The Contours secured their lasting reputation chiefly through the explosive 1962 release "Do You Love Me?," an early Motown breakthrough that helped launch the label's national profile. Their deeper imprint on the company, however, receives less notice: Berry Gordy signed them as one of his rawest and most forceful R&B ensembles, a unit whose gritty approach diverged sharply from the refined, elegant template that eventually defined the Motown sound. Their live shows mirrored this distinction, delivering untamed physical force rather than the polished dance routines and stylish attire favored by the label's marquee acts. As a result, once Motown's assembly-line formula for broad appeal took hold, the Contours slipped from favor and proved unable to repeat the impact of their debut success.
Detroit gave rise to the group in 1959, when it started as a four-man outfit known as the Blenders. Billy Gordon, Billy Hogg, Sylvester Potts, and Joe Billingslea formed the core, soon augmented by Hubert Johnson, cousin to the celebrated Jackie Wilson, and guitarist Huey Davis. After adopting the name the Contours, they auditioned for Berry Gordy's young Motown operation. Gordy turned them away and suggested they return after a year, prompting them to seek Jackie Wilson's help sharpening their presentation. Wilson personally vouched for them, finally persuading Gordy to grant a 1961 contract. The Contours' opening single "Whole Lotta Woman" vanished without impact, and Gordy came close to letting them go until Wilson again intervened. The decision proved fruitful when Gordy handed them "Do You Love Me?," a number first earmarked for the Temptations, who could not capture the gritty, high-energy feel he sought. Issued in 1962, the track shot to the top of the R&B listings within weeks and climbed as high as number three on the pop charts.
Maintaining that early momentum proved difficult even with the excitement generated by their hit and dynamic stage shows. A 1963 follow-up, "Shake Sherrie," performed well, and between 1965 and 1966 they placed several more singles inside the R&B Top 40: "Can You Jerk Like Me?," the Top Ten "The Day When She Needed Me," Smokey Robinson's "First I Look at the Purse," and "Just a Little Misunderstanding." Despite the strength of these recordings, the Contours attracted far less label support and public attention than Motown's leading attractions, their style growing ever more out of step with the Hitsville mainstream. The original lineup had already begun to change; new additions included Joe Stubbs, brother of Four Tops vocalist Levi Stubbs, and Dennis Edwards, who would later step in for David Ruffin in the Temptations.
The Contours registered their final chart single in 1967 with "It's So Hard Being a Loser." Billingslea and Potts subsequently steered various editions of the group along the oldies circuit through the 1970s and 1980s. Johnson died by suicide in 1981 and thus missed the 1988 resurgence of "Do You Love Me?" sparked by its prominent use in the popular film Dirty Dancing. Billingslea, Potts, and their current colleagues returned to the revival circuit with fresh energy, also recording the album Running in Circles for Ian Levine's Motorcity label, a U.K. imprint devoted to Motown alumni, in 1990. Stubbs passed away in 1998, and guitarist Davis followed in 2002.
