By R (165.235.75.119 - 165.235.75.119) on Monday, June 10, 2002 - 08:44 pm:

Does anyone know where to find any filmed performances from the 70's of the Dramatics or other R&B or Soul groups of the 60's and 70's? A side question is, where can I find information on the splinter group formed by Wee Gee Howard? I have the "No Rebate" 45, and I wanted to know who that is that sounds just like Ron Banks.

By Eli (205.188.198.49 - 205.188.198.49) on Tuesday, June 11, 2002 - 04:20 am:

I did some work with L.J. Reynolds back in'89.
Man what a voice. I must find the demos.
We did a wonderful Gary Glenn song called
"Obsession" as well as several more. WOW!!!!

By ErikT.O. (64.228.108.137 - 64.228.108.137) on Tuesday, June 11, 2002 - 04:27 am:

Are they in the Wattstax movie? They aren't on the soundtrack lp, but their live cd cites dates from Watts Aug '72 I think, so it's not far fetched they played there...

By r (165.235.75.119 - 165.235.75.119) on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 02:42 pm:

The Dramatics definitly were at Wattstax...I saw them there. It's a shame that Wattstax is not available. The album contains the studio version of the Dramatics, which is also a shame. The Dramatics live CD performances from the original members are from sets they performed at the Total Experience Nightclub on Crenshaw Blvd. I think, not Wattstax. Why in the world on the live CD do they include LJ singing "Whatcha See is Whatcha Get", "Thankful 4 your Love", and Get Up/Get Down"? The gem of the Wattstax album is the live version of The Emotions "Show Me How".

By Sis (67.25.219.248 - 67.25.219.248) on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 05:48 pm:

"R".. was Wee Gee at the Wattstax Concert or was it L.J.? I am also looking for footage on Wee Gee.

Sis

By George Katsakis (216.29.209.125 - 216.29.209.125) on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 07:13 pm:

The Dramatics are going to be appearing at the Riverfront Cafe soon and Vicki Alexander will be playing Baritone Sax. Vicki was at Bomacs with Dave Miekel and Harry. For information you can call 313-341-7211. I think the following number will put you in touch with the Dramatics 313-551-0751.

By SisDetroit (67.25.212.151 - 67.25.212.151) on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 08:56 pm:

On Friday July 5th, at the Wake for "Pistol", there were two female sax players who sat in, one was African American, the other is white. (Let's give it up for the ladies.) Do you think Vicki is one of those?
Sis

By david, glasow, scotland (62.252.128.5 - 62.252.128.5) on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 09:14 pm:

Sis

It may well have been Vickie. She would probably have been playing bari-sax.

Tall and slim with glasses.

By Dennis Coffey (64.12.97.11 - 64.12.97.11) on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 09:24 pm:

Hi everyone. I played guitar on In the Rain and What You See is What You Get and those albums with the Dramatics. I also recorded In the Rain again for Ron Banks of the Dramatics for Ghost Face Killa at Sound Suite Studios here here in Detroit a few years ago.

Dennis Coffey

By Ed Wolfrum (165.247.228.23 - 165.247.228.23) on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 12:36 am:

Hello Gang,

I saw Vicki at Pistols wake and she said she would be playing there. I wish I could have made it to the get together after but I too much to get done that day.

Vicki studied with "Beans" and is a good friend of Chiko Leverette.

Pax,
Ed

By Ed Wolfrum (165.247.228.23 - 165.247.228.23) on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 12:36 am:

Hello Gang,

I saw Vicki at Pistols wake and she said she would be playing there. I wish I could have made it to the get together after but I had too much to get done that day.

Vicki studied with "Beans" and is a good friend of Chiko Leverette.

Pax,
Ed

By SisDetroit (67.25.221.107 - 67.25.221.107) on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 03:05 am:

So that was Vicki. She was great. I really enjoyed her performance. If I'm not mistaken, I think she sat in behind Martha, during the time Allen was playing the guitar. And of course Uriel was on drums, and Ralph Armstrong on Bass.

And Dennis, those were the songs, back in the day. I liked those recordings by the Dramatics more than the later recordings.
I'm still trying to find a video on Wee Gee.
Sis

By Sue (64.12.97.11 - 64.12.97.11) on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 03:08 am:

Those are very cool recordings by the Dramatics, agreed Sis. Great guitar on WYSIWYG.

