At the time, however, the Temptations had no hit records. But Gordy believed his new song would be just the ticket to send them on their way. So on that day he was on a frantic search to find the group to record the song. But the Temptations couldn’t be found; they were out working a gospel review.
As it happened that day, Gordy ran into another group of Motown artists in the hallways of his studio; a group called The Contours, the group that finally recorded the song.
“Do You Love Me?” became a major 1962 hit single for The Contours on Motown’s “Gordy” record label, with Berry Gordy writing and producing the song. The Contours then consisted of singers Billy Gordon, Hubert Johnson, Billy Hoggs, Joe Billingslea, Sylvester Potts, and guitarist Hugh Davis. The group had recorded and released two previous singles — “Whole Lotta’ Woman” and “The Stretch” — but neither had charted. In fact, the Contours were then in danger of being dropped from the label, until that afternoon when fate smiled upon them.

Original Gordy record label 45 rpm recording of 'Do You Love Me?,' first issued in June 1962. Click for digital.
Music Player
“Do You Love Me?”
“Do You Love Me?” was also covered in the U.K. by a group named Brian Poole and the Tremeloes and went No. 1 there for three weeks in October 1963. The Dave Clark Five also did a version of the song in 1964 that went to No. 11 in the U.S. The Contours, meanwhile, became a headlining act for Motown and were part of the first Motor Town Revue tour. Although no other Top 40 hits materialized for the Contours on the pop charts, they did turn out several other successful dance tunes that rose into the R&B Top 40, including, “Shake Sherry”(1962), “First I Look at The Purse” (1965), and “Just A Little Misunderstanding” (1966), among others. By 1967, the group’s seven-year contract with Motown had expired. A year later, after the Contours’ lead singer Dennis Edwards was asked to replace the departed David Ruffin of The Temptations, The Contours disbanded.
Dirty Dancing

Cover of 1988's 'More Dirty Dancing' CD, which includes the Contours' original 1962 hit song 'Do You Love Me?,' which hit the 'Billboard Hot 100' for a second time in 1988. Click for CD.

Janelle Monáe in 2016 Super Bowl ad for Pepsi, dances to “Do You Love Me?” in 1960s segment of the ad. Click for her CD.
In 2016, pop sensation Janelle Monáe was featured in a Super Bowl TV ad for Pepsi in which she dances her way through a couple of decades of music history, beginning with the Contours’ “Do You Love Me” track, then to Madonna’s “Express Yourself,” and finally to Monáe’s own present-day act touting Pepsi – shown drinking a bit of the cola as she goes. It’s one of a continuing line of Pepsi ads over the last 20 years using pop stars and pop music to promote their sugar water – from Britney Spears and Madonna to Michael Jackson and Bob Dylan, among others. For additional stories on music and/or film, please see the “Annals of Music” category page or the “Film & Hollywood” page.
Thanks for visiting – and if you like what you find here, please make a donation to help support the research, writing and continued publication of this website. Thank you. —Jack Doyle
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Date Posted: 28 July 2008
Last Update: 18 April 2020
Comments to: jdoyle@pophistorydig.com
Article Citation:
Jack Doyle, “Do You Love Me?, 1962 & 1988,”
PopHistoryDig.com, July 28, 2008.
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Sources, Links & Additional Information
“The Contours,” in Holly George-Warren and Patricia Romanowski (eds), The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll, Rolling Stone Press, New York, 3rd Edition, 2001, p. 206.
“The Contours,” “Do You Love Me”, and “Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance)”, Wikipedia. org.
“The Contours, 20th Century Masters: Millen-nium Collection,” Amapedia.Amazon.com.
For more detail on the history of The Contours see Joe Billingslea & The Contours.
Zoe Camp, “Janelle Monáe Dances in Super Bowl Pepsi Commercial; Watch Her Dress like Madonna,” Pitchfork.com, February 4, 2016.
Maura Judkis, “Janelle Monae Dances Her Way Through the Years in Pepsi’s 2016 Super Bowl Ad,” WashingtonPost.com, February 7, 2016.
Jack Doyle, “Madonna’s Pepsi Ad, 1989”(history of controversy around Madonna’s music & TV ad), PopHistoryDig.com, April 26, 2008.
Jack Doyle, “Pepsi’s Madonna Video: TV Ad: 1989,” PopHistoryDig.com, November 16, 2010.
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