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)
I Can't Help Myself
The Dells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't help myself I love you and nobody else
Wanna tell in and out my life you come and go
Leaving just your picture behind
and I kissed it a thousand times
When you snap your finger or wink your eye I come a running to you
I'm tied to your apron strings and there's nothing I can do
Sugar pie honey bunch I'm weaker than a man should be
I can't help myself I'm a fool in love you see
Wanna tell you I don't love you tell you that we're through and I've tried
But every time I see your face I get all choked up inside
When I call your name girl it starts the flame burning in my heart
tearin it all apart no matter how I try my love
I cannot hide 'cause
Sugar Pie Honey Bunch you know that I'm weak for you
Can't help myself I love you and nobody else
Sugar Pie Honey Bunch do anything you ask me to
Can't help myself I want you and nobody else
Sugar Pie Honey Bunch you know that I love you
You know that I love you
Can't help myself, no I can't help myself
The song "I Can't Help Myself" by The Dells is a romantic ballad about being helplessly in love with someone. The lyrics express the singer's unconditional love for their significant other, whom they refer to as "sugar pie honey bunch." Despite trying to move on from the relationship, the singer finds themselves unable to resist the charms of their lover and continuously comes running back to them. The lyrics are filled with imagery of the lover's picture, their snap of the finger or wink of an eye, and the singer being tied to their apron strings.
The repetition of the phrase "I can't help myself" underscores the theme of addiction to love, as if the singer is compelled to love their significant other no matter what. From the line "I'm weaker than a man should be," we can infer that the singer feels vulnerable and helpless in the face of their lover's power over them. The repeated references to being choked up or tearing apart suggest that the singer is tormented by their emotions, with their heart and mind in conflict over their feelings. However, despite this inner turmoil, the singer makes it clear that they love their "sugar pie honey bunch" more than anyone else and cannot resist their charms.
Overall, "I Can't Help Myself" is a classic love song that captures the irresistible pull of unconditional love. The lyrics are simple but effective in conveying the depth of the singer's emotions and their inability to resist their significant other's charms.
Line by Line Meaning
Sugar pie honey bunch you know that I love you
You are aware that I am deeply in love with you my dear
I can't help myself I love you and nobody else
My love for you is uncontrollable and exclusive to just you
Wanna tell in and out my life you come and go
I wish to communicate that you go in and out of my life frequently
Leaving just your picture behind and I kissed it a thousand times
You leave only a photograph and I have kissed it countless times
When you snap your finger or wink your eye I come a running to you
I promptly attend to you at the slightest hint of your interest in me
I'm tied to your apron strings and there's nothing I can do
You exert great control over me and I am powerless to resist
Sugar pie honey bunch I'm weaker than a man should be
My infatuation with you surpasses my masculine strength and dignity
I can't help myself I'm a fool in love you see
I am deeply in love with you to the point of foolishness
Wanna tell you I don't love you tell you that we're through and I've tried
I have attempted to communicate that I do not love you anymore and we are no longer together
But every time I see your face I get all choked up inside
I become overwhelmed with emotions upon seeing your face
When I call your name girl it starts the flame burning in my heart tearin it all apart
Mere utterance of your name ignites the fire of passion within me, even if it brings painful emotions
No matter how I try my love I cannot hide 'cause
I have made attempts to conceal my love, but all in vain
Can't help myself I want you and nobody else
I desire you and no one else
Sugar Pie Honey Bunch you know that I'm weak for you
You are aware of my vulnerability towards you my dear
Can't help myself I love you and nobody else
I cannot stop myself from loving only you, no one else
Sugar Pie Honey Bunch do anything you ask me to
I am willing to do anything you request of me, my lovely one
You know that I love you
You are sure that I love you
Can't help myself, no I can't help myself
I am unable to resist my overwhelming love for you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRIAN HOLLAND, EDWARD HOLLAND, EDWARD JR. HOLLAND, LAMONT DOZIER, LAMONT HERBERT DOZIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ethel Stevens Love
What a great classic this is....Thanks for posting this entire "CD".......
Marshall L Smith
The hugging, the kissing, the touching, the feelings that you enjoy from being in love are embedded in the word's of this song.......
Macey Mc.
Allright now,, Mr. Smith!
Cornelius Coble
Never heard this song but I love it..real love from a real man to a real woman.....❤❤❤💖💚♥️💙💜
Macey Mc.
Like a fine wine that gets better with age. Love the Mighty Dells 💕💕💕
Charles Gray
This was my Fathers song. He passed away last summer and everytime i hear him it constantly reminds me of him..he had it on repeat and heard it over 5,000 times..his song
geraldo barbosa
Excellent Album...Good Melody !
Al Gibbs
A classic by the best
James Aviles
A beautiful Song bythe Dells
Charles Spicer
My m mm