They told Elvis not to sing "In the Ghetto."

"It's too political." 

"You're a white guy singing about a black kid." 

Etc. Etc. 

They were wrong.

Who wrote it? Mac Davis, who is Part Two of Off-Ramp's Summer Songwriter Series, as we sample the 2010 inauguration of the Grammy Museum's Songwriter Hall of Fame.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live; and bythe Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Off-Ramp theme music by Fesliyan Studios.

Lamont Dozier, the middle of the celebrated Holland-Dozier-Holland team that wrote and produced “You Can’t Hurry Love,” “Heat Wave,” and dozens of other hits and helped make Motown an essential record company of the 1960s and beyond, died Monday at age 81.

Duke Fakir, a close friend and the last surviving member of the original Four Tops, said, “I like to call Holland-Dozier-Holland ‘tailors of music.' They could take any artist, call them into their office, talk to them, listen to them, and write them a Top Ten song.”

From 1963-1967, Dozier and brothers Brian and Eddie Holland crafted more than 25 Top Ten songs and mastered the blend of pop and rhythm and blues that allowed the Detroit label, and founder Berry Gordy, to defy boundaries between Black and white music and rival the Beatles on the airwaves.

For Off-Ramp, we're listening back to his appearance at the kickoff of the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the Grammy Museum at LA Live in 2010. Songwriter Paul Williams was the emcee for the event. 

And I have lots more tape from that event, featuring Williams, Ashford and Simpson, Mac Davis, and Hal David. We'll listen to that in coming weeks. 

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live; and bythe Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Off-Ramp theme music by Fesliyan Studios.

Off-Ramp TemperaTour(TM); This Old Thing?; The Best Milkshake in Riverside; Belmont Fiasco; Gronk's Takes on Film; Senator Craig Finds Sympathy with Older Gay Men; Domanick on Pelicano; MacArthur Park is Alive with the Sound of Music; Listener Call

Some Pig; Bob Baker's Marionette Theater; Mid-Century Chimes; Cattle Call; Deep Beef; The ABC's of BBQ; Domanick on Spector; Songs of Protest; The Big Picture; Letters

L.A. Appetites; Sushi Zen; Hot Ramen; I Eat Ramen, Hear Me Roar!; El Pollo Chino; Would You Eat Granny?; Some botanas, por favor; Urban Survivalist; Tree of Life

A Last Goodbye; Hello Tiki-Ti ; Tiki Tribute; Ghost in the Machine; It's Not a Knack; Dad's in Jail; Santee Alley; Eden's Edge; Bahooka; Web Extra

Phantograms; Keystone-Mast Collection; Projecting 3-D Ain't Free; Leaves of Photographs; Humble Art; D.I.Y. 3-D; Reel-D; LA's First Family Of Photography; Julius Shulman; Take My Picture; Shooting History

Kinky in Los Angeles; The Unsung Pelon; Armenian Melodies; Re-Gifting Sound; Cello Fellow; A Little Night Music; Rock En Spanglish; These Kids are Alright; Harper Woods

Doo Dah Surf

Armenian Melodies; Deep Beef; Safer Cities Initiative: One Year Later; Mimislist; Craigslist Considered; Strings Theory; The Mayor of Gladys Park; Skid Row Redux; Sex Abuse; Sapphic Poet