The Dramatics have been one of the most prolific, consistently entertaining groups of the last three decades. The Dramatics were one of the great Motown groups formed in the late 60s. They went through significant personnel changes over their early years as the group struggled to find a hit. They ultimately found it on Stax/Volt Records with Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get, a latin-tinged cut lyrically based on a comic phrase popularized by Flip Wilson. This became an instant hit on both the pop and soul charts, and began a string of great cuts for the group penned by Tony Hester. The follow-ups In The Rain and Toast to the Fool were even better, and have remained in active play on many stations for nearly 30 years.
While the group has had various compositions, once L.J. Reynolds replaced William Howard in 1973, the core of the group was set. With Reynolds gruff baritone and Ron Banks soaring falsetto, a unique group harmony was created that is still recognizable today.
In the mid-seventies the group switched to ABC records where, with producer Don Davis, they released a number of relatively successful albums, though their coverage was, at that point, limited to the Soul radio. Hits like Be My Girl, Shake It Well and Fell For You (later remade by Snoop Doggy Dogg) carried the group into the early 80s, when their popularity began to wane. They split up in 1982 as Reynolds and Banks both embarked on solo careers (Reynolds achieving some limited success with the hit Key to the World), but reunited in 1986 with Somewhere In Time and its great crossover hit, One Love Ago.
While other popular 70s groups have had trouble sustaining recording careers, the Dramatics have continued to cut a new LP every few years, right up through 2002s Look Inside, a surprisingly strong record that has only received limited distribution in the U.S. (if you find it, check out the fantastic Looks Like Rain). They received national attention for their professionalism in 2001 when they performed a save for "Fly Jock" Tom Joyner, singing two sets during his shows appearance in Detroit on less than 12 hours notice after a cancellation by DeBarge.
In 2003, the group, consisting of Reynolds, Banks, Winzell Kelly, Willie Ford and Lenny Mayes, released Greatest Hits Live, a terrific peek at a 2001 Dramatics performance that shows the group still in fine form and a testament to the longevity of this great soul act. Sadly, group member Lenny Mayes died on November 7, 2004, after a long illness.
Source: www.soultracks.com
