music: "Love Game [From A to Z] (Wingate 20a)

The Wingate label had now given up on it's Jazz experiment and was releasing songs by groups such as the Royal Jokers.

They were a long established group and apparently got their name from a suggestion by Maurice King.

In 1958 they recorded for Fortune and Hi Q before moving on to Harry Balk and Irv McConick at Embee Productions on Alexandrine.

After releases on Metro, Keldon and Big Top they signed to Wingate and  recorded the excellent "Love Game A-Z", probably the label's best release.

It would be the Royal Jokers final 45 however.

The song's arranger, Joe Hunter, worked on many songs throughout the city and is one of the key players in the Detroit story. 

The writer and co-producer of "Love Game" was Richard Morris who worked on some of Golden World's best material with Edwin Starr, Rose Battiste, JJ Barnes, the Debonaires and the Fantastic Four.

The Royal Jokers as they were prior to joining Wingate (image courtesy Willie Jones)

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.

Continued