RIP Lamont Dozier

  The passing of Lamont Dozier made me think about the great songwriting partners in Music history.  I'm not talking about Lennon & McCartney or Ashford & Simpson.  Those are artists who sung their own written songs.  I'm talking about songwriters whose main purpose was the write for others to sing.  Before Rock began there were already famous songwriters who wrote for stage and screen like Rodgers & Hammerstein, the Gershwin Brothers and Lerner & Loewe. 

  Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller were the blueprint for songwriting duos at the beginning of the Rock & Roll era.  Among the early ones who followed were Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman, Felice & Boudleaux Bryant, As the 60's come in we get Jeff Barry & Ellie Greenwich, Isaac Hayes & David Porter, Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Burt Bacharach & Hal David, Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong and Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil.  From the 70's it's Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff, Thom Bell & Linda Creed.  I'd also include Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards who wrote all of Chic's songs and many hits for other artists. It's in the 70's where these types of duos begin to fade as the singer-songwriter era flourishes and bands begin singing their own songs.  In fact, by the time we get to the 80's Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis are one of the last songwriting duos that harken back to previous decades. L.A. Reid & Babyface should also be included because they wrote hits for others besides the ones Babyface sang. You could even include the Gibb Brothers who wrote exclusively for others, especially after their hit days of the 70's slowed in the 80's. The same goes for Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson. 

  As for post-90's duos, the Neptunes (Pharrell Williams & Chad Hugo) were one of the most successful.  But it's gotten harder to find songwriting duos (or trios) in the modern age as sampling became more common.  Often songwriting credits blossomed as tracks featured samples from other records. 

  Which brings me back to Lamont Dozier.  Along with Brian & Eddie Holland, this trio wrote some of the most timeless classics ever.  My favorite is probably the Four Tops' "Reach Out I'll Be There".  Then there's "Bernadette", "Stop In The Name of Love", "Please Mr. Postman", "Reflections",  and tons more that you should look up.  

  The era of duos or trios like H-D-H writing exclusively for other artists is a bygone one. Which is what made me so wistful thinking about the late, great Lamont Dozier.