Music Review: The Dramatics, Greatest Slow Jams

By Paul Casey

The Dramatics had the funky, harder sound. Then they had the smooth and low-down sound. That falsetto by Ron Banks put them in that category of magical 1970s Soul with The Delfonics and The Stylistics. L.J. Reynolds brings some of that rougher and gruffer vocal love. This Greatest Slow Jams compilation grabs a bunch of the sweetest and sexiest tracks from 1971-1976, excluding the group’s collaboration with The Dells. It also includes the L.J. Reynolds single “Tomorrow” from his 1987 album Tell Me You Will. This would sound great next to a James Ingram track or Between the Sheets-era Isley Brothers or hell, something from The Dramatics’ reunion album from ’85! Out of print, yes, but placed next to the very 1970s sound of the rest of the songs, it breaks the mood. And with slow jams, the mood is everything. If you have to stop having sex, that playlist needs to be tweaked, pal.

“In The Rain” is the biggest hit here, from The Dramatics’ first album Whatcha See is Whatcha Get. It was a career high for them: their only song to reach number one on the R&B charts. This, along with the other two tracks from their debut LP, features former lead vocalist William Howard, who left the group before their second album A Dramatic Experience. He was replaced by L.J. Reynolds. My two favorites here both have dead-on turns between the lonely and downtrodden verse into that electric, celebratory chorus. As with many of The Dramatics’ songs, “Toast to the Fool” and “I Was the Life of the Party” are made special because of that Ron Banks falsetto.

There is unique emotional honesty when the falsetto gets involved. It is also a terrific method for expressing unrestrained joy. If you ever get the chance give the BBC documentary Just One Falsetto a watch. It covers the history of falsetto and has a bunch of great interviews with people from different genres who have utilized it. As Eddie Holman says: “Women love a guy singing in high voice. It’s so sweet, it’s so tender, and women just melt. You know when I was a kid they used to say things about Eddie Holman singing in falsetto. ‘Oh my God he must tip to the tulips,’ you know? ‘Oh my God, a guy like that must wear tight underwear,’ you know? And it turns a young guy off but like I tell the audiences, I said it never turned the women off. I said it was only guys talking like that you know? ‘Oh he must wear tight underwear.’ The women never worried about what kind . . . all they knew is ‘You turn me on,’ you know?”

With the exception of the lone ’80s solo track, Greatest Slow Jams works well as an album. Compilations that have a solid theme make a case for their existence, which is especially important in 2014. Kevin James, a DJ who has a long history playing this kind of music, has chosen these songs well. Slow jams are the heart of R&B and Soul.

Religious elements or political elements can come along and have their moments, but it always comes back to creating music that makes people go to the bedroom. And when there, do ridiculous things in the name of love, damn it! This puts that side of The Dramatics up front. Listening to the albums from which these tracks are taken doesn’t quite allow for that focus. Much like Archie Bell & The Drells or Al Green, a sweet love song is followed by an expression of Funk or Rock ‘n Roll. Usually that is all good.

Sometimes a mood needs to be maintained. These slow jams will maintain that mood and help you reach your sensual peak.

Greatest Slow Jams was released on April 29 through Stax Records.