The jukebox in the
Shady Dell's dance hall
was filled with the greatest, most danceworthy
records to be found anywhere. At the Dell, you
heard sounds that you didn't hear anyplace else.
The mix of music that played nightly at the Dell
was consistently better than the stuff I heard on
the radio. In the mid 60s the Dell's music menu
included soul coming out of Detroit, Chicago,
New York and Philadelphia, blue-eyed soul,
southern R&B from Memphis, British Beat,
garage rock, psychedelic rock, folk-rock
and doo-wop classics from the 50s
and doo-wop classics from the 50s
that remained Jukebox Giants.
Shady Dell regulars, the gang I refer to
as The Rodentia Intelligentsia, prided
themselves on having radar for cool.
Year after year they discovered and
popularized songs that radio stations
overlooked. Records that lingered
near the bottom of the Billboard
chart or missed it entirely became
cherished classics at the Dell.
Forgotten flips were elevated
to mega-hit status by Dell rats
unfettered by the limitations
of radio play lists.
Today I'd like you to meet four teenagers - imaginary members
of the 60s Rat Pack. They represent my gang of friends,
the Dell rats, kids like me who made the Shady Dell
their home away from home.
of the 60s Rat Pack. They represent my gang of friends,
the Dell rats, kids like me who made the Shady Dell
their home away from home.
THE RAT PACK
(LEFT to RIGHT)
JULIE
PETE
LINDA
DOUG
Yes, The Rat Pack is back, and they are here today to play the authentic sounds
we loved to listen and dance to at the Dell in the 60s. The old jukebox is hungry
for coins and the Rat Packers are eager to get dancing, so let the music play!
SAM AND DAVE
JULIE: I like Stax/Memphis R&B, and my
first pick is J-6... soul men Sam and Dave
aka "Double Dynamite," "The Sultans of
Sweat" and "The Dynamic Duo." They've
got the song ranked #32 on Shady's list of
The 200 Greatest Hits of The Shady Dell,
the follow-up to their big hit "Hold On!
I'm A Comin'".. a Stax sizzler called--
"Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody!"
DELL SONG #32
"Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody" - Sam And Dave
(Oct./Nov. 1966, highest chart pos. #8 R&B,
(Oct./Nov. 1966, highest chart pos. #8 R&B,
#64 Hot 100/#81 Cash Box)
THE
ISLEY BROS.
JULIE: I also love Motown, and while
I'm in control of the box, I'm punching
I'm in control of the box, I'm punching
E-3, the song ranked #17 on the Dell
Hits survey. It's The Isley Bros. with
the single reeleased on the heels of
their Tamla label hit "This Old
Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You)."
I like this one as much, maybe more
- "Take Some Time Out For Love!"
DELL SONG #17
"Take Some Time Out For Love" - The Isley Brothers
(June 1966, highest chart pos. #66 Hot 100/#72 Cash Box)
(June 1966, highest chart pos. #66 Hot 100/#72 Cash Box)
JR. WALKER
AND THE
ALL STARS
PETE: I want mo Motown, mo Motown,
mo Motown, and that's why I'm pressing
K-13... the song holding the #46 spot on
the Dell Top 200. It's singer and sax man
Jr. Walker and his All Stars with another
great sound from '66... a song written
by Holland–Dozier–Holland. Check
it out-- "(I'm A) Road Runner!"
DELL SONG #46
"(I'm A) Road Runner" - Jr. Walker And The All Stars
(May/June 1966, highest chart pos. #4 R&B,
#20 Hot 100/#21 Cash Box)
#20 Hot 100/#21 Cash Box)
THE
MAGNIFICENT
MEN
LINDA: I dropped my coin into the slot
and pushed B-7 because I want to hear
something by our hometown heroes,
The Magnificent Men, with members
from York and Harrisburg. This song
was released in January, 1967, as the
killer bee on the back side of the blue-
eyed soul band's Dell megahit "Stormy
Weather." This cool tune is called--
"Much Much More Of Your Love"
SHADY DELL "KILLER BEE"
"Much Much More Of Your Love" - The Magnificent Men
(Jan. 1967, B side of "Stormy Weather")
(Jan. 1967, B side of "Stormy Weather")
THE
EMPERORS
LINDA: I'm hogging the jukebox
a while longer and pressing V-2,
because I wanna spin a hot
record by another popular
local act - The Emperors,
the garage/funk band from
Harrisburg. It's another fab
flip side - #62 on the Dell
Hits survey, The Emperors'
cookin' cover of "Searchin'"
- the 1957 chart-topper
by The Coasters.
DELL SONG #62
"Searchin'" - The Emperors
(May 1967, B side of "Lookin' For My Baby")
ERIC BURDON
& THE ANIMALS
DOUG: The Animals are hotter at the
Dell than The Beatles and The Stones.
That's why I pressed H-12... #53 on
the Dell's Top Tunes survey... Eric
Burdon's semi-autobiographical
counterculture song, a smash hit
in Australia and big in the U.S.
and UK -- "When I Was Young!"
DELL SONG #53
"When I Was Young" - Eric Burdon & The Animals
(Apr./May 1967, highest chart pos. #15 Hot 100/#19 Cash Box)
MITCH RYDER
AND THE
DETROIT
WHEELS
PETE: Here's another cool sound... G-4,
Mitch Ryder And the Detroit Wheels at
#88 on The Greatest Hits of the Dell list
with a medley covering two hits from
1957 - Little Richard's "Jenny, Jenny"
and the Chuck Willis song "C.C. Rider."
Here's Mitch with-- "Jenny Take A Ride!"
DELL SONG #88
"Jenny Take A Ride!" - Mitch Ryder And The Detroit Wheels
(Jan. 1966, highest chart pos. #10 Hot 100, #18 Cash Box)
(Jan. 1966, highest chart pos. #10 Hot 100, #18 Cash Box)
Great news - this was only a preview!
Shady Del Knight has given us
the green light to host our own
series starting next year!
So please join us
again in 2021 as
we gather around
the jukebox in the
dance hall and play
more Greatest Hits
of The Shady Dell.
again in 2021 as
we gather around
the jukebox in the
dance hall and play
more Greatest Hits
of The Shady Dell.
See you then!