"A woman can be as fine as can be with kisses sweet as honey. But that don't mean a thing to me if she ain't got no money. Cuz if the purse is fat, THAT'S WHERE IT'S AT!!!!

Motown's quality control wasn't high on The Contours' "First I Look At The Purse" so they asked Smokey Robinson to go back and re-record it. The second version didn't win any new fans, so the original was released, so the account goes in the liner notes for this CD release.

It's only opinion, but it sounds to me as if Smokey just told everyone involved to do a quick run-through and then just record it all as quickly as possible so as to ensure the first version won release. There is a raw, jagged, spontaneous quality to this second version that ironically, makes me like this one more then the original version. James Jamerson's bass is just stripped to the most elemental and basic playing, which, on the choruses sounds amazing. During those moments, he just plays one note with pulsating, hypnotic effect. On the middle 8, or instrumental break, that bass just COOKS! Overall, there is more "street", R&B in this one than the first. Buckle up, you're going to Funky Broadway...

But listen for yourself and see if you don't end up liking this version even more- did "Quality Control" pass up on a good thing?

Stay tuned after "First I Look At The Purse" for another Contours classic that Berry Gordy thought was all wrong for the group's image...

#motowngreatesthits #motowndeepcuts #motown #northernsoul #menofmotown #funkbrothers

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