This is a very special occasion.
Helen Trostle Ettline
was born 108 years ago
on January 9, 1911.
Every evening Helen was stationed behind the counter of the
Shady Dell snack bar preparing treats to feed the masses.
Shady Dell snack bar preparing treats to feed the masses.
As Helen worked, a steady stream of 1950s
doo-wop records played on the jukebox.
doo-wop records played on the jukebox.
THE CRESTS
Let's celebrate Helen's birthday by listening to three doo-wop songs
I think she'd enjoy. First we have The Crests, led from 1956 until 1960
by the late, great Johnny Maestro. Our featured song was released in
December 1962 with James Ancrum on lead. It's an updated version
of "Guilty," a song that had been a top 5 hit in 1931 for actress and
singing star Ruth Etting and again in 1947 for Margaret Whiting.
The Crests' cover didn't perform nearly as well, and remained
trapped in the Bubbling Under basement. Is the intro,
based on Amos 'n' Andy, politically incorrect?
You be the judge!
"Guilty" - The Crests
(Feb. 1963, highest chart pos. #123)
THE DUPREES
Next, here are The Duprees, the Italian-American vocal group from
Jersey City featuring lead singer Joey Vann, doing a fine cover
of "Why Don't You Believe Me," the original a chart-topper
in 1952 for traditional pop songstress Joni James.
"Why Don't You Believe Me" - The Duprees Featuring Joey Vann
(Sept. 1963, highest chart pos. #37)
LITTLE ANTHONY
AND THE IMPERIALS
And finally here is a song that must have been Helen's favorite
because it played on her jukebox more often than any other.
It's the ballad "Two People in the World" by Little Anthony & The Imperials,
I think she'd enjoy. First we have The Crests, led from 1956 until 1960
by the late, great Johnny Maestro. Our featured song was released in
December 1962 with James Ancrum on lead. It's an updated version
of "Guilty," a song that had been a top 5 hit in 1931 for actress and
singing star Ruth Etting and again in 1947 for Margaret Whiting.
The Crests' cover didn't perform nearly as well, and remained
trapped in the Bubbling Under basement. Is the intro,
based on Amos 'n' Andy, politically incorrect?
You be the judge!
"Guilty" - The Crests
(Feb. 1963, highest chart pos. #123)
THE DUPREES
Next, here are The Duprees, the Italian-American vocal group from
Jersey City featuring lead singer Joey Vann, doing a fine cover
of "Why Don't You Believe Me," the original a chart-topper
in 1952 for traditional pop songstress Joni James.
"Why Don't You Believe Me" - The Duprees Featuring Joey Vann
(Sept. 1963, highest chart pos. #37)
LITTLE ANTHONY
AND THE IMPERIALS
And finally here is a song that must have been Helen's favorite
because it played on her jukebox more often than any other.
It's the ballad "Two People in the World" by Little Anthony & The Imperials,
a Dell slow dance favorite from the summer of 1958, the one I have
come to think of and refer to as... "Helen's Song."
come to think of and refer to as... "Helen's Song."
"Two People In The World" - Little Anthony And The Imperials
(Sept./Oct. 1958, B side of "Tears On My Pillow")
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HELEN!
We love you and miss you.
Tom,
ReplyDeleteToday is my niece's birthday. She's 34. :) My parental grandmother was born a few years before Helen. I can imagine Helen soaking up these dreamy tunes. The aroma from these old groups fill my senses like a sweet perfume relaxing every fiber in my being as I listen with my head gently sway side to side in time wtih the mewsic. Lovely tribute to a lovely lady. Happy Birthday in heaven, Mrs. Ettline! May your eternal rest be ever bit as beautiful as you!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteHow are you this morning, dear friend? Thank you for being the early bird this time around and for the lovely message you wrote as we observe the 108th anniversary of the birth of Shady Dell owner Helen Ettline.
Yessum, Helen and doo-wop fit together like hand in glove. Doo-wop set a nostalgic mood in the Dell snack bar. It was the perfect style of music to have playing in the background as Dell rats munched burgers and subs and enjoyed Helen's soda fountain drink blends and ice cream floats and sundaes.
