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)
Door To Your Heart
The Dells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Door to your heart and let me in?
In the corridor on a wall
Underneath the staircase in the hall
On a hook behind the door
In the closet, on the floor
In the basement in the dark
Oh, anywhere, see if there's
A place for me in your heart
'Cause I've been wanting you, needing you
Having you, waiting for the door to your heart
To swing open, to swing open
To swing open so that I can come on in
Let me in
Why don't you open the
Door to your heart and let me in?
In the corridor on a wall
Underneath the staircase in the hall
On a hook behind the door
In the closet, on the floor
Hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah
In the cupboard on a shelf
In the basement in the dark
Anywhere, won't you see that
Just one little
Place for me in your heart
'Cause I've been wanting you, needing you
And loving you, waiting for the door to your heart
To swing open, to swing open
To swing open so that I can come on in
Let me in, let me in
Why don't you open the
Door to your heart and let me in?
In your heart, anywhere
Why don't you open the
Door to your heart and let me in?
Why don't you open the
Door to your heart and let me in?
The lyrics to The Dells's song "Door To Your Heart" are a plea from the singer to their love interest to let them into their heart. The singer is searching all over for a place in their lover's heart that they can occupy; from the corridor to the closet, the cupboard to the basement, the singer is willing to be anywhere as long as they are in their lover's heart. The repetition of the line, "Why don't you open the door to your heart and let me in?" emphasizes the urgency and desperation of the singer's desire to be let in.
The imagery used in the lyrics creates a sense of intimacy and connection; the specific locations where the singer is searching mirrors the familiar and personal spaces in a home. The singer's quest for a place in their lover's heart can also be interpreted as a metaphor for their desire for emotional intimacy and love. The repetition of the line, "To swing open, to swing open, to swing open," creates a sense of expectation and anticipation for the moment when their lover finally opens up to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Why don't you open the
Door to your heart and let me in?
The singer is expressing a desire to be let into the person's heart, and is urging them to open up and let them in.
In the corridor on a wall
Underneath the staircase in the hall
On a hook behind the door
In the closet, on the floor
The singer is suggesting various places where they could find a place in the person's heart, emphasizing that there is likely some small space they could fit into.
In the cupboard on a shelf
In the basement in the dark
Oh, anywhere, see if there's
A place for me in your heart
Continuing from the previous stanza, the singer repeats the idea that there must be some place in the person's heart where they could fit in, and is asking them to look for it.
'Cause I've been wanting you, needing you
Having you, waiting for the door to your heart
To swing open, to swing open
To swing open so that I can come on in
The singer reiterates their desire to be let into the person's heart, and has been patiently waiting for the opportunity for the door to open to them.
Let me in
Why don't you open the
Door to your heart and let me in?
The singer pleads with the person to let them in, using a short and simple phrase while asking the same question they have been asking throughout the song.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah
An interjection used as a filler phrase to add emphasis to the previous line, or to transition to the next section of the song.
In your heart, anywhere
Why don't you open the
Door to your heart and let me in?
The singer emphasizes that they are willing to fit into any place in the person's heart and repeats their request for the person to open up and let them in.
Why don't you open the
Door to your heart and let me in?
Why don't you open the
Door to your heart and let me in?
The singer repeats their request one last time, emphasizing that they truly want to be let into the person's heart.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANTHONY HESTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@christiannfoster8359
Yes Two Great Groups That Real Touch Your Soul Your Heart and Mind Made You Real Feel Every Word
@fredrickadavis1337
L.J and Ron Banks are the best singers that ever lived I love the Dramatics forever and Always!!!!!!!!!!!
@michaelholmes7742
Fredricka Davis Real Talk the Dramatics are the best group EVER
@2004mojo
I love them but "WeeGee" will always be my favorite.
@azizaalkebulan5348
I canβt even tell you how many times Iβve listen to this song. I love it so much I will buy the CD just so I can listen to it over and over again. To have someone love you that much is awesome.
@thines6085
Detroit is in the house!!! My home town and I'm damn proud to say it!!
@lindasmusicjohnson9877
Another great hit by the Dramatics. I love this song. It sounds kind of like your on a hunt for love if you know what I mean. The "Door To Your Heart". Great song of a great era in music.
@eleanorcourtney3097
THIS SONG NEVER GETS OLD WITH ME I TRULY FEEL THE HEART AND SINCERITY WHEN HE SINGS THIS SON...BEAUTIFULLY ORCHESTRATED AND WORDED
@jamesdodd3002
Eleanor Courtney
@gypsylotusblossom777
These young bucks ain't got shit on these guys!!!ππππππππππ