RICHMOND, Va. -- The Contours' song "Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance)" was a hit when it was released, then was a hit again a quarter-century later.
When the Motown group first released it in 1962, the song quickly climbed to No. 1 on Billboard's R&B chart and No. 3 on the pop chart. After the song was featured in the 1987 movie "Dirty Dancing," it reached hit status again with a new generation of listeners. The Contours took the song and others from the movie on a 10-month, eight-country tour.
Sylvester Potts, a longtime member of the group, credited "Dirty Dancing" actress Jennifer Grey for insisting that "Do You Love Me" be used in the movie. When he and the other singers finally met her at a tour concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York, they got to thank her personally.
"We gave her four red roses. I hugged her and kissed her and thanked her very, very much," he said in a recent phone interview.
Rest assured, The Contours will be singing this song when they perform with the Richmond Symphony on Saturday night. Their wily "First I Look at the Purse" is also on the set list, as well as songs from the "Dirty Dancing" tour and other Motown hits.
Joe Billingslea founded The Contours in 1959 in Detroit. Potts joined in 1961. "Can You Jerk Like Me" and "Shake Sherrie" were two of their most popular songs from those early years.
Although The Contours disbanded in the late '60s, Billingslea reformed it in the early '70s and began touring widely. Potts rejoined about a decade later.
In 2004, Potts left and joined a group with Darrel Nunlee, a previous member of The Contours. Both groups claimed the name "The Contours" and currently perform separately as The Contours with Joe Billingslea and The Contours featuring Sylvester Potts. The latter group, appearing here, also includes Kim Green and Tony Womack.
Glen Raby, music director for The Contours featuring Sylvester Potts, said that audiences at their shows include a "whole contingent of ('Dirty Dancing') fans," resulting in a spread of ages not typically seen for an oldies music group.
"The most exciting thing for me is to see the 20- and 30-somethings," he said. "They come to a show thinking they only know 'Do You Love Me,' but then they're surprised by how many songs they recognize from commercials and soundtracks. These songs are everywhere."
The Contours do an average of 70 shows a year, a handful of which are with full orchestras playing music arranged by Raby. Their own six-piece band, Raby on keyboard, and the four singers will share the stage with the Richmond Symphony under the baton of Associate Conductor Erin Freeman.
The first time they performed with a full orchestra, Potts said, "I got so caught up in the strings and the oboes, I almost forgot what I was doing."
No matter what the venue, audiences seem to love the show. "I can see the smiles on their faces," he said. "We usually get them out of their seats."
At 72, Potts doesn't do the "outrageous" splits and flips The Contours were known for in their early days, Raby said. But the audience can expect a heavily choreographed show. "I'd be huffing and puffing if I did what (Potts) does for 90 minutes," he said.
Sylvester Potts himself is modest about his abilities. "I never forgot how to dance," he said.
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