The Whatnauts were a '70s soul group from Baltimore who drew their inspiration from falsetto-led groups like the Dells, the Chi-Lites, and especially the Stylistics. They shared a similar smooth sound and romantic lyrics with an occasional foray into social lyrics) and a lead falsetto that could crack safety glass. The Whatnauts lead vocalist Billy Herndon isn't quite as controlled as the singers in those bands; occasionally his voice takes flight and comes dangerously close to shredding speaker cones...
This soulful vocal trio, formed in 1969 and consisted of Billy Herndon (lead), Garnett Jones (tenor) and Gerald "Chunky" Pinkney (baritone) and a guy identified only as Ray, who disappeared after album "INTRODUCING THE WHATNAUTS". The trio first came to national prominence in 1970 when their socially-conscious single "Message From A Black Man" on A&I Records made the R&B Top 20. They then joined Sylvia Robinson's Stang label and recorded some of the most underrated R&B vocal group records of the early 70s; including "Please Make The Love Go Away" in 1970 and their biggest US success "I'll Erase Away The Pain" a year later. They were also producer George Kerr’s pet project.
The group also recorded with other Stang artists including Linda Jones and the Moments. It was "Girls", that teamed them with the Moments, and gave them a UK number 3 hit in 1975. The group also had limited success with releases on GSF in 1973 and Harlem International in 1982.
A vocal group whose heartache tunes were admired by the '70s soul hardcore, one of the greatest groups ever! The Whatnauts are one of those groups that often got passed over in the chart listings of the 70's ~ but which are without a doubt one of the greatest groups ever in my book. The Baltimore group had a sublime harmony approach to soul ~ one that was equally well-suited to hip,righteous tracks as it was to laidback and mellow tunes, sung in a sweet late night style.
Garnett Jones oozes tears by the bucket on 'I Just Can't Lose Your Love,' Ellie Greenwich 's 'Please Make the Love Go Away,' the Miracles ' 'Ooo Baby Baby,' and 'What's Left to Give (After Giving It All)' -- all superb examples of heartache soul .
Introducing the Whatnauts features the Baltimoreans’ first four singles (from 1969 to 1971) plus three other tracks, all recorded on Sylvia and Joe Robinson’s Stang label. This is wrist-slitting, throat-cutting, misery-loves-company music. The crawling "I’ll Erase Away Your Pain" (#14 R&B/1971) is the centerpiece, with lyrics like "Little girl, please stop your crying / Cause I’ll erase away your pain."
Breaks in the pain come with "Message From a Blackman," (their debut single on All Platinum/Stang’s subsidiary A&I Records) with its accompanying B-side "Dance To the Music," and "Souling With the Whatnauts," a frolicking instrumental. Those songs had many, who never saw the Whatnauts’s perform, believing that they were strictly a funk band. Radio DJ’s in the '70s frequently used "Souling"—the B-side of their Stang debut "Please Make the Love Go Away,"—for bumper music.
But the LP’s main theme is pain, pain and more pain. Garnett wails like he’s being tortured on "What’s Left To Give (After Giving It All)"; you can’t help but empathize with him as he sob-sings Wesaline Kerr’s heartbreaking lyrics. As pitifully poignant is the stark, wistful "I Just Can’t Lose Your Love." And "She’s Gone to Another" is the mother of pain; the 2:11 tear-jerker floats precariously on a gloomy rhythm bed topped by morose harmonies and a wretched lead vocal—it’s probably so short because Garnett broke down in the studio (if he didn’t, he sure sounds like he did). Songs like this make Introducing the Whatnauts a must hear for falsetto lovers and smooth harmony aficionados.
Since they didn’t write their own songs, studio skills and a hot live act were essential in getting others to craft material for them. Michael Watson (guitar), Curtis McTeer (bass) and Donald McCoy (drums) buoyed a sizzling Whatnauts’s band that was more advanced than All Platinum’s original house band. George Kerr used them in the studio on the Whatnauts’ and his own recordings (remember '3 Minutes 2 Hey Girl"); which is why the Whatnauts’ recordings are more polished than early tracks of their label mates, the Moments.
Of their three albums (and 10 singles) on Stang Records from 1970 to 1974, Introducing the Whatnauts is the creamiest. All three albums plus six bonus tracks, two versions of their number 25 R&B hit with the Moments, "Girls" (English and French), and a 1982 single "Help Is On the Way" that sold 90,000 copies are now available on The Definitive Whatnauts Collection on Deep Beats Records. For smaller doses of their unique heartfelt soul check out either of their two Collectables Records’s CDs: Message From a Blackman or I’ll Erase Your Pain. (credit to Musthear.com & Andrew Hamilton)
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