It's interesting that DH's mother was born a few years before Helen. Margaret Schneider was born a little over a year after Helen, and my dad was born two years and nine months after Helen. Happy birthday to your niece! I'd give anything to be 34 again... or 44... or 54... or 64... :)
Thank you again for your kind visit and comment, dear friend Cathy!
Tom,
DeleteNo, no it wasn't DH's mother but MY parental grandmother who was born a few years before Helen. :)
While we can't turn the hands of time back, we can be the best at the age given. I know you have a good regime of exercise and diet in place which no doubt has improved your quality of life dramatically. I count myself very blessed to have minor issues. I have classmates who aren't doing well and several have died since graduation. It's so sad. I was talking to my mother the other day and she told me that my first cousin on my daddy's side has been given a couple of weeks to live. He has some kind of cancer wrapped around his spine that went unnoticed by doctors for years until now. That's so heart breaking. He's a couple of years older than me. That boy led a wild life as a teenager and I don't know how he survived except by God's grace. Thanks for droopping by this morning for some Friday Sillies!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteThank you for coming over to chat again this morning, dear friend! I also thank you for correcting the misunderstanding about your grandmother. I keep forgetting that the parents of many of my blog friends are my age or younger, and it is their GRANDparents who were closer to my parents' and the Ettlines' age. (Suddenly I feel old :)
You're right. I do try to exercise regularly and watch what I eat. If you take care of your body, more often than not, your body will take care of you. I am sorry to learn that you received shocking news about your first cousin. I hope the prognosis is wrong. Many of us who were wild in our youth feel like we are living on borrowed time. Every day is a blessing.
I always enjoy your Sillies, dear friend, and your company. Thanks again for dropping in, Cathy, and have a super weekend!
Happy birthday, Helen! What an influence you had on so many people. You will never be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteHi, Alex!
DeleteHow are you this morning, good buddy? Thanks for dropping by early to remember Helen Ettline on her birthday. You're right, Alex. Helen exerted a positive influence on me and countless other teenagers of the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s, right up to her death in 1984. We will always remember Helen and honor her.
Thanks again for your visit and comment, good buddy Alex!
Helen got to hear some of the best music ever.
ReplyDeleteHi, Arleen!
DeleteHello and happy new year, dear friend? I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and I'm pleased to have you with me again in 2019.
I am especially happy to introduce you to Helen Ettline. Helen and her husband John operated the popular (and infamous) Shady Dell, a hangout and juke joint for teenagers on the south side of York, PA. I was a regular face in the crowd for two years, from the fall of 1965 until I left town for college in September 1967. In the four years that followed, I continued to visit the Dell whenever I returned home on spring, summer and winter breaks.
As much as I loved the Dell dance hall, there was something special about chatting with Helen in the snack bar, feasting on the fast food and desserts she whipped up, and listening to a musical menu of doo-wop oldies from years past, records that no doubt once played on the main jukebox in the "barn" but were long since retired. Yes indeed - Helen and the rest of us enjoyed a lot of great music during those golden years, and I had the best times of my life there at the Dell.
Thank you again for coming to see me, Arleen. I wish you all the best in 2019 and I hope you will continue to make Shady's Place your home away from home!
Happy birthday to Helen. I love it when you do these doo-wop posts. I never thought about it before, but it may be, or in the process of becoming, my favorite early rock/pop genre. I'm not sure I've ever heard a bad or even mediocre doo-wop song.
ReplyDeleteHi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for coming over for a second day in a row, good buddy. I appreciate it! The first few months of every year have several regularly scheduled posts that need to run, and that is why some posts are spaced only 3 or 4 days apart instead of six or seven.
I am delighted to know you are turning into a doo-wop lover! That's a very good thing, because the rudder has turned. I am pulling away from modern pop and metal to some extent and getting more interested in doo-wop again. Stay tuned, because there are many more gems of the genre coming up this year and beyond.
Thanks again for taking a look and a listen, good buddy Kirk, and for helping me wish Helen a happy 108th birthday in heaven. Enjoy the rest of your week!
