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)
Love is Blue
The Dells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Purple and orange and blue
I can sing a rainbow (I can sing a rainbow)
I can sing a rainbow too
Blue, blue, my world is blue
Blue is my world now I'm without you
Cold is my heart since you went away
Red, red, my eyes are red
Crying for you alone in my bed
Green, green, my jealous heart
I doubted you and now we're apart
When we met how the bright sun shone
Then love died, now the rainbow is gone
Black, black, the nights I've known
Longing for you so lost and alone
The Dells's song "Love is Blue" opens up with two verses that describe the variety of colors present in the world. The singer sings about colors such as red, yellow, pink, green, purple, orange, and blue, and then goes on to claim that they can "sing a rainbow" and that they can do so as well. The first half of the song is cheerful and upbeat, with a lighthearted tone that seems to suggest that the singer is content with the world around them.
However, the second half of the song takes a sharp turn in tone, with the singer revealing that their world has become blue since their lover left. They are no longer able to see the bright sun that they once did and instead, they are consumed by a gray existence. The lyrics describe the singer crying, feeling jealous, and doubting their partner - all of which lead to their eventual separation. The singer's nights are now black, and they are left longing for their love, feeling lost and alone.
Overall, "Love is Blue" is a song that explores the contrast between love and loss. The first half is hopeful and optimistic, while the second half takes a more melancholic and introspective tone. The lyrics describe the spectrum of emotions that come with heartbreak and demonstrate how colors can be used to express them.
Line by Line Meaning
Red and yellow and pink and green
There are various colors such as red, yellow, pink and green
Purple and orange and blue
In addition, there are purple, orange, and blue colors
I can sing a rainbow (I can sing a rainbow)
The singer is capable of singing about all these colors
I can sing a rainbow too
The artist also can sing about anything else if he or she wants to
Blue, blue, my world is blue
The artist's world is all blue in the absence of someone special
Blue is my world now I'm without you
The singer feels blue because they're separated from a dear one
Gray, gray, my life is gray
The singer's life is all gray, with nothing to look forward to
Cold is my heart since you went away
The artist's heart is heavy and emotionally distant since their loss
Red, red, my eyes are red
The artist's eyes are bright red because of continuous crying over the lost person
Crying for you alone in my bed
The artist spends sleepless nights crying for the person they lost
Green, green, my jealous heart
Jealousy has taken over the singer's heart and dominates all emotions
I doubted you and now we're apart
The artist's doubt about the other person's loyalty led to their separation
When we met how the bright sun shone
On first meeting, everything looked bright and perfect in their relationship
Then love died, now the rainbow is gone
However, that love didn't last long, and now their relationship is colorless and dull
Black, black, the nights I've known
The singer has seen only dark and lonely nights after the loss
Longing for you so lost and alone
The artist has a constant longing for the lost love, feeling lost and alone in their life
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Andre Charles Jean Popp, Bryan Andre Blackburn, Pierre Cour, Jean Popp Andre Charles, Pierre Louis Lemaire
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Debra McEwen
The vocals! The arrangement! This is stunningly powerful! This is when music was music and only the real talents, like The Dells, flourished!
harleiux12
Nobody could sing with the power and control of Marvin. His ability to hold a notes for what seems like a minute or more is unmatched... truly a vocal talent
Irene Miramontes
Awesome
Dewayne Beal
I totally agree.
1stP3&10
Teddy Pendergrass called him "daddy". On a Soul Train interview, TP said Mr. Marvin taught him everything he knows. :0)
Joshua Underwood
This is real music!!!!! Real instruments, real vocals, and real emotions!!! The Dells=Best Male Group of All-Time!!!!!!
Basilene Graham
Hands down!
Ayn Downey
Yes from beginning to infinity ♾️
Fantastic A
This brings back some wonderful memories of my childhood! What a wonderful song!
Denise Noles
This song is perfection!