Three Years in the Making, Holland, Dozier, Holland, Established Top Hit Makers at Motown Records Today
Eddie Holland
The team of Lamont Dozier-Brian and Eddie Holland produced nine releases in 1965 and “8-eight-8,” I said eight of these records, made the Top 10, both pop and R&B.
In the last three years, they have produced (and written) a minimum of “15 fifteen-15 Top 10″ pop and R&B” records. The sales on “I Can’t Help Myself” by the Four Tops are over one million, four hundred thousand; sales on “Where Did Our Love Go” by the Supremes are over one million-two hundred thousand. Berry Gordy himself, who scored in the poll, did one hit on his own last year – “Shotgun.” So now Motown made Brian Holland a Vice President – to me, it’s all three together. I just went out to Detroit and they told me how they do it.
Lamont Dozier
Brian and Lamont sit down at a piano to riffle a taste. They keep thinking and thinking, and reaching and searching for a definite melody line – the “handle.” They usually work together this way for about a half an hour. They will discard quite a few ideas, and then will take out anything that they feel is extraneous.Their goal is always naked simplicity, and when they achieve that, then they strip that down even more, if possible.The basic criterion is always “pleasantness to the ear.” Then they turn the melody and a “working title” over to Holland.Different situations will vary from time to time.
The soul emanates from within them as they write. The soul is the quintessence of all they ever were and are. They draw upon a “Soul Fund” that includes: familiarity with ALL classical and semi-classical music; their cultural heritage as Negroes; and much of the Hebraic-Judaic musical literature.
As children, they sang in church choirs, and thus know almost all the spirituals and work and folk song of their people. They benefited from a cultural enrichment program that has existed in the Detroit school system for years.Their teachers took them to many classical concerts.
Brian Holland
I was reminded of the great autobiographical play by the Welsh actor, Emlyn Williams, “The Corn Is Green,” when Eddie Holland said to me, “Kal, the first time I heard Brahms and Beethoven, I felt as if a giant force had lifted me up from the poverty and misery around me, up a steep wall, until I could see stretching out in front of me an expanse of green grass and a whole new world of beauty.”
They will thrill all their lives to the greatness and genius of these music titans of centuries past. They cannot pinpoint any particular melody of theirs to any one source. However, the emotional mainspring that drives their creativity is evolved from the “most hurtin’, tore-up peoples that the world has ever known.” I asked VP Brian Holland which of their songs move them the most. He told me that he is still moved to tears by: “I Can’t Help Myself”; “Stop In The Name Of Love”; and especially “I Hear A Symphony.”
I asked them who is their favorite writing team. I knew before they answered that they would say “Music by Burt Bacharach and words by Hal David.“
KAL RUDMAN’S ‘MONEY MUSIC‘
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Information, credit and news source: Record World, January 15, 1966
THE MOTOWN HIT MAKERS, 1965: L-R Eddie Holland, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, and Florence Ballard. Standing: Berry Gordy, Jr. (Click on image 2x for largest detailed PC view, tap and ‘stretch’ across image for digitized Mobile device view)
Personal Reflections. In Remembrance of Richard D. Haase
By Keith Pizzo (Keith Allen) | December 29, 2022
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WHND personalities Jon Ray, Keith Allen (Keith Pizzo), with Richard D.
In my radio career, I have been lucky enough to work with some fantastic people. Pictured with me are two of them. Sadly, I received word just after Christmas that the silly guy holding the coffee pot, passed away. Richard D. Haase was one of a kind.
Readers of this blog may remember that I have blogged about him in the past. Last year, I posted the following (click on the title below):
Richard was a fantastic mentor to me. His guidance, advice, and coaching made me a better on air personality. His love of humor, bad puns, old jokes, and silliness helped us to become instant friends. I used to love sitting in the Honey Radio office listening to him on the air. I would anxiously await the “Keith Allen” joke of the day. Sometimes there were more than one. “My part time secretary and full time airhead, Lulu, said the last time Keith was on the air he sounded funny. She thought he had a worm in his Adam’s apple!”
Later in the same show he quipped – “I’m pretty sure the year that song came out was the same year that Jon Ray (pictured to my left in the first picture) got kicked out of grade school. He was caught drawing naked pictures of Wilma Flintstone on his ‘Etch-A-Sketch’.”
