Did You Catch ‘Hitsville’ on Showtime? Wow. Talk about the power of music to bring people together! Maybe it’s what the world needs more of now to bring us all together.
Hitsville is a documentary film about the birth of Motown in Detroit in 1958 through it’s relocation to LA in the early 1970s. Dynamo Berry Gordy created a unique system that enabled Motown to become the most successful record label of all time. Much of that had to do with the non stop hits that were being pumped out by genius songwriters (HDH) Holland-Dozier-Holland. As Showtime points out, “The creation and initial success of Motown was achieved during a period of significant racial tensions in America and amid the burgeoning civil rights movement.”
Listening to Eddie Holland (HDH) tell the back stories in the film on Showtime inspired me to invite him to join me for this feature interview on my show – in honor of Black History Month. I’m honored I get to call him friend.
Motown wasn’t just a business it was a family so it’s no surprise at we began to talk that you can ‘feel’ Eddie’s heart breaking as we speak of the shocking unexpected passing of his bubbly beautiful friend and ‘sister’ Mary Wilson (The Supremes) who passed just 2 weeks ago.
Eddie said, ever since Smokey Robinson called him and broke the news, he’s been in deep pain. First because Mary’s death was out of nowhere as she wasn’t sick so he couldn’t prepare for it, and second because Mary left him a phone message that week and Eddie kept meaning to call her back but he got busy. The horrible guilt that he didn’t call her back right away he says, has compounded the anxiety and pain of her loss. Especially since she was really excited about Black History Month and had planned on doing so many things to celebrate it. (We all have those phone calls we wish we had made.) RIP Mary Wilson.
‘Mortality’ came up too in our chat as Eddie said while he was talking about Mary’s passing with Duke Fakir of The 4 Tops, who was also very close to her, they talked about how ‘most of us are gone now’ and how very very sad it is.
On an upbeat note, you’ll get a kick out of Eddie Holland ‘the hit machine wordsmith’ talk about choosing the ‘words’ to the hit songs we still react to today. Throughout his career he continuously asked for feedback on his work from his mother, relatives, friends etc, until he was sure he knew exactly ‘which’ words would make you feel something and make a song a hit.
On the subject of writing sooo many hit songs: His genius he said, was talking to A LOT of females to understand their feelings.
When I asked Eddie Holland if he was an expert on love: He said, “I don’t care whose listening I’m better at it that most men” (Best line of the day)
On the subject of whether he still beats himself up for putting ‘one’ wrong word in the hit ‘Stop In the Name Of Love’: YES he still can’t take it! This has gone on for many many many years. LOL
On the subject of him having stage-fright? He says thats so wrong and has no idea who said that. (Somebody tell Wikipedia)
On the subject of his experience with Racism: He tells of that ‘one time’ while on a record hop stop in a St Louis restaurant… that left him with a very empty cold feeling.
On the subject of Creativity : He said, “It’s very hard for a creative person to also be a disciplinarian”
On the subject of Women: He said, he learned so much talking and listening to women that it’s clear that women have the power at every juncture, they sometimes forget that. They are great game players. Teenage girls in love act maternal and women truly develop their craft at being women at 30 years old. “Men cannot compete with a 30 year old smart female.” (I wish I knew)
On the subject of whether there’s another hit song in him? Eddie Holland is mostly talking to Duke Fakir these days about the upcoming ‘4 Tops Musical’ in the works. Duke wants Eddie to come up with a main theme for all their hit songs and wants him to take look at the story and if he sees a song in there – give it to his brother to write.
Oh and Eddie’s really happy he just got his second Covid shot and happy he won’t be so ‘restricted’.
In closing, because I always liked Eddies ‘ponytail swagger’, I asked about his hair. Said he just cut it a little …himself. He started laughing explaining that ever since he was a little boy and his Grandma let a neighbor Barber cut it too short and he ran home crying… he’s always cut his own hair.
(Fun to know some guys cry about a bad hair situation too)
I hope you enjoy this warm interview.
In the photo below that’s Eddie Holland on the left and his terrific brother Brian Holland on the right with my late Mom Eileen and me. My music lovin’ Mom loved this moment and it was taken on our last trip together. It’s one of my favorite photo memories of a happy day.
‘Hitsville’ is On Demand On Showtime. Check the schedule at Showtime.com
If you love backstories, and want to understand more about ‘The Genius Of Holland-Dozier-Holland Motown’s Incomparable Songwriters’ check out The HDH audiobook “Come and Get These Memories” it’s just out on audible.com
