The Dells are an
R&BRhythm and blues is the name given to a wide-ranging genre of popular music created by African Americans in the late 1940s and early 1950s...
musical group who were one of the few groups to span music genres resulting in successful recordings surpassing more than four decades. Formed in 1952 after attending high school together, the Dells' repertoire has included
doo-wopDoo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music, which developed in African-American communities in the 1940s and which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. An African-American vocal style known as doo-wop emerged from the streets of northeastern and industrial midwest...
, jazz,
soulSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, disco and
contemporary rhythm and bluesUrban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, urban pop, and on occasion, Caribbean music such as reggae, reggaeton,...
. Unlike many of their contemporaries, the group's lineup did not change much from 1960 and consisted, until 2009, of
falsettoThe term falsetto refers to the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal cords, in whole or in part...
leader
Johnny CarterJohnny Carter was an American doo-wop and R&B singer. He was a founding member of The Flamingos and a member of The Dells. Both groups have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, making Carter one of the few multiple inductees...
(died August 21, 2009),
baritoneBaritone is a type of classical male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek βαρύτονος, meaning 'deep sounding', music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second G below middle C to the F above...
lead singer Marvin Junior and background singers Mickey McGill, Verne Allison and Chuck Barksdale.
The Dells grew up in
HarveyHarvey is a Chicago area city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 30,000, at the 2000 census, but a 2003 Census estimate showed the population dropped to 29,367....
,
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
and began singing together while attending
Thornton Township High SchoolThornton Township High School, often simply referred to as Thornton is a public high school founded in 1899. The school is located in Harvey, Illinois one of the south suburbs of the city of Chicago, Illinois. The school is one of three schools administered by Thornton Township High Schools...
.
The Dells are an
R&BRhythm and blues is the name given to a wide-ranging genre of popular music created by African Americans in the late 1940s and early 1950s...
musical group who were one of the few groups to span music genres resulting in successful recordings surpassing more than four decades. Formed in 1952 after attending high school together, the Dells' repertoire has included
doo-wopDoo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music, which developed in African-American communities in the 1940s and which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. An African-American vocal style known as doo-wop emerged from the streets of northeastern and industrial midwest...
, jazz,
soulSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, disco and
contemporary rhythm and bluesUrban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, urban pop, and on occasion, Caribbean music such as reggae, reggaeton,...
. Unlike many of their contemporaries, the group's lineup did not change much from 1960 and consisted, until 2009, of
falsettoThe term falsetto refers to the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal cords, in whole or in part...
leader
Johnny CarterJohnny Carter was an American doo-wop and R&B singer. He was a founding member of The Flamingos and a member of The Dells. Both groups have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, making Carter one of the few multiple inductees...
(died August 21, 2009),
baritoneBaritone is a type of classical male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek βαρύτονος, meaning 'deep sounding', music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second G below middle C to the F above...
lead singer Marvin Junior and background singers Mickey McGill, Verne Allison and Chuck Barksdale.
Early career
The Dells grew up in
HarveyHarvey is a Chicago area city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 30,000, at the 2000 census, but a 2003 Census estimate showed the population dropped to 29,367....
,
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
and began singing together while attending
Thornton Township High SchoolThornton Township High School, often simply referred to as Thornton is a public high school founded in 1899. The school is located in Harvey, Illinois one of the south suburbs of the city of Chicago, Illinois. The school is one of three schools administered by Thornton Township High Schools...
. Forming in 1952 under the name the El-Rays, the group initially consisted of Marvin Junior, Mickey McGill, Lucius McGill, Verne Allison, Chuck Barksdale and Johnny Funches. Two years later, the pared down quintet - Lucius left in 1954 - signed with the Chess brothers'
CheckerChecker Records was started in 1952 as a subsidiary of Chess Records. Like Cadet Records it stopped releasing records around 1971.Its most known artists include young Aretha Franklin, Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, J. B. Lenoir, Lowell Fulson, Little Milton, Arthur Crudup, Little Walter, Sonny Boy...
label and released a doo-wop single, "Darling I Know," that flopped.
