THE DELLS "On Their Corner" (1966-1974)

The Dells are one of the finest and longest-lived R&B vocal groups in history, and what's most amazing is that they've done it with nearly all the same members - they haven't changed personnel since 1960. They were one of the very few doo wop outfits to successfully update their sound, finding their strongest commercial niche in the late '60s and '70s as a smooth soul harmony group. The Dells were formed in 1953 in southern suburbs of Chicago, specifically the town of Harvey, IL, where all the members attended high school together.Cadet Records was where the Dells' career really started to take off. In 1967, the label assigned producer Bobby Miller and arranger Charles Stepney to handle the group, and they began to exploit the striking contrast between Junior's earthy baritone and Carter's luminous falsetto, adding lush orchestrations and plenty of horn charts. The Dells' first album under the Miller-Stepney aegis, There Is, was a smashing success, spawning no less than four hit singles including an expanded remake of "Stay in My Corner" that topped the R&B charts and went Top Ten pop. Suddenly the group was bigger than they'd ever been; their follow-up album, 1968's Always Together, spun off another four singles. 1969's Love Is Blue gave them another R&B number one and pop Top Ten with a remake of their '50s classic "Oh What a Nite." Miller moved on to other projects in early 1970, and Stepney became the Dells' producer on the following year's Freedom Means, which featured the hit ballad "The Love We Had (Stays On My Mind)." After a Dionne Warwick repertory album in 1972, Cadet hired Don Davis as the group's new producer, which paid immediate dividends in the form of the Dells' first certified million-selling single, 1973's "Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation." After a few more hits with Davis, the Dells left Cadet in favor of Mercury in 1975. (Steve Huey, Allmusic)

trax:
01 Oh What A Night 02 Wear It On Our Face 03 Love Is So Simple 04 I Can Sing A Rainbow / Love Is Blue 05 O-O I Love You 06 There Is 07 Nadine 08 The Love We Had (Stays On My Mind) 09 Run For Cover 10 Stay In My Corner 11 Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation 12 Always Together 13 Open Up My Heart 14 I Miss You 15 Since I Found You 16 My Pretending Days Are Over 17 Learning To Love You Was Easy 18 I Wish It Was Me You Loved
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