(below) "Hey, get up and ask Helen
to make me a cherry coke to go."
"It's time for us to
split the snack bar
and meet up with
Debbie the Dellette
and the Rat Pack
down in the dance hall."
"Starlight Tonight" - The Inspirators
{June/July 1958, B side of "Oh What A Feeling (In My Heart)"}
From the summer of 1958, that was B-13 on the Dell Jukebox, "Starlight Tonight,"
a glorious old school sound on Old Town Records by The Inspirators, a group
also known as The Five Stars. The Inspirators were one of many doo-wop
groups to emerge from Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood
in the 1950s. High school friends since 1949, they performed in
Brooklyn clubs and placed second in the Apollo Theater's
amateur competition. The group released three singles
but failed to make it as a recording act. The ballad
you just heard, "Starlight Tonight," features the kind
of sweet doo-wop harmony teenagers of the 50s and 60s
loved slow dancing to at The Shady Dell in York, Pennsylvania.
Hi! I'm Debbie
the Dellette!
As you know, I'm "The Hostess with the Mostest"
and president of the Old York/Shady Dell chapter
of the Top Hit Club of America. I'm a dancing Dell
teenager of the 50s and I'm back with my friends,
four Dell teenagers of the 60s, who'll play more
of the Shady Dell's greatest hits. This is not an
SPMM radio program. We will be taking turns
dropping our coins into the slot and playing
the Dell's jukebox. At this time, I'd like to
reintroduce my friends from The Rat Pack
who are ready to entertain themselves
and you with their favorite Dell
songs of the mid to late 60s.
THE RAT PACK
(LEFT to RIGHT)
JULIE
PETE
LINDA
DOUG
Looks like Rat Packer Julie's taken her position at
the jukebox and is selecting her first Dell song.
JULIE: Deb, I wish that you had
still been going to the Dell in the
mid 60s when The Temptations
came along. They were Shady Dell
heavy hitters, landing eleven songs
on Shady Del Knight's list of The 200
Greatest Hits of the Shady Dell. I just
pressed N-11 for one of the group's
great mid-tempo love ballads, a song
written by two of Motown's Miracles,
Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore.
From the spring of 1965, here now
are The Temps singing their top 3
R&B hit-- "It's Growing!"
"It's Growing" - The Temptations
(Apr./May 1965, highest chart pos.
#3 R&B, #18 Hot 100/#19 Cash Box)
PETE: My turn, Julie. As you pointed out,
The Temptations placed 11 of their songs
on Shady's list of the Top 200 Dell Songs
of the mid 60. Well, these guys also have
11 songs on that exclusive list. They're
the Four Tops, another great Motown
group, and I just pushed G-17 to play
one of those soulful sides. This Tops
45 made the top 3 winner's circle on
the R&B chart and top 5 on the pop
survey. Here are The Four Tops
with Dell song #175, a giant
of the jukebox in the spring
of 1967-- "Bernadette!"
DELL SONG #175
"Bernadette" - Four Tops
(Apr. 1967, highest chart pos.
#3 R&B/#4 Hot 100/#8 Cash Box)
LINDA: Scoot over, Petey. I'm gonna
play one of the most popular but
unlikely Shady Dell hits of the
mid 60s. It's an example of the
Dell's "killer bee" phenomenon -
a B side that equaled or surpassed
the popularity of the A side. In fact,
I don't remember the A side of this
45 ever being played at the Dell.
The biggie I'm talking about is J-8,
a song by Sam The Sham And The
Pharaohs, the Tex-Mex band best
known for their 1965 novelty hit
"Wooly Bully," the first American
record to sell a million copies during
the British Invasion. The song I'm
playing is on the back of their top
30 charting follow-up "Ju Ju Hand."
Way up there at #12 on the list of
200 Greatest Dell Songs, here's
"Big City Lights!"
DELL SONG #12
"Big City Lights" - Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs
(Aug./Sept. 1965, B side of "Ju Ju Hand")
DOUG: Hey guys, I'm sure we all
agree that The Motown Sound was
hot down here "in the barn." We've
already played records by two great
Motown boy groups. Now I'd like to
hear a Dell hit by one of the record
label's top girl groups, Martha And
The Vandellas. These ladies placed
five of their songs on the Dell's
Top 200 list. At #48 this is their
highest ranked Dell song and
one of their biggest national
hits, a single that topped the
R&B chart in the early spring
of '67. I just punched L-16
and here's- "Jimmy Mack!"