In 1955, the group renamed themselves the Dells and signed with
Vee-Jay RecordsVee-Jay Records was a record label founded in the 1950s, specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. It was owned and operated by African Americans.-History:...
. In 1956, they recorded their first hit, "Oh What a Night" (a song co-written by Johnny Funches, who also sang lead on the recording), which peaked at the top five of the R&B singles chart. The song is ranked #260 on the
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Follow-ups to the hit failed to make a similar impact. In 1958, a tragic car accident threatened to derail the group with McGill early losing his leg in the accident. The group agreed to split up to bide time as McGill recovered.
Barksdale would join a new version of the doo-wop group
The MoonglowsThe Moonglows were an influential American R&B and doo-wop group based in Cleveland, Ohio.-Early years:Originally formed in their native Louisville, Kentucky as the Crazy Sounds, the group moved to Cleveland, where legendary disc jockey Alan Freed renamed them the Moonglows...
with a young
Marvin GayeMarvin Pentz Gay, Jr., better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and instrumentalist with a three-octave vocal range. Starting as a member of the doo-wop group The Moonglows in the late fifties, he ventured into a solo career after the group disbanded in 1960...
as a lead singer. McGill eventually successfully recovered from his injury with Barksdale returning to Illinois to rejoin the Dells in 1960 but not before Johnny Funches, frustrated with the group's slow progress, left permanently. He was replaced quickly by Johnny Carter, formerly of
The FlamingosThe Flamingos were a doo wop group from the United States, most popular in the mid to late 1950s.-Early quintet:Cousins Jacob Carey and Ezekial Carey , bass and 2nd tenor, respectively, formed the group in Chicago, Illinois, after meeting cousins baritone Paul Wilson and first tenor John E....
.
It would be the final lineup change for the group as they went on to sing background for
Dinah WashingtonDinah Washington was a blues, R&B and jazz singer. Despite dying at the early age of 39, Washington became one of the most influential vocalists of the twentieth century,. She is a 1986 inductee of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.-Early life:Washington was born Ruth Lee Jones in Tuscaloosa, Alabama...
,
Ray CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He brought a soulful sound to country music and pop standards through his Modern Sounds recordings, as well as a rendition of "America the Beautiful" that Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes called the "definitive version of...
, and
Barbara LewisBarbara Lewis is an American singer and songwriter whose smooth style influenced rhythm and blues.-Career:...
("Hello Stranger", 1963). The group was also being vocally fine-tuned by
Quincy JonesQuincy Delight Jones, Jr. is an American music conductor, record producer, musical arranger, film composer and trumpeter. During five decades in the entertainment industry, Jones has earned a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend Award in 1991...
and began to include jazz and
BroadwayBroadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...
-styled show tunes as part of their live and recording acts.
Successful years
In 1966, the Dells returned to Chess under the label's Cadet subsidiary working with Bobby Miller and future
Earth, Wind & FireEarth, Wind & Fire is an African American R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 and led by founder Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the Elements or the Elements of the Universe, the band has won ten Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock...
arranger Charles Stepney. In 1967, the Dells issued the album,
There Is, which included their first R&B chart-topper in years with the title track, which showcased the sharp baritone of Marvin Junior and the harmonies with the four other Dells. The song was also their first top 20 pop hit.
Subsequent R&B hits included "Wear It On Our Face", "Always Together", "I Can Sing A Rainbow/Love Is Blue" and their first number-one R&B hit and first top ten pop hit, 1968's "Stay in My Corner", which reached number ten on the pop chart. This showcased both Carter and Marvin in lead vocals. It was not until 1969, however, that the group suddenly became R&B stars with their revival of their first hit, "Oh What a Night", re-produced under a classic soul format. Marvin Junior's husky lead vocal on the new version was in stark contrast to the smooth tenor of Johnny Funches on their original recording. The song was their second number-one hit on the R&B charts and their second top ten pop single, also becoming their
signature songA signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
. Subsequent hits included "Open Up My Heart", "Oh What A Day" and "On The Dock Of The Bay".
