The Del-Vikings were formed in 1955 by members of the United States Air Force stationed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with Clarence Quick (February 2, 1937 – May 5, 1983), Kripp Johnson (May 16, 1933 – June 22, 1990), Don Jackson, Samuel Paterson, Bernard Robertson and Clarence Harvey Ringo. Because all of the members were in the armed forces, the group constantly ran the risk of being disrupted by members being stationed in other places. This happened soon after the group's forming when Paterson and Robertson were sent to Germany. They were replaced by baritone David Lerchey, the group's first white member, and tenor Norman Wright. Norman Wright had started a group with Lawrence "Prince" Lloyd called The Valverteens from Amarillo Air Force Base,Texas before joining The Del-Vikings.
The band's name was created by Clarence Quick while talking to Clarence Ringo at the library on base. Some sources say that the band members had read about Vikings with the prefix "Del" being "added to give the group name an air of mystery." Another suggestion is that Clarence Quick had known of a basketball team in Brooklyn, New York, called the Vikings and had suggested the name. The name may also have originated from the popular Viking Press, publisher of paperbacks that group members liked to read. Clarence Harvey Ringo is vehement about the name being created by him and Clarence Quick at the Greater Pittsburgh airbase library, although he is largely uncredited for his contribution.
Their first hit came in December 1956 with "Come Go with Me", released on Fee Bee Records as catalog number FB-205. In January 1957 Dot Records re-released "Come Go With Me" as Dot 45-15538, taking it nationally. The group quickly found itself in greater demand following Dot's re-release which propelled the group into the Top 10 on Billboard's pop chart. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Soon after, Jackson left and was replaced by Gus Backus, the group's second white member.
All of the group members, other than Kripp Johnson, were under 21 when they signed their recording contract with Fee Bee (a tiny Pittsburgh label, which was later distributed by Dot Records). Having signed the contract as minors, they had the right to be released from it. In 1957, under the direction of their manager, Alan Strauss, they left to record at Mercury Records. Johnson, who was still bound to Fee Bee/Dot, stayed, thus creating two Del Viking groups. The original group replaced Johnson with Quick's friend William Blakely and recorded the Backus-led song "Cool Shake". Kripp Johnson constructed a new group with the returning Don Jackson, Chuck Jackson, Arthur Budd, and Ed Everette. This group recorded the Kripp Johnson-led "I'm Spinning", billing themselves as the Dell Vikings. Dot also released "Whispering Bells", with Kripp Johnson again featured on lead. The Dot label added an 's' to his name which read "featuring 'Krips' Johnson". It reached number nine on Billboard's Top 100 chart. Around this time, some old Fee Bee demo tracks had been sold to an up-and-coming record company, Luniverse, who overdubbed a backing track on these accapella songs, which included an early version of "Come Go with Me". The overdubbed demo was included as a track on an eight-song album subsequently released by Luniverse. Only one single was released from these Luniverse overdubs—"Somewhere Over The Rainbow"/ "Hey Senorita".
Johnson's Dot group had an extra advantage—he had been discharged from the USAF and his group could tour freely, while the original group needed to seek military leave in order to tour. Mercury sued, claiming it had sole rights to any spelling of the group's name, and the Dell-Vikings briefly became The Versatiles, with singles being billed to "Kripp Johnson and the Versatiles" or "Chuck Jackson and the Versatiles". The group broke up, with Chuck Jackson going on to a successful solo career.
Meanwhile, the original group had begun to fall apart. Gus Backus was re-stationed, leaving the group a quartet. They broke up soon after. Quick restructured the group with new talent from the Pittsburgh area—lead tenor, Billie Woodruff, Willie Green, Douglass White, and Ritzy Lee. By the end of 1957, with the breakup of the "Dell" Vikings, Kripp Johnson returned to the original group, making them a sextet. They signed to ABC-Paramount. While the nucleus of the group was back, they weren't able to chart any more hits, and the group split up in 1965.
The Del Vikings were back in 1970 with a near original line-up- Clarence Quick, Kripp Johnson, Norman Wright, Dave Lerchey, and William Blakely. The group re-recorded many of their old hits for Scepter Records; a new version of "Come Go With Me" made the Bubbling Under The Hot 100 chart in 1973 (it also wound up on the Easy Listening chart, where it peaked that year at #32). Things began to unravel quickly, however, as members began to leave once again. David Finley was in one of the lead spots from 1972-76. Another group, with lead singer Billy Woodruff, Ritzy Lee, Terry Young, Mona Lisa Young and Paul Moser lasted a short time in the mid-seventies. Later in the seventies, the group was Quick, Blakely, Louis C. Velez (whom Quick, now the only original member, selected to replace him when he was no longer able to perform), Arthur Martinez, and Jerry Williams.
