First I Look at the Purse has also been covered by David Bromberg, Rod Stewart, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, The Cortinas and Nashville Pussy. "First I Look at the Purse" was the last Contours hit featuring original lead Billy Gordon. It also features the renewed line-up of Contours, as several original members had left back in 1964. Shortly after its release, Gordon departed the group, and Motown, for good, due to personal problems. He was replaced with Joe Stubbs, brother of lead singer of fellow Motown group The Four Tops, Levi Stubbs. In the early 2000s, the Contours performed the song on the
Lewis Stubbs Farmers's Unity League ran a candidate against him. Stubbs was also criticized for bringing his personal controversies into the campaign, and his religious beliefs were questioned by some (originally an Anglican, Stubbs became a secular humanist in later years). His former ally William Lyon MacKenzie King now campaigned against him, and when the election was held on October 23, Stubbs was defeated by Liberal John Angus MacMillan by 1614 votes. Notwithstanding his setback, Stubbs chose to run as an Independent candidate in Manitoba's 1936 provincial election. He ran in the riding of Winnipeg, which at the time elected ten members