Ultimate Collection

by The Dells

Overview

With a Motown flair, sweet Chicago harmonies, and sparse string arrangements that prefigured the Philly sound, the Dells reached the pop charts in every decade from the 1950s through the 1990s, a feat only equaled by the great James Brown. Originally a doo wop group, the Dells had hits in the 1950s with "Oh What a Night" and "Stay in My Corner," then placed both songs in the charts again with re-recorded versions (the versions that are included here) on the Chess-owned Cadet label at the end of the 1960s. Undisputed masters of the slow jam ballad, the group exploits the oil and water textures of Marvin Junior's gruff, hard soul voice set against the soaring high tenor of Johnny Carter, and the steady emotional tension this brings to songs like "Stay in My Corner" is textbook Chicago soul. This collection pulls together all their biggest hits, including "A Heart Is a House for Love," the theme song for Robert Townsend's film The Five Heartbeats. The inclusion of the latter song gives this release a slight edge over the single-disc On Their Corner compilation from 1992, but the double-disc Anthology (also on Hip-O) from 1999 is still the most comprehensive look at this elegant vocal group. ~ Steve Leggett

Product Details

Release Date:	03/09/2004
Label:	Hip-O/Chess
UPC:	0602498618288
Rank:	45717

Tracks

1. Stay in My Corner
2. There Is
3. O-O I Love You
4. Always Together
5. Oh, What a Night
6. I Can Sing a Rainbow/Love Is Blue
7. Oh, What a Day
8. Open Up My Heart
9. The Love We Had (Stays on My Mind)
10. Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation
11. My Pretending Days Are Over
12. I Miss You
13. Learning to Love You Was Easy
14. We Got to Get Our Thing Together
15. Our Love
16. Super Woman
17. I Touched a Dream
18. A Heart Is a House for Love

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Dells   Primary Artist
Charles Stepney   Conductor
Sonny Sanders   Conductor,Musical Direction
Tom Tom 84   Conductor

Technical Credits

Ronald Tyson   Composer
Herbie Ross   Composer
Iran Koster   Composer
Bobby Miller   Composer,Producer
Larry Wade   Composer
Charles Stepney   Arranger,Producer,Vocal Arrangement
Victoria Pike   Composer
Wade Flemons   Composer
Davitt Sigerson   Composer
Pierre Cour   Composer
Marv Johnson   Composer
Raynard Miner   Composer
Michael McGill   Composer
Michele Horie   Artwork,Production Coordination
George Duke   Producer,Vocal Arrangement
Tom Tom 84   Arranger
Allan Felder   Composer
Tony Hester   Composer
Teddy Randazzo   Composer
Terry Callier   Composer
Calvin Arline   Composer
Jimmy Roach   Arranger,Composer
Barrett Strong   Composer
Pat Lawrence   Executive Producer
Don Davis   Composer,Producer
The Dells   Vocal Arrangement
Eugene Record   Composer,Producer,Vocal Arrangement
Henry "Rubberlegs" Williams   Composer
Harry Weinger   Compilation Producer
Suha Gur   Mastering
Andre Popp   Composer
Ron Tyson   Composer
Roger Joyce   Composer
Vartan   Art Direction
Marvin Junior   Composer
Arthur Hamilton   Composer
Darryl Phinnessee   Vocal Arrangement
Bryan Blackburn   Composer
T.G. Conway   Arranger,Composer
Jackie Avery   Composer
Chuck Stewart   Photography
Michael Diehl   Design
Ramon Galbert   Product Manager
Robin Schwartz   Licensing
Talmadge Conway   Composer
Eli Fontaine   Producer
Rudy Robinson   Arranger
Johnny Funches   Composer
Chuck Barksdale   Producer
Bob Thiele Jr.   Composer
Anthony Hester   Composer
Herb Ross   Composer
Tristin Sigerson   Composer
Ryan Null   Photo Coordination
Harris Machine   Producer
Carl Davis   Producer
Peter Amft   Cover Photo
James Dean   Composer
Allan Wayne Felder   Composer