Stay In My Corner by DrsWoodard

DrsWoodard - Stay In My Corner

DrsWoodard

Sep 04, 2023 04:01pm

<h1>The Dells</h1> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Dells.png" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);"><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/The_Dells.png/250px-The_Dells.png" alt="The Dells in 1967: (Top row, L-R): Michael McGill, Marvin Junior, Verne Allison. (Bottom row, L-R): Chuck Barksdale, Johnny Carter." height="250" width="250"></a>The Dells in 1967: (Top row, L-R): Michael McGill, Marvin Junior, Verne Allison. (Bottom row, L-R): Chuck Barksdale, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Carter_(singer)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Johnny Carter</a>.Background informationAlso known asThe El-Rays, The Mighty DellsOrigin<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey,_Illinois" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Harvey, Illinois</a>, U.S.Genres<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhythm_and_blues" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">R&B</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doo-wop" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">doo-wop</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_music" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">soul</a>Years active1953–2012Labels<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Cadet/Chess</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vee-Jay_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Vee-Jay</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Mercury</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABC_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">ABC</a>, 20th Century Fox, Ichiban, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Virgin</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_International_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Philadelphia International</a>, VoltPast membersMarvin Junior (deceased) The Dells were an American <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhythm_and_blues" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">R&B</a> vocal group. Formed in high school in 1953 by founding members Marvin Junior, Verne Allison, Johnny Funches, Chuck Barksdale, and Michael and Lucius McGill, under the name the El-Rays.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dells#cite_note-Larkin-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[1]</a> They released their first recording in 1954 and two years later had their first R&B hit with "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh,_What_a_Night_(The_Dells_song)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Oh What a Night</a>".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dells#cite_note-Larkin-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[1]</a> After disbanding due to a near-fatal car crash in 1958, the band re-formed in 1960 with Funches being replaced by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Carter_(singer)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Johnny Carter</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dells#cite_note-Larkin-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[1]</a> This lineup remained together until Carter's death in 2009.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dells#cite_note-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[2]</a> In 2004, The Dells were inducted into both the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_and_Roll_Hall_of_Fame" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Rock and Roll Hall of Fame</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dells#cite_note-rnr_hofame-3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[3]</a> and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vocal_Group_Hall_of_Fame" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Vocal Group Hall of Fame</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dells#cite_note-vocal_hofame-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[4]</a> The group performed until illness forced longtime lead singer Marvin Junior and bass vocalist Chuck Barksdale into retirement, ending the group's 60-year run.<h2>History</h2>The Dells grew up in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey,_Illinois" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Harvey, Illinois</a>, and began singing together while attending <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thornton_Township_High_School" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Thornton Township High School</a>. Forming in 1952 under the name the El-Rays, the group initially consisted of Marvin Junior, Michael McGill, Lucius McGill, Verne Allison, Chuck Barksdale, and Johnny Funches. Lucius McGill soon left the group and the remaining quintet signed with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checker_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Checker Records</a>, releasing their first single, "Darling I Know", which flopped.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dells#cite_note-Larkin-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[1]</a>In 1955, the group renamed themselves the Dells and signed with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vee-Jay_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Vee-Jay Records</a>. In 1956, they recorded their first hit, "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh,_What_a_Night_(The_Dells_song)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Oh, What a Night</a>" (a song co-written by Johnny Funches, who also sang lead on the recording alongside Marvin Junior<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dells#cite_note-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[5]</a>), which hit the top 5 of the R&B singles chart. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_recording_sales_certification" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">gold disc</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dells#cite_note-The_Book_of_Golden_Discs-6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[6]</a> The song is ranked No. 260 on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Rolling Stone</a> magazine's list of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone%27s_500_Greatest_Songs_of_All_Time" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time</a>. In November 1958, the Dells suffered a car accident that left McGill in a hospital in Ohio for six months.[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">citation needed</a>] The group temporarily disbanded and Barksdale sang as a member of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Fuqua" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Harvey Fuqua</a>'s spinoff <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moonglows" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Moonglows</a> act, Harvey and the Moonglows, which included a young <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Gaye" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Marvin Gaye</a>. In 1961, the Dells reunited and auditioned for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinah_Washington" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Dinah Washington</a>. After Washington agreed to hire them, Johnny Funches left the group to take care of his family. Funches was replaced by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flamingos" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Flamingos</a> founding member <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Carter_(singer)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Johnny Carter</a> and sang background for Washington for two years. In 1966, they were hired to open for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Charles" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Ray Charles</a>, only to be fired after a performance resulted in several standing ovations.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dells#cite_note-more_miles-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[7]</a> The group would also sing background for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Lewis" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Barbara Lewis</a>, mainly on Lewis' 1963 hit, "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello_Stranger_(song)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Hello Stranger</a>", while also working with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincy_Jones" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Quincy Jones</a>, who helped to fine-tune their vocals for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_(song)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">standards</a> and jazz material. <h3>Successful years</h3>In 1966, the Dells returned to Chess under the label's Cadet subsidiary working with Bobby Miller and future <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth,_Wind_%26_Fire" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Earth, Wind & Fire</a> arranger <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Stepney" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Charles Stepney</a>. 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), "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Can_Sing_a_Rainbow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">I Can Sing a Rainbow</a> - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27amour_est_bleu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Love is Blue</a> (medley)" (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Singles_Chart" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">UK</a> No. 15),<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dells#cite_note-British_Hit_Singles_&_Albums-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[8]</a> and their first No. 1 R&B hit and first top ten pop hit, 1968's "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stay_in_My_Corner" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(250, 167, 0);">Stay in My Corner</a>",<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dells#cite_note-Larkin-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[1]</a> which reached No. 10 on the pop chart and showcased both Carter and Marvin in lead vocals. In the following year, 1969, The Dells' <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_music" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">soulful</a> 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 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Hot_100" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Billboard</a> <img src="https://www.mindcorp.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/PICK-of-the-week.png">