they are now considered classics and favorites. How could anyone not know the tune to The Supremes' "Baby Love"?

Although his music is vibrant, full of life, and upbeat, the time when he was writing them was not as much.

Dozier's golden era was happening during America's civil rights movement. The H.D.H. trio was known to deliver cryptic and coded messages to their Black audience.

Unforgettable tracks

1. The Four Tops, "Baby I Need Your Loving" (1964)

Released in the fall of 1964, "Baby I Need Your Loving" was performed by the Four Tops. It was their first million-selling single and reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

2. The Supremes, "Where Did Our Love Go" (1964)

The Supremes was signed under Motown Records, and most of their greatest hits were written and produced by Dozier and the Holland brothers. "Baby Where Did Our Love Go" was their first single that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles in the United States.

3. Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle, "Without You" (1987)

Before "A Whole New World," Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle first sang "Without You" together. The song was recorded in 1987 and was the theme song for "Leonard Part 6," a comedy spy film released that same year.

4. The Four Tops, "Standing In The Shadows Of Love" (1966)

Another fan favorite is the Four Tops' 1966 smash hit "Standing In The Shadows Of Love." The track peaked in the Billboard Hot 100 at number six in 1967. "Standing In The Shadows Of Love" was ranked 470th in Rolling Stone's The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, released in 2010.

5. The Chairmen of the Board, "Give Me Just A Little More Time" (1970)

"Give Me Just A Little More Time" came at an awkward time. As the H.D.H. trio was amidst a pending lawsuit from former Motown employees, they credited the song as Edyth Wayne. Nonetheless, the track ranked eighth on the Billboard R&B singles chart and third on the Billboard Hot 100.

Dozier's secret

Dozier shared in an interview with The Guardian in 2015 that the music just kept coming.

"It was blood, sweat, and tears," he said. "We just worked and worked ... until we came up with things."

However H.D.H. did not last, as Dozier pursued a solo career, releasing "Take Off Your Make Up" in 1973, "Trying to Hold Onto My Woman" in 1974.

The latter was written by McKinley Jackson and James Reddick but performed by Dozier. It ranked fourth in the US R&B Chart.

Dozier is no stranger to awards. He found himself and the Holland brothers at the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 1990, and numerous of his compositions topped Billboard charts.