HEAVEN MUST HAVE SENT YOU: THE HOLLAND/DOZIER/HOLLAND STORY [3-CD Set]


I can’t think of a trio of songwriters who turned out more hit songs than Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Edward Holland, Jr. Most of their work was done at Motown Records but they branched out later in their careers. Holland/Dozier/Holland wrote great songs for Martha and the Vandellas, Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Michael Jackson, and the Jackson 5. This fabulous 3-CD set collects many of the tunes everyone was listening to back in the 1960s and 1970s. How many of these classics do you remember? Do you have a favorite song among all these hits? GRADE: A

TRACKLIST:

1-1Eddie Holland*Jamie2:25
1-2The MarvelettesLocking Up My Heart2:26
1-3Martha & The Vandellas*(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave2:46
1-4The MiraclesMickey’s Monkey2:46
1-5Mary WellsYou Lost The Sweetest Boy2:33
1-6Marvin GayeCan I Get A Witness2:47
1-7The MiraclesI Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying2:39
1-8Martha & The Vandellas*Quicksand2:36
1-9Eddie Holland*Leaving Here2:30
1-10Martha & The Vandellas*In My Lonely Room2:30
1-11Dusty SpringfieldWhen The Love Light Starts Shining Thru His Eyes2:56
1-12Eddie Holland*Just Ain’t Enough Love2:28
1-13The SupremesWhere Did Our Love Go2:34
1-14Four TopsBaby I Need Your Loving2:44
1-15Eddie Holland*Candy To Me2:26
1-16Marvin GayeBaby Don’t You Do It2:33
1-17The SupremesBaby Love2:35
1-18The SupremesCome See About Me2:41
1-19Marvin GayeHow Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)3:00
1-20Martha & The Vandellas*Nowhere To Run2:52
1-21The SupremesStop! In The Name Of Love2:52
1-22The SupremesBack In My Arms Again2:58
1-23Four TopsI Can’t Help Myself2:44
1-24Four TopsIt’s The Same Old Song2:44
1-25Kim WestonTake Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While)2:56
1-26The SupremesI Hear A Symphony2:41
2-1The SupremesMy World Is Empty Without You2:34
2-2The ElginsDarling Baby2:36
2-3The Isley BrothersThis Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You)2:44
2-4Kim WestonHelpless2:36
2-5Jr. Walker & The All Stars*(I’m A) Road Runner2:48
2-6The SupremesLove Is Like An Itching In My Heart2:54
2-7Chris Clark (2)Love’s Gone Bad2:23
2-8The SupremesYou Can’t Hurry Love2:53
2-9Four TopsReach Out I’ll Be There3:00
2-10The ElginsHeaven Must Have Sent You2:32
2-11Martha & The Vandellas*I’m Ready For Love2:55
2-12The SupremesYou Keep Me Hangin’ On2:47
2-13Smokey Robinson & The Miracles*(Come ‘Round Here) I’m The One You Need2:33
2-14Four TopsStanding In The Shadows Of Love2:37
2-15The SupremesLove Is Here And Now You’re Gone2:48
2-16Martha & The Vandellas*Jimmy Mack2:49
2-17Four TopsBernadette3:03
2-18The SupremesReflections2:51
2-19The Chairmen Of The Board*Give Me Just A Little More Time2:41
2-20Freda PayneBand Of Gold2:54
2-21Flaming EmberWestbound #93:32
2-22The Politicians Featuring McKinley JacksonFree Your Mind2:50
2-23The BandDon’t Do It4:46
3-1Holland-Dozier Featuring Brian Holland*Don’t Leave Me Starvin’ For Your Love3:23
3-2Holland-Dozier Featuring Lamont Dozier*Why Can’t We Be Lovers4:04
3-3Holland-Dozier Featuring Eddie & Brian Holland*Where Did We Go Wrong4:12
3-4Lamont DozierOut Here On My Own4:53
3-5Lamont DozierTrying To Hold On To My Woman7:27
3-6Lamont DozierFish Ain’t Bitin’4:21
3-7Michael JacksonJust A Little Bit Of You3:11
3-8The OriginalsGood Lovin’ Is Just A Dime Away4:14
3-9Jackson 5*Forever Came Today6:23
3-10Eddie KendricksGet The Cream Off The Top3:09
3-11The SupremesI’m Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking4:10
3-12Lamont DozierGoing Back To My Roots9:46
3-13ShalamarUptown Festival – Part.1 (Going To A Go-Go – I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) – Uptight (Everyhing’s Allright) – Stop! In The Name Of Love)3:59
3-14The Doobie BrothersLittle Darling (I Need You)3:26
3-15Lamont DozierMy World Is Empty Without You4:50
3-16Simply RedYou’ve Got It3:56