In 1980, Kripp Johnson restarted the "Dell" Vikings with Dave Lerchey, 1960s member Ritzy Lee, and new member John Byas. Norman Wright rejoined this group in 1990. In the Del Vikings, Jerry Williams was replaced by Herbert McQueen.
Frank "Mingo" Ayers replaced William Blakely in the early 80s. He suffered some health problems after a short time and Dickie Harmon was brought in as a sub. The group lost its last original member, Clarence Quick, when he died on May 5, 1983. His place was taken by Lloyd "Butch" Phillips. Leroy Binns of the Charts supplied bass vocals for a time—later being taken over by Bernard "BJ" Jones (current member of the Dubs.) After Frank Ayers return, Dickie Harmon became a permanent member and Louis Velez took over bass vocals. They continued recording, and released an album in 1991 for BVM Records entitled Rock and Roll Remembered.
Kripp Johnson died in 1990. His group (John Byas, Dave Lerchey, Norman Wright, and Ritzy Lee) continued to perform at major resorts in the US, Canada, and Caribbean, as well as major cruise lines and various casinos. After the death of John Byas in 1999, Norman Wright left and reformed another group with his sons Anthony Wright and Norman Wright, Jr., and friend Mike Machado. Dave Lerchey retired but occasionally performed with this incarnation of the group and it was this group, with Lerchey, that was featured on the PBS special Doo Wop 50 in 1999.
Lerchey formed another Del Vikings group in the mid-90s shortly before his death on January 29, 2005.[9] The group consisted of Lerchey, Danny Ardell, Tommy West, and Joe Rios.
Frank Ayers would later be out of the Clarence Quick group at which time the group would reorganize with bassman Les Levine entering and Harmon taking over lead vocals. Ayers died in 1999. 2002 marked Dickie Harmon leaving the group and becoming a member of The Teenagers and the death of Lloyd "Butch" Phillips. Phillips, Harmon, and Binns had backed up Joe Grier as The Charts that year. By the mid 2000s, the line-up was Velez, Martinez, Les Levine, Ron Coleman, and Reggie Walker. Unfortunately, after a long battle with ill health, "Sweet" Lou Velez died on May 31, 2008. Shelly Wengrovsky joined the group in the middle of 2008. During the latter part of 2009, Ron Coleman joined "The Channels". Reggie Walker died on January 25, 2010. The addition of Lewis McMillan and Bobby Walker in April 2010 now completes the quintet.
Norman Wright died on April 23, 2010.
The group's biggest hits have been used in such films as American Graffiti, American Hot Wax, The Hollywood Knights, Diner, Stand By Me, and Joe Versus the Volcano.
Ritzy Lee, who was a member of The Del-Vikings from 1959 until his retirement in 2003, is now part owner of a recording company titled Rock Bottom Blues Company based in Beverly Hills, CA. Along with Robert "Junior" Brantley, and Sam McWhorter, co-founders of the company, Lee is recording, and producing entertainers in the blues, rock, and pop fields in the US and Asia.
Gus Backus (September 12, 1937 – February 21, 2019) was stationed as an Airman in the U.S. Air Force at Wiesbaden Air Base in 1957, Backus had to leave The Del-Vikings but he later became a popular singer of Schlager music in 1960s West Germany. He sang all his songs in German with an American accent. 19 of his songs between 1960 and 1967 made the charts, including eight Top Ten hits. He landed a Number 1 hit in the German charts with his song Der Mann im Mond (The Man in the Moon) in 1961. Backus also did German cover versions of songs by Elvis Presley, Paul Anka and Conway Twitty.
Understand
The Del-Vikings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bread knife to my throat
You cracked a smile and kissed me
And you cut me like a loaf
But lying on the gurney
Bleeding like a pig
I took your hands and worried
Even when it's hurting
I hope you understand what you are to me
I hope you understand what you are to me
And maybe I deserve it
I hope you understand what you are to me
I hope you understand what you are to me
I wanna take you with me
Airplane food for two
I'll put you in my suitcase
And come out barely bruised
I'm so scared of the distance
I'm scared of how you feel
When you're back in his living room
And I'm holding back tears
Now I'm sucking on a stranger
And I'm picturing you move
You speak to me in languages
You learned in boarding school
Even when it's hurting
I hope you understand what you are to me
I hope you understand what you are to me
And maybe I deserve it
I hope you understand what you are to me
I hope you understand what you are to me
I don't wanna move out west
Wait on tables in Venice
Beg my brother for money and a credit card for the rest
Falling sicker and sicker of the bartering with myself
Sign my life to a label
Getting famous and getting shelved
No I don't wanna fol-
I don't wanna follow
"Do you have anything to say?"
