The Contours "First I Look At The Purse" My Extended Version!
SHAKE SHERRY – 1962 USA GORDY
DO YOU LOVE ME (NOW THAT I CAN DANCE) – USA No2
Can You Jerk Like Me?
IT’S SO HARD BEING A LOSER
DETERMINATION
JUST A LITTLE MISUNDERSTANDING
FIRST I LOOK AT THE PURSE
The Contours released all the above firm All Nighter favourites. Hardly a soul session could pass, be it All nighter or one of numerous week night soul club venues in Manchester in the mid 1960s, without a couple of these tracks rocking the dance floor. And later in The Northern Soul Era of the early 1970s the Contours released another superb track – Baby Hit And Run: made in 1965 but note released (in the UK) until 1972, which Kev Roberts puts in at 62 on his Top 500: makes you wonder why none of the others above get in this list.
They started in 1958 in Detroit, and were one of Berry Gordy‘s first discoveries. Billy Gordon was the quintets lead and in 1962 Do You Love Me on the USA Gordy label hit the fist spot on the R&B chart. Later mid-’60s soul classics First I Look at the Purse and Just a Little Misunderstanding which had the fantastic B side Determination, set them solidly into the hit soul factory groove. Dennis Edwards left in 1968 to replace David Ruffin as lead of the Temptations.
As a DJ you needed to have two copies of double ‘A’ side 45’s so you could have the songs ready on both decks: Just a Little Misunderstanding / Determination was often played back to back.
Kev Roberts says it had to be imported in 1970, but we bought ours on the UK label in 66′ – he puts Determination at 211 on his Top 500.
Song Lyrics: FIRST I LOOK AT THE PURSE – The Contours by : Smokey Robinson / Robert Rodgers)
Some fellas look at the eyes
Some fellas look at the nose
Some fellas look at the size
Some fellas look at the clothes
I don’t care if her eyes are red
I don’t care if her nose is long
I don’t care if she’s underfed
I don’t care if her clothes are worn
First I look at the purse!
Some fellas like the smiles they wear
Some fellas like the legs that’s all
Some fellas like the style of their hair
Want their waist to be small.
I don’t care if their legs are thin
I don’t care if their teeth are big
I don’t care if their hair’s a wig
Why waste time lookin’ at the waistline?
First I look at the purse!
A woman can be fat as can be,
kisses sweet as honey
But that don’t mean a thing to me
If you ain’t got no money
If the purse is fat….that’s where it’s at.
Some fellas like the way they walk
The way they swing and sway
Some fellas like the way they talk
Dig the things they say.
I don’t care if they wobble like a…
or talk with a lisp
I still think I’m a good lover
if the dollar bills are crisp
First I look at the purse!
First I look at the purse!
First I look at the purse!
First I look at the purse!
I don’t care if you got yourself a wrap
all I want is your pretty green cash
Bought me a suit, bought me a car
Want me to look like a hollywood star
Money, (Money!) I want money (Money!)
Baby, ain’t no “why”, baby (Money!)
I need money!
First I look at the purse!
First I look at the purse!
First I look at the purse!
First I look at the purse!