THE CONTOURS - IT'S SO HARD BEING A LOSER (RARE VIDEO CLIP)

THE CONTOURS - IT'S SO HARD BEING A LOSER (HY LIT SHOW) RECORD LABEL: GORDY 7059 YEAR 1967. DENNIS EDWARDS ON LEAD (WHO WENT ON TO JOIN THE TEMPTATIONS) OTHER MEMBERS ARE SYLVESTER POTTS, COUNCIL GAY AND JERRY GREEN.

[@malcf689]

Went to a Soul cub in the sixties, downstairs in a cellar, got in early, nobody on the dancefloor and the atmosphere intimidating, this record came on and the hardest looking guy in the club walked onto an empty dancefloor and danced beautifully. I went to that club every chance I got after that. Name of the club...The Twisted Wheel.

[@stevemichaels9852]

Dennis was a great singer, so gifted and soulful 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@GarwinWayne]

RIP brother Dennis, you are surely missed.

[@bennyadler5882]

For sure Garwin.

[@louiecolon9494]

Wow, a young Dennis Edwards. may he R.I.P

[@bennyadler5882]

Damn, this is good. Cholly Atkins written all over that routine. Contours were Tempts without an Otis keeping them in check, the talent (with or without big Dennis) is extreme.

[@richardgamble4147]

Why are all of these giants like the Mad Lads, The Ethics, The Contours and many other wonderful groups are not on the radios some times? This song is very beautiful

[@shaboom362]

I get a station on Sirius XM that plays great artists like this a lot.

[@DavidSmith-cx9cu]

Philly soul radio station plays stuff like this. So does Chicago. Here in Atlanta our old school stations don't play stuff like this

[@besmith7093]

New day won’t hear it anymore just the other stuff

[@stevencorsoe9575]

Mainly because they were B sides...some of the best music was b sides,didn't sell as well as the top 40 list...then again very few of us listened to a whole album from front to back...as to why I loved college band as a kid.

[@henrywilliams5685]

Had the beat of Jimmy Ruffin’s What’s becomes of the broken-hearted.

[@andrewcrawford4635]

Great post. Nice song. Sounds like something the Four Tops would do. Go ahead, Dennis!

[@jamesa.hamilton269]

Mentioning Four Tops, Joe Stubbs formerly of The Falcons pre- Wilson Pickett, and Levi's younger brother-- same stylings whether " Misunderstanding or So Fine!

[@knockshinnoch1950]

WOW I never expected to find a contemporary tv performance of this track

[@waltmccallop2736]

RIP Dennis!

[@dorothymays-pitts3834]

Dennis had a packed house at Mauls Lounge and the Green and Gold Lounge it was family/party time. DPitts love was in the air. DP

[@latteliz1944]

That is a very young Dennis Edwards thanks for posting

[@henrywilliams5685]

It’s easy by listening to this song that Dennis was chosen to replace David Ruffin with the Temptations.

[@marvinwhittaker3782]

That's Dennis Edwards before he joined The Temptations!

[@benjaminadler6149]

Motown studio A belongs in the Smithsonian to preserve just some of our precious black American musical heritage.

[@chaswick]

Fantastic, one of my all time favourites.Can't thank you enough.

[@celesteceleste2329]

Dennis Edwards!!!! rest in power Dennis/

[@harpersferry59]

RIP Dennis Edwards.🎼

[@wendelladair127]

Vintage footage, too bad The Contours never enjoyed prolonged success yet they left us some decent recordings

[@AnthonyAllenAllen]

Ďennis is wearing that process ain't he ?

[@jerrystuart9461]

YES, indeed!

[@MrLevistubbs]

yes. a rare clip of an underrated song.

[@rashidabdul-ghani4933]

This is the audition that propelled Dennis Edwards to replace David Ruffin as the Temptations front man. The Temptations chose the right man.

[@newssiren6455]

Wrong ...The Contours stint was not an Audition.. He was a Motown backup and chosen to tour with The Contours when a member fell ill. Recorded and toured with them some more and then became the apparent choice to replace David Ruffin.

[@edwardmatusiak4259]

Catacombs Soul Club Wolverhampton Classic back in the late 60s

[@sauquoit13456]

On this day in 1967 {April 9th} "It's So Hard Being A Loser"* by the Contours entered Billboard's Top 100 chart at position #85, the following week it rose to #84, and then on it's third and final week on the Top 100 it peaked at #79... It reached #35 on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart... Between 1962 and 1967 the Motown soul group had eight records on the Hot R&B Singles chart, one made the Top 10, "Do You Love Me", it peaked at #1 for three non-consecutive weeks on October 14th, 1962... * And from the 'For What It's Worth' department; a LOSER & a WINNER, the week "It's So Hard Being a LOSER" entered the Top 100, William Bell's "Everyone Loves a WINNER" also entered the chart at #95...

[@3912James]

Exactly 4 months before my birth.

[@williamg2552]

Motown did these guys WRONG !!

[@jimmieperryman1032]

Wow ' a very young Dennis Edwards "

[@3912James]

I wish I grew up in the 1960s....rather than being born in the BACK end of the 60s. Racial tensions aside....I love the music of that era (I also love the 70s, 80s and most of the 90s).

[@douglasmoore9180]

maybe trumps new signiture tune!