DELL SONG #48
"Jimmy Mack" - Martha And The Vandellas
(March/April 1967, highest chart pos.
#1 R&B/#6 Cash Box/#10 Hot 100)
JULIE: Step aside, Doug, because I've
got another great Motown song in mind,
this one by Edwin Starr. You know, it's
funny to me that The Nashville born,
Detroit based soul man is best known
for his hit protest song "War." At the
Dell, his biggest and best remembered
record was "Agent Double-O-Soul," a
single released during the secret agent,
spy and detective craze of the mid 60s.
Three years later, this Edwin Starr 45
merely Bubbled Under nationally, but
it was hot in the Shady. I just pressed
O-9, and here's that cool sound from
Shady Dell the College Years - Edwin
Starr in the spring of 1968 boasting--
"I Am The Man For You Baby!"
"I Am The Man For You Baby" - Edwin Starr
(May 1968, highest chart pos. #45 R&B/#112 Bubbling Under)
PETE: It's almost curfew. Time for
the last record of the night. As we
prepare to walk away from the
Dell dance hall, I'm playing
"Walk Away Renée" by the
New York based baroque
pop band The Left Banke.
This single reached the top 5
on Billboard and continued on
to #2 on Cash Box, held back
from the top of the chart by
The Monkees and their smash
hit "Last Train To Clarksville."
This hauntingly beautiful sound
was a powerful memory maker
at the Dell during the Halloween
season in 1966. Coming in at #129
on the Greatest Hits of The Dell,
here's H-1 - The Left Banke -
and "Walk Away Renée!"
DELL SONG #129
"Walk Away Renee" - The Left Banke
(Sept./Oct. 1966, highest chart pos. #2 Cash Box/#5 Hot 100)
CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!
THE VIDEO NOW!
I hope you enjoyed our second
meet-up, a bash in the barn...
the Dell dance hall... down here
where all the cool kids hang out.
Stay tuned. We'll be back soon
to feed the jukebox and play
more Dell gold. Now for
The Rat Pack - Julie,
Pete, Linda and Doug,
this is Debbie the Dellette,
"Your Hostess with the
Mostest," Bye bye!
"In The Basement - Pt. 1" - Etta James And Sugar Pie DeSanto
(Aug./Sept. 1966, highest chart pos. #37 R&B)
Hey Tom,
ReplyDeleteIt's me, can you believe it? It won't be a shocker to you that most of your song features I either don't remember or never heard. I do know three in your line up: Walk Away Renee, Jimmy Mack, and Bernadette. I really like the Motown sound, especially that of The Temptations - silky smooth! Great ear candy to help me get some things done around here. On a happy note, I was able to place an order for freezer and it'll be here hopefully next week. I'm very glad since I told you yesterday they were on backorder. The Lord is watching over us! Have a terrific afternoon, my friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteIt's time for me to heap more praise on you, dear friend, because you're the Early Bird! Thanks for coming to the platter party as Debbie the Dellette, dancing Dell rat gal of the 1950s, along with her friends The Rat Pack, Dellions and Dellettes of the 60s, play their favorite Dell songs on the dance hall jukebox.
For someone your age, considerably younger than Shady, knowing 3 out of these 7 Dell songs of the 60s is a pretty decent score. Keep in mind that my list of the Dell's Greatest Hits includes many obscure, little known and seldom heard B sides and minor hit or non-hit A sides.
I'm pleased that you remembered those three Motown hits, and that you like The Motown Sound that was such an important part of the soundtrack of Baby Boomers' lives. Of course, Edwin Starr is another Motown artist featured in this lineup, but this particular single, "I Am The Man For You Baby," was not one of his bigger crossover hits.
Thanks for the update on your freezer. COOL! :) Looks like all those problems you had in April are starting to get resolved one by one.
Thanks again for being the first to arrive this week, dear friend Cathy. Enjoy the rest of your day and week!
A few really big names here today, but interestingly enough, the song I knew best I wouldn't not have identified by the title or artist: Walk Away Renee. That's often the case for me, though. I know a song, but can't tell you its title or who performed it. -Kelly
ReplyDeleteHi, Kelly!
DeleteI'm delighted to see you as the second place finisher again this week, dear friend, but dismayed that you still can't post a comment at Shady's Place the regular way. Thank you for putting up with the inconvenience. I submitted a trouble report when you first told me you were having problems, but Blogger was unresponsive when I reported various issues in the past.
