Sylvester Potts | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | January 22, 1938 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | January 6, 2017 (aged 78) Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
Sylvester Potts (born January 22, 1938 - died January 6, 2017) was a singer and composer as well as an off and on member of The Contours and a one-time member of The Four Sonics. Songs that he has either composed or co-composed have been recorded by The Contours, Mamie Galore, Jimmy Ruffin and The Temptations.
Sylvester Potts was born on January 22, 1938, and attended North Eastern High, the same school where Martha Reeves, Mary Wilson, and Bobby Rogers were educated at. [1] Owing to his love of the music and the excitement he got from it once said he wanted to die on stage. [2]
In the late 1950s, Sylvester Potts was a member of a group called The Hi-Fidelities whose line up consisted of Huey Davis, Potts, Juanita Davis and Tony York. [3] They released two singles, "Street Of Loneliness" bw Pott's own composition, "Help Murder Police" on Hi-Q 5000 in 1957, and "Last Night I Cried" bw "Just Go" on Fortune 528 in 1958. [4] [5] In 1959 late 1950s, Billy Gordon, Billy Hoggs, Joe Billingslea, Potts and Hubert Johnson formed The Blenders in 1959. They would later rename themselves as The Contours. [6] His old friend from The Hi-Fidelities, Huey Davis, also joined the Contours as the group's guitarist.
Potts was a member of The Contours in 1961, replacing member Bennie Reeves who was drafted. [7] In 1963, the Contours single "Don't Let Her Be Your Baby" bw "It Must Be Love" was released. Potts and Joe Billingslea had co-composed the B side.
In 1965, a song "How Can I Say I'm Sorry" he had co-composed with Johnny Gilliam and Norman Whitfield was the B side of a Jimmy Ruffin single, "As Long As There Is L-O-V-E Love". In 1966, a song "It Ain't Necessary" he co-composed with Council Gay and Jerry Butler was the A side of a Mamie Galore single released on St. Lawrence Records 1012. [8]
During the 1970s, Potts had joined The Four Sonics and when he was a member of the group, besides himself, the lineup consisted of Johnson, Bill Frazier, and Vernon Williams. This line-up recorded one single There's No Love" bw "If It Wasn't for My Baby", released on JMC 141. [9] [10] [11]
In 1984, Potts rejoined The Contours which had been restarted by Joe Billingsea in the 1970s. [12]
Potts arranged the backing vocals for the Grazing In The Grass by The Monitors which was released on Motorcity Records MOTCLP 28 in 1990. [13] The 1999 CD version of the Gettin' Ready album by The Temptations which was originally released in 1966 featured "Give It Up" as one of the album's 2 bonus tracks featuring Paul Williams on vocals. Potts was the producer and co-wrote it with Mary Wells. [14]
In 2004 he left the group and either joined or started a group with Leroy Searooks, Kim Green, Tony Womack and Darrell Nunlee called Upscale. Very shortly the group changed its name to The Contours and legal action followed with Joe Billingsea and Potts suing each other. The result was one group being allowed to perform as The Contours with Joe Billingsea and the other going by the name of The Contours featuring Sylvester Potts. [15] In 2010 at the age of 71 Potts was still on the road with his group and in October 2010 was to appear at the Harmony Hall Regional Center in Fort Washington. [16]
Potts died on January 6, 2017, aged 78, at a local Detroit hospital. [17] His funeral was held on Friday, January 13, 2017, at the Historic Little Rock Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit. [18]
