B-side "Determination" Format 7" single Length 2:29 | Released 1966 | |
Recorded Hitsville USA (Studio A); 1966 | ||
"Just a Little Misunderstanding" (G7052) is a 1966 song by Motown Records R&B group The Contours on the company's Gordy subsidiary label. It was composed by Stevie Wonder, along with Motown staff songwriters Clarence Paul and Morris Broadnax. The song did not appear on any original Contours studio album. Paul and Motown A&R Director William "Mickey" Stevenson were the song's producers, and Wonder plays drums on the recording.
Contents
Description
This song was not a big chart success, only reaching # 85 on the Billboard Hot 100. It did much better on the Billboard R&B chart,however, reaching the Top 20, peaking at #18. It was also a Top 40 hit in England in 1970, reaching # 31 on the British UK Chart. The first hit by the group that did not feature original lead singer Billy Gordon, "Just a Little Misunderstanding" featured lead vocals by his replacement, Joseph Stubbs, who previously sang for the Detroit-based R&B group The Falcons.
In this hard-driving, uptempo song, Stubbs, as the song's narrator, portrays a man trying to apologize to his wife for his bad behavior, only to find out that she is about to leave him.
This was Stubbs' only lead on a Contours single. Shortly after this song was recorded, Stubbs left the Contours and Motown. Stubbs' lead spot in the Contours was taken by future Temptation Dennis Edwards on the group's next single release,"It's So Hard Being a Loser" b/w "Your Love Grows More Precious Everyday".Stubbs went on to Holland-Dozier-Holland's Hot Wax label, and became lead singer of the group 100 Proof (Aged in Soul).
Albums and covers
Just a Little Misunderstanding has appeared on several Contours' "Greatest Hits" CD compilations on the Motown label, including the 1999 CD release, "The Very Best of The Contours", along with the 2003 CD release "The Best of The Contours-The Millennium Collection", and has inspired cover versions and samples by The Supremes, and Hip-Hop artist Cam'ron, as part of his song "My Job". It was recorded by The Jackson Five during the sessions for their LP Third Album, but was unreleased.