I'm glad you remember "Walk Away Renee," one of the prettiest and best known songs of the 60s. The Left Banke had one other substantial hit with "Pretty Ballerina," a record ranked #135 on my survey of The 200 Greatest Hits of the Shady Dell (in the mid 60s).
I see that you left a "bonus" comment, thereby boosting my shamefully low comment total! (Please scroll down.)
That should have been "would not". The double negative I typed first was incorrect! -Kelly
ReplyDeleteThat's AOK, Kelly. I understood you just fine. More importantly, your second comment helped bring up my miserably low comment total, a kind and merciful gesture on your part. :) Thanks again for dropping in. Please give my buddy Pat a good scratchin' and enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend Kelly!
DeleteGood morning..er afternoon Mr. Shady. I hang my head low today seeing how the U. S. Is going backwards regarding Roe vs Wade. This will only make girls go to very bad places to get an abortion. It is always a heated topic but I think of Whoopi Goldberg who took a wire hanger to herself when she was a young teen. She is lucky to ve alive. Anyways, vack to something much more pleasant and this is your rocking party starting with Starlight. I wish I could slow dance with my hubby right now.
ReplyDeleteI love that 2nd song but never knew the name of it. Whereas your 3rd song, I just never heard it before. I lovevthe guy's voice.
Jimmy Mack is a famous tune and a great one. Edwin Starr's song is one I just love the lyrics too and am happy to say my hubby is this for me.
Walk Away is a song I love but I have not heard it in years so thank you for showcasing it along with the late great Etta James who could belt out a tune like no one can.
Have a lovely day. My week is better. Hubby picked up Lucy's ashes and they now are on a mantle with the rest that have passed. It's nice to know she is home.
Hi, Birgit!
DeleteI'm delighted to see you, dear friend! Did you play hooky from work just to visit Shady's Place? :) Thanks for coming to this week's platter party where rats of the 50s and 60s are playing Jukebox Giants of the Shady Dell.
Yessum, I never thought I'd live to see the day when our high court would seek to cast aside all the progress that has been made over the last 50 years and bomb the Women's Rights Movement back into the Stone Age. It's shameful, and Mrs. Shady and I, her son and daughter, our granddaughter and other family members and friends are extremely upset. Yessum, I remember Whoopie's disturbing story.
"Starlight Tonight" is the kind of romantic doo-wop vocal group ballad Dell rats of the 50s loved and slow danced to, and Dell rats of the 60s continued to embrace even after psychedelic rock became popular.
The gravel voiced lead singer of the Four Tops was Levi Stubbs. Levi died in 2008 at the exactly the age I am now, 72. It's interesting to me that "Jimmy Mack" is familiar to you, but you never heard "Bernadette" by the Four Tops. I say that because both "name songs" were equally big crossover hits in the U.S. the same year - 1967. I'm glad you appreciate the words to the Edwin Starr song, a record that performed poorly on the national charts but was a major memory maker from "Shady Dell - The College Years." I am also pleased that you like the baroque pop styling of The Left Banke on their signature song "Walk Away Renee" which was successfully covered by the Four Tops.
I doubt that "In The Basement" was actually played at the Dell. I don't remember hearing the song or seeing the 45 in the jukebox. However I picked the song as the showender for this series because the Dell's dance hall was like the basement - a semi-private place where teenagers had the freedom to dance, sing and otherwise do their thing with limited adult supervision.
Thanks again for coming by on day one, dear friend BB. I'll see you tamale at BB Creations!
What I get for being a small child mid-sixties - none of those are familiar. But I'm sure there are some that would be lost and forgotten if not for people like you.
ReplyDeleteHi, Alex!
DeleteIt's great to see you, good buddy! Thanks for being here on day one as Debbie the Dellette and the 60s rat packers drop their coins into the slot and play the greatest hits of the Shady Dell.
Even though you were a small child when most of these songs rode the chart, three of them - "Bernadette," "Jimmy Mack" and 'Walk Away Renee," still show up regularly on YouTube, either as covers by the rising stars and star wannabes of today or in the form of remastered, upscaled or enhanced versions of the original recordings like the video I selected for the Vandellas hit.
Yes, Alex. Here at Shady's Place, I take pride in presenting obscure, little known, esoteric Dell songs like "Big City Lights" and "I Am The Man" because they meant a lot to me and other Dell rats and I enjoy exposing friends like you to them in the 21st century.
