The Dells
| The Dells | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Genre (s) | Soul , Doo Wop |
| founding | 1953 as The El-Rays |
| resolution | 2012 |
| Founding members | |
| Marvin Junior | |
| Johnny Funches (until 1960) | |
Tenor singing |
Verne Allison |
Tenor singing |
Lucius McGill (until 1953) |
Baritone singing |
Mickey McGill |
| Chuck Barksdale | |
| Last occupation | |
Baritone singing |
Marvin Junior |
Tenor singing |
Johnny Carter (from 1960) |
Tenor singing |
Verne Allison |
Baritone singing |
Mickey McGill |
bass |
Chuck Barksdale |
The Dells was a black R & B - song tape that had recorded their greatest success in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Band history
The band was formed in 1953 in Harvey , a southern suburb of Chicago . Marvin Junior († 2013), Johnny Funches, Verne Allison, Lucius and Mickey McGill and Chuck Barksdale all went to school together in Harvey and decided together to form a band that was initially called The El-Rays. In the same year they recorded their first single Darling I Know for Checker Records , a sub-label of Chess . It flopped and only a little later Lucius McGill (1935-2014) left the band, which was then renamed The Dells.
In 1955, the Dells signed to Vee Jay Records and released the ballad Dreams of Contentment , which became a mini R&B hit. Oh What a Nite , today a classic, even made it to number 4 on the R&B charts in 1956, but the band was initially unable to repeat the success of the song. In 1958, on the way to a gig in Philadelphia , the band's car crashed. Junior's larynx was injured and his voice changed slightly, and McGill almost lost a leg. The Dells then decided to take a break. Barksdale temporarily became a member of the Moonglows .
In 1960, the Dells began their return as the opening and backing band on a tour of Dinah Washington . Funches decided not to take part anymore and to devote himself to his family. He was replaced by Johnny Carter. The band toured with Washington for two years, working alongside Kirk Stewart . Eventually the Dells signed with Argo Records , another Chess sub-label, where they released four jazz- oriented singles. They all flopped. They then returned to Vee-Jay in 1964 and had a Top 30 R&B hit with Stay in My Corner in 1965 . When Vee-Jay went bankrupt in 1966, the band switched to Cadet Records , also a Chess sub-label. Thinking About You and Run for Cover became local hits after all. Also, the Dells backing band were Ray Charles .
When Cadet hired Bobby Miller as producer and Charles Stepney as arranger in 1967 , the Dells' breakthrough began. The album There Is included four hit singles, including a remake of Stay in My Corner , which made it to the top of the R&B and top 10 of the pop charts. 1968 Always Together brought four more hits and 1969 Love Is Blue included a remake of Oh What a Nite , which had the same success as the Stay-in-My-Corner remake. In early 1970 Miller began to devote himself to other projects, so Stepney was the producer of the 1970 work Freedom Means . The ballad The Love We Had (Stays on My Mind) from the album became a hit. In 1972 the Dells released an LP with interpretations of Dionne Warwick songs. With Don Davis as the new producer, the Dells had their first million- seller in 1973 with Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation . In 1975, after a few more hits, the band left Cadet and moved to Mercury Records .
Since the time at Mercury was hardly successful, there was another label change in 1978, this time to ABC . But even there was no success and the Dells signed with 20th Century Records . I Touched a Dream , produced by Eugen Record in 1980, received excellent reviews and again achieved greater success. The success of the follow-up LP Whatever Turns You On declined noticeably and the Dells withdrew from the studio. In 1988 the album Second Time was released , which flopped. In the early 1990s, Robert Townsend hired the Dells for his film The Five Heartbeats , which is about a fictional vocal band. The Heart Is a House for Love from the soundtrack became a minor R&B hit in 1991. Another album, I Salute You , was released on Zoo Records in 1992 . Despite more contemporary music, it flopped. In the next few years, the Dells were mostly on tour. In 2000 a new album was released with Reminiscing . In 2004 the Dells were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame .
The End
The band was active until 2012. One year later, co-founder Marvin Junior died at the age of 77. In 2009 Johnny Carter died at the age of 75.
