Discography
25
Most popular
Jerk with the Contours
2025 · 12 tracks
The Contours: the Soul of '62 - the Essential Recordings
2025
Essential Classics, Vol. 53: The Contours
2024
Love and Soul
2024
Essential Classics, Vol. 53: The Contours (2023 Remastered)
2023
The Very Best Of
2021
So Grateful
2021
Milestones of Rhythm & Blues: Motor Town Soul, Vol. 7
2019
Motown Rarities 1965-1968
2018
Do You Love Me (2018 Digitally Remastered)
2018
The Stretch
2015
Titanium Hits
2014
Trust In Me
2014
Legends Of Rock Vol 1
2014
R&B Legends, Vol. 1: The Contours
2013
Do You Love Me - The Best of the Contours
2012
The Sounds of the Contours
2012
Under Love's Control
2007
The Contours' In The Still Of The Night
2006
The Very Best Of The Contours
2006
20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of The Contours
2003
A New Direction
2000
Baby Hit and Run
1974
Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance)
1962
The Myth of The Contours
1960
Popular tracks
Trending this week
Singles & EPs
6
Do You Love Me Remastered 2025
Single · 2025
Whole Lotta Woman / Regional Version
Single · 2014
Do You Love Me: The High-Octane Soul of The Contours
EP · 2011
Motown 7" Singles No. 1
Single · 2009
The Contours - In Concert at Little Darlin's Rock 'n' Roll Palace (Live)
Single · 1986
Do You Love Me (Remastered 2024)
Single · 1962
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More about The Contours
About
The Contours were one of the early African-American soul singing groups signed to Motown Records. The group is best known for its Billboard Top 10 hit, "Do You Love Me," a million-selling song that peaked twice in the Top 20. Joe Billingslea and Billy Gordon founded a singing group called The Blenders in their native Detroit, Michigan in 1959. They completed the group with Billy Hoggs and Billy Rollins, who had responded to an ad placed in the local newspaper by Billingslea. The group soon added Leroy Fair (in place of Billy Rollins) and bass singer Hubert Johnson and changed the name to The Contours. In the fall of 1960, the group auditioned for Berry Gordy's Motown Records. Gordy turned the act down, prompting the group to pay a visit to the home of Johnson's 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 a seven-year contract. The group's first single, "Whole Lotta' Woman," was released in January 1961 and failed to chart.
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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. The resulting record, with its shouted lead vocals from Billy Gordon, became a number-two hit in 1962. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.
The Contours in brief
- How many The Contours releases are on Riffiter?
- 31 releases are catalogued, spanning 1960 to 2025.
- When was The Contours formed?
- The Contours formed in 1959.
- What is the most recent The Contours release on Riffiter?
- Jerk with the Contours, released in 2025.