Thanks again for coming by, good buddy Alex, and enjoy the rest of your week!
Great selection of songs today. I'm only going to comment on one of them. I have a Best of The Four Tops CD (unless it's Four Tops Greatest Hits or 20th Century Masters: The Four Tops.) "Bernadette" is on that CD, but it's never been a favorite of mine. Listening to it now in isolation, not surrounded by any other Four Tops song, I realize I like it better than I thought I did. I might have to start thinking of it as a favorite!
ReplyDeleteHi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for dropping into the old dance hall to listen as Debbie and the gang present their second lineup of Shady Dell Jukebox Giants of the 50s and 60s!
That's interesting about your ears having a change of heart about "Bernadette," good buddy. It's a great song, a national crossover success for the group and was a biggie in my neck of the woods. "Bernadette" is #175 on my Dell's Greatest Hits survey, an honor roll of huge memory making songs from the best years of my life as a Dell rat. Even so, there are 8 or 9 other Tops A & B sides positioned higher on the Dell's hit parade chart.
Thanks again for being here for the second installment of Debbie the Dellette Meets the Rat Pack, good buddy Kirk. Enjoy the rest of your week!
Enjoyed the music today-especially Starlight Tonight. Always liked that do-wop sound. Hope you've been well! (I'm not sure what's up with Blogger, but I can't comment as I normally do. No picture.)
ReplyDeleteHi, Sherry!
DeleteThanks for coming, dear friend! Happy May and first Wednesday - IWSG Day to you! I'm sorry you are having difficulty leaving comments at Shady's Place. You aren't the only person to tell me so. I will keep sending trouble reports to Blogger.com in hopes that they will fix the problem soon.
I'm excited that you singled out the first song in this batch, the one played by old schooler Debbie the Dellette. It's a shame this NY doo-wop group of the 50s, The Inspirators, didn't catch on with record buyers. They had the right sound but perhaps not the right name for their act. Maybe they should have stuck with their alternate name The Five Stars. To me, Inspirators is nondescript.
Thanks again for swinging by, dear friend Sherry. Enjoy the rest of your week and month!
I've tried to comment 4 times tonight and it won't go through. This is my last hope! I just will say that I do recognize many of the tunes and loved thinking of the Dell Rats dancing to them and hanging over that jukebox to take their turn for their fav. Dancing to the Four Tops, and Martha and Vandellas was also something that we did at our high school dances. I don't remember "Big City Lights" but that would have been easier to dance to than 'War"! I hear War played now and then around here and sadly it's message is the same now as it was back then. I will hopefully push this publish button and bid you a wonderful weekend and a Happy Mother's Day to Mrs. Shady and also to your sweet memories of the Dell Mother...Helen. Night Shady!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteThanks so much for coming to experience Vol. 2 of Debbie the Dellette meets the Rat Pack! I am sorry you and a couple of others are having difficulty leaving comments. I have reported the problem to Blogger and I will continue to do so. As you see, they recently changed the comment box. There must be a glitch. Again, thank you for trying over and over to get your comment published. It looks fine now. Your picture published along with your comment. Two other friends couldn't even get their pictures to publish, and one needed to comment as "Anonymous." I am truly sorry my friends are encountering these hassles.
Yessum, Dell rats, myself included, spent a lot of time hovering over that jukebox in the Dell's dance hall. The vintage photo I am using to represent Julie, Pete, Linda and Doug, the rat packers of the 1960s, was originally published in Life Magazine in the 50s.
"Big City Lights" is one of those unlikely hits at the Dell, because it doesn't fit the style of music that was commonly played by the Rodentia Intelligentsia. I can imagine one of the Dell rats in 1965 selecting this B side of "Ju Ju Hand" just out of curiosity, or maybe he or she punched the wrong key combination and played the song by accident. Whatever the reason and circumstance that led to "Big City Lights" being played for the first time, it made an impression on that kid and maybe a few others. Before long it was being played regularly and then heavily, and this went on month after month for the rest of 1965, throughout 1966 and probably '67. The point is that "Big City Lights" remained red hot at the Dell long after the record's A side song had faded off the national chart. Moreover, I don't remember ever hearing "Ju Ju Hand" played at the Dell, only it's killer bee "Big City Lights." Somehow the lyrics spoke to us, made us believe there was a better life awaiting us. We were drawn to the festive lights at the Shady Dell. In the same way, we were dazzled by the lights of the big city mentioned in the song. They called out to us and enticed us with the promise of excitement and adventure, two things every Dell rat craved.