By Millie (68.40.198.72 - 68.40.198.72) on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 03:18 am:

Dennis,
Who owns the Sound Suite, and where is it? It's very familiar to me.

By acooolcat (61.222.95.58 - 61.222.95.58) on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 03:39 am:

Millie - I think Michael Grace owns Sound Suite - but I heard it had closed.
Graham

By George Katsakis (152.163.189.129 - 152.163.189.129) on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 05:25 am:

OOOOOOOOps, I goofed!!!!!!!!

The group that will be playing at the Riverfront Cafe is not the Dramatics as I earlier posted, it is the Dynamics. Vickie came to the Clawson this evening and corrected me. And yes, it is the same Vickie that Ed makes reference to and she was at Pistol's funeral and yes, she also studied with Beans.

By Millie (68.40.198.72 - 68.40.198.72) on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 12:38 pm:

Thanks Graham...it just rang a bell. Do you know anything about Michael Grace? That name's familiar as well. Boy, I can't remember anything anymore!

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 01:52 pm:

Millie,
Michael Grace was originally a technical engineer at Motown. We called him Gracie.After Motown's move West he and John Lewis, a Motown recording engineer, built Sound Suite.

By millivanilli (68.40.198.72 - 68.40.198.72) on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 05:54 pm:

Ralph,
Thanks! I do remember now, in particular, John and Michael! Good guys!

By Dennis Coffey (205.188.201.193 - 205.188.201.193) on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 09:28 pm:

Hi Millie. Sound Suite was open a few years ago but I'm not sure if it's still open. It is on Puritan near Greenfield next to a party store.

Dennis

By Dennis Coffey (205.188.201.193 - 205.188.201.193) on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 09:31 pm:

Thanks Sue and Sis. We recorded them at United Sounds Studios for Don Davis in Detroit. I always enjoyed working on the Dramatics albums.

Dennis

By steve (152.163.189.129 - 152.163.189.129) on Tuesday, July 16, 2002 - 08:23 pm:

can anyone imagine a better match made in heaven than the "Dells v Dramatics album made in 74 and half recorded at united sound. if anyone played on the album i would be delighted to hear, to me its my favourite all time album

By R (165.235.75.119 - 165.235.75.119) on Tuesday, July 16, 2002 - 08:39 pm:

Sis - Wee Gee was at Wattstax...and the album I referred to earlier is "Wattstax II" with the Emotions...Check out Dennis Coffee acting like we don't know who he is! "Scorpio" ring a bell? Dennis is a major contributer to the sounds we all remember and love...If you can find it, the 2nd Dramatics group put out a 45 (I think on Cadet) with "No Rebate On Love", b/w "Must Be Love (Can You Feel It)" Wee Gee is his rough and ready self on "Must Be Love", I think Elbert Wilkins is also on the record. It is hard to separate the two Dramatic groups because both were excellent. The "A Dramatic Experience" album seems to have both groups on it. I have the original version of "Toast To The Fool", which is available on CD...if you know how to find it. It's a much better (though similar) version than the one that everybody has on the "Greatest Hits" or "Best Of" CD's.

By SisDetroit (64.157.170.45 - 64.157.170.45) on Tuesday, July 16, 2002 - 10:16 pm:

Thanks "R". I'm glad to know you were referring to "Wattstax II", as I didn't know there was one. We found Wattstax I.
Dennis Coffey is really cool. Sitting back there knowing that "Whatacha See..", and "In The Rain", are two of the best songs ever recorded by the Dramatics. I love that music, and when you hear the band intro, you just know the Dramatics are gonna get down. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't, (LOL), but the music is always great.
I will take your advice on that "Toast to the Fool." Thanks

By ErikT.O. (64.228.108.66 - 64.228.108.66) on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 06:34 am:

Yeah 'R', thanks for the tip, I didn't know there was a 'Wattstax II' & was wandering about the Dramatics' tracks you mentioned. As for my fave Dramatics tunes, I nominate 'Get Up To Get Down' & 'In The Summertime', one of the coolest girl-watching tunes ever... /Erik

By r (165.235.75.119 - 165.235.75.119) on Monday, July 22, 2002 - 02:50 pm:

Yes, I agree that the original Dramatics were great...but so were the Dramatics that cut "Mrs. Jones", "Just Shopping", etc. The difference was Wee Gee. I'm not taking anything away from LJ, it's just that Wee Gee's was a great voice right alongside of someone like David Ruffin. I checked my album collection, and the Wattstax II album contains a lot of Richard Pryor, the studio version of the Dramatics, and the two EXCELLENT live versions of "So I Can Love You" and "Show Me How" by the Emotions. I don't think that is available anywhere, but you never know. If someone wants, I can get the release number so you can check on it. Does anyone know where to find the Wattstax movie? The liner notes on my Wattstax II album says that the movie starts out with the Dramatics...I've never seen the movie.

