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 Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself
The Dells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't know just what to do with myself
I'm so used to doing everything with you
Planning everything for two
And now that we're through
I just don't know what to do with my time
I'm so lonesome for you it's a crime
Parties make me feel as bad
When I'm not with you
I just don't know what to do
Like a summer rose
It needs the sun and rain
Oh, I need your sweet love
To beat all the pain
I just don't know what to do with myself
I just don't know what to do with myself
Baby, if your new love ever turns you down
Come back, I will be around
Just waiting for you
I don't know what else to do
Like a summer rose
It needs the sun and rain
Oh, I need your sweet love
To beat all the pain
I don't know just what to do with myself
I don't know just what to do with myself
Baby, if your new love ever turns you down
Come on back, I will be around
Just waiting for you
I don't know what else to do, no, no, no
I don't know what else to do
I'm still so crazy for you, no, no, no, no
I don't know what else to do, no, no, no
I'm still so crazy for you
The Dells' song, "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself," is a soulful expression of heartbreak following the end of a relationship. The singer is lost and unable to cope with his new reality, as he has become so accustomed to doing everything with his partner. He doesn't know how to fill his time or enjoy the activities that previously brought him joy. The lyrics suggest that the singer is suffering from loneliness and depression, and he longs for his former partner's love to alleviate his pain. The chorus is repeated multiple times, emphasizing the singer's confusion and desperation. The final verse offers a note of hope, as the singer encourages his former partner to return if her new relationship doesn't work out, implying that he will be waiting for her.
Line by Line Meaning
I just don't know what to do with myself
I am clueless about what I should do with my life without you in it.
Don't know just what to do with myself
I have no idea how to navigate my life sans your presence.
I'm so used to doing everything with you
I have developed a deep habit of including you in everything I do.
Planning everything for two
I have been conditioned to plan my life based on the assumption that you will always be present.
And now that we're through
Since we have parted ways, I find myself at a loss as to how to proceed with my life.
I just don't know what to do with my time
I am uncertain about how to occupy my time without you in the picture.
I'm so lonesome for you it's a crime
The feelings of loneliness and longing I have for you are so intense that it feels like a criminal offense.
Going to the movie only makes me sad
Even simple activities like going to the movies remind me of your absence and plunge me into sadness.
Parties make me feel as bad
Even the prospect of socializing at parties fills me with melancholy because you are not there with me.
When I'm not with you
My mood and emotional state take a nosedive when you are not around me.
Like a summer rose
Similar to how a rose in the summer requires the sun and the rain to bloom, I need your love to heal my pain.
It needs the sun and rain
The rose requires both the sunshine and the rainfall to thrive and survive.
Oh, I need your sweet love
Your love is like the sunshine and the rainfall that is necessary for me to flourish and overcome my pain.
To beat all the pain
Your love is like a soothing balm that has the power to alleviate my emotional pain.
Baby, if your new love ever turns you down
In the event that your current relationship does not work out, I will be here waiting for you.
Come back, I will be around
Even though we have parted ways, I am still available to welcome you back with open arms.
I don't know what else to do
I am at a loss concerning what other steps I can take to move on from my feelings for you.
I'm still so crazy for you
Despite everything that has happened, I am still deeply enamored with you and your love.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: HAL DAVID, BURT BACHARACH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Donald Boydt
Just great beautiful music by a great group