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)
Hallways of My Mind
The Dells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quite as good as I should have
Maybe I didn't love you
Quite as often as I could have
Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time
You were always on my mind (You were always on my mind)
Maybe I didn't hold you
All those lonely, lonely times
And I guess I never told you
I'm so happy that you're mine
If I made you feel second best
Girl, I'm so sorry, I was blind
You were always on my mind (You were always on my mind)
You were always on my mind
Tell me
Tell me that your sweet love hasn't died
Give me
Give me one more chance to keep you satisfied
You were always on my mind (You were always on my mind)
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
The Dells' song Hallways of My Mind is a poignant love song about a man reflecting on his past mistakes in his relationship with his lover. The opening lines suggest that perhaps the singer was not the best partner he could have been to his lover, as he acknowledges that he did not treat her as well as he should have or love her as often as he could have. The following lines reveal that there were little things he should have said and done, but never did. As a result, the singer is acknowledging that he was not always the attentive and caring partner that his lover deserved.
Despite these shortcomings, however, the singer reveals that his lover was always on his mind, indicating that he never truly forgot about her or took her for granted. In fact, the repetition of this phrase throughout the song suggests that the singer regrets his actions and wishes he had been more mindful of his lover and their relationship. He expresses remorse for not holding her during her lonely times and for never telling her how happy he was that she was his. He further apologizes for making her feel like a second choice and being too blind to see her worth.
The final lines of the song suggest that the singer is hoping for a second chance with his lover, asking her to tell him that her love for him has not died and giving him a chance to make things right. Ultimately, this song is a powerful testament to the importance of appreciating the people we love and not taking them for granted.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe I didn't treat you
Admitting to not treating the person well enough
Quite as good as I should have
Acknowledging that the treatment was not sufficient
Maybe I didn't love you
Questioning whether enough love was shown
Quite as often as I could have
Wondering whether love was expressed enough
Little things I should have said and done
Regret over not doing or saying small things that could have made a difference
I just never took the time
Lamenting not taking the time to make things better
You were always on my mind (You were always on my mind)
Knowing that the person was constantly thought of
Maybe I didn't hold you
Acknowledging failure to provide physical comfort
All those lonely, lonely times
Times when the person was left alone and not comforted
And I guess I never told you
Realizing that words of love were never expressed
I'm so happy that you're mine
Expressing gratitude for the relationship
If I made you feel second best
Apologizing for making the person feel unimportant
Girl, I'm so sorry, I was blind
Expressing regret for not seeing the situation clearly
Tell me
Asking for reassurance
Tell me that your sweet love hasn't died
Requesting confirmation that the person still loves them
Give me
Asking for an opportunity
Give me one more chance to keep you satisfied
Pleading for another opportunity to make things right
You were always on my mind (You were always on my mind)
Reiterating that the person was never forgotten
You were always on my mind
Reflecting on the constant presence of the person in their thoughts
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Wayne Carson Thompson, John Jr. Christopher, Mark James
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@d.tucker4929
"There is" led me to "Wear it on Our face" and brought me to this great hit, "Hallways of my mine." I love the rhythm of all The Dells fast songs...
@spainpete7483
Never ever made a bad one mighty mighty dells 👏🎼🎼🎶🎶
@alanpervin
Enjoyed this as much as Wear it on our face KTF.
@davekelleway3840
Few better groups have existed (in this universe anyway!)
@paulleech2968
Richard Searling just done a 1 Hour Special on the Dell's. Awesome Fantastic. PLOD KTF From Southend KOKO