“Whatcha You See Is Whatcha Get” by The Dramatics

Detroit vocal quintet the Dramatics scored one of their biggest hits with this exquisite slice of soul in 1971. The track is brilliantly arranged and seamlessly melds Latin, soul, funk, and pop. William “Wee Gee” Howard and Ron Banks share lead vocals, infusing their performances with heaps of style and passion. Banks’ soothing falsetto nicely complements Howard’s gritty tenor. Group members Larry “Squirrel” Demps, Willie “Sugar Bear” Ford, and Elbert Wilkins all deliver strong performances on their featured vocal parts and rich harmonies. The song boasts a delicious fuzztone guitar riff, percolating percussion, marvelous horn charts, and airy strings. Banks brings additional flavor to the mix with some killer scatting, and Ford’s powerful bass vocals elevate the track tremendously, including his famous line “Look at me."

“What you see is what you get” was a popular catchphrase in the late 1960s and early ‘70s. Comedian Flip Wilson popularized it through his sassy drag character, Geraldine, on his hit TV variety show, The Flip Wilson Show, which originally aired on NBC from 1970 to 1974. The catchphrase inspired the Dramatics’ song “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get.”

The song is an offer of authenticity and genuine love to a prospective romantic partner. The narrator promises a strong, loving relationship built on honesty, loyalty, and trust. He assures her that he’s not looking to play games, deceive, or cause her any heartbreak; he has nothing but good intentions: “But baby, I’m for real/I’m as real as can get.” 

“Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get” was written and produced by Tony Hester, and Johnny Allen arranged the horns, strings, and rhythm charts. It’s the title track and lead single from the Dramatics’ debut album, released on Volt/Stax Records in November 1971. The song peaked at #3 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart and #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. And it reached #44 on the Canadian singles chart. The song has sold a million copies to date.

“Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get” has been sampled on 33 songs, including “Fight The Power” (Public Enemy), “I Know You See Me” (Lil’ Kim), and “Big Daddy vs. Dolemite” (Big Daddy Kane, featuring Rudy Ray Moore). It has been featured on the soundtracks of the films Detroit (2017), An Honest Liar (2014), Talk To Me (2007), Sunday Driver (2005), Darktown Strutters (1975), and Wattstax (1973). And it has been featured on notable television series such as American Soul (2019), Black Lightning (2018), and Fargo (2015). 

Additionally, drag queen and singer RuPaul covered the song for the soundtrack of the 1993 film, The Addams Family Values. And hitmaking blue-eyed soul duo Hall & Oates recorded a cover of it for their 2004 album Our Kind of Soul.

The Dramatics performing "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" live

The Dramatics performing "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" on Soul Train

"Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" is available at Amazon

Related blog entry:

"Get Up and Get Down" by The Dramatics

"When the Juice Ran Out” by The Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown, Featuring Angelo Moore

Funk supergroup the Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown recently dropped their sizzling new single “When the Juice Ran Out.” This is electrifying funk delivered in the Getdown’s inimitable badass fashion. It features the formidable talents of Fishbone frontman Angelo Moore (lead vocals and saxophone), bassist Rodney “Skeet” Curtis (P-Funk/Maceo Parker), drummer Jack Irons (Red Hot Chili Peppers/Pearl Jam), and guitarist Tim Stewart (Lady Gaga/Suicidal Tendencies). Moore brings a ton of soul and energy to his dynamic lead vocal performance and also delivers some dazzling sax work. Curtis keeps the funk blazing with a furious bass line that's bolstered by Irons’ explosive drumming. And Stewart fires up the groove with some scorching guitar.

"When the Juice Ran Out" imagines what it would be like if the internet were to shut down and how it would impact our lives. It explores our over-dependence on technology and how we have replaced physical reality with digital illusion, and that the internet’s collapse would force us to reconnect on a physical and spiritual level. 

The creation of “When The Juice Ran Out” was a collaborative effort. Bassist/producer John Heintz sent an isolated drum track recorded by Irons during a 2016 session to Curtis, who brought his bass brilliance to the mix, and Stewart contributed his considerable guitar skills. And Moore penned the song’s great lyrics and added some funky sax. The track was mixed by Fabrizio Grossi and mastered by Dave Gardner. Johnny “Thief” DiDonna and Jeff Wood created the single’s cool cover art.

The Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown is an ever-expanding genre-defying global collective comprised of 225 musicians from 180 bands covering 18 years, including members of notable bands such as Parliament-Funkadelic, Earth, Wind & Fire, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kool & the Gang, Suicidal Tendencies, Sly & the Family Stone, the Meters, Fishbone, and Korn. Heintz founded the Getdown in 2007. It grew from his vision of capturing the spontaneous energy of jam sessions and bringing together talented players from a wide range of bands and genres. He got the ambitious project on its feet with the help of Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band members Derrick Johnson and John-Paul Miller. 

The Getdown's upcoming album Volume 3 is set for release on September 19.

"When the Juice Ran Out" is available at Amazon.

Related blog entries:

Album Review of The Big Ol' Nasty Getdown's Volume 2

The Big Ol' Nasty Getdown Pays Tribute To Funk Music 

“Twitchie Feet” by The Soul Machine

Leon Haywood

Funk/R&B band the Soul Machine released the wicked funk track "Twitchie Feet" in 1968. The talented players perform this smooth instrumental with flair and finesse. It features a cold guitar riff, a treacherous beat, and some soulful organ. It also boasts a dynamic horn arrangement and a smokin’ sax solo. This cut is thoroughly satisfying, like a succulent sirloin steak served with all the trimmings. It has kind of an early New Orleans funk flavor, similar to the Meters but with horns.

Soul/funk artist Leon Haywood wrote, produced, and arranged this old-school gem. It was released on the independent Los Angeles-based label Pzazz Records. The track’s B-side is “Bag of Goodies,” which Haywood also wrote, arranged, and produced.

Twitchie Feet” has been sampled on eight songs, including “The Joker” (Fatboy Slim, featuring Bootsy Collins) and "Freedom Band" (Deliquent Habits).  The band, the Incredible Say Whats!, released a great cover of “Twitchie Feet” in 2012. 

Leon Haywood was a renowned singer, songwriter, and producer who enjoyed an impressive three-decades-long music career. Born in Houston, Texas, on February 11, 1942, he developed a love for music at a very young age and began playing piano at three. He was a keyboardist in soul legend Sam Cooke’s band from the early 1960s until Cooke’s death in 1964. Haywood is best known for his risqué 1975 hit “I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You,” which has been sampled on many songs, most notably Dr. Dre’s hip-hop classic “Nuthin’ But a G Thang.” In 1980, he released the irresistible dance track “Don’t Push It Don’t Force It,” which reached #2 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart. And he wrote and produced Carl Carlton’s Grammy-nominated hit “She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)," released in 1981. Haywood was also responsible for many other great recordings. He passed away on April 5, 2016, at age 74 and will forever be remembered for his significant contributions to soul and funk music.

I was unable to find any additional information about the Soul Machine, such as the names of the members and the exact year that the band was formed, or any of their other releases.