Once again, thank you for using your valuable time trying to leave a comment. I'm glad you finally succeeded. If you are bidding us a wonderful weekend and mentioning Helen and the Mother's Day tribute I have in store for her, it probably means that I won't see you for a while because you need to drive back to Chicago and help Midge. I'm very sorry she is ailing and I hope everything turns out alright. You have always been there for your sister, your mother, Jack and every other family member who needs you. I admire you more than I can say, Kathleen, but can't help wishing life would ease up on you.
Thank you again for being here. If you're heading to Chicago, please drive safely and keep us posted. Bess you, dear friend YaYa!
I see some of the most underrated tunes in your mentions. Thank you for sharing this :)
ReplyDeleteHi, Damyanti!
DeleteWelcome to Shady's Place, and thank you very much for stopping by and taking a look around! I see that you are an author and book reviewer and involved in the annual A to Z Challenge.
I'm happy that you appreciate the tuneage played by Debbie the Dellette and her friends, and agree with your opinion that some of these tunes are underrated.
Thank you again for coming over for a visit, Damyanti. I hope that you will come back again soon!
Hey there friend Shady, sorry so late to the party! I have been wearing my fingers to the bone with my transcription work. I didn't even get around to doing my A to Z reflection post until today!
ReplyDeleteI love your jukebox selections today. A few of them were new to me but The Temps, the Four Tops and Martha and the Vandellas were old friends. Wooly Bully was on one of my Richard Simmons exercise videos but I don't remember hearing this Sam the Sham song. Jimmie Mack and Walk Away Renee are two more good ones.
We will be seeing the Temptations and Four Tops at the Mountain Winery this summer. This is a nice preview. Have a great rest of your week my friend!
Hi, Janet!
DeleteThanks for checking your bookmark and finding my latest post, dear friend! I am pleased to wave you through the gate and into the Dell's dance hall where 50s teenager Debbie the Dellette and her 60s rat pack friends are spinning platters to beat the band.
Yessum, I know you are getting lots of transcription work lately, but that means extra $$$ for you and your hubby when you go on those creative dates you discussed in your A to Z series. (I will be over shortly to read your Reflections.)
I'm happy to learn that you liked the Motown Sounds played by the 60s Dell Vikings and Dellettes as well as the baroque pop styling of The Left Banke on their signature song "Walk Away Renee" featuring the distinctive vocals of lead singer Steve Martin (not to be confused with the famous comedian who also sang and released records). Sadly, Steve Martin and every other original member of The Left Banke, the band that recorded this classic 60s love song, are now dead and gone. Martin and the last surviving member, Tom Finn, both passed away in 2020.
Sam the Sham's "Big City Lights" is the quintessential "Dell song." It was a disproportionately huge hit at the Dell, but little known and seldom heard elsewhere. The Rodentia Intelligentsia discovered the killer bee and cherished it as their own.
I hope you enjoy this year's Temps & Tops show at The Winery. There won't be very many original members of either group on stage that day. if any at all. Surely, the lead vocals of Levi Stubbs, David Ruffin and Dennis Edwards will be missed.
Thank you again for coming over on your busy day, dear friend Janet. Enjoy the rest of your week and have a wonderful Mother's Day. (I'll be posting my annual tribute to Helen Ettline on Sunday if you can swing by.)
Bernadette is the only song here that I knew.
ReplyDeleteI think my mom had Four Tops records that she would play on the record player back when I was a kid.
Sorry it took me a few days to visit again. It's been a crazy week.
Hi, Mary!
DeleteThanks for joining the platter party with Debbie and the rats, dear friend!
I'm delighted that you remember the Top 200 Dell hit "Bernadette." I'm going to surprise a lot of people by saying that I think I liked the Four Tops a little more than The Temptations. Both groups are way up there in the stratosphere, but that rough, gritty voice of Levi Stubbs always made an impact on me. I'm glad your mother exposed you to Tops hits when you were little.
That's AOK, dear friend. I know everybody's busy these days and you are no exception. BOLO for my Mother's Day salute to Shady Dell First Lady Helen Ettline starting first thing tomorrow morning.
Have a wonderful week, dear friend Mary!