VA-"A Different World - The Holland Dozier Holland Songbook" [4/26/2024-Ace UK]

[Motown Eddie]

Info from Ace Records UK:

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
• 2 Love's Gone Bad - Chris Clark
• 3 Jimmy Mack - Martha & The Vandellas
• 4 Don't Do It - The Band
• 5 Baby I Need Your Loving - Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston
• 6 How Sweet It Is [To Be Loved By You] - Brenda Lee
• 7 Reach Out, I'll Be There - Gloria Gaynor
• 8 Heaven Must Have Sent You - Diana Ross & The Supremes
• 9 Medley Of Soul [It's The Same Old Song / Something About You / I Can't Help Myself] - Big Al Downing
• 10 While You're Out Looking For Sugar - Honey Cone
• 11 There's A Ghost In My House - The Fall
• 12 Take Me In Your Arms [Rock Me A Little While] - The Isley Brothers
• 13 You Keep Me Hanging On - The Vanilla Fudge
• 14 A Love Like Yours [Don't Come Knocking Everyday] - Dusty Springfield
• 15 This Old Heart Of Mine [Is Weak For You] - Bettye Swann
• 16 New Breed Kinda Woman - Holland-Dozier Featuring Lamont Dozier
• 17 Band Of Gold [Unedited Alternate Version] - Freda Payne
• 18 Leaving Here - Eddie Holland
• 19 I'm In A Different World - Four Tops
• 20 I Think You Need Love - Dionne Warwick
• 21 [Come Round Here] I'm The One You Need - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
• 22 Come See About Me - Barbara Mason
• 23 Helpless - Kim Weston
• 24 Come And Get These Memories - Laura Nyro

Various Artists [Songwriter Series] - A Different World - The Holland Dozier Holland Songbook - Ace Records

[Roger Polhill]

One of a very few Ace releases that I won`t be buying.Two reasons: Nothing new or alternative and I don`t like mixed Motown/others on a disc.

[mysterysinger]

At first glance it feels like it's all been done before [["It's The Same Old Song")- what with
** the Motown Composer Series.
** the Hear Music compilation [[Motown + Dusty's "When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes"),
** the Hip-O-Select release which at least did cast the net a bit wider than Motown.
** the Spectrum collection

see them here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cookep...77720315571235

But then only 9 of the 24 tracks are Motown and there are some different versions there. Of course we've all got our own faves that might not be there but you can't always please everyone. I think it's a worthwhile release from ACE and the sleeve notes will be great. It must be worth supporting - I'll get it.

[woodward]

At first glance it feels like it's all been done before [["It's The Same Old Song")- what with
** the Motown Composer Series.
** the Hear Music compilation [[Motown + Dusty's "When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes"),
** the Hip-O-Select release which at least did cast the net a bit wider than Motown.
** the Spectrum collection

see them here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cookep...77720315571235

But then only 9 of the 24 tracks are Motown and there are some different versions there. Of course we've all got our own faves that might not be there but you can't always please everyone. I think it's a worthwhile release from ACE and the sleeve notes will be great. It must be worth supporting - I'll get it.

I agree with your comment about being worth supporting. What do you have to lose? I also will get one so at least two will be sold.

[BayouMotownMan]

I'll pass on this too, never cared for covers by other artists at other labels. Face it, Vanilla Fudge's You Keep Me Hangin' On was hardly the way HDH envisioned this song. I noticed too Phil Collins' You Can't Hurry Love is omitted. He stuck close to the original sound. Must be a licensing problem

[paul_nixon]

I'll pass on this too, never cared for covers by other artists at other labels. Face it, Vanilla Fudge's You Keep Me Hangin' On was hardly the way HDH envisioned this song. I noticed too Phil Collins' You Can't Hurry Love is omitted. He stuck close to the original sound. Must be a licensing problem

While I applaud the idea behind this in my opinion I would have preferred a purely Motown artis nod to the great team so in all honesty there is not too much here for me but if it keeps a light on in the window then I guess it must be good for the cause.

[danman869]

It's a fine line to walk, IMO. Do we support any release that involves Motown--even if somewhat peripherally--or do we pick and choose and potentially "suffer the consequences"? Everybody is entitled to buy what they want, but I have come to believe that the more Motown-focused releases [i.e., "Supremes A' Go-Go: Expanded Edition" with a specific artist focus or a compilation series like "Motown Guys"] that we the fans support, the more likely Universal and leasing labels are to plan and release future projects. I am sadly accepting that we aren't going to get many more releases--from any company--so when releases like this "Motown-adjacent" project come from a reputable company like Ace/Kent, I feel like I need to buy it and support the cause. It winds up being about $15-20 and, at the end of the day, if I'm not buying much else music-wise, I can afford to spend that on a release such as this. Who knows--maybe of the Motown artist tracks on here, there's an alternate mix we're yet to know about or they let the tape run a few more seconds before they faded the track on this set? Or maybe the quality on this set [for which Ace/Kent is well known] is higher than a previous version one of us has in their current collection? We get so little anymore. Sad that something like that is the enticement, but as a fan... I guess I'll take it.

[MotownLover]

Although I would have definitely preferred a classic Motown issued package instead I will support the cause. Thus I preordered a copy.