The Dells grew up in Harvey, 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. Lucius soon left the group and the remaining quintet signed with Checker Records, releasing their first single, "Darling I Know," which 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 Nite" (a song co-written by Johnny Funches, who also sang lead on the recording alongside Marvin Junior), 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. In November 1958, the Dells suffered a car accident that left McGill in a hospital in Ohio for six months. The group temporarily disbanded and Barksdale sang as a member of Harvey Fuqua's spinoff Moonglows act, Harvey and the Moonglows, which included a young Marvin Gaye. In 1961, the Dells reunited and auditioned for Dinah Washington. After Washington agreed to hire them, Johnny Funches left the group to take care of his family. Funches was replaced by Flamingos founding member Johnny Carter and sang background for Washington for two years. In 1966, they were hired to open for Ray Charles, only to be fired after a performance resulted in several standing ovations. The group would also sing background for Barbara Lewis, mainly on Lewis' 1963 hit, "Hello Stranger", while also working with Quincy Jones, who helped to fine-tune their vocals for standards and jazz material.
In 1966, the Dells returned to Chess under the label's Cadet subsidiary working with Bobby Miller and future Earth, Wind & Fire 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" (Top 20 Pop, "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. In the following year, 1969, The Dells' soulful remake of their debut hit, "Oh What a Night" gave the group their second chart-topping R&B single and also reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. For a second time, the song sold over a million copies. 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.
Leaving Cadet around the end of 1974 with the parent company in financial difficulties, the group would continue recording in order under the Mercury, ABC, 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 film, The Five Heartbeats, which was loosely based on the lives of The Dells and other groups of its era. The group recorded a composition titled "A Heart Is a House for Love". The song reached number 13 on the Billboard R&B chart, making them only one of two groups to have hit singles in five decades. The following year, signing with PIR, they released the album, I Salute You. The Dells continued performing and recording sporadically in the early years of the new millennium. In 2004, the group were inducted to both the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The group continued performing until 2012.
Original Dells vocalist Johnny Funches died of pneumonia on January 23, 1998, at the age of 62.
Johnny Carter died of cancer on August 21, 2009, at the age of 75. Carter is one of the few artists to be a double Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, having been inducted with The Flamingos in 2001, and the Dells in 2004.
On May 29, 2013, founding member Marvin Junior died in his sleep at his home in Harvey, Illinois, succumbing to complications of kidney failure and a weak heart at the age of 77.
Chuck Barksdale died on 15 May 2019, at the age of 83.
Members
Marvin Junior (born Marvin Curtis Junior, January 31, 1936, Harrell, Arkansas – May 29, 2013) - lead baritone, lead vocals (1952-1958, 1960–2012)
Verne Allison (b. June 22, 1936, Chicago) - second tenor, background vocals (1952-1958, 1960-2012)
Mickey McGill (b. February 17, 1937, Chicago) - baritone, background vocals (1952–1958, 1960-2012)
Chuck Barksdale (January 11, 1935 - May 15, 2019) - bass, background vocals (1952–1958, 1960-2012)
Johnny Funches (July 18, 1935, Chicago – January 23, 1998) - first tenor, lead vocals (1952–58, 1960-1961)
Lucius McGill (b. 1935, Chicago) - second tenor, background vocals (1952–54)
Johnny Carter (June 2, 1934, Chicago – August 21, 2009) - first tenor/falsetto, lead vocals (1961–2009)
All Your Goodies Are Gone
The Dells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, I refuse to be blue
Let hurt put you in the loser's seat
(Hurt put you in the loser's seat, hurt put you in loser's seat)
(Hurt put you in the loser's seat, hurt put you in loser's seat)
Let hurt put you behind the wheel
(Hurt put you in the loser's seat, hurt put you in loser's seat)
Shame, shame on me
For thinking that I could possibly be
The exclusive one of your choice
In this world infested with boys
When now I know that I am first on your list
And if I leave, I'm gonna be missed
I cannot take a chance on you
It's so easy to become number two
And I refuse to be blue
Baby, I'm crying you will lose
Let hurt put you in the loser's seat
(Hurt put you in the loser's seat, hurt put you in loser's seat)
(Hurt put you in the loser's seat, hurt put you in loser's seat)
Let hurt put you behind the wheel
(Hurt put you in the loser's seat, hurt put you in loser's seat)
(Hurt put you in the loser's seat, hurt put you in loser's seat)
