SHADY DELL
SHOW AND TELL
NEVER BEFORE SEEN ON EITHER
OF MY BLOGS...THIS ULTRA-RARE
SHADY DELL AD WAS PUBLISHED
IN THE LOCAL YORK NEWSPAPER
ON DECEMBER 23, 1952!
Salvaged and Restored -
The Shady Dell
Record Collection!
Vol. 15: Long Lost Dell Songs from
Christmas 1959 thru Spring 1960
BEWARE! NOTHING CAN
PREPARE YOU FOR...
JUKEBOX GIANTS
THAT TIME FORGOT!
Hello, friends! Dell Rat Tom
welcoming you to volume 15
of my exclusive 36-part
Shady's Place series
SAVED
BY THE
DELL
Today, you will travel
back to Christmas
1959
and the winter
and spring of
1960
and find yourself
standing before
the Dell jukebox.
Those dimes
and quarters
you brought
along are
burning
a hole
in your
pocket...
so why not
feed them
to the record
machine and
play some
of the great
Dell songs
of late 1959
and early '60?
This series was made possible by Jim Sieling, my good friend
in York, and the husband of John Ettline's niece Nancy.
Jim Sieling
(faithful friend of The Dell)
As you recall, Jim acquired the Dell's Seeburg jukebox (below)
and many of the records that played on it through the decades.
Keep in mind that the Dell had two jukeboxes - one in Helen's
snack bar up at the house, the other down in "The Barn" -
the dance hall John had built onto the barn and garage.
When Jim took possession of the Dell's record collection,
he discovered, to his dismay and ours, that many of
the discs had been improperly handled and stored.
Simply put - they were filthy.
Mice (Dell rats?) had made a home among the records, and at least
one snake (a Violet Hill viper?) had slithered in looking for a meal.
Jim undertook the mammoth job of cleaning, organizing and cataloging
the records, then sent me the finished alphabetical list. There are 6,065
records on Jim's list including Christmas records, 12,130 songs in all!
My series brings you the 180 best Dell jukebox songs from 1955
through 1963, a period long before I arrived on the scene.
This series is dedicated to
the memory of Nancy Sieling.
Nancy Sieling
(faithful friend of The Dell)
Nancy, who was John Ettline's niece and Jim's wife, passed away in 2020.
Over the years, Nancy's generous contributions of pictures, information
and Shady Dell memorabilia greatly enhanced the quality of both of my
Dell-themed blogs. We have Nancy to thank for rescuing many of the
Dell's priceless platters when they were art risk of being thrown into
a trash dumpster and destroyed, hence the name of my series...
SAVED BY THE BELL DELL
Of course, we also have Jim to thank for tackling the enormous
task of cleaning, organizing and cataloging these 6,065 records!
Okay, it's time to use your imagination. Pretend that you are
at the Dell looking at the musical menu on the jukebox.
Scroll down and play the next 5 Dell songs.
BEWARE AND BEHOLD...
LISTEN AND LEARN...
AS WE EXPERIENCE...
JUKEBOX GIANTS
THAT TIME FORGOT!
The records and pictures are arranged in chronological
order, allowing you to trace the evolution of the
"Shady Dell Sound" and clothing styles
month by month through the years.
You know the drill.
ENJOY THE VINTAGE FASHION
PARADE AND FANZINES.
CLICK ON PICTURES OF
RECORDS TO PLAY SONGS.
DECEMBER 1959
SAVED BY THE DELL
DELL SONG 71
Shirley Jones
JANUARY - FEBRUARY 1960
SAVED BY THE DELL
DELL SONG 72
SAVED BY THE DELL
DELL SONG 73
APRIL - MAY 1960
SAVED BY THE DELL
DELL SONG 74
DELL SONG 75
Once again I thank our late, great friend of the Dell,
Nancy Sieling, and her husband Jim, for doing the
good work of preserving the Shady Dell legacy for
future generations. We owe you a debt of gratitude.
Stick around. You'll hear more long lost songs
of the Shady Dell... the moldy oldies, dusty discs,
colossal fossils and rusty relics we like to call...
