Customer Reviews

Definitive Whatnauts

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The Definitive Whatnauts CD include the entire three albums recorded by the group on Stang Records in the seventies plus a handful of unrelease tracks. In a nutshell the Whatnauts sound consisted of a skyscraping falsetto and a David Ruffin like tenor. They excelled on slowies; but message songs were their forte too.

This is the most complete compilation of the Baltimore Natives output. Their first LP on Stang, "Introducing The Whatnauts" is a 70s Soul classic.This compilation contains all of their classic ballads:

I'll Erase Away The Pain, Message To A Black Man, Try Me, Friends By Day, She's Gone To Another, What's Left To Give, Please Make The Love Go Away, We Will Always Be Together, You Forgot Too Easy, the wonderful & terribly underrated Let Me Be That Special One.

As you have noticed, I prefer their ballads. However, they could also swing a little, as evidenced by their dance cuts, I'm So Glad I Found You (unfortunately their duet version with Linda Jones is not included here) & their great duet with The Moments, Girls. Both the English & French versions of Girls are included here. They even dabbled in funk, with the funky Souling With The Whatnauts, which is as funky as anything recorded in the Soulful 70s & Why Can't People Be Colors Too.

The Whatnauts seemed to have disappeared after 1974, but resurfaced in 1981 on Harlem World Records, with the often sampled funk classic, Help Is On The Way. Of course, Fat Larry Band molded their Dance classic, Act Like You Know from this song.

My only complaint about this CD is that they included the song Give A Damn & credited it to The Whatnauts. Give A Damn was actually made by The Internationals, who morphed into The Persuaders, of Thin Line Between Love & Hate fame. Well, actually, it's nice to see Give A Damn on any compilation.

With that one minor complaint noted, I wholeheartedly recommed this CD to all lovers of 70s Soul music, particularily ballads. If you enjoy the East Coast ballad sounds of groups like The Moments, Black Ivory, Terry Huff & Special Delivery, or, Skip Mahoaney & The Casuals, this CD is for you!

I remmber the Whatnauts back in the 70's in Baltimore, they use to come and perfome on OPERATION CHAMP I think I have seen them about twich they were a great group I still listen to thier songs no group these day could replace the old groups in the 70's, I just wish I could change the hands of time.

I was hit by "Help is on the way" back in 1981 when it was new. Not until 20 years later I was downloading old school soul/funk and came across the song by chance. I had never heard of the Whatnauts but the recording was released by Harlem Records, 1981. It is a great song with a newer sound than some of the samples on this site. Same style as Fat Larry's Band's 'Act like you know'. Great message: 'Mama never said life would be easy... Help is on the way. All you've got to do is pray." Soulful lyrics but funky enough to make you shake.

This is album is full great tunes and this group from Baltimore has the voices to sing either love songs or uptempo.

this album being one of the most difficult albums to get is definetly one of their best.

this album being one of the most difficult albums to get is definetly one of their best.