"Do You Love Me" | ||||
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Single by the Contours | ||||
from the album Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance) | ||||
B-side | "Move, Mr. Man" | |||
Released | June 29, 1962 | |||
Recorded | 1962 | |||
Studio | Hitsville USA (Studio A), Detroit, Michigan | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:54 | |||
Label | Gordy | |||
Songwriter(s) | Berry Gordy Jr. | |||
Producer(s) | Berry Gordy Jr. | |||
The Contours singles chronology | ||||
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"Do You Love Me" is a rhythm and blues song recorded by the Contours in 1962. Written and produced by Motown Records owner Berry Gordy Jr., it appeared twice on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching numbers three in 1962 and eleven in 1988. [3]
As with many American R&B songs of the 1960s, "Do You Love Me" was recorded by several British Invasion groups. A 1963 version by Brian Poole and the Tremeloes reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. [4] It also became a hit for the Dave Clark Five, reaching number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. [3]
Berry Gordy wrote "Do You Love Me" and earmarked it for the Temptations, who had no top-40 hits to their name yet. However, when Gordy was looking for the group to record it, he could not find them; they had gone to church to see gospel groups the Dixie Hummingbirds, the Harmonizing Four and the Swan Silvertones. [5] [6] Instead, the Contours, who had turned up to the studio to record their song "It Must Be Love", were asked by Gordy to try singing "Do You Love Me". After several attempts, they sang it exactly how Gordy wanted, and it was then recorded the following day. [7] Contours singer Joe Billingslea stated in an interview in 2009 that "The Temptations could never have sung that song because it wasn't suited to them but Berry had motivated us to sing it the way he wanted it". [7]
The Contours, who were in danger of being dropped from the label after their first two singles, "Whole Lotta' Woman" and "The Stretch", failed to chart, immediately accepted. Instrumental backing was provided by Joe Hunter on piano, James Jamerson on bass, and Benny Benjamin on drums (later known as the Funk Brothers). [8]
Gordy said that "getting the concept for the song was easy. I remembered the days when I could never get the girls I liked because I couldn't dance". [6] As such, the song references the 1960s dance moves the Mashed Potato and the Twist. The song includes a spoken recitation in the intro:
You broke my heart, 'cause I couldn't dance
You didn't even want me around
And now I'm back, to let you know
I can really shake 'em down
"Do You Love Me" became a successful dance record, built around lead singer Billy Gordon's screaming vocals. Selling over a million copies, "Do You Love Me" peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks starting on October 20, 1962, and reached the top position on the Billboard R&B Singles chart. [9] The song was included on the 1962 album Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance) .
In 1987 the Contours' recording was included in the film Dirty Dancing . Re-issued as a single from the More Dirty Dancing soundtrack album, "Do You Love Me" became a hit for the second time, peaking at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1988. [3] The Contours, by then composed of Joe Billingslea and three new members, joined Ronnie Spector and Bill Medley, among others, on a "Dirty Dancing Tour" resulting from the success of the film.
The Contours' recording was also included in the Tiny Toon Adventures episode "Toon TV" (aired in 1992) in which Buster Bunny lip syncs the song whilst attempting to show Babs Bunny his new dance moves.
According to music journalist Dave Marsh, "Do You Love Me" is representative of Gordy's talent as a musician, producer, arranger, and songwriter: "The result is not only classic rock and roll but a tribute to his stature as the greatest backstage talent in rock history." [10] Gordy viewed the song as an example of the musical overlap between rhythm and blues, pop, and rock and roll, telling Billboard in 1963, "It was recorded r. & b. but by the time it reached the half-million mark, it was considered pop. And if we hadn't recorded it with a Negro artist, it would have been considered rock and roll." [11]
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United Kingdom (BPI) [29] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"Do You Love Me" | ||||
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Single by Brian Poole and the Tremeloes | ||||
B-side | "Why Can't You Love Me" | |||
Released | 31 August 1963 [30] | |||
Recorded | 14 August 1963 [31] | |||
Studio | Decca Studios, London | |||
Genre | Beat | |||
Length | 2:26 | |||
Label | Decca | |||
Songwriter(s) | Berry Gordy Jr. | |||
Producer(s) | Mike Smith | |||
Brian Poole and the Tremeloes singles chronology | ||||
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Brian Poole and the Tremeloes first heard "Do You Love Me" on the Contours' album Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance). Other bands were also playing the Contours' songs and the group decided that "Do You Love Me" should be the follow-up single to their top-five hit version of "Twist and Shout". It was recorded in the same way as "Twist and Shout", with the group miking up a PA system in the studio in order to imitate their live sound. [32]