In past blogs I have written about Richard:
From the blog “World Radio Day Thank You” written 2-14-2018:
WHND – Honey Radio
“Before I say any more, let me say that working at WHND was not work at all. It was like play. We had so much fun. Anyone who tuned in and listened to this station could tell that the DJ’s were having as much fun as the listeners. Honey was the first “Oldies” station in America. I was honored to work here and honored to work with everyone here.
Richard D. He was the voice of Honey Radio.
Richard D. Haase: Richard D. remains to this day one of the guys who offered me some of the most amazing advice. I was probably a big pain in his ass. I was always asking him something. I had this want and need to be better. I wanted to be the best. I was forever asking him to listen to my show tapes and offer criticism and advice, which he did always.
One of the things I learned from him, was the importance of talking to one person. To create the illusion that it is just me and you listening to our favorite songs and hanging out together. I understood what he meant, and began to drop phrases like “everyone”, “all of you”, and “out there”. He also connected me with a mentor who would take that premise and continue to grow into a better personality, the late Jay Trachman.
Richard’s show was full of “benchmarks”. Poor Richard D’s Almanac (This Day In History), The Off The Wall Record (a rare song that he played each day), and “The Top 12 at 12” (His countdown of the top 12 local songs from a specific year). He also featured many characters on the show that were sometimes referred to and never heard (another gimmick of old time radio).
His show was also filled with insanely bad jokes. I often kidded him that even Milton Berle (who was known for stealing others jokes) wouldn’t touch his stuff. He often poked fun of the other DJ’s on the station, which I found to be a unique way of cross promotion.
There were many days that we’d sit in his office and talk about radio, computers, and life in general and we’d laugh until tears rolled down our faces and our sides hurt. Richard was a legend who had been on the air for many years, a far cry from being young! Yet, when we worked together, we were like a bunch of elementary kids laughing and hooping it up.”
From the blog “Some Old Radio Stories – Part 1” written 8-21-2018:
“Richard D was one of the funniest men I ever worked with. He gave me lots of direction and I have talked about him in previous blogs, as well. I was producing his show the Top 12 at 12, which was an hour of his show which featured the Top 12 songs in Detroit from local charts from different years. It was a fun show to produce. It included new stories, TV and movie clips, old commercials, info about how much things were from that year, etc…
Richard had to play the 12 songs and sometimes there was extra time and we’d give him songs that were on the charts form that week to play as “extras” if he needed them. He was doing a countdown from 1966 and I had put a Dean Martin song in there as an extra and he played it. He made some comment about it not being the greatest song or something and moved on. I went into the studio, as I often did, to give him crap.
I said something along the lines of “Why are you messing with Italians! Dean was Italian and so I am I! Look here you Old Bastid (a term of endearment), If I were you, I’d watch what you say about Dean Martin … and Frank Sinatra for that matter!” and left the room as he laughed hysterically. After the next song he said on the air, “Ladies and Gentlemen, I must offer an apology. A little while ago I played (whatever the song was) by Dean Martin and made some negative remarks about it. Well immediately after that, Keith Allen came in here with about 12 goons who roughed me up a bit and told me that my comments were distasteful. So I must now publicly apologize. I really had no idea that Keith Allen was the President of the Dean Martin Fan Club!”
From that day on, I always tried to find a way to sneak a Dean Martin song into my show, so I could say I was President of the Dean Martin Fan Club. When Honey went off the air, I received a package from a listener named Sandy (who I remain friends with to this day), who sent me a membership to the REAL Dean Martin Fan Club with a note that read: ‘I thought you might actually want to be a member of the Fan Club you claim to be President of . . . . ‘ ”
From the blog “More Musical Memories” written 3-2-2018:
WHND
“Richard D. used to have a feature called The Off-the-Wall Record. He’d say, “To my right is a wall. On the wall is a peg. On the peg – records. When I take one of the records of the peg on the wall and play it on the air, it becomes a Tricky Dickie Off-The Wall Record”. When he did this feature it usually consisted of rare or obscure tunes. One day I gave him Stormy Weather by the Spaniels to play. He LOVED it. He told me that was one of his favorites.