Shady,
ReplyDeleteYou a picked some good songs for Helen’s birthday Memorial. My favorite is, “two people in the world”! I can just imagine the young teens slow dancing in the dance hall to that one.
Happy birthday to a wonderful woman, mother/ cook to all Dell Rat!
I wonder what Helen would think if she knew the Dell is up for sale yet once again for a whopping $379,000.! It boasts a six car garage where the Dancehall once was.
Again, happy birthday, dear Helen!
Hi, Toni!
DeleteThank you very much for coming again this year as I pay tribute to Helen on her birthday. It boggles the mind to realize that Helen would be age 108 this year. Sadly she will soon be dead and gone 35 years!
I'm glad you enjoyed the doo-wop platters I played for Helen this year including "Helen's Song," the one I play every year on this occasion.
Thanks for breaking the news on the blog that the Dell is once again for sale. It will be interesting to see where this goes. I wish it were you and your husband who were once again becoming the "Dell keepers."
Thanks again for being here, dear friend Toni, and enjoy the rest of your week!
Happy Birthday Helen in heaven! When I hear these doo-wop numbers it's so easy to picture slow dancing teens, maybe falling in love for the first time on that dance floor. But the last tune for Helen makes me wonder if she loved it not just for the music but because it was just her and John..two people in love. Who knows what makes us love different types of music..everyone having their own favorites. But how fun to have a place to listen, dance and enjoy time together. The Dell made more than snacks and dance time for teens, it made memories that will last forever in the Dell Rat's minds and now here on your blog. Helen won't be forgotten and you've shared her story with many more folks than she probably would ever have imagined. Again, a big Happy Birthday to her! Have a good week Shady!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteThank you very much for coming over late in the evening to share your thoughts about Helen Ettline on the anniversary of her birth 108 years ago. As one of my oldest followers you are quite familiar with this annual post, and you always express yourself eloquently on this occasion.
That's an interesting theory about "Helen's Song." It might have resonated with Helen more so than any other song because it reminded her of meeting and falling in love with John.
Boy meets girl and love begins
Oh, what a feeling you get from within
One of the things I liked best about the Dell was the fact that the music followed you everywhere, so you never had to come down from that natural high. No matter where you were on the property, you could hear good music playing. If you were in the "barn" dance hall, you listened to current dance favorites spinning on the main jukebox. Those same records could be heard playing if you left the dance hall, because John had remote speakers rigged above a second dance floor outdoors by the fireplace. I'm pretty sure he even had speakers in the men's and ladies' rooms, because I could always hear the music loud and clear whenever I visited the little boy Dell rat's room. Even when I was on my way up to the Dell in my car, I could begin to hear the music coming from the barn from a half mile down the road. Seeing those colored lantern lights in the distance creating a glow that extended into the sky, and hearing that music floating out across the countryside as I made my approach, was like the scene in Close Encounters of the Third Kind when Richard Dreyfus first lays eyes on the mother ship atop Devils Tower and hears the otherworldly sounds coming from her. Meanwhile, inside the Dell house, at Helen's snack counter, you entered a completely different world with its own jukebox and different records playing - doo-wop oldies that years before had been brand new releases played on the primary jukebox in the dance hall. In the same space was a pinball machine dinging away and a TV set atop the refrigerator with the sounds of shows like Laugh-In, The Monkees and Mission Impossible competing with the doo-wop music, plus the sound of conversations between various pairs of Dell rats - a mix of sights, sounds and smells that all contributing to the delightfully chaotic scene.
Thank you for suggesting that, by means of my Shady Dell blogs, I have extended Helen's influence decades after her demise and enabled her to touch more people than she ever could have imagined. SDMM and SPMM are my way of entertaining the young and the young at heart the same way Helen and John entertained me. I am grateful for this opportunity.
Thank you again for being here this year as you have been for the past six or seven years to wish Helen a happy birthday in heaven. Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend YaYa!
You're the sweetest thing to continue the tribute's to Helen!! She had a great life and oh the changes she saw over all those many decades.