Discography
Albums
| year | Title music label |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US
|
R&B
|
|||
| 1968 | There Is Cadet 804 |
US29 (29 weeks) US |
R&B4 (39 weeks) R&B |
First published: May 1968
|
| 1969 | The Dells Musical Menu / Always Together Cadet 822 |
US146 (10 weeks) US |
R&B9 (20 weeks) R&B |
First published: February 1969
|
| Love Is Blue Cadet 829 |
US54 (24 weeks) US |
R&B3 (34 weeks) R&B |
First published: August 1969
|
|
| 1970 | Like It Is, Like It Was Cadet 837 |
US126 (12 weeks) US |
R&B7 (18 weeks) R&B |
First published: February 1970
|
| 1971 | Freedom Means ... Cadet 50004 |
US81 (16 weeks) US |
R&B4 (20 weeks) R&B |
First published: August 1971
|
| 1972 | Sing Dionne Warwicke's Greatest Hits Cadet 50017 |
US162 (5 weeks) US |
R&B32 (4 weeks) R&B |
First published: June 1972
|
| Sweet as Funk Can Be Cadet 50021 |
- |
R&B33 (12 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1972
|
|
| 1973 | Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation Cadet 50037 |
US99 (9 weeks) US |
R&B10 (13 weeks) R&B |
First published: June 1973
|
| The Dells Cadet 50046 |
- |
R&B15 (28 weeks) R&B |
First published: October 1973
|
|
| 1974 | The Dells vs. The Dramatics Cadet 60027 |
US156 (6 weeks) US |
R&B15 (25 weeks) R&B |
First published: March 1974
with The Dramatics |
| The Mighty Mighty Dells Cadet 60030 |
US114 (8 weeks) US |
R&B13 (13 weeks) R&B |
First published: September 1974
|
|
| 1975 | We Got to Get Our Thing Together Cadet 60044 |
- |
R&B31 (8 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1975
|
| 1976 | No Way Back Mercury 1084 |
- |
R&B47 (5 weeks) R&B |
First published: May 1976
|
| 1977 | They Said It Couldn't Be Done, but We Did It! Mercury 1145 |
- |
R&B40 (6 weeks) R&B |
First published: April 1977
|
| 1978 | Love Connection Mercury 3711 |
- |
R&B45 (6 weeks) R&B |
First published: December 1977
|
| New Beginnings ABC 1100 |
US169 (3 weeks) US |
R&B55 (3 weeks) R&B |
First published: August 1978
|
|
| 1979 | Face to Face ABC 1113 |
- |
R&B71 (6 weeks) R&B |
First published: February 1979
|
| 1980 | I Touched a Dream 20th Century 618 |
US137 (12 weeks) US |
R&B23 (25 weeks) R&B |
First published: July 1980
|
| 1984 | One Step Closer Private I 39309 |
- |
R&B49 (8 weeks) R&B |
First published: April 1984
|
| 1989 | The Second Time Veteran 1988 |
- |
R&B92 (2 weeks) R&B |
First published: February 1989
|
More albums
- 1959: Oh, What a Nite
- 1965: It's Not Unusual
- 1974: In Concert
- 1981: Whatever Turns You On
- 1992: I Salute You
- 2000: Reminiscing
- 2008: Then and Now
Compilations
| year | Title music label |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
R&B
|
|||
| 1969 | The Dells Greatest Hits Cadet 824 |
US102 (22 weeks) US |
R&B9 (29 weeks) R&B |
First published: June 1969
|
| 1975 | The Dells Greatest Hits Volume 2 Cadet 60036 |
- |
R&B47 (7 weeks) R&B |
First published: February 1975
|
More compilations
- 1968: Stay in My Corner
- 1972: The Best of the Dells
- 1977: Cornered (2 LPs)
- 1982: The Dells
- 1983: Rockin 'on Bandstand
- 1984: Breezy Ballads & Tender Tunes
- 1985: From Streetcorner to Soul
- 1988: Vintage Gold (mini album)
- 1989: Oh What a Night
- 1995: Passionate Breezes: The Best of 1975-1991
- 1997: On Their Corner: The Best of the Dells
- 1998: The Great Ballads
- 1999: Anthology (2 CDs)
- 2000: The Best of the Dells
- 2000: The Very Best of the Dells
- 2004: Ultimate Collection
- 2006: It's Not Unusual: The Very Best of the Vee Jay Years 1955-1965
- 2007: Standing Ovation: The Very Best of 1966–1981 (2 CDs)
- 2007: The Best of the Vee-Jay Years
- 2015: The Complete Early Singles Collection
