Contours group member question

[huntergettingcaptured]

Tonight I was thinking about what songs could have gone onto a Contours album around '65/'66. Looking at the recording dates for songs from that time, it is confusing as to just when Billy Gordon was out of the group. The notes in the Complete Motown Singles for the song "Just A Little Misunderstanding" say that by February of '66, when this song was recorded, Billy Gordon was out of the group. BUT if you look at the recording dates for "Jealousy Is Creeping Up On Me," that is listed as May of '66. Then, "Somebody's Waiting For Me" was recorded in September of '66. So I was wondering if Billy was given some kind of probation period where producers were still wanting his lead on these songs. Interesting to think that an album could have been assembled where both Billy and his replacement Joe Stubbs would have had lead vocals. Anyone know just when Billy Gordon was out of the group officially?

[keith_hughes]

Billy seems to have been out of the group by the end of 1965. Joe Stubbs took most of the leads recorded during 1966, but on stage Jerry Green sang lead on the group's hits as his voice sounded more like Billy's than Joe's did. It's probably Jerry singing on the recordings of "Jealousy" and "Somebody's Waiting For Me".

Joe left around the end of 1966 to become a founder member of the Originals, and for a few months in 1967 Dennis Edwards took his place, before the group finally broke up.

That's the chronology as we put it together for the Ace "Just A Little Misunderstanding" CD in 2014. I can't claim it's final or flawless, but we did have input from both Joe Billingslea and Sylvester Potts to help us.

[jboy88]

It was also believed that future Spinner/P-funk singer Phillipe Wynne, was going to join the group but was turned down by Sylvester Potts. Can you confirm this Mr. Hughes?

[keith_hughes]

I don't recall that being mentioned in my conversations with Joe and Sylvester.