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)
Restless Days Sleepless Nights
The Dells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lonely hours tell me why
I′m alone oh, I'm alone
I′m alone since you've been gone
Oh, what a night we had last night
I held you tight it was so nice
But now you've gone
Yes, you′ve gone
And I'm alone
Oh, yes will I ever find her
Will I ever find her
And bring her home
If you ever see her
Tell her that I need her
Tell her that I need her oh, oh
Oh, yes will I ever find her
Will I ever find her
And bring her home
If you ever see her
Tell her that I need her
Tell her that I need her oh, oh
Restless days sleepless nights
Lonely hours tell me why
I′m alone oh, I'm alone
I′m alone since you've been gone.
"Restless Days Sleepless Nights" by The Dells is a soulful and emotive song that revolves around the theme of loneliness and heartbreak. The song's lyrics are simple yet profound, conveying the deep sense of yearning that the singer is feeling for their lost love. The opening lines of the song, "Restless days sleepless nights, lonely hours tell me why I'm alone," set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is unable to find peace or happiness since their lover has gone, leaving them alone to grapple with their emotions.
The second verse of the song reminisces about the night the singer had with their lover before they left. The singer reflects on the intense connection they felt with their lover and how it brought them a brief moment of happiness. However, the memory of that love is bittersweet as it only serves to remind the singer of what they have lost. They are left with a deep sense of longing and the question of whether they will ever find love again.
The chorus of the song repeats the same lines over and over, "Oh, yes will I ever find her, will I ever find her and bring her home? If you ever see her, tell her that I need her, tell her that I need her, oh, oh." The repetition of these lines further underscores the singer's desperation to find their lost love and bring them back. Overall, "Restless Days Sleepless Nights" is a powerful and poignant song that explores the universal themes of heartbreak, loneliness, and the quest for love.
Line by Line Meaning
Restless days sleepless nights
I cannot seem to find rest or sleep as my mind is consumed with thoughts of you.
Lonely hours tell me why
I am plagued with loneliness and pain since you left me.
I′m alone oh, I'm alone
I find myself in a state of solitude since you have departed.
I′m alone since you've been gone
My loneliness and state of solitude is directly linked to your absence from my life.
Oh, what a night we had last night
I reminisce on the beautiful night we shared together.
I held you tight it was so nice
I held you close to me and it brought me immense joy and contentment.
But now you've gone
However, you have since left me.
Yes, you′ve gone
You have indeed left me and I am feeling the effects of your absence.
And I'm alone
I am alone without you, and it is unbearable.
Oh, yes will I ever find her
I wonder if I will ever find someone like you again.
Will I ever find her
I am uncertain if I will ever come across someone as special as you.
And bring her home
If I do find her, I will bring her home to make her mine.
If you ever see her
If you happen to come across her.
Tell her that I need her
Let her know that I need her in my life.
Tell her that I need her oh, oh
Reiterate to her that I need her, and it is really important that she knows this.
Writer(s): Allison Sr Verne, Michael Mcgill
Contributed by Sophia I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.