The Dells
Encyclopedia
The Dells are an R&B
and crossover musical group. Their successful recordings spanned more than four decades. Formed in 1952 after attending high school together, the Dells' repertoire has included doo-wop
, jazz, soul
, disco and contemporary rhythm and blues
. Unlike many of their contemporaries, the group's lineup did not change much from 1960 and consisted, until 2009, of falsetto
leader Johnny Carter
(died August 21, 2009), baritone
lead singer Marvin Junior and background singers Mickey McGill, Verne Allison and Chuck Barksdale.
, Illinois
and began singing together while attending Thornton Township High School
. 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' Checker
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 Records
. 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 hit the Top 5 of the R&B singles chart. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
. The song is ranked #260 on the Rolling Stone
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 car accident threatened to derail the group with McGill nearly losing his leg in the accident. The group agreed to split up to bide time as McGill recovered.
Barksdale joined a new version of the doo-wop group The Moonglows
. McGill eventually 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 by Johnny Carter, formerly of The Flamingos
.
It would be the final lineup change for the group as they went on to sing background for Dinah Washington
, Ray Charles
, and Barbara Lewis
("Hello Stranger", 1963). The group was also being vocally fine-tuned by Quincy Jones
and began to include jazz and Broadway
-styled show tunes as part of their live and recording acts.
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
(medley)" (UK
#15), and their first #1 R&B hit and first Top Ten pop hit, 1968's "Stay in My Corner," which reached #10 on the pop chart and 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 #1 hit on the R&B charts and their second Top Ten pop single while becoming a signature song
. The track sold over one million copies for the second time. 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. By this time Charles Stepney had taken over production duties from Bobby Miller. 1973's "Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation" was their third certified gold record. The song was written
by L.V. Johnson
and produced by Don Davis, and by then the Dells were a top-selling recording and headlining act.
, ABC
, 20th Century Fox
and Virgin
labels finding some hits including 1980's "I Touched a Dream", which returned the group to the Top 40 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 Townsend's acclaimed 1991 musical, The Five Heartbeats
, which was loosely based on the lives of the Dells. The group recorded a composition titled "A Heart Is a House for Love
". The success of the song issued on the movie's soundtrack---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 Brothers
. 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 Fame
and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Original member Johnny Funches died of pneumonia
on January 23, 1998, and his replacement Johnny Carter died of cancer
on August 21, 2009. Carter is one of the few artists in music history to be a double Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, having been inducted with The Flamingos
in 2001, and The Dells in 2004 .
Former members
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
and crossover musical group. Their successful recordings spanned more than four decades. Formed in 1952 after attending high school together, the Dells' repertoire has included doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
, jazz, soul
Soul music
Soul 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 blues
Urban contemporary
Urban 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, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
. Unlike many of their contemporaries, the group's lineup did not change much from 1960 and consisted, until 2009, of falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is 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 folds, in whole or in part...
leader Johnny Carter
Johnny Carter (singer)
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...
(died August 21, 2009), baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
lead singer Marvin Junior and background singers Mickey McGill, Verne Allison and Chuck Barksdale.
Early career
The Dells grew up in HarveyHarvey, Illinois
Harvey is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, near Chicago. The population was 30,000 at the 2000 census.Harvey is bordered by Dixmoor, Riverdale and Blue Island to the north, Posen and Markham to the west, South Holland, Phoenix, and Dolton to the east, and East Hazel Crest to the...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and began singing together while attending Thornton Township High School
Thornton Township High School
Thornton 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' Checker
Checker Records
Checker Records is an inactive record label that was started in 1952 as a subsidiary to Chess Records in Chicago, Illinois. The label was founded by the Chess brothers, Leonard and Phil, who ran the label until they sold it to General Recorded Tape in 1969, shortly before Leonard's death.The label...
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 Records
Vee-Jay Records
Vee-Jay Records is 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 hit the Top 5 of the R&B singles chart. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. The song is ranked #260 on the Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal 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...
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 car accident threatened to derail the group with McGill nearly losing his leg in the accident. The group agreed to split up to bide time as McGill recovered.
