The Contours
The Contours | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | Detroit, Michigan, United States |
Genres | R&B, soul |
Years active | 1959–1968; 1971–present |
Labels | Motown |
Members | Joe Billingslea Al Chisholm Gary Grier Lyall Hoggart Dwjuan Brock |
Past members | Billy Gordon Billy Hoggs Billy Rollins Hubert Johnson Leroy Fair Sylvester Potts Council Gay Jerry Green Alvin English Joe Stubbs Dennis Edwards Arthur Hinson Darrell Nunlee Martin Upshire C. Autry Hatcher Odell Jones Charles Davis |
The Contours is one of the early American
History
Establishment and "Do You Love Me"
Each artist at Motown Records received its own guitarist. Huey Davis was the guitarist assigned to the Contours. The group's first single, "Whole Lotta' Woman," was released in January 1961 and failed to chart. Within months of its release, Leroy Fair was replaced by Benny Reeves, brother of Martha Reeves. Shortly thereafter, Benny Reeves left to serve in the United States Navy and he was replaced by Sylvester Potts. In 1961 the group's second single, "The Stretch", was released and it also failed to chart. In early 1962, Gordy had the Contours record "Do You Love Me," a composition allegedly originally meant for the Temptations. But, in a 2008 interview for MOJO Magazine, original Contour Joe Billingslea stated that this was not the case. In the article, Billingslea stated to author Phil Alexander that the song's author, Motown founder Berry Gordy, offered the song to the Contours first, only intending to give The Temptations the song after he saw that the Contours were having trouble with it. However, after practicing the tune again, Gordy gave the nod—and the song—to the Contours.[1]
The resulting record, with its shouted lead vocals from Billy Gordon, hit No. 1 on
Mid-to-late 1960s career
Although the Contours never quite repeated the extraordinary success of "
During the mid-1960s the Contours recorded several records which received R&B radio play, notably "Can You Do It," "Don't Let Her Be Your Baby", "
Although they
After Motown
In the early 1970s, Joe Billingslea resurrected the group with himself, Arthur Hinson, Martin Upshire, C. Autry Hatcher and former Motown Contour Council Gay as its members, and began performing at local clubs around Detroit. During the seventies and early eighties, the group's popularity increased and they began playing dates throughout the US and even some international dates. In 1984, Charles Davis replaced Hinson and a week later Potts rejoined the group replacing Gay. In 1987, Hatcher left the group and Arthur Hinson returned. In 1988, Darell Nunlee was added when Martin Upshire left. The same year, "Do You Love Me" was prominently featured in the film Dirty Dancing. In 1988, a reissue of "Do You Love Me" sent the song back to the Billboard top 40 charts for eight weeks, peaking at number eleven. The movie and the record spawned a 1988 "Dirty Dancing Concert Tour" followed by a new recording contract for Ian Levine's Motorcity Records where the group recorded two albums Flashback and Revenge although the latter was not released, though the songs would later be featured on the later compilation, The Best of the Contours.
In 1992, Hinson left the group, and it continued as a quartet until 1993 when Nunlee left. Al Chisholm (formerly with the Falcons) and Gary Grier were recruited in 1993. This configuration – Joe Billingslea, Chisholm, Davis, Grier and Potts – continued from 1993 until 2004.
In 2004, Sylvester Potts left to form his own group with the four members (Leroy Seabrooks, Kim Green, Tony Womack and Darell Nunlee) of a local Detroit group named Upscale, which immediately began performing as "The Contours". Billingslea sued and Potts countersued, each claiming the rights to the name. Because the service mark, "The Contours" was jointly owned by Billingslea, Potts and their manager, these suits were resolved in an out-of-court settlement which provided for the existence of both groups to be identified as "The Contours with Joe Billingslea" and "The Contours featuring Sylvester Potts," respectively. Within months of the founding of the Potts group, Seabrooks left making it a quartet. In 2011, Nunlee left Potts' group and was replaced by Tee Turner.
In April 2011, the unreleased second album's tracks, along with fourteen unreleased original Contours 1960s Motown recordings, and new 2011 interviews with the Contours' founder Joe Billingslea as well as with Sylvester Potts, was released as part of the CD compilation collection, Dance with the Contours on the import label, Kent Records. It featured the chart hits, "Can You Do It", "Can You Jerk Like Me", and several other tracks. It was released under legal license from, and with the full approval of, the owners of the Motown catalogue.[7]
In 2005, Billy Hoggs, who left the Contours in 1964 to become a minister, made his first and only appearance since 1964, joining the Contours with Joe Billingslea for the taping of Motown: The Early Years for the Public Broadcasting System. This performance is occasionally rebroadcast on various PBS affiliates. In January 2007, Motown Records released the DVD of the performances. In 2006, the Contours with Joe Billingslea filled the vacant bass singing spot created by Potts' departure with Odell Jones. In March 2010, the Contours were inducted into the Doo-Wopp Hall of Fame of America. The induction show featured a performance by the Contours with Joe Billingslea.