[@alain59200]

very nice thank for the sharing

[@stuartbrixton6260]

Great to see a live appearance of this song. Must say that if this song was given to Jimmy Ruffin it would have been a hit in u.k

[@temptsrule]

I agree 100%. Jimmy Ruffin was a wonderful singer/song stylist

[@lawrencem.1568]

Since you said that it would have fit Jimmy Ruffin as well that's his kind of style when he sing Love ballads when you get a chance listen to Jimmy Ruffin saying everybody needs love I love the way he sang it

[@stuartbrixton6260]

​@@lawrencem.1568yeah ,I've got it on one of his lps and a cd compilation of his.

[@shaboom362]

This song is great. The lead is great. Could see Mr. Ruffin singing it as well, but it should have been a bigger hit regardless.

[@718bang]

Love this..thanks for posting!

[@cdubz265]

This was probably one of Billy Gordon’s last performance with the group prior to leaving.

[@skaman200]

And Denis Edwards

[@jackf.clarke8167]

!!!🎶A YOUNG DENNIS EDWARDS🎶!!!

[@deepee9601]

R.I.P Dennis Edwards

[@superlativesoul]

fantastic post love it ktf john

[@69spoon]

My man Dennis Edwards doing his thing before the temptations

[@honeybrowne7381]

Was a FINE FINE man!!!!!

[@DetroitLives313]

Great clip. Thank you.

[@MrLevistubbs]

from the pens of the criminally underrated James Dean and William Weatherspoon.

[@stuartbrixton6260]

Yeah , they were great song writers and as you say vastly underrated.

[@Powerfulchange712]

Wow, that's one sad song😢

[@masterblackmon]

Should have more views

[@fannycraddock99]

Excellent. Thanks Venus :) XX

[@rachelcummings2705]

amazing to see this, thanks once again sweetheart for sharing :)XX

[@MrKingGator]

I still DJ this

[@billelliott3653]

IF YOU WENT to the twisted wheel we are all loser now it has gone

[@benjaminadler6149]

Tight backgrounds, The Andantes?

[@robertvelez8485]

Robbk1- In actuality, Dennis did not pick to join the group, Motown selected him to be part of the group and when he join the Tempts, it was thru hard work by Cholly Atkins and Paul Williams that Dennis did a good job in keeping up with the steps!

[@mspinkytee]

The Contours were a dancing group as well. More than the Tempts.

[@robertvelez8485]

mspinkytee - The only difference was the Tempts were far better singers than the Contours though I give the Tempts the edge on the dancing!

[@besmith7093]

Looks like Deion Sanders’s when he was primetime

[@antounmoubarak5052]

sadly majority of the original members of this group have passed on

[@bennyadler5882]

Joe Billingslea still out there going syrong, one listen to him is like reading encyclopedia of Detroit music scene, a great man.

[@antounmoubarak5052]

if this song was given to Jimmy ruffin it would have been a major hit no question

[@stuartbrixton6260]

Totally agree that it would have been a hit for Jimmy ruffin if released in UK.Not so sure about US though because he was never as popular there for some strange reason.

[@terencedumpleton2820]

Best soul group ever x

[@mwashington6141]

"It's the same old song"can you hear it? The Tops

[@3912James]

No.... it the choreography reminds me of the 4 Tops. 😎

[@besmith7093]

How do u know that

[@robertvelez8485]

Why is Dennis sitting while performing this song? It's a mid tempo song and not a ballad and I am curious that Dennis is not dancing with the rest of the group! Maybe, I am being too picky but it looks strange!

[@cbjrcher1]

Dennis isn't known as a great dancer

[@robbk1]

Dennis did alright keeping up with the others on their contemporary video to this singing "Just a Misunderstanding". He could dance fine, or he'd never have been picked to join The Contours.

[@johnbunn9981]

I believe it has to do with being creative staging rather than the 'same ole, same ole." Just my opinion.

[@samstevens8012]

I think it probably had a lot to do with the fact that Dennis was something like 6:5 and the rest of the group were probably 5:8 or 5:9 I don't think Berry Gordy ever intended for Dennis to be with this particular unit long term .. he had him on retainer for years knowing that he might eventually need him to step in for David...

[@danielward67]

The Contours were only ever a one hit wonder but from this performance you can see why Dennis Edwards went on to bigger and better things with the Temptations.

[@LB-ss6qq]

13 songs in total. When the Temps come calling...it's a no brainer

[@danielward67]

@@LB-ss6qq 13 Songs in total but only one is memorable. Of course the Temps were the only band going at the time who were a match for his talent, and naturally he pushed them on to the greatest heights that Motown would allow.

[@bennyadler5882]

Nonsense, the original live up were first male Motown group to chart, (Pa I need a car). Ownership was not happy with them despite the Jackie Wilson connection. Contours we’re dynamic way ahead and more complex than others.

[@danielward67]

@@bennyadler5882 Doesn't matter. The Temptations went on to be far greater than the one-hit wonders Contours, hands down.

[@bennyadler5882]

You ain’t s real Motown connoisseur, with that comment.

[@Ferris19]

Can anyone tell me the name of the small man?

[@user-kv9xw3ni5q]

Jerry Green. He wasn't with The Contours very long.

[@antounmoubarak5052]

it's a song that Jimmy ruffin would sing

[@johnwatson8192]

Wonder if Donald Trump will be playing this tonight? Nah, more likely Just a Little Misunderstanding.

[@MrLevistubbs]

Dennis when he had his good hair before joining the tempts.

[@JLJ504HD]

Fried, dyed & laid to the side....

[@stevencorsoe9575]

Mainly because they were B sides that didnt sell as well as the top 40,rare to find anybody that listens to a full album,there are a lot of us that do,as to why i grew up on college band radio.

[@AnthonyAllenAllen]

Ďennis is wearing that process ain't he ?