He often spoke of the group the Hi-Los and told me about the “tight” harmonies that they had. He was right. Good stuff! As a fan of the big bands, I let him listen to The Spitfire Band’s version of Cherokee, which featured an AMAZING trombone part. Again, he loved it and I think of him when it plays on the iPod.”
Tying in with the Dean Martin story above:
“After his last show on Honey Radio, a listener suggested I play a Dean Song in Richard’s honor . . . . I chose ‘I Will’. The first line of the song is “I don’t wanna be the one to say I’m gonna miss you, but I will…” it fit the somber occasion.”
Detroit Free Press Sunday, March 1, 1981 (Click on [PC] 2x or tap over image [MOBILE] and stretch for larger detailed view)I found this article was posted on the Motor City Radio Flashbacks page and is from the Detroit Free Press. It is from March of 1981, one year after he took the reigns of WHND.
There were things in that article that I didn’t even know. He mentioned his accident briefly in a conversation once, but he didn’t want to dwell on it. He spoke a lot of his days at CHUM and WXYZ (as Jack Hayes). I loved listening to those stories! I remember the young Keith sitting there in awe of the legend. He spoke of long lines for autographs at remote appearances, hanging with celebrities, and performing magic with vinyl records and reel to reel tape machines. I hung on his every word!
Every day, listeners tuned in to “The Richard D Wireless Act” to hear The Top 12 at 12, Tricky Dickey Off the Wall Record, Tricky Dickey Trivia, facts from the Poor Richard D’s Almanac, and hoped to be Richard D-clared a winner. Watching him work in the studio was like watching a kid in a candy store. He was constantly moving, constantly writing, constantly thinking. He often laughed to himself just before cracking the microphone because of whatever line popped into his head. He was a master.
I’ve said before that the man you heard on the air was also the man that he was off the air. His quick wit and ad-libs were brilliant. I marveled at how his mind was able to come up with those things. In later years, I found myself mimicking his on air delivery because it was just so “personal.” He understood talking to one person and connecting with his listener. I took away a lot from his coaching and from listening to him.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard D. Haase
Honey Radio went off the air in 1994. I was lucky enough to keep in contact with Richard through Facebook. As the years went on, life offered many changes for both of us. For me – a divorce, second marriage and new life. For him – the sad loss of his wife Pam. He spoke of her often on the show (calling her “Oldielocks”) and off air, too. In our last phone conversation, it was obvious that he missed her very much.
My heart breaks for his children and grandchildren. As a fellow Honey co-worker stated when I shared the news of his passing, “He is now reunited with the love of his life in heaven.” There is comfort in knowing this.
WHNDHoney Radio personality, Keith Allen
I hope that his family and friends will always remember the fun he had. I hope that they recall the happiness that filled a room when he was there. I hope that they remember the love that he had for each of them.
Thankfully, there are many recordings of his show available online. His voice will live on. His memory will live on. His jokes will live on (this could be a good thing or a bad thing!). You can enjoy some of them here:
What a blessing it was to have shared the same studio with Richard. I am thankful for the many laughs we shared over the years. I am forever grateful for his guidance and support. I only hope that he knew just how much he meant to me.
I’d like to think that there was an opening at God’s radio station and he needed Richard’s talent for the heavenly airwaves. I am going to miss my friend very much, but I will look back on our friendship fondly.
Rest easy, Richard.
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(Click over or tap each image for largest expanded view)
In remembrance, Motor City Radio Flashbacks would like to extend our heartfelt condolences and our deepest sympathy to the Richard D. Haase family.
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Godspeed, Richard D.
Thank you, Keith Pizzo, for allowing this page to share your wonderful words, thoughts and your memories in remembrance of Richard D.
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Photos courtesy of Keith Pizzo; Keith Pizzo Facebook page
You can view Keith Pizzo’s writings and memories in his wonderful blog — Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian — by going here.
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Richard D. Haase passed away on Tuesday, December 27. He was 87.
The 113 records and 13 albums and their positions on this “Keener Hits of 1967” Music Guide were determined by mathematical computation, considering each record’s and album’s position and duration on each of the WKNR Music Guides during the past 52 weeks and does not necessarily reflect the comparative sales of these records and albums.
