Before assuming the name
the Dramatics, the vocal sextet comprised of Rob Davis,
Ron Banks, Larry Reed, Robert Ellington, Larry "Squirrel" Demps, and Elbert Wilkens initially released two singles as
the Dynamics on the Wingate imprint that saw no chart action. The group became a quintet upon Ellington's exit, and also changed their name to
the Dramatics. They migrated to the Sport label and in 1967 released their first single to hit the charts, "All Because of You," which peaked at number 42 on the R&B charts. However, in spite of the exposure and limited record sales, some groupmembers became discouraged, which facilitated a major personnel change. William "Wee Gee" Howard replaced lead singer Reed, and
Willie Ford of
the Capitols replaced bass Rob Davis. Also during this time,
the Dramatics had signed with producer
Don Davis' production company.
Even though the group managed to stay together, the ensuing years were unproductive for chart action and sales. Between 1967 and 1971,
the Dramatics made very little noise on the national scene. By the end of 1971,
Davis summoned the group to the studio to record producer/songwriter
Tony Hester's "Watcha See Is Watcha Get." The single was
the Dramatics' first major national hit, peaking at number three on the R&B charts, and sustaining chart action for 15 weeks. That single was followed by the R&B Top Ten single "Get Up and Get Down."
The following year
the Dramatics released "In the Rain," which was also penned by
Hester. The single torpedoed its way to the number one spot on the R&B charts, maintaining that position for four consecutive weeks; the single also peaked at number five on the pop charts. Ironically, in spite of the national attention the group was receiving, another personnel shuffle was simmering.
Larry "L.J." Reynolds, who had been a member of Chocolate Syrup and was pursuing a solo career during this time, met
Dramatics member
Banks at the Apollo following a performance by the group. It just so happened that
Howard was absent that night.
Reynolds auditioned for
Banks backstage; it was not too long afterwards that
Reynolds, who was also signed to
Don Davis' production company, began to occasionally sit in with
the Dramatics during
Howard's absences.
In 1973,
Howard's decision to leave the group opened the door for
Reynolds' entrance;
Reynolds' vocal presence and permanent entry into the group was manifested with the release of the R&B Top Ten single "Hey You! Get Off My Mountain." And while
Reynolds was replacing
Howard, Lenny Mayes was replacing Wilkens, which spelled out identity problems for the remainder of the group. Wilkens formed his own version of
the Dramatics and began touring. During this time and pending legal procedures, the name of the group was changed to Ron Banks & the Dramatics.
The Dramatics' success continued with mainly R&B Top 20 hits during the heyday of disco, cracking the R&B Top Ten just once more with "Welcome Back Home" in 1980. In 1981,
Reynolds went solo; the group disband after
Banks went solo in 1983. The group managed to stay active, reuniting to record new material every three or four years since the early '80s. They occasionally reunite for concert events. ~ Craig Lytle