“Shake It Well” by The Dramatics

Acclaimed vocal quintet the Dramatics released the irresistible soul-dance track "Shake It Well” in 1977. The deep-simmering groove opens with a funky pluckin’ bass line followed by Larry “Squirrel” Demps’ sick intro: “My name is Squirrel, best shaker in the world.” His delivery is pimp-level smooth, effectively setting the track’s dope, soulful vibe. The song also features strong vocal contributions from L.J. Reynolds and Ron Banks, with the other group members–Lenny Mayes and Willie Ford–adding gritty backing vocals. The song is about the therapeutic power of dance, how it can relieve stress, reduce anxiety, and alleviate depression. The instrumentation and production on this cut are first-rate.

“Shake It Well” was written by Eddie Robinson and Don Davis, who also produced it. It's the title track of the Dramatics’ album Shake It Well, released in July 1977 on ABC Records. The song peaked at #4 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart and #74 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

R&B and jazz fusion guitarist Cornell Dupree recorded an instrumental cover of “Shake It Well” for his 1977 album Cornell Dupree’s Saturday Night Fever.

The musicians who played on the Dramatics’ Shake It Well album included bassists Eddie Watkins, James Jamerson, Roderick Chandler, and Ray Parker Jr., who played bass on the title track; guitarists Bruce Nazarian, Dennis Coffey, Robert White, Don Davis, and Jay Joseph Graydon; keyboardists Rudy Robinson, Reginald Burke, and George Roundtree; drummers Edward Greene and Quentin Dennard; and Lorenzo “Bag Of Tricks” Brown on percussion and congas.

"Shake It Well" is available on Amazon.

Related blog entries:

“Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get” by The Dramatics

"Get Up and Get Down" by The Dramatics