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | [↑]: treated together with the previous entry; [←]: placed in both charts |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 UK
|
US
|
R&B
|
Dance
|
||||
| 1956 | Oh What a Nite Oh, What a Nite |
- | - |
R&B4 (11 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: September 1956
Authors: Johnny Funches, Marvin Junior |
|
| 1962 | The (Bossa Nova) Bird |
- |
US97 (3 weeks) US |
- | - |
First published: November 1962
Authors: Billy Davis, Shirley Hall |
|
| 1965 | Stay in My Corner It's Not Unusual |
- | - |
R&B23 (4 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: May 1965
Authors: Barrett Strong , Bobby Miller, Wade Flemons |
|
| 1967 | OO, I Love You There Is |
- |
US61 (10 weeks) US |
R&B22 (9 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: September 1967
Author: Bobby Miller |
|
| 1968 | There is there is |
- |
US20 (11 weeks) US |
R&B11 (9 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: December 1967
Authors: Bobby Miller, Raynard Miner |
|
| Wear It on Our Face There Is |
- |
US44 (8 weeks) US |
R&B27 (7 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: March 1968
Author: Bobby Miller |
||
| Stay in My Corner (New Version) There Is |
- |
US10 (13 weeks) US |
R&B1 (18 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: June 1968
Arranger: Charles Stepney |
||
| Always Together The Dells Musical Menu / Always Together |
- |
US18 (8 weeks) US |
R&B3 (13 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: September 1968
Author: Bobby Miller |
||
| Does Anybody Know I'm Here The Dells Musical Menu / Always Together |
- |
US38 (9 weeks) US |
R&B15 (8 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: December 1968
Author: Bobby Miller |
||
| 1969 | I Can't Do Enough The Dells Musical Menu / Always Together |
- |
US98 (2 weeks) US |
R&B20 (8 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: February 1969
Author: Bobby Miller |
|
| Hallways of My Mind The Dells Musical Menu / Always Together |
- |
US92 (4 weeks) US |
R&B44 (2 weeks) R&B |
- |
B-side of I Can't Do Enough
Author: Bobby Miller |
||
| I Can Sing a Rainbow / Love Is Blue (Medley) Love Is Blue |
UK15 (9 weeks) UK |
US22 (10 weeks) US |
R&B5 (12 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: May 1969
Authors: Arthur Hamilton / Pierre Cour, André Popp, Bryan Blackburn Original: Vicky Leandros - L'amour est bleu , 1967 |
||
| Oh, What a Night (New Version) Love Is Blue |
- |
US10 (11 weeks) US |
R&B1 (13 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: July 1969
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame No. 263 on the Rolling Stone 500 (list 2010) Arranger: Charles Stepney |
||
|
On the Dock of the Bay Love Is Blue |
- |
US42 (8 weeks) US |
R&B13 (6 weeks) R&B |
- | |||
| 1970 | Oh What a Day Like It Is Like It Was |
- |
US43 (8 weeks) US |
R&B10 (10 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: January 1970
Author: Michael McGill |
|
| Open Up My Heart / Nadine Like It Is Like It Was |
- |
US51 (8 weeks) US |
R&B5 (19 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: March 1970
Authors: Bobby Miller / Allan Freed |
||
| Long Lonely Nights Like It Is Like It Was |
- |
US74 (7 weeks) US |
R&B27 (7 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: July 1970
Authors: Lee Andrews, Bernice Davis, Doug Henderson, Mimi Uniman Original: Lee Andrews & the Hearts, 1957 |
||
| 1971 | The Glory of Love Love Is Blue |
- |
US92 (2 weeks) US |
R&B30 (6 weeks) R&B |
- | ||
| The Love We Had (Stays on My Mind) Freedom Means ... |
- |
US30 (12 weeks) US |
R&B8 (15 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: July 1971
Authors: Terry Callier , Larry Wade |
||
| 1972 | It's All Up to You Freedom Means ... |
- |
US94 (3 weeks) US |
