The Dells were an American doo-wop group. Formed in high school in 1952 in … Read Full Bio ↴The Dells were an American doo-wop group. Formed in high school in 1952 in Harvey, Illinois by founding members Marvin Junior, Verne Allison, Johnny Funches, Chuck Barksdale, and Mickey and Lucius McGill, under the name The El Rays. They released their first recording in 1954 and two years later had their first R&B hit with "Oh What a Nite". After disbanding due to a near-fatal car crash in 1958, the band reformed in 1960 with Funches being replaced by Johnny Carter. This lineup remained together until Carter's death in 2009. In 2004 The Dells were inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. The group performed until illness forced longtime lead singer Marvin Junior and bass vocalist Chuck Barksdale into retirement, ending the group's 60-year run.
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)
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)
Don
The Dells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(What the fuck Dell)
Yeah, yeah (Please don't lie girl
Please don't lie girl tell me no lies)
Yeah, uh
Vibe (Vibe, Vibe)
Man I put it on my soul baby girl We can really catch a vibe (Really can catch a vibe)
All I askAll I ask is please
Tell me no lies
Please don't lie girl
Please don't lie girl
Tell me no lies
Please don't lie girl
Please don't lie girl
I need the love back
I need the old thing
Lost my cool poured up six
And finished the whole thing
And I really fucked up this time
All the times you let lil shit slide
Yeah Yeah
We been through worse shit than this
And you can't let this fly yeah
That's why all this weed
I'm using
Losing you make me feel like I'm losing
I don't know what I'm saying
Don't know what I'm doing
Can't explain myself explanation in my music
Vibe
(Vibe, Vibe)Man I put it on my soul baby girl We can really catch a vibe
All I ask
All I ask is please
Tell me no lies
Please don't lie girl
Please don't lie girl
Tell me no lies
Please don't lie girl
Please don't lie girl
(Tell me no lies)
Yeah, yeah (Please don't lie girl
Please don't lie girl tell me no lies)
Yeah, uh
Vibe (Vibe, Vibe)
Man I put it on my soul baby girl We can really catch a vibe (Really can catch a vibe)
All I askAll I ask is please
Tell me no lies
Please don't lie girl
Please don't lie girl
Tell me no lies
Please don't lie girl
Please don't lie girl
I need the love back
I need the old thing
Lost my cool poured up six
And finished the whole thing
And I really fucked up this time
All the times you let lil shit slide
Yeah Yeah
We been through worse shit than this
And you can't let this fly yeah
That's why all this weed
I'm using
Losing you make me feel like I'm losing
I don't know what I'm saying
Don't know what I'm doing
Can't explain myself explanation in my music
Vibe
(Vibe, Vibe)Man I put it on my soul baby girl We can really catch a vibe
All I ask
All I ask is please
Tell me no lies
Please don't lie girl
Please don't lie girl
Tell me no lies
Please don't lie girl
Please don't lie girl
(Tell me no lies)
The Dells's song "Don't Worry 'Bout Me" is a ballad about love and heartbreak. The singer is singing to his or her former lover, saying that even though the relationship is over and they will miss each other, they will manage to move on somehow. The chorus repeatedly mentions "love, love, sweet love" and remarks on how it has caused pain by breaking the singer's heart and throwing it away. The verse continues on this theme, saying that love cannot be controlled and that the lover has "walked away" to find new horizons.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't worry 'bout me
Please do not be concerned about me
It's all over now
Our relationship has come to an end
Though I'll miss you
Even though I will miss you
I'll manage somehow
I will find a way to cope with this
Love, love, sweet love
Love is such a beautiful and sweet emotion
Just look at what you've done
You need to see the consequences of your actions
You broke my heart
You caused me immense emotional pain
And threw it away
And discarded my love like trash
I'll get along somehow
I will find a way to move forward
You walked away
You chose to leave and end our relationship
New horizons to find
You want to discover new experiences and opportunities
Can't be controlled
Love is an uncontrollable force
Who cares that your soul
You do not seem to be concerned about the state of your own soul
Leaves you cold
You have become emotionally detached
Just look what you've done
It is important for you to acknowledge the damage you have caused
You broke my heart
You caused me immense emotional pain
And threw it away
And discarded my love like trash
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Antoine Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@62946magic
Just soooooo good. A complete package. Unique and creative with an incomparable style and class. :-)
@livjamsoul
Another classic from the Dells.......Oh so timeless
@tamarahines6975
I really like this group because they are so romantic. RIP Mr. Marvin Junior and Johnnie Carter "the voices" of the Mighty Dells and well Charles Barksdale too. (smile)
@themightydells
Oh No ! LOL, Don't you leave out, the other two Dells
Michael 'Mickey' McGill and Verne Allison
@GrannieLee
Rich voices...beautiful song.
@teegrey1606
hot damn,the mighty dells..outta chi-town.
@themightydells
'Don't Make Me A Storyteller'
The Mighty Dells
Lead Vocals: Marvin Junior & Mickey McGill
Producer: Don Davis
United Sound Studios - Detroit Michigan
The Dells Forever .......
@MrBillbies
Quite a theme. And the violins really go for it! Where'd they go in today's offal? Got to be out there somewhere?
@tamarahines6975
I wish I was living was this music was really out. Great music
@MrBillbies
I was there, but it's still here. And don't you be ignoring your/our todays now....They're all flat out Miracles, especially your own mind!