Author Topic: Fall out with HDH?  (Read 5680 times)

guest23

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Fall out with HDH?
« on: November 02, 2019, 06:52:24 am »
I'm a big Ivy Hunter fan and always look out for any mention of him, as I believe he is very underated and cruelly overlooked when history of Motown is discussed.
In the new HDH book, there is absolutely no mention of him at all.
This is ridiculous as he cut a LOT of tracks over the years and had several hits.
Eddie Holland has a sly dig at a producer spending a lot studio time, and therefore, costing Motown money, and equating this to having hit records.
I am fairly sure he is refering to Ivy.
Does anybody know of a fall out or problems between HDH and Ivy?
I've just joined Ivy's Facebook group. I don't want to raise this on there but I'm curious.
BTW by seeing the posts on FB you realise how many brilliant records he wrote and produced.

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Re: Fall out with HDH?
« Reply #1 on: November 02, 2019, 02:44:26 pm »
I've never heard of any fall out but that's not to say that there wasn't. It is Motown after all! It would be wonderful if IJH wrote his story.

guest23

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Re: Fall out with HDH?
« Reply #2 on: November 03, 2019, 02:03:07 am »
This is probably the nearest we will get John
Taken from Soul Source.
IVY JO HUNTER Motown’s phenomenal success in the 1960s was due, in large part, to the abundance of talented songwriters the company nourished and nurtured from within. From his own experience in ...
soul-source.co.uk

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Re: Fall out with HDH?
« Reply #3 on: November 03, 2019, 12:24:30 pm »
Thanks Larry. It's really rather a sad story. Poor Ivy, BG did not play fair with many great Motown folks!

guest23

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Re: Fall out with HDH?
« Reply #4 on: November 03, 2019, 12:47:15 pm »
By joining his FB group I am amazed at how many brilliant records he cut
 Of course I've got all the Motown tracks but to see one after another ...it's amazing what he produced.

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Re: Fall out with HDH?
« Reply #5 on: November 03, 2019, 01:17:40 pm »
I will join too Larry :)

guest23

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Re: Fall out with HDH?
« Reply #6 on: November 03, 2019, 07:01:26 pm »
Glad to hear it John.
He comes on and likes various posts.
From what I see he doesn't engage with posters as such.
Perhaps wisely.
But it's nice to know he knows that a LOT of people appreciate what he achived at Motown.

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Re: Fall out with HDH?
« Reply #7 on: November 04, 2019, 01:08:52 pm »
Do we know what Ivy Jo did post-Motown?

SWI

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Re: Fall out with HDH?
« Reply #8 on: November 04, 2019, 04:42:14 pm »
Extract from Pat Moss interview.

Not long afterward he left Motown he set up Probe Productions and began working with local Detroit talent. A string of 45 releases and ‘outside’ productions for groups like Funkadelic and the Dells during the 1970's culminated in a hit song that reverberates to this day. He wrote ‘Hold on (to your dream)’ with Vernon Bullock around 1978 and he recorded it on Wee Gee. He was a guy he knew from his time with the Dramatics. He did a great job on the song and it shot to the top. Do you know that it has been used at more Graduation ceremonies than any other song! It was even re worked by a guy called Trick Daddy in 2012 and hit again. God sure gave him one with that song.’

There is also this which is attributed to IJH! I have no idea where it came from or what time period. Personally I think it's awful. It's not on Discogs apart from a single dated 2012!

https://www.discogs.com/Ivy-Jo-Hunter-See-You-Around-Yea-Yea-Yea/release/7219425


https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChbas6fBSbkGAAs4WPlgrlQ



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Re: Fall out with HDH?
« Reply #9 on: November 08, 2019, 04:50:04 am »
Wow - didn't know that IJH had worked with the Dells.

Anyone know what they recorded with him?

SWI

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Re: Fall out with HDH?
« Reply #10 on: November 08, 2019, 06:25:25 am »
Wow - didn't know that IJH had worked with the Dells.

Anyone know what they recorded with him?

SWI

About half of the tracks on The Dells 1976 "No Way Back" LP were IJH compositions SWI …

Details here       https://www.45worlds.com/vinyl/album/srm11084

Roger

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Re: Fall out with HDH?
« Reply #11 on: November 09, 2019, 04:08:34 am »
Thanks, Roger - my goodness, that Dells album is stuffed with Motown folk. I don't know it at all, so I must search it out.

I am surprised to read that article about Ivy and the short list of some of his classic songs.

Ivy's songwriting complements and (IMHO) surpasses what HDH did for the Four Tops. Ask The Lonely, Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever, and Yesterday's Dreams are all excellent hits written by him for the Tops.

On the group's albums are other hidden gems and one of my favourites is We've Got A Strong Love (On Our Side).

That Quality Control "allowed" Ivy Jo's Four Tops recordings to go alongside the HDH songs proves he was something very special.

SWI

guest23

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Re: Fall out with HDH?
« Reply #12 on: November 09, 2019, 09:04:53 am »
As I mention above, no mention of IJH in thr HDH book.
I think there issues in the background between them..perhaps EH resented IJH's closeness to Mickey Stevenson?
"Loving you is sweeter than ever" broke up HDH's run on the Four Tops. Did that cause friction?
Did IJH complain to the hierachy too much regarding tracks shelved etc.

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Re: Fall out with HDH?
« Reply #13 on: November 09, 2019, 02:53:02 pm »
Written & produced by IJH.