In 1971, the Dells' "The Love We Had Stays on My Mind" became another top ten hit on the R&B charts, also reaching the pop Top 30. Charles Stepney had taken over production duties by then from Bobby Miller. By 1973's "Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation", their first certified gold record produced by Don Davis, the Dells were a top-selling recording and headlining act.
Later years
Leaving Cadet around the end of 1974 with the parent company in financial difficulties, the group would continue recording under the
MercuryMercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Music Group in the US, and are both subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal Music...
,
ABCABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company...
,
20th Century FoxTwentieth Century Fox Film Corporation , also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox, is one of the six major American film studios...
and
VirginVirgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. It was later sold to Thorn EMI, and then, in the US, merged with Capitol Records in 2007 to create the Capitol Music Group....
labels finding some hits including 1980's "I Touched a Dream", which returned the group to the top forty on the R&B charts. The Dells were confined mostly to the oldies market afterwards until they were asked to be creative consultants to
Robert TownsendRobert Townsend is an American actor, comedian, film director, and writer.-Biography:Townsend was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Shirley and Robert Townsend.-Television credits:...
's acclaimed 1991 musical,
The Five HeartbeatsThe Five Heartbeats is a 1991 musical drama film directed by Robert Townsend, who co-wrote the script with Keenan Ivory Wayans. Distributed by 20th Century Fox, the film's main cast includes Townsend, Michael Wright, Leon Robinson, Harry J. Lennix, Tico Wells, Harold Nicholas of the Nicholas...
, which was loosely based on the lives of the Dells. The group recorded a
George DukeGeorge Duke is a piano and synthesizer pioneer and singer. He made a name for himself with the album The Jean-Luc Ponty Experience with the George Duke Trio...
composition titled "
A Heart Is a House for Love"A Heart Is a House for Love" is a 1991 hit soul and R&B song composed by Tristin and Davitt Sigerson, and Bob Thiele and recorded by The Dells originally featured in the movie and on the soundtrack of The Five Heartbeats film "A Heart Is a House for Love" (title often confused with "A Heart Is A...
." The success of the song, issued on the movie's soundtrack, as it reached number thirteen on the R&B singles chart gave the Dells a jolt and helped to make them just the second group to chart singles in four consecutive decades after
The Isley BrothersThe Isley Brothers are an African-American R&B, soul music and Funk group. They are one of the few groups to have long-running success on the Billboard charts placing a charted single in every decade since 1959 and as of 2006 were still charting successful albums performing under a repertoire of...
. The success resulted in the group being signed to the Philadelphia International label where they recorded the album
I Salute You. In recent years, the Dells have kept a constant touring schedule still occasionally releasing albums including their latest, 2003's
HOTT. In 2004, the group was inducted to both the
Vocal Group Hall of FameThe Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor what they term "the Greatest Vocal Groups in the World". The Hall of Fame is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum.It was originally organized in 1998...
and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Original member Johnny Funches died of
pneumoniaPneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the lung. Frequently, it is described as lung parenchyma/alveolar inflammation and abnormal alveolar filling with fluid ....
on January 23, 1998, and his replacement Johnny Carter died of
cancerCancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth , invasion , and sometimes metastasis...
on August 21, 2009.
Members
Current members
- Marvin Junior (1952-58; 1960- ): baritone, lead vocals (born January 31, 1936, Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquin name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares a border with six states, with its eastern border largely defined by the Mississippi River. Its diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the...
)
- Verne Allison (1952-58; 1960- ): second tenor, background vocals (b. June 22, 1936, Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
)
- Mickey McGill (1952-58; 1960- ): baritone, background vocals (b. February 17, 1937, Chicago)
- Chuck Barksdale (1952-58; 1960- ): bass, background vocals (b. June 11, 1935, Chicago)
Former members
- Johnny Funches (1952-58): first tenor, lead vocals (b. July 18 1935, Chicago – January 23, 1998)
- Lucius McGill (1952-54): second tenor, background vocals (b. 1935, Chicago)
- Johnny Carter
Johnny Carter was an American doo-wop and R&B singer. He was a founding member of The Flamingos and a member of The Dells. Both groups have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, making Carter one of the few multiple inductees...
