The Golden World Story
The Dramatics and the Holidays

label scans courtesy of Dougie Ward

The Dramatics had started out as the Sensations at Pershing High School.

One of their earliest line-ups was Roderick Davis, Larry Reed, Larry Demps, Elbert Wilkins and Ron Banks.

They were approached as early as 1964 by JoAnne Bratton after an appearance at Mr. Kelley's on Chene. She gave them an invitation to audition at Golden World the following weekend.

Their first 45 did not appear on Wingate until August 1966 however. The song, "Bingo" was also erroneously credited to the Dynamics. 

Heikki uncovered the background in an interview with Ron Banks. "There was a group already here called the Dynamics.  When they delivered the label copy and stuff to the record plant here in Detroit, they just thought it was a misprint and went ahead and put the Dynamics.  So the first five hundred of that box came with the name Dynamics.  We were upset about that.  This was our first record..."

The follow-up was released in December 1966 on Wingate022. "Inky Dinky Wang Dang Do" has the distinction of being the final release on the Wingate label.

Their next release, "All Because of You", came out on the Sport label and did well locally.

Under the management of Don Davis, the Dramatics signed for Stax Records subsidiary Volt, in Memphis in 1969.

After a couple of lean years they hit the big time with Tony Hestor's classic "Whatcha See is Whatcha Get" which peaked at Pop#9, R&B#3.

There were several Holidays groups in the record industry in the sixties and this is not the Detroit group which featured the Holland Brothers and recorded on Master.

This particular version featured at Golden World in 1966, and their Edwin Starr led  "I'll love you forever" scored highly.  The flip side was an excellent instrumental called  "Makin' Up Time".

It took another eight months to release a follow-up in "Watch Out Girl".  Perhaps this was due to Edwin's complaints that his  voice had been over-dubbed on the previous release without consultation.

"Watch Out Girl" c/w "No Greater Love" was Golden World's final release.


 

 


DESIGN AND GRAPHICS BY
LOWELL BOILEAU

Notes by David Meikle

This website is dedicated to Detroit, Soul Music, 45 RPM, Northern Soul and the great Motown era of Detroit Musics. It covers Golden World, Tamla, Wheelsville, Robert West, Darrell Banks, Johnnie Mae Matthews, Rose Battiste, Tera Shirma, Fred Bridges, Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Edwin Starr, Funk Brothers, Dennis Coffey, Bob Babbitt, James Jamerson, Twisted Wheel, Wiggan Casino and many more Detroit Souls topics.