Brian Poole and the Tremeloes' version of "Do You Love Me" is noticeably different to the Contours' version, with writer and lecturer Andrew Flory describing it as "a refined version of a Motown rock song; instead of a raucous sound offered by the Contours, through pitch and rhythm normalization, instrumentation, and vocal timbre differences, the Tremeloes created a stereotypical Merseybeat interpretation". [33]
"Do You Love Me" was released as a single in late August 1963, with the B-side, "Why Can't You Love Me", written by Tremeloes guitarist Alan Blakley. The single had been intended for release in late September, but was rush-released on 31 August to capitalise on the success of "Twist and Shout" and to combat a version by fellow beat group the Dave Clark Five which was set for release on 6 September. [30] "Do You Love Me" topped the four main music paper charts in the UK and became the group's only number one before the departure of Brian Poole in 1966, after which they achieved a further number one with "Silence Is Golden" in 1967. [34] "Do You Love Me" sold over 250,000 copies and was awarded a silver disc by Disc . [35]
Reviewing for New Musical Express , Keith Fordyce described "Do You Love Me" as "raucous and a strain on the vocal chords, but it's bursting with excitement". [36] Don Nicholl for Disc described it as "a brash, noisy group working to produce a beat that is going to be just what the dancer ordered". [37]
Chart (1963) | Peak position |
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Australia (Kent Music Report) [38] | 19 |
Australia (Music Maker, Sydney) [39] | 1 |
Denmark (Danmarks Radio) [40] | 5 |
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [41] | 12 |
Ireland (IRMA) [42] | 1 |
Norway (VG-lista) [43] | 5 |
Sweden ( Tio i Topp ) [44] | 5 |
UK Disc Top 30 [45] | 1 |
UK Melody Maker Top 50 [46] | 1 |
UK New Musical Express Top 30 [47] | 1 |
UK Record Retailer Top 50 [34] | 1 |
"Do You Love Me" | ||||
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Single by the Dave Clark Five | ||||
B-side | "Doo-Dah" (UK) "Chiquita" (US) | |||
Released | 6 September 1963 | |||
Recorded | 1963 | |||
Studio | Lansdowne Studios, London | |||
Genre | Beat | |||
Length | 2:44 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | Berry Gordy Jr. | |||
Producer(s) |
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The Dave Clark Five singles chronology | ||||
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Following the rush release of Brian Poole and the Tremeloes' version, the Dave Clark Five released their version of "Do You Love Me" as a single. It was the band's fifth single and they had yet to have any charting success. "Do You Love You" would become their first charting single, though it only entered the charts in late September and/or early October 1963, and did not chart very highly in the UK. [48] Whilst it was something of a breakthrough for the band, it was irksome as previously they had not been allowed to release their version of "Twist and Shout" (which they had recorded prior to the Beatles' recording) as a single, which had become a hit for both the Beatles and Brian Poole and the Tremeloes. [49] Following "Do You Love Me", the Dave Clark Five decided to release an original song as a single – "Glad All Over", released in November 1963, would go on to top the charts in the UK and become an international hit. [50]
Following the success of "Glad All Over" and the follow-up "Bits and Pieces" in North America, Epic and Capitol Records decided to issue "Do You Love Me" as a single in the US and Canada, respectively, in April 1964. Whilst the original UK release featured "Doo-Dah" (a cover/rewrite of "Camptown Races") as the B-side, the North American release featured an older UK B-side, "Chiquita". [51] The single performed well, peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 8 on the Canadian RPM chart. [3] [52] This helped total global sales of the single pass the one million mark. [9]
New Musical Express' Keith Fordyce described it as "a strong rival version to the Tremeloes, without being quite as good. But it's a near thing". [36] Cash Box described "Do You Love Me" as "a 'pull-out-all-the-stops' pounder already busting loose on the charts". [53]
Chart (1963–64) | Peak position |
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Canada (CHUM) [54] | 5 |
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [52] | 8 |
UK Melody Maker Top 50 [55] | 29 |
UK New Musical Express Top 30 [56] | 24 |
UK Record Retailer Top 50 [48] | 30 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [3] | 11 |
US Cash Box Top 100 [57] | 8 |
"Twist and Shout" is a 1961 song written by Phil Medley and Bert Berns. It was originally recorded by the Top Notes, but it did not become a hit in the record charts until it was reworked by the Isley Brothers in 1962. The song has been covered by several artists, including the Beatles, Salt-N-Pepa, The Astronauts and Chaka Demus & Pliers, who experienced chart success with their versions.