(1960-2009): first tenor/falsetto, lead vocals (June 2, 1934, Chicago – August 21, 2009)
Albums
Vee-JayVee-Jay Records was a record label founded in the 1950s, specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. It was owned and operated by African Americans.-History:...
releases:
- 1957: Oh What a Night
- 1965: It's Not Unusual
Cadet (
ChessChess Records was an American record label based in Chicago, Illinois. It specialized in blues, R&B, gospel music, early rock and roll, and occasional jazz releases....
) releases:
- 1968: There Is (#29 Pop; #4 R&B)
- 1968: Musical Menu (#146 Pop; #9 R&B)
- 1969: Love Is Blue
-Side 1:#Love Is Blue#Oh What A Night#Dock Of The Bay#A Little Understanding#One Mint Julep-Side 2:#A Whiter Shade Of Pale#A Summer Place#The Glory Of Love#Honey#Wichita Lineman/By The Time I Get To Phoenix-Recording:...
(#54 Pop; #3 R&B)
- 1970: The Dells' Greatest Hits (#102 Pop; #9 R&B)
- 1971: Like It Is, Like It Was (#126 Pop; #7 R&B)
- 1971: Freedom Means (#81 Pop; #4 R&B)
- 1972: Sweet As Funk Can Be (#33 R&B)
- 1972: The Dells Sing Dionne
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress, activist, United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, former United States Ambassador of Health, and humanitarian. She is best known for her partnership with songwriters and producers Burt Bacharach and Hal David...
(#162 Pop; #32 R&B)
- 1973: Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation (#99 Pop; #10 R&B)
- 1973: The Dells (#15 R&B)
- 1974: The Mighty Mighty Dells (#114 Pop; #13 R&B)
- 1975: The Dells vs. The Dramatics
The Dramatics are an American soul music vocal group, formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1962. They are best known for their 1972 million selling hit song, "In the Rain".-Career:...
(#156 Pop; #15 R&B)
- 1975: The Dells' Greatest Hits Volume 2 (#47 R&B)
MercuryMercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Music Group in the US, and are both subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal Music...
releases:
- 1975: We Got To Get Our Thing Together (#31 R&B)
- 1976: No Way Back
- 1977: They Said It Couldn't Be Done But We Did It (#40 R&B)
- 1977: Love Connection (#45 R&B)
ABCABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company...
releases:
- 1978: New Beginnings (#169 Pop; #55 R&B)
- 1979: Face to Face (#71 R&B)
20th Century Fox releases:
- 1980: I Touched a Dream (#137 Pop; #23 R&B)
- 1981: Whatever Turns You On
Other releases:
- 1984: One Step Closer
- 1988: The Second Time (#92 R&B)
- 1992: I Salute You
- 2000: Reminiscing
- 2002: Open Up My Heart: The 9/11 Album
- 2003: Hott
- 2008: Then and Now
Charted singles
- 1956: "Oh, What a Nite
"Oh, What a Night" was originally a doo-wop song by The Dells released in 1956 under the title "Oh What a Nite". The original peaked at number four on the R&B singles chart and was released on the Vee Jay Records label. Re-released in 1969, the song was refashioned as a soul song released on the...
" (#4 R&B)
- 1962: "The (Bossa Nova) Bird" (#97 Pop)
- 1965: "Stay in My Corner
Stay in My Corner is a 1965 soul single by The Dells. It was recorded under the Vee-Jay label and peaked in the top 30 on the R&B singles chart. Three years later, The Dells rerecorded, "Stay in My Corner on the Cadet label and took the new version of the song to number one for three weeks on...
