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)
Zing Zing Zing
The Dells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I gotta girl and she's alright
Well, my girl can chicken too
He can live on hoochie-koo
My girl makes my heart, my heart
Go sing, sing, sing
And she moves her Venus cheek
We go out and have a ball
He can live on having on
My girl makes my heart, my heart
Go sing, sing, sing
Oh, well she′s a real gold baby
She know just what to do
And now when she tickles me
Why that's crazy too
My girl makes my heart, my heart
Go sing, sing, sing
Now when we do the chicken
Or we still do said
Oh, well people beg and beg
Cause they look at the young girl go
My girl makes my heart, my heart
Go sing, sing, sing
Oh, well she's a real gold baby
She know just what to do
And now when she tickles me
Why that′s crazy too.
The Dells's song "Zing Zing Zing" is about the singer's admiration for his girl and how she makes him feel. The lyrics describe how the girl can dance the chicken and do other things that make the singer feel alive. He is in awe of how his girl moves, and he feels happy when they go out together. The lines, "My girl makes my heart, my heart go sing, sing, sing" are repeated throughout the song, emphasizing how special the singer thinks his girl is.
The lyrics also suggest a strong sexual connection between the couple. The lines, "She moves her Venus cheek" and "Now when she tickles me, why that's crazy too" hint at sexual playfulness. The song's overall mood is upbeat, and the lyrics are playful and catchy.
Overall, "Zing Zing Zing" is a love song that celebrates the joy of being with someone who makes you feel alive. The Dells's vocals are smooth and soulful, and the song's catchy melody and upbeat rhythm make it a classic.
Line by Line Meaning
I gotta girl and she's alright
I am in a romantic relationship with a girl who is doing fine
Well, my girl can chicken too
My girl can dance well with a style called the chicken dance
He can live on hoochie-koo
He enjoys the party vibe created by music genre hoochie-koo
My girl makes my heart, my heart
My girl brings me great joy and makes my heart beat faster
Go sing, sing, sing
Her presence fills me with so much joy and happiness that I feel like singing
I gotta girl with a home and kick
I am with a girl who has a good home and is attractive
And she moves her Venus cheek
She has a seductive way of dancing that involves moving her cheek
We go out and have a ball
We enjoy each other's company and have a great time together
He can live on having on
I can keep going with just being happy around her
Oh, well she's a real gold baby
My girl is amazing and valuable
She know just what to do
She knows how to make me happy and fulfilled
And now when she tickles me
When we play around and have fun, even tickling me is a crazy experience
Why that's crazy too
The love and joy she brings to my life is amazing
Now when we do the chicken
During the chicken dance, when we dance together, it feels great
Or we still do said
And even with other dance moves, we still feel happy and joyous
Oh, well people beg and beg
People are amazed and beg us to dance together when they see us on the dance floor
Cause they look at the young girl go
Because we look great and move so effortlessly together
Writer(s): Verne Allison
Contributed by Isaac J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.