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#3 R&B, #18 Pop
Composed by The Miracles’ members Warren “Pete” Moore and Smokey Robinson, “It’s Growing” comes from The Temptations’ second Motown LP — “The Temptations Sing Smokey.” This LP topped the R&B charts at #1 and was #35 on the Pop LP charts.
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Dennis Edwards joined the Contours in 1967 and sang lead on the group’s cover version of “It’s Growing.” This cover stayed buried in the “Motown Vault” until it surfaced on a British Budget compilation in the 70s. I first heard it on another British Motown compilation that I purchased decades later entitled “Tamla Motown Connoisseurs.”
“It’s Growing” was the second song that The Temptations released featuring group member David Ruffin. How ironic that Edwards sang lead on this Temptations’ cover song as a member of the Contours and would eventually replace David Ruffin in the Temptations!
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Originally hailing from Canada, Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers were Motown’s first hit interracial group. Their cover version of “It’s Growing” comes from their first and only Motown LP, pictured above.
You know the drill – time to vote for your favorite Motown rendition of “It’s Growing.” Which is your favorite? Leave comments and let us know why.
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The Contours – First I Look At The Purse (1965) #12 R&B, #57 Pop
The Contours are another one of those great groups, with loads of potential, that never got the attention they deserved from the Motown management because they did not fit into that crossover-pop mold that Gordy was striving for.
The group’s hard edge R&B scored them a hit with “Do You Love Me” and this song is trotted out for show and tell whenever there is a Motown retrospective, especially since it was written and produced by Gordy himself.
But with clever lyrics, that only Smokey Robinson could write, “First I Look At The Purse” is my favorite Contours tune.
Check it out an let me know what you think.
FIRST I LOOK AT THE PURSE
Composed by Smokey Robinson & Robert Rodgers
Some fellas look at the eyes
Some fellas look at the nose
Some fellas look at the size
Some fellas look at the clothes
I don’t care if her eyes are red
I don’t care if her nose is long
I don’t care if she’s underfed
I don’t care if her clothes are worn
First I look at the purse!
Some fellas like the smiles they wear
Some fellas like the legs that’s all
Some fellas like the style of their hair
Want their waist to be small.
I don’t care if their legs are thin
I don’t care if their teeth are big
I don’t care if their hair’s a wig
Why waste time lookin’ at the waistline?
First I look at the purse!
A woman can be fat as can be,
kisses sweet as honey
But that don’t mean a thing to me
If you ain’t got no money
If the purse is fat….that’s where it’s at.
Some fellas like the way they walk
The way they swing and sway
Some fellas like the way they talk
Dig the things they say.
I don’t care if they wobble like a…
or talk with a lisp
I still think I’m a good lover
if the dollar bills are crisp
First I look at the purse!
First I look at the purse!
First I look at the purse!
First I look at the purse!
I don’t care if you got yourself a wrap
all I want is your pretty green cash
Bought me a suit, bought me a car
Want me to look like a hollywood star
Money, (Money!) I want money (Money!)
Baby, ain’t no “why”, baby (Money!)
I need money!
First I look at the purse!
First I look at the purse!
First I look at the purse!
First I look at the purse!
You may read about how the group finally came about to get their seven year contract with Motown Record at their website Biography.
[audio http://www.hotlinkfiles.com/files/812879_fxs5u/20.Contours-DoYouLoveMe.mp3] The Contours – Do You Love Me (1962)
The Contours had a number #1 R&B Hit (#3US) in 1962 with this Berry Gordy, Jr. penned song that was meant for the Temptations. As the story goes, when Berry finished creating the hit for the Temptations, who had not had much luck on the charts yet, he could not locate them to get them in the recording studio. It turns out that the fellas were at the Fox Theater attending a Gospel show to both praise the Lord and hone their harmony skills listening to The Dixie Hummingbirds” and The Harmonizing Four. (These are my two favorite gospel quartets). So Gordy tasked the singing of his song to The Contours and the rest is history. The Temptations were sorry they missed out on a hit song, but things happen for a reason and we all know what bigger and better things were in store for fabulous The Temptations!
[audio http://www.hotlinkfiles.com/files/818552_cg5sg/TheSupremes-DoYouLoveMe.mp3] The Supremes - Do You Love Me (1964)
“Do You Love Me” next appeared on The Supremes album “A Little Bit of Liverpool” released in 1964. Now obviously, the song has nothing to do with the theme of the album, so I can only suggest it was filler for Gordy royalties – yes I said it. (LOL)
[audio http://www.hotlinkfiles.com/files/812878_6rdft/01.TheTempations-DoYouLoveMe.mp3] The Temptations – Do You Love Me (1995)
Now speaking of Mr. Gordy, it is on the 1995 release entitled “Memories, Music, Magic of Motown: Tribute to Berry Gordy” on which you can finally hear the Temptations do their version of “Do You Love Me”. In this outing the Motown artists of 1990′s sing the classic songs that Mr. Gordy wrote and co-wrote. In the liner notes Gordy says that getting this song concept was “easy. I remembered the days when I could never get the girls I really liked because I couldn’t dance…”
So you know the drill. Please let me know which of the three versions you like the best by voting here.
Well as always thanks for reading about and listening to the music.