Hubert Johnson committed suicide in Detroit, on July 11, 1981, at age 40.[8] Mid-1960s member, Joe Stubbs – brother of Levi Stubbs, died on February 5, 1998.[8] Afterward, several original members died within a ten-year period. Billy Gordon died on May 10, 1999.[8] Guitarist Huey Davis (who was pictured on the Do You Love Me album cover, but was not an official member of the Contours although he was pictured in virtually all of Motown's publicity shots of the group) died on February 23, 2002, at his home in Detroit.[1] Leroy Fair died in December 2004.[8]
In 2014, Jones left the Contours with Joe Billingslea and was replaced by Lyall Hoggart. In late 2014, Potts' group made its last performance. In 2015, Dwjuan Brock replaced Charles Davis. Also in 2015, the Contours were inducted into the R&B Hall of Fame. The induction show featured a performance by the Contours with Joe Billingslea. Later that year, after it became clear that Potts' group had disbanded, Billingslea's group reclaimed the name "The Contours". In 2016, the Contours were inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.[9] In 2017, the service mark, "The Contours" was assigned solely to Joe Billingslea.
Sylvester Potts died on January 6, 2017.[10]
On November 4 2022, before a sold-out crowd at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, Michigan, Joe Billingslea announced his retirement 10 days short of his 85th birthday, with that performance being his last, concluding with a mike drop to a standing ovation.[citation needed]
Members timeline
Discography
Albums
- Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance) (Gordy 901, 1962)
- The Contours: Can You Dance (Gordy 910, 1964 – unreleased)
- The Contours Sing It's So Hard Being a Loser (Gordy G921, 1967 – unreleased)
- Baby Hit and Run (Music for Pleasure, 1974)
- Flashback (Motorcity Records, 1990)
- The Very Best (Hot Productions, 1995)
- The Very Best of the Contours [Original Recording Remastered] (Motown, 1999)
- Essential Collection (Spectrum, 2000)
- A New Direction (Orchard, 2000)
- 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection (Universal, 2003)
- Live II (Middle Earth, 2003)
- Dance with the Contours (Kent/Universal/Motown, 2011)
Singles
Year | Title and catalog number | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [11] |
US R&B [11] |
UK
[12] | ||||
1961 | "Whole Lotta Woman" (Motown 1008)
b/w "Come On and Be Mine" (Non-album track) |
—
|
—
|
—
|
Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance) | |
"The Stretch" (Motown 1012)
b/w "Funny" |
—
|
—
|
—
|
|||
1962 | "Do You Love Me" (Gordy 7005)
b/w "Move Mr. Man" |
3
|
1
|
—
|
||
"Shake Sherry" (Gordy 7012)
b/w "You Better Get in Line" |
43
|
21
|
—
|
|||
1963 | "Don't Let Her Be Your Baby" (Gordy 7016)
b/w "It Must Be Love" (from Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance)) |
64
|
—
|
—
|
Baby Hit and Run | |
"Pa I Need a Car" (Gordy 7019)
b/w "You Get Ugly" |
—
|
—
|
—
|
Non-album track | ||
1964 | "Can You Do It" (Gordy 7029)
b/w "I'll Stand by You" (Non-album track) |
41
|
—
|
—
|
Baby Hit and Run | |
"Can You Jerk Like Me" (Gordy 7037)
b/w "That Day When She Needed Me" (Non-album track) |
47
|
15
|
—
|
|||
1965 | "First I Look at the Purse" (Gordy 7044)
b/w "Searching for a Girl" (Non-album track) |
57
|
12
|
—
|
||
1966 | "Just a Little Misunderstanding" (Gordy 7052)
b/w "Determination" |
85
|
18
|
31 (1970)
|
||
1967 | "It's So Hard Being a Loser" (Gordy 7059)
b/w "Your Love Grows More Precious Every Day" (Non-album track) |
79
|
35
|
53[A]
|
||
1974 | "Baby Hit and Run" (UK-only) (Tamla Motown 886)
b/w "Can You Jerk Like Me" |
—
|
—
|
51[A]
|
||
1988 | "Do You Love Me" (Reissue) (Motown ZT 41890)
b/w "Shake Sherrie" |
11[14]
|
—
|
76
|
Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance) | |
1989 | "Face Up to the Fact" (Motortown 20)
b/w "Face Up to the Fact (Instrumental)" |
—
|
—
|
—
|
The Very Best | |
1991 | "Running in Circles" (Motortown 45)
b/w "Running in Circles (Original Mix)" |
—
|
—
|
—
|
||
1992 | "Look Out for the Stop Sign" (USMO 4503)
b/w "Gonna Win You Back" |
—
|
—
|
—
|
||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
References
- ^ a b c "Soulful Kinda Music: The Contours". Soulfulkindamusic.com. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
- ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ "Rate Your Music: Can You Dance". Rateyourmusic.com. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
- ^ "Ace Records, Just A Little Misunderstanding: Rare And Unissued Motown 1965–68 by The Contours". Acerecords.co.uk. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
- ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "Amazon: Compilation Albums w/ tracks by The Contours". Amazon. Archived from the original on March 31, 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
- ^ Dance with the Contours. "Dance with the Contours: The Contours: Music". Amazon. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
- ^ a b c d "The Contours (1958–1971) •". August 29, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
- ^ "Michigan Rock and Roll Legends – CONTOURS". Michiganrockandrolllegends.com. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
- ^ "Detroir News: Sylvester Potts of the Contours dies". Detroitnews.com. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
- ^ a b "The Contours – Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 30, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ "CONTOURS – full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ "British certifications – Contours". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 8, 2022. Type Contours in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. pp. 190, 196.