"What do I have to say?"
"Anything else?"
Even when it's hurting
I hope you understand what you are to me
I hope you understand what you are to me
And maybe I deserve it
I hope you understand what you are to me
I hope you understand what you are to me
The lyrics to The Del-Vikings's song "Understand" depict a complex and emotionally intense relationship. The singer describes a dream in which their partner kills them with a bread knife but then kisses them with a smile. The image of being cut like a loaf symbolizes the pain and harm caused by this person. Despite the betrayal, the singer still cares deeply for their partner, as shown by their concern for how the partner would live without them.
The second verse expresses the singer's fear of distance and the emotional turmoil they experience when imagining their partner with someone else. The singer is desperate to keep their partner close, even if it means hiding inside a suitcase. The mention of sucking on a stranger while picturing the partner suggests a sense of longing and dissatisfaction with the current situation.
The third verse explores the singer's apprehension about pursuing their own dreams. They do not want to move out west, work in Venice, or compromise their artistic integrity by signing with a label. The fear of succumbing to the pressures of the industry and losing themselves is evident. The final lines, where the singer is asked if they have anything else to say, indicate a sense of resignation and perhaps a lack of words to fully express their emotions.
Overall, "Understand" captures the complexities of love and the pain that comes with it. Despite the hurt and the understanding that they may deserve it, the singer still hopes their partner comprehends their significance and the depth of their feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a dream you killed me
In my dream, I imagined that you were the cause of my demise
Bread knife to my throat
You threatened me with a bread knife aimed at my neck
You cracked a smile and kissed me
In spite of the danger, you found amusement and affection in the situation
And you cut me like a loaf
You hurt me deeply, leaving wounds like a sliced loaf of bread
But lying on the gurney
While lying on the hospital bed
Bleeding like a pig
Bleeding profusely, reminiscent of a pig being slaughtered
I took your hands and worried
I grasped your hands in concern
How without me you'd live
I contemplated how you would manage to live without my presence
Even when it's hurting
Despite the pain I experience
I hope you understand what you are to me
I desire for you to comprehend the significance you hold in my life
And maybe I deserve it
Perhaps I am deserving of the pain I am enduring
I wanna take you with me
I yearn to have you accompany me
Airplane food for two
We will share meals together on airplanes
I'll put you in my suitcase
I will sneak you into my luggage
And come out barely bruised
Emerging with minimal harm or injury
I'm so scared of the distance
I am filled with fear regarding the physical separation between us
I'm scared of how you feel
I am anxious about your emotions towards me
When you're back in his living room
When you return to spending time in his living space
And I'm holding back tears
I am suppressing my tears and emotions
Now I'm sucking on a stranger
Currently, I am engaging in intimacy with an unfamiliar person
And I'm picturing you move
During this act, I am imagining your movements and actions
You speak to me in languages
You communicate with me using various foreign languages
You learned in boarding school
Languages that you acquired during your time at a boarding school
I don't wanna move out west
I have no desire to relocate to the western region
Wait on tables in Venice
I am unwilling to work as a waiter/waitress in Venice
Beg my brother for money and a credit card for the rest
I do not wish to depend on my brother for financial support and a credit card to cover my expenses
Falling sicker and sicker of the bartering with myself
I am growing tired and increasingly frustrated with the internal negotiations and compromises I make
Sign my life to a label
I am willing to surrender and commit my life to a record label
Getting famous and getting shelved
Although achieving fame, I fear being neglected or forgotten by the label
No I don't wanna fol-
No, I do not wish to follow that path or conform
I don't wanna follow
I resist conforming to societal expectations and norms
"Do you have anything to say?"
"Is there anything you would like to express?"
"What do I have to say?"
"What is there for me to say?"
"Anything else?"
"Is there anything additional?"
Even when it's hurting
Despite the pain and discomfort
I hope you understand what you are to me
I yearn for you to comprehend the depth of your importance in my life
And maybe I deserve it
Perhaps I am deserving of the consequences or hardships I face
I hope you understand what you are to me
I desire for you to truly grasp the significance you hold in my life
I hope you understand what you are to me
I earnestly hope that you can perceive your true value in my life
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Gabe Goodman, Mike Adubato, Samuel Holden Jaffe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mitch Rogoff
on A Sunday Kind Of Love
The lyrics are very far off and only share one line in common with the song