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)
Glory of Love
The Dells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I love you, I love you
I love you, I love you
You know, in your lifetime
You're gonna have many broken hearts
And sometimes you can't always finish
You can't finish the things that you start
You know, somebody's gotta win and
And, and somebody's always gotta lose
But I want you to remember this
While you're out there paying your dues
You've got to give a little, take a little
And let your poor heart break a little
That's the story of, that's the glory of
Love, of love, love, love, love
You've got to win a little, lose a little
And always have, always have
The blues just a little
That's the story of, that's the glory of
Love, of love, of love, of love, of love
As long, girl
As there's the two of us
We'll have the world
And all of it's charms
But, baby, when
When this world is all through with us
We'll have each other's charms
Love, love, love, love, love
Love, love, love, love, love
Love, love, love, love, oh, love
You've got to win, sometimes lose
Sometimes win, sometimes lose
Always have the blues, always the blues
Love, love, love, love, love, love
In your lifetime
You gotta win, you gotta lose
Always, I want you to remember
I love you, baby
Love, love, love....
The lyrics of The Dells's song 'The Glory of Love' express the message that experiencing and enduring hardships and heartbreak is an inescapable reality of life but it is ultimately worth it when we find love. The opening lines of the song consists of the singer repeating 'I love you' four times, serving as a reminder of what the song is really about; love. The song goes on to acknowledge that in life, we are bound to face heartbreak and failures, but we cannot let them keep us down. The chorus explains how we must learn to give and take in a relationship, allowing ourselves to experience the ups and downs, and learn to appreciate every moment of it because that is the glory of love.
The lyrics of the song encourage the listener to consider the beauty in life that is found in love. The song reminds us that winning and losing are a part of life and learning from those experiences is a journey in which we must face the blues before we can truly appreciate the depth of love of another. The song reassures the listener that as long as they have each other in love, they can conquer the world, despite its harsh realities.
Line by Line Meaning
Mmmm....
An inarticulate sound indicating pleasure, agreement, or satisfaction.
I love you, I love you
Expressing a strong affection towards the person being addressed.
You know, in your lifetime
Introducing a topic or idea that the singer assumes the listener already knows.
You're gonna have many broken hearts
Inevitability of heartbreak in oneβs life.
And sometimes you can't always finish
Acknowledging that sometimes you may not be able to complete something.
You can't finish the things that you start
Not being able to complete a task once started.
You know, somebody's gotta win and
Pointing out that in contests, someone has to come out as a winner.
And, and somebody's always gotta lose
Stating that there must be a loser for every winner.
But I want you to remember this
Advising the listener to keep something in mind.
While you're out there paying your dues
Enduring hardships that come with life.
You've got to give a little, take a little
Compromise is important in relationships.
And let your poor heart break a little
Heartbreak is inevitable, and it is important to be open to the experience.
That's the story of, that's the glory of
Acknowledging the beauty and the struggle in the journey of love.
Love, of love, love, love, love
Highlighting the importance of love and its omnipresence.
You've got to win a little, lose a little
Success is not guaranteed and there may be failures along the way.
And always have, always have
Persistence is important to achieve success.
The blues just a little
Sadness may come and go, but it is important to keep moving.
As long, girl
Commitment to a long-lasting relationship.
As there's the two of us
Together, as a couple.
We'll have the world
Assurance that anything can be achieved as a team.
And all of it's charms
Alluring aspects of life that can be enjoyed together.
But, baby, when
Addressing an imaginary scenario with the baby.
When this world is all through with us
When the end of life comes closer.
We'll have each other's charms
The love and memories shared will still be cherished.
Love, love, love, love, love
Reinforcing the message of the significance of love.
You've got to win, sometimes lose
Reiterating the earlier message of compromise and accepting failure of success.
Sometimes win, sometimes lose
Life is not an absolute in terms of outcomes.
Always have the blues, always the blues
The presence of the occasional sadness, but still moving forward with life nonetheless.
Love, love, love, love, love, love
Emphasizing the importance of love and its central role in life.
In your lifetime
Returning to the earlier message on the inevitability of life's ups and downs.
You gotta win, you gotta lose
Reinforcing the message of the previous lines.
Always, I want you to remember
An appeal to the listener to keep a positive perspective in the face of adversity.
I love you, baby
Professing love to the listener.
Love, love, love....
Closing reaffirmation of the importance of love.
Lyrics Β© RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Billy Hill
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kitty Sears
Truly one of the greatest group ever live in the music industry. Marvin Junior
one of the greatest lead singer ever. Long live, "THE MIGHTY "DELLS"
themightydells
May as well throw in "The 5 Heartbeats" Based on
the Tumultuous career of: The Mighty Dells, and
not loosely based. View The Dells Documentary - Youtube.
patricia russell
These guys are truly one of a kind. This is the glory of love. Marvin Junior has a way of deeping down to your soul. He just pulls me so hard. I love these guys. Thank you for the opportunity of being a part of this history.
themightydells
The Original Hit: Was by THE 5 KEYS
Who The Dells admired, and emulated their stage presence.
This was our gift, back to this great group.
A Shrimp Called Hank
1936 Benny Goodman released as an instrumental Then Helen Ward did the vocals. Don't get me wrong. These soul groups all did an outstanding job of adding soul to the song. Just to let you know, my favorite rendition will always be the Devine Miss M Bette Midler, from the movie Beaches.
A Shrimp Called Hank
Benny Goodman
big88ful
This is the best version of this song...Bar none! The dells are killing this!!!!!!
Luciano AntΓ΄nio Moraes Zanelli
The Platters are better! (Rio, 31/may/2019).
sfthoroughbred
just when you think it can't get any better....Marvin unleashes that weapon in the form of that powerful, smooth, rugged voice!
vic j
THIS SONG GIVES ME THE CHILLS