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Do You Love Me

"Do You Love Me?"
Single by The Contours
from the album Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance)
Released June 29, 1962
Format 7" single
Recorded Hitsville USA (Studio A); 1962
Genre Rock and roll
Length 2:54
Label Gordy
Writer(s) Berry Gordy, Jr.
Producer(s) Berry Gordy, Jr.
The Contours singles chronology
"The Stretch"
(1961)
"Do You Love Me"
(1962)
"Shake Sherry"
(1962)

"Do You Love Me" is a 1962 hit single recorded by The Contours for Motown's Gordy Records label. Written and produced by Motown CEO Berry Gordy, Jr., "Do You Love Me?" was the Contours' only Top 40 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. Notably, the record achieved this feat twice, once in 1962 and again in 1988. A main point of the song is to name the Mashed Potato, The Twist, and a variation of the title "I like it like that", as "You like it like this", and many other fad dances of the 1960s.

The song is noted for the spoken recitation heard in the introduction which goes: "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"

The song is noted for its false ending at 2:26.

Berry Gordy wrote "Do You Love Me" with the intention that The Temptations, who had no Top 40 hits to their name yet, would record it. However, when Gordy wanted to locate the group and record the song, they were nowhere to be found (the Temptations had not been made aware of Gordy's intentions, and had departed Motown's Hitsville USA recording studio for a local Detroit gospel music showcase).

After spending some time looking for the Temptations, Gordy ran into the Contours (Billy Gordon, Hubert Johnson, Billy Hoggs, Joe Billingslea, Sylvester Potts, and guitarist Hugh Davis) in the hallway. Wanting to record and release "Do You Love Me" as soon as possible, Gordy decided to let them record his "sure-fire hit" instead of the Temptations. 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, were so elated at Gordy's offer that they immediately began hugging and thanking him.


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