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The featured WKNR music chart was entirely digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
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A sincere thank you, Mrs. Patti Griggs. This featured presentation would have not been possible without your generosity, dedication, and your continuous support.
Above WKNR music chart courtesy of Mrs. Patti Griggs and the George L. Griggs estate.
“The listing of records herein is the opinion of CKLW based on its survey of record sales, listener requests and CKLW’s judgement of the record’s appeal.”
The featured CKLW chart was digitally restored in its entirety by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
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CKLW BIG 30 December 26, 1967
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A sincere thank you Mrs. Patti Griggs. This featured presentation would have not been possible without your generosity, dedication, and your continuous support.
Above CKLW music chart courtesy of Mrs. Patti Griggs and the George L. Griggs estate.
The late Tom Ryan held one of the largest collection of Detroit radio recordings he personally taped during the 1960s, the golden era of Detroit Top 40 radio.
Our featured aircheck today is Tom Ryan’s. The love and depth he held for everything Detroit radio — notably WKNR (including the records of that period he collected as well) was commonly known without question — Detroit radio (of the 1960s) was what he enjoyed listening to and grew to love all the more.
We lost Tom Ryan on April 12, 2020.
While we did not acquire the above recording from him personally, Tom did share this (recorded) WKNR compilation on-air while working as a program producer at Honey Radio, some days after WHND officially signed off the air on November 25, 1994.
Taped off Honey Radio nearly three decades ago, this site has kept the featured Ryan audio presentation, since.
Recently edited and condensed, the taped airchecks were also joined to run concurrent, as one aircheck. Motor City Radio Flashbacks presents several of Tom’s WKNR recordings, here, today.
The Keener Sound recalled.
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Audio recording was digitally enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
In less than three weeks the new Electronovision movie is due to open in 1000 theaters throughout the United States, while it promises to be the biggest grossing rock film ever
Detroit Free Press Sunday, December 27, 1964 (Click or tap over image for largest view)
Two a day.In less than three weeks the first TAMI (Teen-Age Music International) show, called “Teen-Age Command Performance,”in Electronovision,will open in 1000 U.S. theaters. Opening day is December 19. The movie, which stars the top U.S. and British acts in the rock and roll sphere, will run for 24 days, through January 11. The picture will be shown twice a day in the 1000 theaters, once in the morning and once at midnight. Price for the morning show will be 99 cents, for the midnight show, $1.25.
It is believed by many in the music-record business, especially those who are hip to the rock and roll field, that the TAMI show will be the ‘biggest-grossing U.S. teenage rock film’ since “Don’t Knock The Rock” started the film industry series of rock and roll movies during the past decade.
Imaginative presentation.The reason for this belief is due to the quality of the TAMI show, as against most of the rock pictures which have preceded it. The one exception to this is probably the Beatles film, “A Hard Day’s Night,” which has had grosses as spectacular as the sales of the lads’ recordings. (Which may also be due to the fact that an amazingly large number of adults have accepted the Beatles film as an “art” picture.)
Where the TAMI show leaves the old fashioned rock and roll films behind is in the manner of presentation. Like the current TV teen success, “Shindig,” TAMI makes use of teen dancers who perform while the acts are singing. And like “A Hard Day’s Night,” the artistic use of the cameras have added a dimension to the TAMI show that was certainly rarely present in any of the hastily assembled rock films of the late 1950’s.
The opening of the TAMI show alone, with its swift succession of staccato photography shots, sets up the picture as artistic as well as musical, and the manner of photographing the performers in action leaves nothing to be desired on that level.
T.A.M.I. Show theatrical billing. December 1964 (Click or tap over image for largest view)
Filmed “live.” In order to achieve the excitement that a rock show has for rock fans, the artists in the TAMI movie all performed in front of 18,000 youngsters jam-packed into California’s Santa Monica auditorium. Their filmed excitement adds to the excitement of the film and make the entire picture seem more like a live show than a filmed one.
The Electronovision process, a tape filming method for theaters, has been used once before for a film, the modern dress version of “Hamlet” starring Richard Burton. According to those who saw both “Hamlet” and the TAMI show, the Electronovision process has been much improved since the Burton movie. In fact many tradesters consider it equal in quality to any other film process.