| Title | Appears on | Release info | Year | F | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Help Murder Police" | The Hi-Fidelities - "Street Of Loneliness" / "Help Murder Police" | Hi-Q 5000 | 1957 | 7" Single | [19] |
| "It Must Be Love" | The Contours - "Don't Let Her Be Your Baby" / "It Must Be Love" | Gordy GORDY 7016 | 1963 | 7" Single | Co-written with Joe Billingslea [20] |
| "How Can I Say I'm Sorry" | Jimmy Ruffin - "As Long As There Is L-O-V-E Love" / "How Can I Say I'm Sorry" | Soul S-35016 | 1965 | 7" single | Co-written with Johnny Gilliam, Norman Whitfield |
| "It Ain't Necessary" | Mamie Galore - "It Ain't Necessary" / "Don't Think I Could Stand It" | St. Lawrence Records 1012 | 1966 | 7" single | Co-written with Council Gay, Jerry Butler [21] |
| "Your Love Grows More Precious Every Day" | The Contours – "It's So Hard Being A Loser" / "Your Love Grows More Precious Every Day" | Gordy G 7059 | 1967 | 7" single | Co-written with Huey Davis [22] |
| "One Day Too Late" | The Contours – The Best Of The Contours | Motorcity Records HTCD 7713-2 | 1996 | CD album | Co-written with Ian Levine |
| "Flashback" | The Contours – The Best Of The Contours | Motorcity Records HTCD 7713-2 | 1996 | CD album | Co-written with Ian Levine, Steven Wagner |
| "Rise Above It" | The Contours – The Best Of The Contours | Motorcity Records HTCD 7713-2 | 1996 | CD album | Co-written with Ian Levine |
| "Spread The News Around" | The Contours – The Best Of The Contours | Motorcity Records HTCD 7713-2 | 1996 | CD album | Co-written with Ian Levine |
| "Storm Warning" | The Contours – The Best Of The Contours | Motorcity Records HTCD 7713-2 | 1996 | CD album | Co-written with Ian Levine |
| "Give It Up" | The Temptations – Gettin' Ready | Motown 314549514-2 | 1999 | CD album | Previously unreleased track circa 1966 |
| "Do The See Saw" | The Contours - Dance With The Contours | Kent Dance CDTOP 350 | 2011 | CD album | Co-composed with Billy Gordon Unreleased Motown recordings from 1963/1964 |
| "Party Groove" | The Contours - Dance With The Contours | Kent Dance CDTOP 350 | 2011 | CD album | Co-written with Mary Wells Unreleased Motown recordings from 1963/1964 |
| "Boy Meets Girl" | The Contours - Dance With The Contours | Kent Dance CDTOP 350 | 2011 | CD album | Co-written with Mary Wells Unreleased Motown recordings from 1963/1964 |
| "You Hurt Me So" | The Contours - Dance With The Contours | Kent Dance CDTOP 350 | 2011 | CD album | Co-written with Billy Gordon Unreleased Motown recordings from 1963/1964 [23] |
| "Have A Little Patience (And Wait)" | Mary Wells - Something New - Lost & Found | Hip-O Select B0017285-02 | 2012 | CD album | Co-written with Mary Wells |
| "Free From Your Spell" | Mary Wells - Something New - Lost & Found | Hip-O Select B0017285-02 | 2012 | CD album | Co-written with Mary Wells [24] |
| "Trust In Me" | The Contours - (Various artists) - Motown Unreleased 1962: Guys, Vol. 1 | Motown | 2012 | MP3 | Co-written with Billy Gordon |
| "Do The See Saw" (version 1) | The Contours - (Various artists) - Motown Unreleased 1963 | Motown | 2013 | MP3 | Co-written with Billy Gordon [25] |
The Temptations is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1960 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top 10 hit single "Cloud Nine" in October 1968, pioneered psychedelic soul, and was significant in the evolution of R&B and soul music. The group members were known for their choreography, distinct harmonies, and dress style. Having sold tens of millions of albums, the Temptations are among the most successful groups in popular music.
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.
