WEDNESDAY – the longest day (in letters)

Today is Independence Day in Ecuador, a public holiday. In Spanish, it is known as ‘Día del Primer Grito de Independencia de Quito’ and marks Quito’s declaration of independence from Spain in 1809. It is Ecuador’s National Day.

I was sorry to read yesterday of the death of Lamont Dozier. In collaboration with the brothers Brian and Eddie Holland, Mr. Dozier wrote songs for dozens of musical acts, but the trio worked most often with Martha and the Vandellas (“Heat Wave,” “Jimmy Mack”), the Four Tops (“Bernadette,” “I Can’t Help Myself”) and especially the Supremes (“You Can’t Hurry Love,” “Baby Love”). Between 1963 and 1972, the Holland-Dozier-Holland team was responsible for more than 80 singles that hit the Top 40 of the pop or R&B charts, including 15 songs that reached No. 1.