Hallo,
The Dells und kein Ende, eine 45er Reise durch die Zeit der Musik-Geschmäcker …………..
In der Philadelphia-Zeit hatten sie eine herrliche Platte gemacht, “Oh What A Nite“, dann waren sie in Vergessenheit geraten. Aber in den späten sechziger Jahren tauchten sie wieder auf und machten ein paar wirklich gute Sachen. Irgendwie schafften sie es, eine experimentelle Atmosphäre mit einer Menge Tricks aus der guten alten High School-Kiste zu verbinden. Passagen atonaler Pianos, Tempoveränderungen und Reak-out-Crescendos Seite an Seite mit Falsettgewimmer und grummelnden Bass-Monologen, als seien die Four Tops, die späten Beach Boys und die Coasters alle in einen Topf geworfen und schön umgerührt worden. Was dabei rauskam, war, gelinde gesagt, etwas seltsam, aber überaus unterhaltsam, und einer ihrer Songs, “O-O, I Love You“ war wirklich hervorragend.
Nach Nik Cohn
Die Band wurde 1953 in Harvey, einem südlichen Vorort von Chicago, gegründet. Marvin Junior (+ 2013), Johnny Funches, Verne Allison, Lucius und Mickey McGill und Chuck Barksdale gingen alle zusammen in Harvey auf eine Schule und entschlossen sich zusammen eine Band zu gründen, die sich zunächst The El-Rays nannte.
Noch im gleichen Jahr nahmen sie für Checker Records, ein Sublabel von Chess, ihre erste Single “Darling I Know“ auf. Sie floppte und nur wenig später verließ Lucius McGill (1935–2014) die Band, die sich dann in The Dells umbenannte.
CHECKER
05 54….794…. EL RAYS with WILLIE DIXON and Orchestra..Darling I Know / Christine
VEE-JAY (45er)
04 55....VJ 134.... THE DELLS..Tell The World/COUNT MORRIS..Blues At Three
12 55....VJ 166.... THE DELLS..Zing Zing Zing/Dreams Of Contentment
09 56....VJ 204.... THE DELLS..Oh What A Nite/Jo-Jo
“Oh What a Nite“, heute ein Klassiker, schaffte es 1956 dann sogar bis auf # 4 der R&B-Charts, doch die Band konnte den Erfolg des Songs zunächst nicht mehr wiederholen.
12 56....VJ 230.... THE DELLS..Movin' On/I Wanna Go Home
03 57....VJ 236.... THE DELLS..Why Do You Have To Go/Dance, Dance, Dance
07 57....VJ 251.... THE DELLS..Q-Bop She-Bop (Cubop Chebop)/A Distant Love
08 57....VJ 258.... THE DELLS..Pain In My Heart/Time Makes You Change
04 58....VJ 274.... THE DELLS..The Springer/What You Say Baby
08 58....VJ 292.... THE DELLS..I'm Calling/Jeepers Creepers
12 58....VJ 300.... THE DELLS..Wedding Day/My Best Girl
09 59....VJ-324.... THE DELLS..Dry Your Eyes/Baby, Open Up Your Heart
01 60....VJ 338.... THE DELLS..Oh What A Nite/I Wanna Go Home
04 61....VJ 376.... THE DELLS..Swingin' Teens/Hold On To What You've Got
Schließlich unterschrieben die Dells bei Argo Records, einem weiteren Sublabel von Chess, wo sie vier jazz-orientierte Singles veröffentlichten. Sie floppten alle.
ARGO (45er)
05 62....5415.... THE DELLS..God Bless The Child/I'm Going Home
10 62....5428.... THE DELLS..The (Bossa Nova) Bird/Eternally
06 63....5442.... THE DELLS..Hi Diddley Dee Dum Dum (It's A Good Good Feelin')/If It Ain't One Thing It's Another
10 63....5456.... THE DELLS..Good-bye Mary Ann/After You
1964 kehrten sie dann zu Vee-Jay zurück und hatten 1965 einen Top 30 R&B-Hit mit “Stay in My Corner“.
VEE-JAY (45er)
05 64....VJ 595.... THE DELLS..Shy Girl/What Do We Prove
08 64....VJ 615.... THE DELLS..Oh What A Good Nite/Wait Till Tomorrow
05 65....VJ 674.... THE DELLS..Stay In My Corner/It's Not Unusual
12 65....VJ-712.... THE DELLS..Hey Sugar (Don't Get Serious)/Poor Little Boy
Als Vee-Jay 1966 Pleite ging, wechselte die Band zu Cadet Records, ebenfalls ein Sublabel von Chess. “Thinking About You“ und “Run for Cover“ wurden immerhin lokale Hits. Außerdem wurden die Dells Begleitband von Ray Charles.
CADET (45er)
06 66....5538.... THE DELLS..Thinkin' About You/The Change We Go Thru (For Love)
12 66....5551.... THE DELLS..Run For Cover/Over Again
Als Cadet 1967 Bobby Miller als Produzenten und Charles Stepney als Arrangeur anheuerte, begann der Durchbruch der Dells. Auf dem Album “There Is“ waren vier Hit-Singles enthalten, darunter ein Remake von “Stay in My Corner“, das es an die Spitze der R&B- und in die Top 10 der Pop-Charts schaffte.
