The Best of the Dramatics

by The Dramatics

Overview

In the 1960s, Stax Records was best known for raw southern soul that rejected the type of sleekness and pop sensibilities favored by the northern soulsters at Motown. But by the early '70s, Memphis soul was losing its popularity, and Stax's A&R department started to emphasize northern and so-called "uptown" soul in order to stay competitive. One of Stax/Volt's biggest sellers was the Dramatics, a Detroit group that, like the Temptations at Motown and the O'Jays in the Gamble & Huff camp, effectively combined gritty soul belting with a sleek production style. Thanks to major hits ranging from the delightfully funky "Whacha See Is Whacha Get" to slow jams and ballads like "Hey You! Get Off My Mountain," "Toast to the Fool" and the melancholy "In the Rain," the Dramatics were on quite a roll in the early-to-mid-'70s. All of those gems are included on the hour-long CD, The Best of the Dramatics, which offers a fine overview of the quintet's Stax/Volt years. Many Dramatics albums are worth owning, but if a listener were allowed to own only one Dramatics CD, this would be it. ~ Alex Henderson

Product Details

Release Date:	07/01/1991
Label:	Stax
UPC:	0025218300322
Rank:	53405

Tracks

1. Get up and Get Down
2. Thank You for Your Love
3. Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get
4. In the Rain
5. (Gimme Gimme Some (Good Soul Music)
6. Fall in Love, Lady Love
7. The Devil Is Dope
8. You Could Become the Very Heart of Me
9. Fell for You
10. Hey You! Get off My Mountain
11. Beware of the Man (With the Candy in His Hand)
12. And I Panicked
13. I Dedicated My Life to You
14. I Made Myself Lonely
15. Highway to Heaven
16. Toast to the Fool

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Dramatics   Primary Artist
The Dells   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Kenny Gamble   Composer
Jimmy Roach   Composer,Producer
Clint Ballard, Jr.   Composer
Tony Hester   Producer,Composer
Jim Vitti   Engineer
Deborah Dennard   Composer
Eddie McGee   Composer
Don Davis   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Cary Gilbert   Composer
Dennis Gilmore   Composer
Ronald Banks   Composer
James Dean   Composer
Raymond Johnson   Composer
Arthur Snyder   Composer
Cecil Womack   Composer
Tony Green   Composer
Larry Reynolds   Composer
John Oates   Composer
Leon Huff   Composer
Daryl Hall   Composer
John Brinson   Composer
Floyd Fleshman   Composer
Don Horne   Engineer
Lou Casella   Engineer
Jack Sbarbori   Liner Notes
Anthony Hester   Composer
Michael J. Henderson   Composer
Eddie Robinson   Composer