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't Tell Nobody
The Dells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And don't tell nobody what we're thinkin' of
Let's leave tomorrow night
No, no don't tell nobody
Meet me at the station
At half past eight
I'll be there waiting so don't be late
Just hurry on your way
No, no don't tell nobody
Yes, my darling I'll elope with you
Down the aisle I will go with you
Hand in hand to the preacher man
Please my darling
Don't you ruin our plans
Don't, don't, don't, don't
Don't, don't tell nobody
Till after it's done
Don't tell nobody until we are one
But let's leave tomorrow night
No, no don't tell nobody
You mustn't tell
Please don't tell.
The Dells's song Don't Tell Nobody is a love song about two individuals who are secretly in love and plan to elope. They caution each other not to tell anyone about their plans until after the deed is done. In the first verse, the singer implores their lover not to reveal their romantic feelings or what they are contemplating. They both agreed not to expose their intentions to anyone, most likely because of the inevitable backlash.
The second verse conveys their plan to run away together, and the excitement surrounding it. It talks about where to meet and the urgency of being on time. They plan to leave the next day, and they don't want anyone to know where they are going. The chorus emphasizes that they should keep their plans a secret until it's over, probably to avoid judgment from their family and friends. The couple is hopeful that nothing will ruin their plans to leave and be together.
The last verse symbolizes their steadfast commitment to each other. They both vow to be with each other and walk down the aisle together, hand in hand. They urge each other not to ruin their plans by telling anyone about their love and elopement. They implore each other to trust the bond they share and the strength of their love. The song's message is about the power of love and the lengths people will go to be together, even if it means running away.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't tell nobody that we're in love
Let's keep our love secret from everyone else.
And don't tell nobody what we're thinkin' of
Let's also keep our thoughts and plans to ourselves.
Let's leave tomorrow night
We should run away together tomorrow evening.
No, no don't tell nobody
We should keep our escape plan a secret.
Meet me at the station
We'll meet at the train station.
At half past eight
Let's meet at 8:30 PM.
I'll be there waiting so don't be late
I'll be waiting at the station, so please be on time.
Just hurry on your way
Please come as quickly as possible.
Yes, my darling I'll elope with you
I'm willing to run away with you and get married.
Down the aisle I will go with you
I'll walk down the aisle with you at our wedding.
Hand in hand to the preacher man
We'll go to the minister together, holding hands.
Please my darling
I'm begging you.
Don't you ruin our plans
Don't do anything to sabotage our escape and marriage.
Don't, don't, don't, don't
Let's make sure not to tell anyone.
Till after it's done
We'll only tell people after we've already gotten married.
Don't tell nobody until we are one
We shouldn't reveal our plan until we become husband and wife.
You mustn't tell
It's really important that you don't talk about this.
Please don't tell.
I'm begging you not to tell anyone.
Writer(s): Calvin Carter, Verne Allison, Charles Barksdale
Contributed by Joshua F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@kevinjohnson2421
These young kids ought to get on the corners and sing just like this such class and meaningful words
@randallmiller8238
Too lazy to practice and put out any effort I hate to say.
Easier to just sit and be lazy expecting to get rich doing nothing then expecting to leave a legacy.
Psh!
@heartdesire7591
Absolutely beautiful. Never heard it before.
@luisalbertososapenedo4848
SON TANTAS MELODIAS Y CANCIONES QUE ME DEMUESTRAN MIS PROPIOS CENTIMIENTOS Y NOSTAGIAS. MERCI.B.
@rodrickw7015
One of my favorites! Thanks Mr. Doo Wop!
@SpeedTriple59
Cant beat a bit of Doo Wop..Beautiful..
@LaMusicaBonita
awww now this is the jam.......i bought the album just for this song
@arizonadoowopper148
Great Sound and in stereo, too. Thanks for the post.
@randallmiller8238
Great for a dance in some old high school gym if this friggin' covid crap goes away!
We can be close again and not wear a mask, hard to kiss your girl through those dumb things
@lawrencedorfman5543
MRDOOWOP ANOTHER TRULY CLASSIC, GROUP LEAD AND SONG!