20 thoughts on “HEAVEN MUST HAVE SENT YOU: THE HOLLAND/DOZIER/HOLLAND STORY [3-CD Set]

  1. Deb

    Now this is a collection! Such great songs and memories. It’s almost impossible to pick a favorite, but “Standing in the Shadows of Love” is always on heavy rotation in the jukebox of my brain.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Deb, I stumbled over this 3-CD set and immediately played all the discs! Like you, I associate a lot of great memories with these songs. Love “Standing in the Shadows of Love” and “Baby I Need Your Loving.”

      Reply
  2. Jeff Meyerson

    It’s funny. We used to have a next door neighbor named Jamie, but I never heard the song until I got the Motown boxed set HITSVILLE USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971. So many great ones, but I’d go with “Heat Wave” and the Four Tops songs – “I Can’t Help Myself” and “Reach Out I’ll Be There” (did you ever notice how “I’ll Be There” by the Jackson Five borrows the “Just look over your shoulder” line from this?) and “Standing in the Shadows of Love” among others.

    Great choice, George. And they wrote “Band of Gold,” which Deb and I had been discussing recently.

    Reply
  3. Jerry House

    Wonderful songs, George! Like Deb, it’s hard for me to pick a favorite although you can’t go wrong with Martha and the Vandellas or with Marvin Gaye.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Jerry, I knew you would enjoy this collection of great songs. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve played this set and just floated away into the Past!

      Reply
  4. Jeff Meyerson

    I guess it is out of print (so to speak) as Amazon has it for $80! I’ll wait for a cheaper copy, but I have most of the songs on other collections.

    That reminds me, I bought an album (yes, vinyl) years ago called THE SUPREMES SING HOLLAND-DOZIER-HOLLAND. I think it came out after “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” was a hit (so late 1966, early 1967). I was sure one of the songs, “Going Down for the Third Time,” was going to be their next big hit, but they never did release it (for whatever reason). It had the classic Holland-Dozier-Holland sound of most of the Supremes hits.

    /end aside

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Jeff, I owned THE SUPREMES SING HOLLAND-DOZIER-HOLLAND album, too. After I sold all my vinyl and switched to CDs, I don’t think I’ve seen THE SUPREMES SING HOLLAND-DOZIER-HOLLAND on CD. I’ll have to search for it online.

      Reply
  5. wolf

    So many great groups and fantastic songs – my favourite is heat wave, the first motown song I remember.
    I’ve written about this before – German radio stations played just the old cr*p but slowly the radio managers realised that young people wanted to hear different songs.
    So from 1962 I listened to Motown on AFN and Beatles, Stones etc on Radio Luxemburg (English evening program).

    Reply
  6. maggie mason

    great collection. Can’t really pick a favorite, though. There are many on here I don’t recognize by name, though. especially down near the end of the list.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Rick, HEAVEN MUST HAVE SENT YOU brings together some of the greatest hits of that wonderful era. They just don’t write–or sing–songs like this anymore.

      Reply
  7. wolf

    After reading up the wiki on Marvin Gaye I just realised who’s missing here:
    Tammy Terrell – who hd a sad and short life …

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Wolf, I have a Tammy Terrell CD around here somewhere. I’ll try to find it and review it. Tammy Terrell, loaded with talent, died too young.

      Reply

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