Let you see how does it feel
(Let you see how it feels)
To be un for real
(To be un for real)
To be without a love of your own
(Without a love of your own)
And all your goodies are gone
(All your goodies are gone)
All your goodies are gone
(All your goodies are gone)
All your goodies are gone
(All your goodies are gone)
So good I had known that your love is good
But it don't rectify how I'll cry if you ever say goodbye
I refuse to be blue
Meaning I'm cutting you aloof
Let hurt put you in the loser's seat
(Hurt put you in the loser's seat, hurt put you in loser's seat)
(Hurt put you in the loser's seat, hurt put you in loser's seat)
Let hurt put you behind the wheel
(Hurt put you in the loser's seat, hurt put you in loser's seat)
(Hurt put you in the loser's seat, hurt put you in loser's seat)
Let you see just how does it feel
(Let you see how it feel)
To be un for real
(To be un for real)
To be without a love of your own
(Without a love of your own)
And all your own goodies are gone
(All your goodies are gone)
All your own goodies are gone
(All your goodies are gone)
Yeah, all your own goodies, they are gone
(All your goodies are gone)
It ain't gone
(All your goodies are gone)
Hey, your goodies are gone
(All your goodies are gone)
Hey, hey, I'm gone
(All your goodies are gone)
Not coming back home
(All your goodies are gone)
All your goodies are gone
All your goodies are gone
All your goodies are gone
All your goodies are gone
All your goodies are gone
All your goodies are gone
The Dells's song "All Your Goodies Are Gone" is a breakup song, where the singer has decided to move on from a relationship that wasn't working out. The lyrics are straightforward and tell the story of a person who has had enough of being the second choice in a relationship. The opening lines "I am through with you, baby, I refuse to be blue" clearly depict that the singer has taken control of the situation by ending the relationship instead of being the one to mourn it. The lines "Let hurt put you behind the wheel" and "Let hurt put you in the loser's seat" imply that the singer is telling their ex that their own hurt will be what ultimately brings them down. The song's chorus "And all your goodies are gone" adds a final note of closure, as the singer declares that they are moving on and taking everything with them, including their ex's "goodies."
The song does not have any complicated metaphors or obscure references, making it easy to understand. What makes it a standout song, however, is the Dells' powerful delivery. The group's harmonies and the soulful energy that they bring to the song help to make it an anthem for anyone who has ever decided to move on from a bad relationship. The song has a strong, upbeat rhythm with a catchy hook that makes it enjoyable to sing along to.
Line by Line Meaning
I am through with you
I have ended our relationship
Baby, I refuse to be blue
I refuse to be sad or mournful over you
Let hurt put you in the loser's seat
Let your pain and heartache make you feel like a loser
(Hurt put you in the loser's seat, hurt put you in loser's seat)
Repeating the idea that pain and heartache will bring you down
Shame, shame on me
I am regretful for believing I could be your only choice
For thinking that I could possibly be
I am ashamed for believing I could be the only one you want
The exclusive one of your choice
The only person you chose to be with
In this world infested with boys
In a world full of other men to choose from
When now I know that I am first on your list
Now I know that I am your top choice
And if I leave, I'm gonna be missed
If I were to go, you would miss me
I cannot take a chance on you
I don't want to risk being hurt again by you
It's so easy to become number two
It's easy for me to go from being your top choice to being replaced
And I refuse to be blue
I won't be sad or feel sorry for myself
Baby, I'm crying you will lose
You will lose me because of your actions
Let you see how does it feel
I want you to understand what it feels like
(Let you see how it feels)
Repeating the idea of wanting him to understand
To be un for real
To truly feel unloved
(To be un for real)
Repeating the idea of being unloved
To be without a love of your own
To not have someone love you back
(Without a love of your own)
Repeating the idea of being unloved
And all your goodies are gone
I have taken away all the good things you had with me
(All your goodies are gone)
Repeating the idea of taking away everything good
So good I had known that your love is good
I thought your love was good
But it don't rectify how I'll cry if you ever say goodbye
Even though I know your love is good, it won't make me feel better if you leave
Hey, your goodies are gone
I have taken away everything good you had with me
Hey, hey, I'm gone
I'm leaving you
(All your goodies are gone)
Repeating the idea of taking everything away
Not coming back home
I won't return to be with you
All your goodies are gone
Everything good you had with me is gone
Contributed by Alex P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.