Dramatically Hot Pants

The Dramatics: Hot Pants in the Summertime and In The Rain
From: Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get (Volt, 1971)

The excellent though too brief BBC series Soul Deep finally got round to covering record label Stax’s output the other week and it reminded me of one of their stars of that era, The Dramatics. Although successful at the time with a couple of massive hits they’re one of those groups that most people these days could at best name two songs by.

Destined to follow a rocky path through the world of music, the bands name was often as relevant to their tempestuous relationship as the music they produced. Having started off as the rather snappily titled Dynamics in the early sixties the band struggled to find any kind of success with their sound and traipsed along for a couple of years barely making an impact on the general public. However, in 1971, one name change and personnel reshuffle later, the band went to the studio to record their classic album Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get and all that changed.

Containing a number of hits, including the absolutely massive title track itself and the sampled to death Get Up Get Down, the album cemented the Dramatics sound and set them up for a career which has taken them through disco and even a guest spot on Snoop’s classic Doggy Style. The continuous reshuffles and personal beefs permitting, the band continues till this day. You can read more info on the group here.

Hot Pants In The Summertime off their debut album is a great example of the Dramatics sound, a combination of a great groove, stunning production and brilliantly melodramatic vocal performances. Starting with the lightest of funk guitars the track is like bottled sunshine. Deceptively funky throughout with a slow headnodding groove the track takes flight as William “Wee Gee” Howard slowly increases the power of his vocals. It’s the little touches that grab me on this, the horn, the strings and the truly brilliant use of the flute that sneaks in during the chorus. I love the fact that the lyrics of the song are trite to the point of irrelevance and yet it matters not a jot when they’re sung with such passion.

I couldn’t post about this album with out putting up In The Rain, if you’ve never heard this before then boy are you in for a treat. If you are familiar with it then it’s just the perfect excuse to revisit one of the true heartwrenching songs of soul music. If, perish the thought, you ever need a song to cuddle up in a darkened room with to feel sorry for yourself to then look no further my friends. Drawing the listener in with crackling thunder, this is the antithesis to Hot Pants summertime bliss. Check out the delay on the strings on the intro and you know you’re in for something special. This time Wee Gee holds the dynamics in check to deliver a sweet soul vocal. Once again, listen out for the subtle levels of the production on the strings and bass and remind yourself that this track was recorded over 30 years ago.