By ErikT.O. (64.228.108.67 - 64.228.108.67) on Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 08:26 am:

Funny how this sometimes happens- days after learning about 'Wattstax II' I find a used copy for a modest price! Heavy stuff, I have a Rance Allen album & was most interested in hearing some of this stuff live, I'd throw it on again but it's 4:22 here & my g-f's sleeping mere feet away...

By SisDetroit (67.25.214.55 - 67.25.214.55) on Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 12:52 pm:

ErikTO - Let me know how you like it. I'm interested in knowing how Wee Gee sounds. And I just love Rance Allen.

Sis

By r (165.235.75.119 - 165.235.75.119) on Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 03:48 pm:

Sis, I think Eric will tell you that the Dramatics songs on that album are both studio versions from the WYSIWYG LP. That's a shame, because they were there singing live...If you want to hear Wee Gee live, the "LIVE" album is all I know about, and whoever put that together really messed up by putting LJ's renditions of "Thank You For Your Love" and "Get Up/Get Down" Why not let us hear the group that made those songs in the first place? (But the CD is still great...Wee Gee's take on Bobby Womacks "That's The Way I Feel About'Cha" is CLASSIC!). Eric, get those headphones working, cuz when you need to hear the groove, you hafta hear the groove! I'm glad you found it...I notice that Ritchie Hardin's site has a lot of those out of print LP's for sale...I live in Los Angeles, so there are a lot of used record stores with some great stuff...One more thing for Sis...those live tracks were recorded at the Summit Club, which was a nightclub here in L.A. in the 70's, not the Total Experience (where I also saw the Dramatics in 1975)...

By r (165.235.75.119 - 165.235.75.119) on Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 05:55 pm:

Sis...I also know that you can find the original version of Toast To The Fool on "The Complete Stax/Volt...VOLUME 3..."

By SisDetroit (67.25.208.87 - 67.25.208.87) on Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 06:35 pm:

Thank you "R".

By ErikT.O. (64.228.108.120 - 64.228.108.120) on Saturday, July 27, 2002 - 02:47 am:

Hi everyone, the last strains of Isaac Hayes are playing as I type (& get ready to head out)- unfortunately this Isaac tune ain't live either, I don't know why, his 'Phoenix' on the 1st lp sounds fine... why the studio cuts, any1 here know? Finally, I could have sworn somebody on soul patrol said Wattstax is on dvd- I don't have a player (yet), I wouldn't know where to look...

By MISSBB (66.73.185.71 - 66.73.185.71) on Sunday, July 28, 2002 - 04:19 am:

DENNIS COFFEE
WHAT ARE YOU DOING THESE DAYS. ARE YOU PERFORMING ANYWHERE. U ARE THE BEST. I FOLLOWED YOU ALL OVER THE CITY OF DETROIT.FROM THE BAR ON HAMILTON STREET IN DETROIT (BETWEEN PHILADELPHIA AND PINGREE STEETS)TO THE JAZZ BAR ON LIVERNOIS.PLEASE TELL ME YOU ARE STILL PERFORMING.

By Dennis Coffey (64.12.97.11 - 64.12.97.11) on Sunday, July 28, 2002 - 01:21 pm:

Hi MISSBB. I sat in and played with a band last night. I am currently putting together another band to play some limited engagements. I just got back from a book signing and concert tour in the UK to support my new book, Guitars, Bars and Motown Super Stars. I am currently shopping a new CD called Flight of the Phoenix.

Dennis

By Mike Jones (198.109.2.183 - 198.109.2.183) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 02:03 am:

Ron Banks, what are you working on these days. I'm wainting on another bomb album. Its been too long not hearing a great hit from the best group Detroit has to offer. Ron, Willie, e-mail me let me know when you are performing in Detroit. Your friend from the boys club, and Northern. Mike Jones.