"Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" is a 1971 single written and produced by Tony Hester and performed by

The Dramatics The Dramatics are an American soul music vocal group, formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1964. They are best known for their 1970s hit songs " In the Rain" and "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get", both of which were Top 10 Pop hits, as well as their late ...

Song Background

The song is noted for its scatting by the lead singer Ron Banks, and for the bass singer, Willie Ford, saying "Look at me." The song was co-led by William "Wee Gee" Howard and Banks, with other lead parts shared by the other members, Larry "Squirrel" Demps and Elbert Wilkins.

Chart performance

The song was a #3 hit on the Billboard R&B charts, and broke into the Top 10 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at #9. In Canada, it reached #44.

Cover versions

*The song has been covered by British pop group

The Beautiful South The Beautiful South were an English pop rock group formed in 1988 by Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway, two former members of the Hull group The Housemartins, both of whom performed lead and backing vocals. Other members throughout the band's exi ...

on their 1990 album '' Choke'' *American singer and drag queen

RuPaul RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960; stylized as RuPaul) is an American drag queen, television personality, actor, musician, and model. Best known for producing, hosting, and judging the reality competition series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' ...

covered it on the 1993 soundtrack album '' Addams Family Values: Music from the Motion Picture'' *The American experimental rock band

When People Were Shorter and Lived Near the Water When People Were Shorter and Lived Near the Water was an American experimental music, experimental psychedelic rock, psychedelic rock music, rock band from New York City active from 1986 to 1996. Their three albums and several EPs consist of exper ...

covered it on their 1994 album ''Bill Kennedy's Showtime'' *Duo

Hall & Oates Daryl Hall and John Oates, commonly known as Hall & Oates, are an American pop rock duo formed in Philadelphia in 1970. Daryl Hall is generally the lead vocalist; John Oates primarily plays electric guitar and provides backing vocals. The two ...

included it on their 2004 album ''

Our Kind of Soul ''Our Kind of Soul'' is the seventeenth studio album by Hall & Oates, released in 2004. This album contains three original tracks and 14 covers of soul hits of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The album is mostly acoustic with some electric guitar ...

'' *

Gerald Albright Gerald Albright is an American jazz saxophonist. He earned Grammys for 24/7 in 2012 and Slam Dunk in 2014 and has been nominated for New Beginnings in 2008 and for Sax for Stax in 2009. Biography Born in Los Angeles, Albright grew up in its ...

included it, as an instrumental, on his 2008 CD "Sax For Stax" as "What You See Is What You Get".

Later uses

*"Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" is featured in

Mel Stuart Mel Stuart (born Stuart Solomon; September 2, 1928 – August 9, 2012) was an American film director and producer who often worked with producer David L. Wolper, at whose production firm he worked for 17 years, before going freelance. Ea ...

's 1973 documentary film "Wattstax". This film chronicles the historic 1972

Wattstax ''Wattstax'' was a benefit concert organized by Stax Records to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 1965 riots in the African-American community of Watts, Los Angeles. The concert took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 20, ...

concert at the

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Conceived as a hallmark of civic pride, the Coliseum was commissioned in 1921 as a mem ...

in which the Dramatics performed this song among a legendary lineup of R&B, Soul, Pop, and gospel artists. *The Dramatics performed "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" in the racially charged and raunchy "

Darktown Strutters ''Darktown Strutters'' is a 1975 blaxploitation musical comedy film from New World Pictures. Despite having mixed reviews at the time it has gained cult status over the years with praise from film director Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino called it ...

", a blaxploitation comedy film produced by

Gene Corman Eugene Harold "Gene" Corman (September 24, 1927 – September 28, 2020) was an American film producer and agent. He and his older brother, Roger, co-founded New World Pictures. Biography Corman entered the film industry before his brother, wo ...

in 1975. *In 2007 "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" was included in the soundtrack for the American '60s/'70s period film " Talk To Me", starring

Don Cheadle Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. (; born November 29, 1964) is an American actor. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including two Grammy Awards, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also earned ...

. *The song was featured in the second season of the FX series '' Fargo'', in the episode "The Gift of the Magi". It also features in the closing credits of the

James Randi James Randi (born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge; August 7, 1928 – October 20, 2020) was a Canadian-American stage magician, author and scientific skeptic who extensively challenged paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. Rodrigues 2010p. ...

documentary, ''

An Honest Liar ''An Honest Liar'' is a 2014 biographical feature film documentary, directed and produced by Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom, written by Weinstein, Greg O'Toole and Measom, produced through Left Turn Films, Pure Mutt Productions and Part2 Filmwo ...

'' (2014).

Samples

It was sampled by hip-hop trio

Injury Reserve Injury Reserve is an American hip hop group formed in 2013 in Tempe, Arizona by rappers Stepa J. Groggs (Jordan Groggs), Ritchie with a T (Nathaniel Ritchie), and producer Parker Corey. History 2013–2014: Career beginnings, ''Depth Chart ...

on "Yo," the opening track of their 2015 album ''

Live from the Dentist Office Injury Reserve is an American hip hop group formed in 2013 in Tempe, Arizona by rappers Stepa J. Groggs (Jordan Groggs), Ritchie with a T (Nathaniel Ritchie), and producer Parker Corey. History 2013–2014: Career beginnings, ''Depth Chart ...

''. and on "Big Daddy Kane vs. Dolemite" (1990) by Big Daddy Kane and Rudy Ray Moore.

References

External links

* * * *The Dramatic
IMDB webpage
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2182032/ *PBS POV website on "Wattstax" https://www.pbs.org/pov/watch/wattstax/ 1971 songs 1971 singles The Dramatics songs Stax Records singles {{1970s-R&B-song-stub