A Different World – The Holland Dozier Holland Songbook – Various Artists CD (Kent)

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!- Ace Records