Contours mystery

[soulwally]

Has this ever been discussed on here? Is it the Contours? Who's the lead singer if it is? Is it even a Motown recording?
It doesn't sound like a Motown recording to me, although the rhythm track is pretty hot, and the strings are great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18sQpv0Q5SM

[westgrandboulevard]

Soulwally....

I've just 'bumped' a very similar thread from early 2014, which might be of interest.....

[robb_k]

10358
That doesn't sound like a Motown Record. It sounds like one of those Ian Lavine productions made in the 1990s. I think it WAS a 1990s ad hoc "Contours" group, with one or 2 of the early Contours' members.

[soulwally]

WGB: I actually took part in this discussion and have no memory of it! I must have REALLY liked the strings.
If Ian Levine was involved, this has got to be his best ever track. In other words, he cant have been involved.

[marv2]

Speaking of Ian, more family members of artists that recorded for Motor City are coming forward with stories of him not paying their relatives for services rendered.

[robb_k]

WGB: I actually took part in this discussion and have no memory of it! I must have REALLY liked the strings.
If Ian Levine was involved, this has got to be his best ever track. In other words, he cant have been involved.
10361
The strings are quite good. But, they don't sound like those string players from The Detroit Symphony Orchestra, which were used by Motown in the mid 1960s. The rest of the instrumental [[bass, guitars, horns. etc., and mixing, don't sound like a mid-sixties Motown recording,

[bradburger]

I don't think I've ever heard this track before, but it definitely has the Funk Brothers on it, but is it a Motown recording or from another Detroit label?

I'd say it's not an Ian Levine production, because this uses real musicians as opposed to samples and computers etc. that were a feature of his Motorcity recordings.

And I don't think the lead is a member of the Contours. [[And note there are no background vocals on the track).

That said, some instruments could have been dubbed on to the recording later by those that had a copy of the track. I note it has security or test tone beeps on it too, something that a quite a few of the leaked Motown unissued stuff has on them.

Cheers

Paul

[bradburger]

Just checked the video in YouTube, and the following was posted by 'Fannycraddock99' : -


From Motown expert Keith Hughes. It explains everything.

It isn't the Contours. It's most likely the demo vocal for the song [[titled "Can't Help This Feeling", and written by Marilyn McLeod and Dean & Weatherspoon) which was recorded Sept 12 1968. The track was destined for the Four Tops, and they duly added their vocals, thereby wiping the demo vocal, and their finished version remains in the Vaults, unissued.

"This version has been around for a while, but the start of the track has been very cleverly added by someone - as I've known it till now, the recording fades in at the beginning, indicating the original source was damaged in some way.

No-one I know has ever identified the demo singer convincingly".

Cheers

Paul

[robb_k]

10367
I've listened to it many times, and now I DO hear a few of the usual Motown session players. The drummer sounds familiar. It's not Benny Benjamin. I think maybe it's Uriel Jones. The piano sounds very familiar. Could it be Johnny Allen? The mix is TERRIBLE, and very unfinished. It's probably only a couple tracks. It's also very muddy. It must also be a tape of a tape of a tape. The singer doesn't sound like William Weatherspoon [[on "Baby Hit and Run"). So, I can't even guess who it could be. It's not Mickey Stevenson. I'm very curious to find out who it is. It sounds very much like it was written with The Four Tops in mind.

[marv2]

10367
I've listened to it many times, and now I DO hear a few of the usual Motown session players. The drummer sounds familiar. It's not Benny Benjamin. I think maybe it's Uriel Jones. The piano sounds very familiar. Could it be Johnny Allen? The mix is TERRIBLE, and very unfinished. It's probably only a couple tracks. It's also very muddy. It must also be a tape of a tape of a tape. The singer doesn't sound like William Weatherspoon [[on "Baby Hit and Run"). So, I can't even guess who it could be. It's not Mickey Stevenson. I'm very curious to find out who it is. It sounds very much like it was written with The Four Tops in mind.

It definitely does not sound like a finished product.