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 β May 29, 2013) - lead baritone, lead vocals (1952-1958, 1960β2012)
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 (1952β1958, 1960-2012)
Chuck Barksdale (January 11, 1935 - May 15, 2019) - bass, background vocals (1952β1958, 1960-2012)
Johnny Funches (July 18, 1935, Chicago β January 23, 1998) - first tenor, lead vocals (1952β58, 1960-1961)
Lucius McGill (b. 1935, Chicago) - second tenor, background vocals (1952β54)
Johnny Carter (June 2, 1934, Chicago β August 21, 2009) - first tenor/falsetto, lead vocals (1961β2009)
Always Together
The Dells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I made up my mind years ago
When I first gazed upon you I'd never let you go
And it's amazing baby
How we loved each other so
And we'll always be (always be)
Always together
We'll have our problems
But we'll face them with pride
Our love is protection
And we don't have to hide
And a thousand nights I'll kiss away
(The happy tears you cry)
And we'll always be (always be)
Always together
Just you, just me
Always, always, always,
Always, always, always,
When the years have turned
Your hair to silver
And the days of our youth
Have left us so very far behind
Golden, golden memories
Will keep in our minds
And we'll always be (always be)
Always together
Just you, just me
Always, always, always... etc.
The Dells's song Always Together is a romantic ballad that explores the heartwarming love between two people who have made a life-long commitment to one another. The opening line "Just you, just me, always together" sets the tone for the entire song, emphasizing the deep connection and strong bond that exists between the two lovers. The singer then muses that he had made up his mind years ago to never let go of the person he is singing to, and they have loved each other so much ever since.
As the song progresses, the couple acknowledges that they will inevitably face problems, but they vow to confront them together with courage and pride. Their love is their protection, and they do not have to hide from the outside world. The singer promises to kiss away his partner's tears and affirms that they will always be together, come what may.
The song concludes on a sentimental note, painting a beautiful picture of a future together. The couple faces the reality of aging, but their love will always remain youthful in their hearts. They will treasure their golden memories and continue to be always together.
Overall, The Dells's Always Together is a poignant tribute to enduring love, an ode to a union that has stood the test of time and is still growing strong.
Line by Line Meaning
Just you, just me, always together
It's just going to be you and me, we're going to always be together.
I made up my mind years ago
I decided a long time ago.
When I first gazed upon you I'd never let you go
From the moment I first saw you, I knew I'd never let you go.
And it's amazing baby
How we loved each other so
It's incredible how much we love each other.
And we'll always be (always be)
Always together
We're always going to be together, no matter what.
We'll have our problems
But we'll face them with pride
We'll encounter challenges along the way, but we'll confront them with courage.
Our love is protection
And we don't have to hide
Our love offers us safety and security, we don't have to conceal anything from each other.
And a thousand nights I'll kiss away
(The happy tears you cry)
I will comfort you and wipe away any tears of joy that you may shed.
And we'll always be (always be)
Always together
We'll always be together, through thick and thin.
When the years have turned
Your hair to silver
As we age, our hair will turn grey.
And the days of our youth
Have left us so very far behind
Our youthful days are long gone, far in the past.
Golden, golden memories
Will keep in our minds
We'll treasure the wonderful memories from our past.
And we'll always be (always be)
Always together
Just you, just me
Always, always, always... etc.
We will always be together, just you and me, always and forever.
Lyrics Β© Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARCUS MILLER, AL SMITH, GENEVIEVE SMITH, ROBIN SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Apollo Solo
This is an often forgotten, unsung group even in R&B history. Pound for pound they could hang with any standup vocal group, Temptations and everyone else as well. It's about producing, writing and promotions, nevertheless. I'm thankful to have heard them all enough to make this assessment. Thanks for the posting.
Keith Forster
Marvin Junior!!!!Β One of the greatest voices of all time!
Craig Covington
The greatest voice of all time
Troy Taylor
Facts
Creole Lady
Yeeeeeeees indeed πππππ―π―π―π―β€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈ
Johnson Johnson
YES LAWD!!!
Gary
Amen!
patricia russell
Talking about history, this is the best of the best. Such an honor to have witnessed their show. Marvin Junior you are truly one of a kind.
Bea Torres
β€οΈ
Arlene Dantry
I still get chills listening to this, and maybe a tear too.