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The El-Rays Darling, I Know Checker 794 B 1954
This is the flip side to "Darling, I Know." Here are The El-Rays (better known as "The Dells"), before they made it big with "Oh What A Nite!" Enjoy!
One of the most beloved of all the 50s groups is the Dells. Memorable favorites include, with tenor Johnny Funches: "Tell The World," "Why Do You Have To Go," "Pain In My Heart," and especially "Dreams Of Contentment." Amazingly, the Dells are still performing, essentially with the same personnel for around 50 years. In addition, the Dells did loads of backup work. "Hello Stranger" (Barbara Lewis) and "Your Friends" (Dee Clark) are two that come readily to mind. The Dells originated from Harvey, Illinois (south of Chicago and east of Gary, Indiana). The six Thornton Township High School students that coalesced into a group around 1952 consisted of Johnny Funches (tenor lead on the slow tunes), Michael "Mickey" McGill (tenor), Verne Allison (tenor), Lucius McGill (Michael's brother, tenor), Marvin Junior (baritone lead on the uptempo tunes), and Chuck Barksdale (bass).
They practiced where they could: in school, in hallways, in local ice cream parlors, street corners (where, on one occasion, some music lover on high dumped a pail of water on them). Mickey McGill decided that the "El Rays" was a neat-sounding name; after all, it meant "the kings" in Spanish. It actually means nothing at all in Spanish. You want "the kings," you've got to say "LOS REYES." In late 1953 or early 1954, they journeyed to Chicago to try out for Chess Records (Leonard Chess himself conducted the audition). Leonard was impressed enough to set up a session. On February 17, 1954, the El Rays recorded four sides: "Christine," "Darling, I Know," "Whing Ding All Night," and "So Long." On at least "So Long" (and possibly "Whing Ding All Night"), they're backing up Willie Dixon.
"Christine" and "Darling, I Know" were released, in May, on Checker. Both were rated "good" on May 22, along with Chuck Willis' "I Feel So Bad," the Rivileers' "Forever," the Hawks' "Good News," the Strangers' "Blue Flowers," and the Bards' "I'm A Wine Drinker." When nothing happened with the disc, Lucius McGill, who decided that he wasn't all that interested in show business, quit to get a "real" job. The five remaining El Rays crossed South Cottage Grove Avenue to see what Vee-Jay could do for them. (In those days, Chess was at #4750; Vee-Jay was at 4747.) Not only did Vivian and Jimmy Bracken's Vee-Jay Records welcome them with open arms, but also got them to give up on that old, clunky, "El Rays." Now they were "The Dells."
Turntable used: Audio Technica AT-LP120 USB Direct Drive inputted straight into the sound card using the built-in pre-amp from the turntable.
Cartridge used: ATP-2XN using 78 3 mil needle.
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