Lyrics & Lyricists celebrates the creators behind Motown’s hottest hits

“Stop in the Name of Love,” “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” “Reach Out,” “Baby Love,” “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch),” “Heat Wave” … the powerhouse songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland – Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian and Eddie Holland, often referred to as H-D-H – wrote and produced some of the most defining tracks in modern music and shaped the Motown sound. Michael O. Mitchell and a cast of Broadway’s brightest talent present a sizzling Lyrics & Lyricists celebration of their unparallelled songbook of more than 50 Top 10 hits. We sat down with Mitchell ahead of the opening of MOTOWN’S HEAT WAVE: The Songs of Holland-Dozier-Holland (Nov 8-10) to talk about H-D-H’s legacy and extraordinary influence on music, what makes their songs so enduringly irresistible, and more.

People all over the world (other planets?!) know Motown, but not everyone knows that Holland-Dozier-Holland was largely responsible for the songs, the sound, the success. Please tell us about them.

H-D-H were a huge reason why Motown became what it is. Why Berry Gordy became what he is. It wasn’t just H-D-H, but they were leaders – in the writing, the sound, the hits.

Motown is its own genre of music. The whole gamut of what we think of as soul music, as R&B – it has roots in the sound of Motown and the music of Holland-Dozier-Holland. They wrote hit after hit for the Supremes (including a remarkable 10 of their Number 1 singles), and many others for the Four Tops, Martha and the Vandellas, and more. Eddie Holland wrote the lyrics, and Lamont Dozier wrote the music with Brian Holland producing (often overlapping). Together the three were like their own songwriting factory. They formulated a sound that crosses racial and cultural lines, evokes happy feelings through songs with terrific hooks, and touches the heart. It’s why their music continues to resonate.

Beyond the staggering number of hits is the influence H-D-H had on the artists and music that came after. Who are some of the artists shaped, in part, by them?

The influence of H-D-H can’t be overstated. Without them you wouldn’t have had Michael Jackson. Or Stevie Wonder. Or John Legend. Or Beyonce. No Amy Winehouse. No Bruno Mars. Without H-D-H you wouldn’t have whole genres of modern music – the current sound of music. And the list of artists who have covered their songs is endless. The Stones covered them. The Who covered them. Phil Collins covered them. These artists and countless others all took inspiration from H-D-H – their music, their lyrics, their sound, their feel. That’s how great their influence was.

There’s everything they created, and everything that resulted from what they created.

People are often surprised to learn that one of James Taylor’s biggest hits, “How Sweet It Is,” was written by Holland-Dozier-Holland …

Absolutely! Again, their influence is profound. The James Taylor recording is iconic, and it starts with that song. Paul McCartney has talked about the influence of this music in songs like “Got to Get You Into My Life” – it’s his homage to the sound H-D-H created.

What makes H-D-H’s songs so enduringly captivating?

Their songs had incredibly catchy hooks and incredibly catchy lyrics, driving beats, great use of call and response – they grab you immediately. And they’re largely love songs. H-D-H’s lyrics captured the highs and lows of love with a simplicity that hit deep. They speak directly to our emotions – the human need to understand/to love/to want/to desire. They had the rare ability to make you move and feel at the same time.

Tell us about the upcoming Lyrics & Lyricists show. What do you hope it illuminates, what do you hope audiences experience?

This is my fourth Lyrics & Lyricists show, and the reason I love the series so much is that the focal point is the lyrics. I like being able to break down songs we know and show how the lyrics guide the story – because that’s what songs are – they’re stories.

We’re still building the show, but it’s our hope that people re-connect with this amazing music, learn about the creators without whom the songs wouldn’t exist, and find in it the gentleness and humanity we all share. At the end of the day, we should all be the catalyst of love.

“Catalyst of Love” – sounds like a Motown song:) On that note, can you share some of the songs we might hear? Will there be growling saxes in the band?

Haha. We’re going to have a great band, with horns – you’ve got to have the horns – and five amazing singers, including talent from the cast of Broadway’s Ain’t Too Proud and more. The H-D-H catalog is massive. We’re looking at songs like “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” “I Hear a Symphony,” “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” “Standing in the Shadow of Love,” “Heat Wave,” and many others – the hardest part is what to leave out! Their Number 1 hits alone count too many to include!

You’ll hear songs in the classic way, and a modern take on some – reimagining songs leaves you hearing the lyrics in a whole new way.

Do you have a favorite H-D-H song?

Ooh … so hard. I think it has to be “How Sweet It Is.” How sweet it is to be loved by you. That can be any kind of love. Romantic love. Platonic love. Parent and child love. Love is love is love is love. I was raised to love everyone. Love your family. Love your friends. Love yourself. Love your enemy. You don’t have to accept or tolerate things that are hateful, but still, show love. Everyone deserves love and to be loved, even if they’re not doing loving things – it means they need love more than ever. I’ll stick with that choice for now.

Can you take a classic H-D-H song and deconstruct it for us? Maybe, “You Keep Me Hangin’ On?” Show us what makes it so compelling?

Hmm …  I’ll try to break it down without making it too musically nerdy! The song starts with the ticker sound. H-D-H didn’t have big budgets, so they came up with ways to make an instrument sound like everyday things – a train, or something you’d hear on the street. The opening of “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” – it’s the sound of a news ticker – there’s urgency – you hear it on the guitar, but they’re drawing from everyday life.

And those lyrics: Set me free, why don’t you, babe / Get out of my life, why don’t you, babe / ‘Cause you don’t really love me / You just keep me hangin’ on – it’s the hook of the song, and right away it’s: Let me go. Give me freedom. How many of us have been in situations – in relationships, in school, in an apartment you don’t want to be in – and all you’re feeling is “get me out of here.” The way H-D-H wrote it, it tells a story, and a very relatable one.

Why does Holland-Dozier-Holland belong in the American Songbook?

Their themes – of love, heartbreak, hope, resilience – they’re not unlike any by Gershwin, or Porter, or Rodgers & Hammerstein. Their music is universal. It transcends time and era.

The music of H-D-H is can’t-sit-still irresistible. Are you prepared for the onstage exuberance to spill over?

Absolutely! Tap your feet, groove in your seat, dance in the aisles – it’s Motown!

MOTOWN’S HEAT WAVE: The Songs of Holland-Dozier-Holland – Sat, Nov 8 at 5 PM (new time!), Sun, Nov 9 at 2 PM, Mon, Nov 10 at 7:30 PM. Tickets and details.