" (#23 R&B)
- 1967: "O-O, I Love You" (#61 Pop, #22 R&B)
- 1968: "There Is" (#20 Pop, #11 R&B)
- 1968: "Wear It on Our Face" (#44 Pop, #27 R&B)
- 1968: "Stay in My Corner
Stay in My Corner is a 1965 soul single by The Dells. It was recorded under the Vee-Jay label and peaked in the top 30 on the R&B singles chart. Three years later, The Dells rerecorded, "Stay in My Corner on the Cadet label and took the new version of the song to number one for three weeks on...
" (#10 Pop, #1 R&B)
- 1968: "Always Together" (#18 Pop, #3 R&B)
- 1968: "Does Anybody Know I'm Here" (#38 Pop, #15 R&B)
- 1969: "Hallways of My Mind" (#92 Pop)
- 1969: "I Can't Do Enough" (#98 Pop, #20 R&B)
- 1969: "I Can Sing a Rainbow
"I Can Sing a Rainbow" is a popular children's classic song written by Arthur Hamilton. The song has been used to teach children names of colors. However, despite the name of the song, not all the colors mentioned are actually colors of the rainbow....
/Love Is Blue" (#22 Pop, #5 R&B, #15 UK)
- 1969: "Oh, What a Night
"Oh, What a Night" was originally a doo-wop song by The Dells released in 1956 under the title "Oh What a Nite". The original peaked at number four on the R&B singles chart and was released on the Vee Jay Records label. Re-released in 1969, the song was refashioned as a soul song released on the...
" (#10 Pop, #1 R&B)
- 1969: "On the Dock of the Bay
" The Dock of the Bay" is a song co-written by soul singer Otis Redding and guitarist Steve Cropper. It was first recorded by Otis Redding in 1967, shortly before his death. It was released posthumously on Stax Records' Volt label in 1968, becoming the first posthumous single in U.S...
" (#42 Pop, #13 R&B)
- 1970: "Oh What a Day" (#42 Pop, #10 R&B)
- 1970: "Open Up My Heart"/"Nadine" (#51 Pop, #5 R&B)
- 1970: "Long Lonely Nights" (#74 Pop, #27 R&B)
- 1971: "The Glory of Love" (#92 Pop, #30 R&B)
- 1971: "The Love We Had (Stays on My Mind)" (#30 Pop, #8 R&B)
- 1972: "It's All Up to You" (#94 Pop, #23 R&B)
- 1972: "Oh, My Dear" - (#36 R&B)
- 1972: "Just As Long As We're in Love" (#35 R&B)
- 1973: "Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation" (#34 Pop, #3 R&B)
- 1973: "My Pretending Days Are Over" (#51 Pop, #10 R&B)
- 1974: "I Miss You" (#60 Pop, #8 R&B)
- 1974: "Learning to Love You Was Easy (It's So Hard Trying to Get Over You)" (#18 R&B)
- 1974: "I Wish It Was Me You Loved" (#94 Pop, #11 R&B)
- 1974: "Bring Back the Love of Yesterday" (#87 Pop)
- 1975: "Love is Missing from Our Loves" (#46 R&B)
- 1975: "We Got to Get Our Thing Together" (#17 R&B)
- 1976: "Slow Motion" (#49 R&B)
- 1976: "The Power of Love" (#58 R&B)
- 1977: "Betcha Never Been Loved (Like This Before)" (#29 R&B)
- 1977: "Our Love" (#20 R&B)
- 1978: "Private Property" (#57 R&B)
- 1978: "Super Woman" (#24 R&B)
- 1979: "(You Bring Out) The Best in Me" (#34 R&B)
- 1980: "I Touched a Dream" (#17 R&B)
- 1980: "Passionate Breezes" (#76 R&B)
- 1989: "Thought of You Just a Little Too Much" (#66 R&B)
- 1991: "A Heart Is a House for Love
"A Heart Is a House for Love" is a 1991 hit soul and R&B song composed by Tristin and Davitt Sigerson, and Bob Thiele and recorded by The Dells originally featured in the movie and on the soundtrack of The Five Heartbeats film "A Heart Is a House for Love" (title often confused with "A Heart Is A...
" (#13 R&B)
- 1992: "Come and Get It" (#62 R&B)
- 1992: "Oh My Love" (#81 R&B)
External links