04 67....5563.... THE DELLS..Inspiration/You Belong To Someone Else
09 67....5574.... THE DELLS..O-O, I Love You/There Is
12 67....5574.... THE DELLS..O-O, I Love You/The Change We Go Thru (For Love)
12 67....5590.... THE DELLS..There Is/Show Me
03 68....5599.... THE DELLS..Wear It On Our Face/Please Don't Change Me Now
06 68....5612.... THE DELLS..Stay In My Corner/Love Is So Simple
06 68....5612-DJ.... THE DELLS..Stay In My Corner/Stay In My Corner
SHIP POCKET/Flexi
06 68....H.P. 32.... THE DELL..There Is/Show Me
CADET
09 68....5621.... THE DELLS..Always Together/I Want My Momma
12 68....5631.... THE DELLS..Does Anybody Know I'm Here/Make Sure (You Have Someone Who Loves You)
02 69....5636.... THE DELLS..Hallways Of My Mind/I Can't Do Enough
05 69....5641.... THE DELLS..I Can Sing A Rainbow/Love Is Blue/Hallelujah Baby
07 69....5649.... THE DELLS..Oh, What A Night/Believe Me
10 69....5658.... THE DELLS..On The Dock Of The Bay/When I'm In Your Arms
10 69....5658.... THE DELLS..On The Dock Of The Bay
01 70....5663.... THE DELLS..Oh What A Day/The Change We Go Thru (For Love)
03 70....5667.... THE DELLS..Open Up My Heart/Nadine
07 70....5672.... THE DELLS..Long Lonely Nights/A Little Understanding
07 70....5672.... THE DELLS..Long Lonely Nights/Long Lonely Nights
11 70....5679.... THE DELLS..The Glory Of Love/A Whiter Shade Of Pale
CHESS BLUE CHIP SERIES
00 71....9006.... THE DELLS..O-O, I Love You/There Is
CADET
07 71....CA 5683.... THE DELLS..The Love We Had (Stays On My Mind)/Freedom Means
01 72....CA 5689.... THE DELLS..It's All Up To You/Oh, My Dear
06 72....CA 5691.... THE DELLS..Walk On By/This Guy's In Love With You
10 72....CA 5694.... THE DELLS..Just As Long As We're In Love/I'd Rather Be With You
04 73....CA 5696.... THE DELLS..Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation/Closer
09 73....CA 5698.... THE DELLS..My Pretending Days Are Over/Let's Make It Last
11 73....CA 5700.... THE DELLS..I Miss You/Don't Make Me A Storyteller
05 74....CA 5702.... THE DELLS..I Wish It Was Me You Loved/Two Together Is Better Than One
07 74....CA 5703.... THE DELLS..Learning To Love You Was Easy (It's So Hard Trying To Get Over You)/Sweeter As The Days Go By
08 74....CA 5703.... THE DELLS..Learning To Love You Was Easy (It‘s So Hard Trying To Get Over You)/Bring Back The Love Of Yesterday
04 75....CA 5707.... THE DELLS..The Glory Of Love/ The Greatest
07 75....CA 5710 .... THE DELLS/THE DRAMATICS..You're Love Is Missing From Our Lives/I'm In Love
07 75....CA 5710 .... THE DELLS/THE DRAMATICS..Love Is Missing From Our Lives [Mono]/Love Is Missing From Our Lives [Stereo]
Und es geht immer weiter, in neue Zeiten ..............
MERCURY
10 75....73723.... THE DELLS..We Got To Get Our Thing Together/Reminiscing
02 76....73759.... THE DELLS..The Power Of Love/Gotta Get Home To My Baby
06 76....73807.... THE DELLS..Slow Motion/Ain't No Black And White In Music
09 76....73842.... THE DELLS..No Way Back/Too Late For Love
00 77....DJ-537.... THE DELLS..Private Property [Edited Version]/Private Property
04 77....73909.... THE DELLS..Our Love/Could It Be
07 77....73901.... THE DELLS..Betcha Never Been Loved (Like This Before)/Get On Down
12 77....73977.... THE DELLS..Private Property/Teaser
ABC
06 78....AB-12386…. DELLS..Super Woman [Mono]/Super Woman [Stereo]
07 78....AB-12386…. DELLS..Super Woman/My Life Is So Wonderful (When You're Around)
10 78....AB-12422.... THE DELLS..I Wanna Testify/Drowning For Your Love
MCA
00 79....MCA-41051.... THE DELLS..Thought I Could/Thought I Could
ABC
01 79....AB-12440.... THE DELLS..(You Bring Out) The Best In Me/Wrapped Up Tight
01 79....AB-12440.... THE DELLS..(You Bring Out) The Best In Me [Mono]/(You Bring Out) The Best In Me [Stereo]
20th CENTURY-FOX
07 80....TC-2463.... THE DELLS..I Touched A Dream/All About The Paper
07 80....TC-2463-DJ.... THE DELLS..I Touched A Dream [Mono]/I Touched A Dream [Stereo]
11 80....TC-2475.... THE DELLS..Passionate Breezes/Your Song
10 81....TC-2504.... THE DELLS..Happy Song/Look At Us Now
10 81....TC-2504-DJ.... THE DELLS..Happy Song [Mono]/Happy Song [Stereo]
CHESS
00 82....CH-132.... THE DELLS..Stay In My Corner/Always Together
20th CENTURY-FOX
01 82....TC-2602.... THE DELLS..Stay In My Corner/Ain't It A Shame
01 82....TC-2602-DJ.... THE DELLS..Stay In My Corner [Mono]/Stay In My Corner [Stereo]
ERIC
00 83....276.... THE DELLS..Stay In My Corner/JOHNNIE AND JOE..Over The Mountain Across The Sea
CHESS
00 84....CH-91031.... THE DELLS..Stay In My Corner/Always Together
PRIVATE I
01 84....ZS4 04343.... THE DELLS..You Just Can't Walk Away/Don't Want Nobody
01 84....ZS4 04343.... THE DELLS..You Just Can't Walk Away/You Just Can't Walk Away
04 84....ZS4 04448.... THE DELLS..One Step Closer/Come On Back To Me
Gruß
Heino
