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Eddie Holland - Twin Brother

Eddie Holland is best known as one-third of Holland-Dozier-Holland, one of pop music history’s most legendary writing teams. Together with Lamont and his brother Brian — not to mention in his side-work with Norman Whitfield — Eddie co-penned a ridiculously large proportion of Motown’s hits. But before any of that happened, he was first quite the handsome young singer. And his voice was absolutely majestic.

Sadly, Eddie stepped away from the microphone after the early 60s as a result of not only his increasing success as a songwriter, but also a rather severe case of stage-fright. The pop and soul words were both better and worse for it at the same time, for while he was magic with a pen, he was also stunning in his vocal interpretations. We’re left to simply imagine what might have been.

This 1962-63 tune — the only (Brian) Holland-Dozier-Robinson, as in Smokey, credit that I’ve ever seen — is a gimmicky but catchy little doo-wop inspired number. Eddie plays a nice guy who nevertheless can’t catch a break with the ladies. It seems that jerk Brian (I kid — Eddie and Brian share quite the resemblance, but are not twins) has been acting like a cad all over town and gaining quite the reputation as a heartbreaker. Poor Eddie, unable to get himself a date with the wary women who get the two confused, pleads both with them to give him a chance and with his brother to cut it the hell out.

Apparently a faster version of the track still exists in the Vault, and many who have heard it claim to like it better. But I love it as is — and as of now, it’s all we have. It’s a great example of that early Motown charm and Eddie Holland’s fantastically powerful delivery.

11:06 pm • 6 December 2011 • 3 notes • View comments