R&B23 (6 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: January 1972
Authors: Terry Callier, Larry Wade |
|
| Oh, My Dear Sweet as Funk Can Be |
- | - |
R&B36 (6 weeks) R&B |
- |
B-side of It's All Up to You
Authors: Terry Callier, Larry Wade |
||
| Just as Long as We're in Love Sweet as Funk Can Be |
- | - |
R&B35 (8 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: October 1972
Authors: Terry Callier, Larry Wade |
||
| 1973 | Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation |
- |
US34  (16 weeks)US |
R&B3 (16 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: April 1973
Authors: Henry Williams, Marv Johnson |
|
| My Pretending Days Are Over The Dells |
- |
US51 (8 weeks) US |
R&B10 (16 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: August 1973
Authors: Don Davis, Herbert Ross, James Dean |
||
| I Miss You The Dells |
- |
US60 (7 weeks) US |
R&B8 (16 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: November 1973
Authors: Leon Huff , Kenny Gamble Original: Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes , 1972 |
||
| 1974 | I Wish It Was Me You Loved The Dells vs. The dramatics |
- |
US94 (2 weeks) US |
R&B11 (13 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: April 1974
Author: Jackie Avery |
|
| Learning to Love You Was Easy (It's So Hard Trying to Get over You) The Mighty Mighty Dells |
- | - |
R&B18 (12 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: July 1974
Author: Jimmy Roach |
||
| Bring Back the Love of Yesterday The Mighty Mighty Dells |
- |
US87 (3 weeks) US |
- | - |
B-side of Learning to Love You Was Easy
Author: Willie Schofield |
||
| 1975 | The Glory of Love (Longer Version) Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation |
- | - |
R&B59 (7 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: April 1975
|
|
| Love Is Missing from Our Lives The Dells vs. The dramatics |
- | - |
R&B46 (10 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: June 1975
with The Dramatics Writer: Tony Hester |
||
| We Got to Get Our Thing Together We Got to Get Our Thing Together |
- | - |
R&B17 (13 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: October 1975
Authors: Calvin Arlin, James Dean, James Avery |
||
| 1976 | The Power of Love We Got to Get Our Thing Together |
- | - |
R&B58 (8 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: January 1976
Author: Lawton Williams |
|
| Slow Motion No Way Back |
- | - |
R&B49 (12 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: June 1976
Authors: Andre Moore, Ivy Jo Hunter, Charles Leverett |
||
| No way back, no way back |
- | - |
R&B68 (5 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: September 1976
Authors: Andrew "Mike" Terry, Robert Emanuel Brooks, Walter Morris |
||
| 1977 | They Said It Couldn't Be Done, but We Did It! They Said It Couldn't Be Done, but We Did It! |
- | - | - |
Dance12 (7 weeks) Dance |
Album track
authors: Allan Felder, Norman Harris, Ronald Tyson |
|
| Our Love They Said It Couldn't Be Done, but We Did It! |
- | - |
R&B20 (12 weeks) R&B[Dance: ↑] |
First published: April 1977
Authors: Allan Felder, Norman Harris, Ronald Tyson |
|||
| Rich Man, Poor Man (Peace) They Said It Couldn't Be Done, but We Did It! |
- | - | -[Dance: ↑] |
Album track
authors: Allan Felder, TG Conway, Ronald Tyson |
|||
| Betcha Never Been Loved (Like This Before) They Said It Couldn't Be Done, but We Did It! |
- | - |
R&B29 (17 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: July 1977
Authors: Allan Felder, Norman Harris, Ron Kersey, Ronald Tyson |
||
| 1978 | Private Property Love Connection |
- | - |
R&B57 (9 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: January 1978
Authors: Edward Moore, Ron Tyson |