ReplyDeleteTwo people in the world is a sweet song. Never heard that one before.
Have a great week!
Hi, Holli!
DeleteThanks for swinging over for another visit, my dear DFW friend!
Hey, I wanted to let you know that Mrs. Shady and I watched Dumplin' yesterday, and we gave it two enthusiastic thumbs up. I enjoyed the Dolly Parton soundtrack and especially liked the positive message the film sends to young women with body image issues. It is a sweet, charming movie and I thank you for recommending it!
Yessum, every year at this time I pay tribute to Helen Ettline on her birthday. I can't wrap my noggin around the number 108 because, to me, Helen will remain forever young. After all, she was only in her mid to late 50s when I hung out with her at the Dell, That's a lot younger than I am now. Helen saw many changes to our country and the world in her lifetime, and just think of the enormous changes that have taken place since her death in 1984!
I'm glad you enjoyed Little Anthony & The Imperials' fab flip "Two People In The World" aka "Helen's Song."
Thanks again for stopping by, dear friend Holli, and enjoy the rest of your week and weekend!
Happy birthday, Helen!
ReplyDeleteShady, you played some of my favourite songs! A fitting tribute to a wonderful woman on her 108th birthday.
Have a great Thankful Thursday, dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteIt was nice of you to come over to join me in celebrating the 108th anniversary of the birth of Dell owner Helen Ettline. Thank you!
I'm glad you liked the doo-wop oldies I picked for this year's tribute, and I hope Helen enjoyed them, too.
Have a great Friday and weekend, dear friend JM!
I will be not blogging for some time.
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to let you know.
cheers parsnip
Thanks for letting me know, Gayle, and thank you for dropping by Shady's Place for a visit.
DeleteTake care and have a good weekend, dear friend!
Hi Shady!
ReplyDeleteI’m quite sure Mrs. E beams fondly from above at every sweet reminder of the positive energy she so generously shared around the Dell. This was yet another uplifting tribute to a grand legacy. I can picture her swaying gently to these tunes as she worked behind the counter. Was kitchen dancing allowed? I ask because I can picture that too.
I heard nothing ‘political’ (incorrect or otherwise) in any of these timeless melodies. Back then, it was acceptable to simply enjoy life as it was. What a pleasant concept!
Keep thinking the good thoughts, and thanks for the harmonic reminders of yesteryear! Harmony. Now, that’s a good word for the rest of the month ;-)
Hi, diedre!
DeleteHow are you today, dear friend? Thanks a lot for coming to Helen's birthday celebration!
I'm thrilled to know you appreciated the doo-wop tunes I picked for Helen this year. You pose an interesting question, dear friend. I doubt dancing was verboten in the snack bar but, to be honest, there would not have been very much room to do it. In the restaurant section of the house, a narrow aisle ran between rows of diner style booths. The adjacent section that contained Helen's snack bar, was also cramped, with a pinball machine filling what little space there was behind the row of stools at the counter. One could dance outdoors on a nearby concrete slab, but the music that played out there was coming from the main jukebox in the barn, not Helen's jukebox in the snack bar.
"I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony." How about you? Thanks again for being here for Helen again this year, dear friend diedre. Take care, have a nice weekend, and I hope to see you again soon!
I love how you honour your elders, friend Shady … In my culture we are taught to touch our forehead to the hand and then kiss the hand of an elder … Last time I went to Europe I received that honour myself for the very first time … Much love, cat, age 63.
ReplyDeleteHi, cat!
DeleteWhat a sensational comment from you, dear friend. Thank you so much!
In my experience, elders are not honored nearly as much as they once were in the United States of America. Our culture seems to dictate that only the young (and the beautiful) are relevant and worthy of our time and attention. I am very happy to know you received that honor the last time you traveled to Europe.
Thank you again for helping me to remember Helen Ettline on her birthday this year. You are a treasured friend, dear cat. Enjoy your weekend!
I always seem to fall down on the job...sort of speak and this is not a job but a pleasure to always visit your blog. A great birthday tribute to a lady who left a lasting impression on you...love it.
ReplyDelete