Billy Gordon, Billy Hoggs, Joe Billingslea and Billy Rollins founded a singing group called The Blenders in their native Detroit, Michigan in 1959. The group soon added Leroy Fair (in place of Billy Rollins), bass singer Hubert Johnson, and guitarist Huey Davis, and auditioned for Berry Gordy's Motown Records. Gordy turned the act down, prompting Johnson to call his cousin, R&B star and Gordy associate Jackie Wilson. Wilson in turn got The Contours a second audition with Gordy, at which they sang the same songs they had at the first audition, the same way, and were signed to the company.
The group's first singles, "Whole Lotta Woman" and "The Stretch", were unsuccessful, and the group was in danger of being let go. Also at this time, Leroy Fair was replaced with Sylvester Potts. In early 1962, Gordy had the Contours record "Do You Love Me", a composition originally meant for The Temptations. The resulting record, with its shouted lead vocals from Billy Gordon, became a number-two hit 1962.
In 1964, Billy Hoggs, Joe Billingslea, Hubert Johnson, and Sylvester Potts all quit the group. Berry Gordy hired Council Gay, Jerry Green and Alvin English to back Billy Gordon, making the Contours a quartet. Within a year, Sylvester Potts returned to the group (replacing Alvin English), but Billy Gordon departed at about the same time. Gordon was replaced by Joe Stubbs, brother of Four Tops lead singer Levi Stubbs. Stubbs soon quit the act and was replaced by Dennis Edwards.
During the mid-1960s, The Contours recorded several records which received R&B radio play (notably "First I Look At The Purse" and "Just a Little Misunderstanding"), but were considered secondary to Motown's major male vocal groups: The Temptations, the Four Tops, and The Miracles. The group's contract with Motown expired in 1967, and the Contours disbanded. Lead singer Dennis Edwards was recruited to replace the departed David Ruffin as lead singer of The Temptations. Edwards later became a solo hitsmaker as well.
After the group's demise, Joe Billingslea has reformed the Contours several times. Billingslea first resurrected the group in 1971, with himself, Council Gay, Arthur Hinson, Martin Upshire and C. Autry Hatcher as its members. By 1987, the lineup included Billingslea, Hinson, Darell Nunlee, Charles Davis, and Motown-era Contour Sylvester Potts. The same year, "Do You Love Me" was prominently featured in the film Dirty Dancing, which led to a revival of both the recording and the Contours touring career.
The Contours were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. The group is today a quartet led by Joe Billingslea, with fellow members Al Chisholm, Charles Davis, and Gary Grier. Former member Hubert Johnson committed suicide on July 11, 1981, and Huey Davis died February 23, 2000. Sylvester Potts died in January 2017.
Time Of My Life
The Contours Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No, I never felt like this before
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you
'Cause I've had the time of my life
And I owe it all to you
Now I've finally found someone to stand by me
We saw the writing on the wall
And we felt this magical fantasy
Now with passion in our eyes
There's no way we could disguise it secretly
So we take each others hand
'Cause we seem to understand the urgency
Just remember
You're the one thing
I can't get enough of
So I'll tell you something
This could be love
Because I've had the time of my life
No, I never felt this way before
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you
'Cause I've had the time of my life
And I've searched through every open door
Till I found the truth
And I owe it all to you
Hey baby, oh yeah yeah yeah
With my body and soul
I want you more than you'll ever know
So we'll just let it go
Don't be afraid to lose control, no
Yes, I know what's on your mind when you say
"Stay with me tonight" (stay with me)
And remember
You're the one thing
I can't get enough of
So I'll tell you something
This could be love
Because I've had the time of my life
No, I never felt this way before
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you
'Cause I've had the time of my life
And I've searched through every open door
(Never felt this way)
Till I found the truth
And I owe it all to you
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh, whoa, oh, oh
Now I've had the time of my life
No, I never felt this way before (never felt this way)
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you
I've had the time of my life
No, I never felt this way before (never felt this way)
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you
'Cause now I've had the time of my life
And I've searched through every open door
Till I found the truth
And I owe it all to you
The Contours' song "Time of My Life" is a love song that describes the feeling of finding someone special and experiencing a magical fantasy together. The lyrics express gratitude to this person for bringing love and happiness into the singer's life. The chorus repeats the phrase "I've had the time of my life" several times to emphasize the importance and depth of this experience. The singer acknowledges that they have never felt this way before and credits their partner for this newfound sense of joy and fulfillment.