|
| Super Woman New Beginnings |
- | - |
R&B24 (13 weeks) R&B |
- |
First publication: June 1978
Authors: Iran Koster, Teddy Randazzo, Victoria Pike |
||
| 1979 | (You Bring Out) The Best in Me Face to Face |
- | - |
R&B34 (10 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: January 1979
Authors: Darryl Carter, Jonah Ellis |
|
| 1980 | I touched a dream |
- | - |
R&B17 (17 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: July 1980
Author: Eugene Record |
|
| All About the Paper I Touched a Dream |
- | - | - |
Dance72 (8 weeks) Dance |
B-side of I Touched a Dream
Authors: Clarence McDonald, Lowrell Simon |
||
| Passionate Breezes I Touched a Dream |
- | - |
R&B76 (5 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: November 1980
Authors: Chuck Jackson, Marvin Yancey |
||
| 1984 | You Just Can't Walk Away One Step Closer |
- | - |
R&B23 (14 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: January 1984
Authors: Chuck Jackson, Marvin Yancey |
|
| One Step Closer One Step Closer |
- | - |
R&B46 (8 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: April 1984
Authors: Chuck Jackson, Marvin Yancey |
||
| Love On One Step Closer |
- | - |
R&B60 (9 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: July 1984
Authors: Chuck Jackson, Marvin Yancey, Tony Coleman |
||
| 1989 | Thought of You Just a Little Too Much The Second Time |
- | - |
R&B66 (8 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: January 1989
Authors: Andre Miller, Cornell Ward, Harold Currington, Otis Leavil |
|
| 1991 | A Heart Is a House for Love The Five Heartbeats (Soundtrack) |
- | - |
R&B13 (15 weeks) R&B |
- |
First released: March 1991
from the soundtrack of The Five Heartbeats. Authors: Keenen Ivory Wayans , Robert Townsend |
|
| 1992 | Come and Get It I Salute You |
- | - |
R&B62 (6 weeks) R&B |
- |
First published: May 1992
Authors: Terry Stubbs, Derrick "Doc" Pearson |
|
| Oh My Love I Salute You |
- | - |
R&B81 (4 weeks) R&B |
- | |||
gray hatching : no chart data available for this year
More singles
- 1954: Darling I Know (as The El Rays, released in May)
- 1955: Tell the World (release: April)
- 1955: Zing Zing Zing (release: December)
- 1956: Movin 'On (released December)
- 1957: Why Do You Have to Go (release: March)
- 1957: Q-Bop She-Bop (Cubop Chebop) (Release: August)
- 1957: Pain in My Heart (release: August)
- 1958: I'm Calling
- 1958: The Springer (release: April)
- 1958: Wedding Day (release: December)
- 1959: Dry Your Eyes (release: September)
- 1960: Oh What a Nite / I Wanna Go Home (released January)
- 1961: Swingin 'Teens (released April)
- 1962: God Bless the Child (released May)
- 1963: Hi Diddley Dee Dum Dum (It's a Good Good Feelin ') (released June)
- 1963: Goodbye Mary Ann (release: October)
- 1963: Baby, Open Up Your Heart (release: October)
- 1964: I Wanna Go Home (with Al Smith's Orchestra; released January)
- 1964: Shy Girl (released May)
- 1964: Oh What a Good Nite / Wait Till Tomorrow (release: August 17th)
- 1965: Hey Sugar (Don't Get Serious) (released December)
- 1966: Thinkin 'About You (released June)
- 1966: Run for Cover (release: December)
- 1967: Inspiration (release: April)
- 1972: Walk On By (release: June)
- 1978: I Wanna Testify (release: October)
- 1981: Your Song (released January)
- 1981: Happy Song (release: October)
- 1991: My Lady, So Perfect for Me
- 1991: That's How Heartaches Are Made
swell
- ^ Obituary for Marvin Junior
- ↑ a b c Chart sources: UK Billboard Hot 100 Billboard 200
- ↑ a b c gold / platinum database US
- ↑ RS500 Songs (List 2010)
Web links
- The Dells at Allmusic (English)
- The Dells at Discogs (English)
- Detailed biography of Marvin Goldberg (English)
- Discography at 45cat.com