Will they ever?

Posted by Roy on Tuesday, 11/3/2015 @ 04:48am

Read a comment on YouTube recently that kinda angered me.

It was posted by someone named Zerras on a posting of The Contours 1965 hit 'FIRST I LOOK AT THE PURSE".
Most people here know three things about this song:
(1) That The CONTOURS were the ORIGINAL artists, and that they recorded for Motown Records (on the Gordy Label subsidiary)

(2) That it was composed by two of The MIRACLES (Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers), and

(3) That it was covered years later by The J.Geils Band.

Here was the comment:

"I first learned of this song from the J Geils Band, I hate to say that I prefer their version over this one on a video of the original. I think its because I get a cynical vibe from the song and it doesn't suit the vocal quartet sound."

WHAT ?

Here was my reply:

Rock Bands are ALWAYS copying Classic R&B tunes. That's nothing new.
"The PROBLEM is that they receive MORE HONORS and ACCOLADES for COPYING the songs, that the ORIGINAL GROUPS got for CREATING them...and THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE .
The J Geils Band is up for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction.
With their massive INFLUENCE, The CONTOURS should have ALREADY been IN there !!!

J. Geils has copied The CONTOURS' "First I Look At The Purse", The VALENTINOS" "Looking For A Love" , The SHOWSTOPPERS' "Ain't Nothing But A House Party", The SUPREMES' "Where Did Our Love Go", CHRIS KENNER'S "Land Of A Thousand Dances", The MARVELOWS' "I DO" and numerous other classic R&B tunes... and they've had the advantage of the across-the-board radio airplay that the ORIGINAL ARTISTS couldn't get ...due to pure racism .
So most people (who don't know better, because they never had the chance to hear the original versions) gave J Geils the credit for CREATING them...and that's WRONG.
This song was written by two members of a vocal group (Miracles members SMOKEY ROBINSON and BOBBY ROGERS) FOR a VOCAL GROUP (The CONTOURS) . That it "it doesn't suit the vocal quartet sound" is an argument that doesn't hold water. I sure that THE MIRACLES did NOT have The J Geils Band in mind when they WROTE the song."

Since WHEN does the COVER VERSION become the STANDARD, while the ORIGINAL becomes the ALSO RAN ?

People really need to do more RESEARCH .

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 02/17/2018 @ 21:42pm

On that same YouTube page, I read this more complementary , more appropriate comment , by a person named DigiSphere , who obviously DOES research and knows what he (she?) is talking about:

"The influence of the Contours is greatly underestimated. I believe they were responsible for a lot of the influence that spawned the Detroit heavy rock era which had a rough and ready soul element similar to the contours. Think of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Bob Segar doing Heavy Music, the Underdogs Loves Gone Bad, Latere the MC5 etc."

This is a good comment, (totally true) and is a good reason just WHY R&B artists and groups should NOT continue to be IGNORED by the Rock Hall.
Sure, The Contours didn't have as many hits as other Motown groups, like The Miracles or The Temptations, but they DID have strong INFLUENCE on other , non-R&B acts.

As I've said on this site, many times before:
PLEASE DO MORE RESEARCH on Classic R&B acts. This site has Wikipedia and video links to EVERY artist listed here . Please READ THEM.
That way, you can KNOW just WHO did WHAT FIRST...

...and avoid making stupid and silly comments...

about artists that were the foundations of the genre.

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 02/17/2018 @ 22:02pm

"Since WHEN does the COVER VERSION become the STANDARD, while the ORIGINAL becomes the ALSO RAN ?"

Twist And Shout
My Boy Lollipop
Handy Man
Little Darlin'
Hanky Panky
The Twist
My Way

Posted by Philip on Saturday, 02/17/2018 @ 22:18pm

""Since WHEN does the COVER VERSION become the STANDARD, while the ORIGINAL becomes the ALSO RAN ?"

Twist And Shout
My Boy Lollipop
Handy Man
Little Darlin'
Hanky Panky
The Twist
My Way

??!!!

Opinions are like NOSES. Everybody has one.

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 02/17/2018 @ 22:37pm

Hardly my opinion on any of those...

But let's add "Respect" to that list.... and I prefer the Otis Redding original.

Posted by Philip on Saturday, 02/17/2018 @ 22:39pm

"Hardly my opinion on any of those...

But let's add "Respect" to that list.... and I prefer the Otis Redding original.'

At least I'll give you credit for THAT.

I fully expected you to to say "The Rationals version was better than Otis !!" (Ha-Ha)

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 02/17/2018 @ 22:47pm

The Rationals' version was a fine copy of it, though hardly as good as the original. But you and I both know Otis' isn't considered the standard. Nor the Rationals' (their best song, imo, was "I Need You.")

Posted by Philip on Saturday, 02/17/2018 @ 22:51pm

Bill, I do think Jimi Hendrix owns 'All Along the Watchtower'.

Marvin Gaye has 'I Heard It thru the Grapevine'.

Posted by Paul in KY on Monday, 02/19/2018 @ 07:14am

If the Isley brothers are in, the contours should be also. Talent is talent no matter how many times it's heard on the radio.

Posted by Wally on Thursday, 09/2/2021 @ 12:23pm

Rest in Peace Gary Grier.

Posted by Joe S. on Tuesday, 01/28/2025 @ 16:12pm