Barksdale joined a new version of the doo-wop group The Moonglows
The Moonglows
The Moonglows were an 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 disc jockey Alan Freed renamed them 'the Moonglows'...
. McGill eventually 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 by Johnny Carter, formerly of The Flamingos
The Flamingos
The Flamingos were a doo wop group from the United States, most popular in the mid to late 1950s and best known for their 1959 cover version of "I Only Have Eyes for You".-Early quintet:...
.
It would be the final lineup change for the group as they went on to sing background for Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington, born Ruth Lee Jones , was an American blues, R&B and jazz singer. She has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the '50s", and called "The Queen of the Blues"...
, Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, and Barbara Lewis
Barbara Lewis
Barbara Lewis , is an American singer and songwriter whose smooth style influenced rhythm and blues.-Career:Lewis was born in Salem, near Ann Arbor, Michigan...
("Hello Stranger", 1963). The group was also being vocally fine-tuned by Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
and began to include jazz and Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in 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
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
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
I Can Sing a Rainbow
"I Can Sing a Rainbow" is a popular song written by Arthur Hamilton. It was featured in the 1955 film Pete Kelly's Blues where it was sung by Peggy Lee...
- Love is Blue
Love is Blue
"L'amour est bleu" is a song whose music was composed by André Popp, and whose lyrics were written by Pierre Cour, in 1967. Brian Blackburn later wrote English-language lyrics for it...
(medley)" (UK
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#15), and their first #1 R&B hit and first Top Ten pop hit, 1968's "Stay in My Corner," which reached #10 on the pop chart and 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 #1 hit on the R&B charts and their second Top Ten pop single while becoming a signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
. The track sold over one million copies for the second time. 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. By this time Charles Stepney had taken over production duties from Bobby Miller. 1973's "Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation" was their third certified gold record. The song was written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by L.V. Johnson
L.V. Johnson
L.V. Johnson was an American Chicago blues and soul-blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is best known for his renditions of "Don't Cha Mess With My Money, My Honey Or My Woman" and "Recipe"...
and produced by Don Davis, and by then 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
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
, ABC
ABC Records
ABC 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 . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
, 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth 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 Virgin
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
labels finding some hits including 1980's "I Touched a Dream", which returned the group to the Top 40 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 Townsend's acclaimed 1991 musical, The Five Heartbeats
The Five Heartbeats
The 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 composition titled "A Heart Is a House for Love
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---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 Brothers
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
. 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 Fame
Vocal Group Hall of Fame
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor outstanding vocal groups throughout the world. It is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum....
and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Original member Johnny Funches died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
on January 23, 1998, and his replacement Johnny Carter died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on August 21, 2009. Carter is one of the few artists in music history to be a double Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, having been inducted with The Flamingos
The Flamingos
The Flamingos were a doo wop group from the United States, most popular in the mid to late 1950s and best known for their 1959 cover version of "I Only Have Eyes for You".-Early quintet:...
in 2001, and The Dells in 2004 .
Members
Current members- Marvin Junior (1952–58; 1960–present): baritone, lead vocals (born January 31, 1936, ArkansasArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
) - Verne Allison (1952–58; 1960–present): second tenor, background vocals (b. June 22, 1936, ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
) - Mickey McGill (1952–58; 1960–present): baritone, background vocals (b. February 17, 1937, Chicago)
- Chuck Barksdale (1952–58; 1960–present): bass, background vocals (b. June 11, 1935, Chicago)
Former members
- Johnny Funches (1952–58): first tenor, lead vocals (July 18, 1935, Chicago – January 23, 1998)
- Lucius McGill (1952–54): second tenor, background vocals (b. 1935, Chicago)
- Johnny CarterJohnny Carter (singer)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)
External links
- The Dells official website
- The Dells at Rock and Roll Hall of FameRock and Roll Hall of FameThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
- The Dells at Vocal Group Hall of FameVocal Group Hall of FameThe Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor outstanding vocal groups throughout the world. It is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum....