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)
The Love We Had Stays On My Mind
The Dells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How good it was when you were here
And it ain't the wine that i' ve been drinkin'
For once i feel my head is spinning
But early this mornin', when i opened my eyes,
That old lonesome feelin' took me by surprise
I guess you meant more than i realized
The love we had stays on my mind
And pretty girl, i've been rememberin'
The good times that we used to share
My thoughts of you don' t have an endin'
And the memories of you are everywhere'
But why should i tell you it's not your concern
You win some, you lose some, i've lost and i've learned
Its just that im so lonely with no place to turn
And year after year i find
The love we had stayed on my mind
Girl, if you were nearer
If you had a mirror
Maybe you could count my tears
And if you were nearer
It would all be clearer
How i wish that you were here (mmm, mmm)
How i wish that you were here (how i wish, that you were here)
(How i wish that you were here
And baby girl, i was tired
So i laid down to dream awhile
But lately i've been so uninspired
Without the comfort of your smile
But i'm not complainin'
'Cause that's how it goes
There's always some heartache in this world i suppose
But you can't imagine nobody knows
The love we had stays on my mind
(Stays on my mind)
The love we had stays on my mind
I never will forget you baby
The love we had stays on my mind
Why how can i tell you
Ad lib...
The Love We Had (Stays on My Mind) by The Dells is a song about the lingering feelings of love after a relationship has ended. The lyrics describe the singer’s nostalgia for their past love and the resulting loneliness they feel after its end. The opening lines convey the idea that though the singer has been drinking, it's not necessarily the reason for their current state of mind. They have been thinking about their ex-love lately and are experiencing a dizzying sensation. The morning after, the singer is brought back to reality but miss the lost love more than they realized. They have been thinking of the good times and this is where the memories are coming from, they’re almost everywhere.
The singer seems to be conflicted about their desire to share with the ex-girlfriend or not. Perhaps, they think it’s none of their business, but more likely they want to keep their feelings private. They have learned that you can win some, and lose some, and in this case, they learn through the pain of losing. They address their loneliness and express their feelings of being lost through the years. The chorus repeats, emphasizing that their love is still in their mind no matter how much time has passed.
Line by Line Meaning
Lately baby, i've been thinkin'
Recently, I've been pondering
how good it was when you were here
about the goodness of the time when you were present
and it ain't the wine that i' ve been drinkin'
I'm not under the influence of wine right now
for once i feel my head is spinning
But my head is spinning at this moment
But early this mornin', when i opened my eyes,
This morning, when I woke up
that old lonesome feelin' took me by surprise
I was unexpectedly plagued by loneliness
i guess you meant more than i realized
I suppose you were more important than I had thought
the love we had stays on my mind
Our love remains in my thoughts
the love we had stays on my mind
Our love remains in my thoughts
And pretty girl, i've been rememberin'
Also, beautiful lady, I have been recollecting
the good times that we used to share
about the enjoyable moments we spent together
my thoughts of you don' t have an endin'
My thoughts of you are endless
and the memories of you are everywhere'
Also, the memories of you are ubiquitous
But why should i tell you it's not your concern
However, it's of no concern to you why I say this
you win some, you lose some, i've lost and i've learned
I have learned that success and failure are part of life
its just that im so lonely with no place to turn
I'm just very lonely and don't know where to go
and year after year i find
I discover, year after year
the love we had stayed on my mind
Our love continues to persist in my mind
Girl, if you were nearer
If only you were closer, girl
if you had a mirror
If you possessed a mirror
maybe you could count my tears
Perhaps you could count my tears
and if you were nearer
Also, if you were closer
it would all be clearer
Everything would become clearer
how i wish that you were here (mmm, mmm)
I profoundly yearn for your presence
how i wish that you were here (how i wish, that you were here)
I strongly desire that you were with me
And baby girl, i was tired
Moreover, my dear, I was exhausted
so i laid down to dream awhile
Thus, I reclined to dream for a bit
but lately i've been so uninspired
However, lately, I have felt so uninspired
without the comfort of your smile
As I miss the reassuring feeling of your smile
But i'm not complainin'
But I am not expressing discontentment
'cause that's how it goes
Since that's just how life is
there's always some heartache in this world I suppose
There's always some anguish and pain in life, I assume
but you can't imagine nobody knows
But you can't comprehend what nobody else knows
the love we had stays on my mind
Our love continues to endure in my thoughts
(stays on my mind)
(remains in my thoughts)
the love we had stays on my mind
Our love remains in my thoughts
i never will forget you baby
I will never forget you, baby
the love we had stays on my mind
Our love continues to persist in my mind
why how can i tell you
But how can I explain to you
ad lib...
Additional unscripted lines
Writer(s): Callier Terrence O, Wade Larry
Contributed by Olivia T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@a.c.6475
Marvin junior's voice is like a soulful thunderstorm! often imitated but never duplicated.
@tonyawalker9463
The Six One Niner!
Yes Indeed
@MrTPain
God bless you if you try God love you if you make it this is jawn
@55cleon
NEVER, EVER DUPLICATED!
@DEVINEJUSTICEALLAH72
FACTS!!
@brendakeys7306
Yes lord I can listen to him all day
@adamwilmington9687
I keep coming back to this version, Marvin Jr just kills it on every note. Great across the group really, what a beautiful, powerful song.
@TheNeworleansgal
I too can't shake this
@ThraxioLarge
LORD JESUS I swear,Marvin Junior's the only cat who's voice has literally brought me to tears, dude that's just a instrument of God
@traceytracey3756
❤