The Contours

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Billy Gordon, Billy Hoggs, Joe Billingslea and Billy Rollins founded a singing group called The Blenders in their native Detroit, Michigan in 1959. The group soon added Leroy Fair (in place of Billy Rollins), bass singer Hubert Johnson, and guitarist Huey Davis, and auditioned for Berry Gordy’s Motown Records. Gordy turned the act down, prompting Johnson to call his cousin, R&B star and Gordy associate Jackie Wilson. Wilson in turn got The Contours a second audition with Gordy, at which they sang the same songs they had at the first audition, the same way, and were signed to the company.

The group’s first singles, “Whole Lotta Woman” and “The Stretch”, were unsuccessful, and the group was in danger of being let go. Also at this time, Leroy Fair was replaced with Sylvester Potts. In early 1962, Gordy had the Contours record “Do You Love Me”, a composition originally meant for The Temptations. The resulting record, with its shouted lead vocals from Billy Gordon, became a number-two hit 1962.

In 1964, Billy Hoggs, Joe Billingslea, Hubert Johnson, and Sylvester Potts all quit the group. Berry Gordy hired Council Gay, Jerry Green and Alvin English to back Billy Gordon, making the Contours a quartet. Within a year, Sylvester Potts returned to the group (replacing Alvin English), but Billy Gordon departed at about the same time. Gordon was replaced by Joe Stubbs, brother of Four Tops lead singer Levi Stubbs. Stubbs soon quit the act and was replaced by Dennis Edwards.

Tagged as:

soul, motown, rhythm and blues, 60s, oldies
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Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance)
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The Very Best of the Contours
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Top Tracks

1	Do You Love Me full track	1,338
2	First I Look At The Purse full track	226
3	Just A Little Misunderstanding full track	145
4	Baby Hit And Run	75
5	Do You Love Me (Single Version (Mono)) full track	63
6	Do You Love Me?	42
7	Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance)	40
8	Can You Do it full track	17
9	What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted full track	15
10	Do You Love Me (Dirty Dancing)	12
10	Just A Little Misunderstanding - Single Version	12
12	Can You Jerk Like Me full track	10
13	This Old Heart of Mine full track	9
14	I Like Everything About You	8
15	Funny full track	7

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Hayzi22 wrote:
last month

The Contours is my favorite.

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realRemox wrote:
November 2009

Do You LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE ME?! :D

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lindsatthedisco wrote:
September 2009

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE.

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Anira_Sugar wrote:
August 2009

Do you love me?

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Akaz13 wrote:
July 2009

Do You Love Me cool

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SOULSAXMAN wrote:
July 2009

This great group was one of the funkiest and most soulful on Motown. Sadly Overshadowed by the Four Tops, Temptations ect.

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TantoTempo wrote:
May 2009

Hit and Run is the greatest thing in this or any other universe! Get that talc down fellas!

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airballoon wrote:
May 2009

My favorit

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Sonofthe60s wrote:
April 2009

"Can You Do It" and "Just a Little Misunderstanding" still sound great.

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Sonofthe60s wrote:
April 2009

Too bad the original studio version of "First I look at the Purse" isn't available. It's so much better than that remix.

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Tr1xx wrote:
February 2009

Danger, Heartbreak Dead Ahead

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X__Truthiness wrote:
December 2008

"Do You Love Me" <3

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unterseebootman wrote:
November 2008

magic Northern soul track from years ago .takes me back to long weekends and all nighters long ago.

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dominoodancing wrote:
September 2008

do you love meeee ;D

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tasha333333 wrote:
September 2008

Universal Music need you! To celebrate 50 years of motown, you can choose the tracklisting for the new album - MOTOWN 50 - due for release this December. Just get on http://www.pollthepeople.com and pick your Top 5 hits, see the tracklisting as it evolves and be connected to other Motown fans! Whether it's Stevie, Marvin, Gladys or Lionel get on Poll The People and have your say!

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flat_one wrote:
July 2008

Vote another image, folks!

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BobbieWest wrote:
June 2008

"I don't need no doctor"- Humble Pie ripped it from the contours..but it's under 8 notes so it's an unofficial "sampling" ahright!

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SPICEGIRLSFAN84 wrote:
March 2008

DUN GET LAZY :d I CAN MASH PUTATER I CAN DO THE TWIST WELL ANO TWLL ME BABAY DO U LYKEITLYKETHIS?

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Tr1xx wrote:
June 2007

Shame that most folks only know Do you love me. Some of their other tracks are classics too.

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AngelForTheSky wrote:
June 2007

Danced to Do You Love Me? at my Prom! zz

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