Something Smooth For The Weekend: Lamont Dozier

Lamont Dozier: Shine and All Cried Out
From: Black Bach [ABC, 1975]

Lamont Dozier: Trying To Hold On To My Woman
From: Out Here On My Own [ABC, 1974]

Switching up styles today with some downtempo delights to smoooooooooth you into the weekend. Maybe it’s the 6 month British winter or just a general shift in tastes but I’ve found myself getting into the groove of mid seventies lush soul more and more over the last couple of months. I’m well aware that one listener’s soul is another listener’s shite so I’m not going to submerge you in it but did feel an overwhelming urge to post up some solo output from Lamont Dozier.

Originally making an impact as part of the Motown golddust team Holland-Dozier-Holland, Lamont’s solo output is best known nowadays for the unfadeable Going Back To My Roots. However, Dozier actually had a pretty successful solo career which isn’t bad going considering that most members of groups have a hard time making an impact after the split and when you’re part of one of The Great Teams it must be even more of a bitch to prove your own worth.

Part of this is no doubt down to Dozier’s role as the production wizard within the team, a talent he shows no sign of having lost on his 1975 album Black Bach. The most obvious parallel Dozier seems to be pulling with his album title is in the lushness of the musical structure he brings to the table and you can’t fault him in this department.

Shine kicks off the album with aplomb as the artificial crowd calms down and the music begins, starting with a crescendo of strings Dozier switches up the melody with supreme confidence, reducing the layers of sound down before bringing it back up for the chorus.

All Cried Out hits me in my saccharine week spot. A track that hooks me from the get go and featuring a melody that rises and falls with the lead guitar I could just listen to a loop of this all day.

As a bonus I just couldn’t resist featuring Trying To Hold On To My Woman from Dozier’s earlier Out Here On Our Own. I forgot to crop off the interlude so you get a nice minute or so of string laden funk before the tear jerker kicks in. I’m a big big fan of “I’ve screwed up please give me another chance” ballads, the more overblown the better, and think this holds it’s own commendably. This song is also a great example of the expressive set of pipes Lamont has as he delivers his vocal absolutely beautifully.

As it goes I’ve just noticed that Art Decade posted up Going Back To My Roots two weeks ago (great minds etc etc) so consider that an additional bonus track here. Also, while the originals seem tricky to come by you can pick up a best of Lamont pretty cheap from the usual places.

There you go, my ode to sweet smooth soul. Be interested if any readers want to step up to rep their own private mellow gems………