Gettin' Ready is the fourth studio album by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label released in 1966. It marks the transition of the group from having Smokey Robinson as its main producer, with new producer Norman Whitfield taking over Robinson's position. Two #1 R&B hit singles, one from each producer, are included: "Get Ready" from Robinson with Eddie Kendricks on lead, and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" from Whitfield with David Ruffin on lead. Also included is the original version of "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby," which would be rerecorded as a hit for Marvin Gaye in 1969. The album was also one of the last albums to contain tracks co-authored by members of the group until the release of The Temptations Do The Temptations (1976). As with previous Temptations albums, several songs are written by members of The Miracles: Smokey Robinson, Bobby Rogers, Pete Moore, Ronnie White, and Marv Tarplin.
"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.
Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance) is the only album issued by The Contours during their recording career at Motown Records. Issued on Motown's Gordy subsidiary in October 1962 (see 1962 in music), the album includes the hit title track and the number 21 R&B hit single "Shake Sherry". Also including the early singles "Whole Lotta' Woman" and "The Stretch", Do You Love Me is notable as the first LP to be released by Gordy Records. The song was also performed in the movies Dirty Dancing, Getting Even With Dad, Teen Wolf Too (by Ragtime), and "Beethoven's 2nd". It was performed by Bootsy Collins and the Funk Brothers in the movie Standing in the Shadows of Motown and in 2016 was used in a Pepsi-Cola commercial featuring Janelle Monáe. It also appeared in a 2020 Boston Dynamics commercial featuring dancing robots.
"Whole Lotta Woman" is a 1961 single recorded by the Contours for the Motown Records label. Written by Smokey Robinson, and Contours group members Billy Hoggs and Billy Gordon, and produced by Motown CEO Berry Gordy, Jr., it was the group's debut single for Motown.
"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 ".
James "Jay" Johnson established himself as one of the top bass-baritone singers in the Detroit doo-wop and soul music scene during the pre-Motown years. He was a member of the Detroit group Nolan Strong & The Diablos and can be heard on the group's Fortune Records recordings from late 1956 on.
"That Day When She Needed Me", is a 1964 R&B song by the Motown Records group The Contours, on the label's Gordy Records subsidiary imprint. Issued as the "B" side of their hit "Can You Jerk Like Me", this song broke out as a hit on its own, reaching No. 37 on the Cash Box R&B listings that year.(Billboard had temporarily suspended its R&B Chart in 1964.)
"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.
Joe Stubbs was an American R&B/soul singer who became the lead singer of four different groups throughout his recording career. He was the younger brother of The Four Tops' lead Levi Stubbs.
Joseph Billingslea, Jr. is an American singer and performer. He is most noted for being the lead singer and the founder of the R&B band the Contours in 1959. The Contours are best known for the 1962 hit single, "Do You Love Me".
Hubert Johnson was an American singer and performer. Johnson is best known for being one of the original members of the Motown R&B vocal group The Contours. Johnson was also the cousin of the late Jackie Wilson.
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The Viscaynes were an American doo-wop group from Vallejo, California, United States, that released a few singles in the early 1960s. They also had a regional hit with the song "Yellow Moon". One of their members Sylvester Stewart, later known as Sly Stone would front the multi-racial group Sly & the Family Stone. They were unique in being one of the very few integrated doo-wop groups of their time.
The Hollywood Saxons were a Los Angeles R&B group who recorded under various other names. They were well known on the LA R&B circuit. Their recording history ran from the late 1950s to the late 1960s. Their discography is complex due to the various names they recorded under and labels they recorded on.
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Rochell & the Candles were a one hit wonder group from Los Angeles California. They had a hit in 1961 with "Once Upon A Time".
Charles Williams Wright is an American singer, instrumentalist and songwriter. He has been a member of various doo wop groups in the late 1950s and early 1960s as well as a solo artist in his own right. He is also the former leader and writer of hits for the group, Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band.
The Three Playmates were a female R&B trio from Newark, New Jersey who were active in the late 1950s. They recorded for the Savoy label, and had three singles released. One of them, the dance oriented "Sugah Wooga" became a hit for the trio in 1958.
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