Powerful performers.The power of the TAMI show basically lies in its performers. The manner of presentation, the artistic camera shots, the exciting opening, the screaming finale, a real icing to the cake. The cake is of course such hot rock names as Chuck Berry, Gerry and The Pacemakers, the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Lesley Gore, The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, The Supremes, James Brown and the Flames, and the Rolling Stones. (A new group, the Barbarians, are also featured but they are too new to be considered a box-office draw.)
T.A.M.I. Show hosts, Jan and Dean. 1964
There has never been such a potent line-up of teenage box office power concentrated in any one film. Add to this the fact that all of the artists do a large part of their complete stage act, making the two hour film sock entertainment for rock fans, and even for dispassionate observers of the genre.
Hugepotential.Electronovision’s “Hamlet” played only 44 theaters, and ran for only two days. It made money, the actors made money, and according to Elec-tronovision President William Sargent, the theaters made money. With 1000 theaters playing the TAMI show for 24 days, the rock picture could gross much, much more, even at lower admission prices.
If it succeeds as everyone expects it to do, there will be many more TAMI shows in Electronovision, and the TAMI show could be as important in breaking an act on a national scale as records have been, and as TV’s “Shindig” is on its way to becoming.
There is little doubt that Electronovision and the TAMI show could be a major factor in boosting the sale of records to teenagers for a long time to come. END
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Information, credit and source: Music Business, December 5, 1964
The Honor Roll of Hits comprises the nation’s top tunes according to record sales and sheet sales, disk jockey and jukebox performances as determined by The Billboard’s weekly nationwide sales.
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The above Honor Roll Of Hits music chart was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks. Featured audio remastered by MCRFB
ON YOUR PC? You can view this entire Billboard 12/23/1957 chart ENLARGED. For a larger detailed view click above chart image 2x and open to second window.
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Compiled by the Music Popularity Chart Dept. of Billboard, from national retail store and one-stop sales reports, and radio airplay reports.
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December 1 – Gustavo Díaz Ordaz takes office as President of Mexico.
December 3
Berkeley Free Speech Movement: Police arrest about 800 students at the University of California, Berkeley, following their takeover of and massive sit-in at the Sprout Hall administration building. The sit-in most directly protested the U.C. Regents’ decision to punish student activists for what many thought had been justified civil disobedience earlier in the conflict.
December 5 – Australian Senate election, 1964: The Liberal/Country Coalition Government led by Prime Minister Robert Menzies hold their status quo, while the Labor Party led by Arthur Calwell lose one seat to the Democratic Labor Party, who hold the balance of power in the Senate alongside independent Reg Turnbull.
December 10 – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway.
December 11 – Che Guevara addresses the United Nations General Assembly. A bazooka attack is launched at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York City.
December 12 – Jamhuri Day: Kenya becomes a republic, with Jomo Kenyatta as its first President.
December 14 – Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States (379 US 241 1964): The U.S. Supreme Court rules that, in accordance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, establishments providing public accommodation must refrain from racial discrimination.
December 18 – The Christmas flood of 1964 begins in the United States, affecting the Pacific Northwest and some of Northern California. It will continue until January 7, resulting in 19 deaths, serious damage to buildings, roads and bridges, and the loss of 4,000 head of livestock.
December 21 – The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark supersonic attack aircraft, developed for the U.S. Air Force, makes its first flight, at Carswell Air Force Base, Texas.
December 22
A cyclone in the Palk Strait destroys the Indian town of Dhanushkodi, killing 1800 people.
The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird makes its first flight at Palmdale, California.
December 23 – Wonderful Radio London becomes the United Kingdom’s fourth “Pirate” radio station, broadcasting from MV Galaxy (a former US Navy minesweeper) anchored off the east coast of England, with an American-style Top 40 (“Fab 40”) playlist of popular records.
December 24 – The Brinks Hotel in Saigon, Vietnam, is bombed by the Viet Cong, resulting in the deaths of two US soldiers and injuries to a further 60 people, including civilians.
December 30 – The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is established as a permanent organ of the UN General Assembly.
Source credit: 1964 [December] Wikipedia
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Three Years in the Making, Holland, Dozier, Holland, Established Top Hit Makers at Motown Records Today
The above Honor Roll Of Hits music chart was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks. Featured audio remastered by MCRFB