The Contours are an American rhythm and blues vocal group.that recorded for Motown Records .They are known their 1962 smash hit single "Do You Love Me", which sold over 1 million copies and became a major hit again in 1988.
The Tremeloes are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, England. They initially found success in the British Invasion era with lead singer Brian Poole, scoring a UK chart-topper in 1963 with "Do You Love Me".
"Money (That's What I Want)" is a rhythm and blues song written by Tamla founder Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford, which was the first hit record for Gordy's Motown enterprise. Barrett Strong recorded it in 1959 as a single for the Tamla label, distributed nationally on Anna Records. Many artists later recorded the tune, including the Beatles in 1963 and the Flying Lizards in 1979.
Meet the Temptations is the debut studio album by the Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label released in 1964. It includes most of the group's early singles, excluding only the first, "Oh Mother of Mine", and its b-side, "Romance Without Finance" ; as well as the single "Mind Over Matter", in which the group is credited as The Pirates. The album consists entirely of previously released singles, including the group's first hit single, "The Way You Do the Things You Do".
"Here Comes My Baby" is a song written by British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. It is well known for being an international hit for the Tremeloes in 1967.
The Miracles Doin' Mickey's Monkey is an album by the Miracles, released in 1963 by Tamla Records. It includes the group's Top 10 smash single "Mickey's Monkey", written and produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland, which was later recorded by several other artists. "Mickey's Monkey" popularized "The Monkey" as a novelty dance. Also included is another H-D-H dance-oriented single, "I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying", a Billboard Top 40 hit. The album peaked at No. 113 on the Billboard 200.
"Heat Wave" is a 1963 song written by the Holland–Dozier–Holland songwriting team. It was first made popular by the Motown vocal group Martha and the Vandellas, who issued it as a single on July 10, 1963, on the Motown subsidiary Gordy label. The single reached number one on the Billboard Hot R&B chart—where it stayed for four weeks—and peaking at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Brian Poole is a singer and performer who was the lead singer of 1960s beat band Brian Poole And The Tremeloes.
A Bit of Liverpool, released as With Love (From Us to You) in the UK, is the third studio album by the Supremes, released in the fall of 1964 on the Motown label. It was produced by Berry Gordy with Hal Davis and Marc Gordon doing the mixing.
"Forever Came Today" is a 1968 song written and produced by the Motown collective of Holland–Dozier–Holland, and was first made into a hit as a single for Diana Ross & the Supremes in early 1968. A disco version of the song was released as a single seven years later by Motown group the Jackson 5.
"How Do You Do It?" is a song, written by Mitch Murray. It was recorded by Liverpudlian band Gerry and the Pacemakers, and became their debut single. This reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 11 April 1963, where it stayed for three weeks.
"When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" is a song written by Holland–Dozier–Holland and recorded in 1963 by the Motown singing group the Supremes. It is notable as the Supremes' first Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 recording, following seven previous singles between January 1961 and September 1963 which failed to enter the Top 40. The single is also notable as the first Supremes single written and produced by Holland–Dozier–Holland, who had previously created hits for Martha and the Vandellas and Mary Wells.
"Nothing but Heartaches" is a 1965 song recorded by the Supremes for the Motown label.
"It's Growing" is a 1965 hit single by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label. Written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore and produced by Robinson, the song was a top 20 pop single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, on which it peaked at number 18. On Billboard's R&B singles chart, "It's Growing" peaked at number 3.
"I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying" is a 1963 hit by the Miracles on Motown's Tamla label. It was written and produced by Motown's main songwriting team, Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland.
"Can You Jerk Like Me" is a 1964 R&B song by Motown Records group The Contours, issued on its Gordy Records subsidiary. It charted on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching #47, and a Top 20 hit on its R&B chart, reaching #15. A single-only release, it did not appear on any original Contours studio album, as the group only had one album release during their five years on the label, 1962's "Do You Love Me ".
"Shake Sherry" was a 1962 R&B song by Motown Records group The Contours, issued on its Gordy subsidiary label. It was the follow-up to the group's million-selling top-5 hit single "Do You Love Me", and was taken from their album of the same name.
"Candy Man" is a song by Roy Orbison, released as the B-side to his international hit "Crying" in July 1961. It was later covered by British beat group Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, becoming a top-ten hit in the UK.
"Someone, Someone" is a song by American rock and roll band the Crickets, released in March 1959 as the B-side to "Love's Made a Fool of You". However, the song is better known for the version by British beat group Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, which became a top-ten hit in the UK in 1964.