In the verses, the singer reflects on the journey that led them to this moment and how they had waited a long time to find someone who would stand by their side. They describe the passion in their eyes and the understanding between them that drives them forward. There's a sense of urgency in their connection, as if they know that this is something they can't let slip away. The bridge of the song further emphasizes this urgency by encouraging the partner to let go and not be afraid to lose control because what they have feels so right.
Overall, the song is a celebration of finding true love and the joy and freedom that comes with it. The singer is grateful for this experience and attributes it entirely to the person they're singing to.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I've had the time of my life
I have had the best time of my existence
No, I never felt like this before
I have never experienced such emotions before
Yes I swear it's the truth
I promise you that what I am saying is true
And I owe it all to you
I am grateful to you for making this happen
'Cause I've had the time of my life
Because of you, I had the best time of my life
I've been waiting for so long
I have waited for a long time
Now I've finally found someone to stand by me
Now I have finally found someone to support and encourage me
We saw the writing on the wall
We knew what was coming
And we felt this magical fantasy
We perceived something amazing and otherworldly
Now with passion in our eyes
Now with intensity and feeling in our eyes
There's no way we could disguise it secretly
We couldn't hide our emotions anymore
So we take each other's hand
So we hold each other's hands
'Cause we seem to understand the urgency
Because we comprehend the importance
Just remember
Don't forget
You're the one thing
You are the most important thing
I can't get enough of
I always desire more of you
So I'll tell you something
So I'll confess something to you
This could be love
This might be what love feels like
And I've searched through every open door
And I have looked everywhere
(Never felt this way)
(I have never felt like this before)
Till I found the truth
Until I found the reality
Hey baby, oh yeah yeah yeah
Greetings, my love
With my body and soul
With every part of me
I want you more than you'll ever know
I want you more than you can imagine
So we'll just let it go
So we will allow ourselves to surrender to our feelings
Don't be afraid to lose control, no
Don't be scared to let go and be free
Yes, I know what's on your mind when you say
I understand what you mean when you say
"Stay with me tonight" (stay with me)
"Spend the night with me" (stay with me)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yes, yes, yes, yes
Oh, whoa, oh, oh
Oh, whoa, oh, oh
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: John De Nicola, Donald Markowitz, Frank Previte
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pfrancisco2111
Heard the Eric Carmen part and thought he was doing playback, then I realized he was singing live for real, amazing vocal there
@mikewynne7131
I love this video especially Eric Carmen and the Warnes/Medley duet.
@mikewarner3597
Eric Carmen singing so effortlessly. Amazing stuff.
@vincentvega1348
A ja odnosze wrażenie że zaczyna mu brakować tchu gdy spiewa
@juvenilehall1979
Yes, Jennifer is truly one of the most underrated female, solo artists. She can belt out a song - and is hands down one of the best female singers in the music industry, Solo or in a duo - she always knows just what the audience wants - and gives it to them. Would love to have heard her sing a "trio" with Bill Medley, Bobby Hatfield and Jennifer - that would have been GREAT !!!!! Like they always say - nothing replaces pure, God-given talent.
@Sbannmarie
Yes she is!
@gixxerboy555
I watched this over and over again..anybody else too?
@littlemissbarto
Eric Carmens voice is incredible
Dirty Dancing is amazing and I absolutely love it so much
@izzdadaizz418
I love you Girl come to germany
@emilybartleson2951
Admit it. It’s hard to hear this song without picturing Patrick Swayze teaching Jenifer Grey how to dance 💃🏼 ❤️❤️❤️