JUKEBOX GIANTS
THAT TIME FORGOT!
coming up on the next exciting edition of...
SAVED BY THE BELL DELL
I don't think I knew any of these songs, Shady! But that's okay.... I still enjoyed all the vintage ads, fashion, and artwork. Dinosaurs included!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you'll be back before Christmas, so let me wish you and Mrs. Shady a happy holiday season!
Hi, Kelly!
DeleteThanks for dashing through the snow to be the first to arrive, dear friend!
Yessum, I know you like these dinosaur illustrations, and there are three more volumes of the series before I need to go into "dino reruns." I'm glad you enjoyed the vintage fashions and ads as well.
This is my final post of the year, and therefore I am wishing you and your delightful canine companions a merry Christmas and a happy new year. I'll see you and my buddy Pat in 2025, dear friend Kelly!
I really enjoyed all the old adds even if I did not see any for Bears or the BonTon. The old Dell add reminded me that my mother's friend told me about her and her female friends having a social dinner for some occasion at the Dell. That was when my mother was raising H*** because of my late hours at the den of all evils. Of course she learned that it kept me off the streets. Would you believe that I have three of those songs in my 45 collection. My best friend's uncle ran a juke box/pin ball service and I was able to buy use 45's when they were old and came off the juke box. I wonder what he did with all the old 45's he did not sell. My rare 45 favorite is Human by Tommy Hunt because the labels on the record are flip flopped. Have a good holiday season and read you next year. Jerre
ReplyDeleteHi, Jerre!
DeleteThanks for finishing the race in second place, good buddy!
I'm glad you liked Vol. 15 of our Saved series, and especially the ultra-rare clipping I unveiled in my Shady Dell Show & Tell. That Christmas 1952 promotion gives us a better idea than we had before of the timeline of events in the Dell's evolution. At the time it was published, the Dell had only been open to the public for 7 years. To me, this "grand opening" announcement signals a leap forward from bakery and ice cream parlor to full service restaurant and catering service, with the "Pink Room" hosting social events, club gatherings, luncheons and banquets. By the time I arrived on the scene as a "Dell Rat," that "Pink Room" was off-limits, spawning rumors that Helen & John reserved it as a "make-out room" where designated couples could go with the Ettlines' permission and have some privacy, thereby avoiding public displays of affection in the barn or snack bar area.
Thanks for telling me that you have three of these songs in your collection of 45s. I'd be willing to bet the one by The Crests is among them. I got two of my used 45s, one by Elvis and the other by Rick Nelson, from a similar type of dealer. That "Human" 45 you own is probably worth some money, given that the labels were switched. I wonder how many were pressed before the error was discovered.
Thanks again for dropping in to experience the sights and sounds of Christmas 1959 and early 1960 in Part 15. I'll be back early next month with my first post of 2025 and an even bigger surprise, so stick around. Happy holidays to you and your family, good buddy Jerre!
I remember a room, I guess the Pink Room. It was where you were allowed to go only if you had a date. Couples only. To bad I spent most of my time at the pin ball when I was not in the barn.
DeleteHi again, Jerre!
DeleteI need to correct myself, good buddy. The room you and I were thinking of, the one where affectionate couples could go to make out, was not the "Pink Room." I just went back to my old SDMM blog and found a post pubbed in October, 2008, that explains where the "Pink Room" was located.
First, here is a surprising fact I forgot about. Imagine going up the steps from the parking lot, past John's booth and through the entrance door of the Dell house. Dell owner (at the time) Toni Deroche tells us what we see as we walk down the short hallway.
<< Off to the right is a large living room that, according to Toni Deroche, features red, yellow and blue lights in the ceiling. During the '50s, kids hung out in this room and played pool. By the 60s, however, this space was considered off limits and the door was kept closed. Returning to the interior hallway, we veer off to the left and enter what was once the "pink room," a section of the house that over time was transformed from a restaurant into a game room. Until the late 60s, this room was lined with booths where patrons could order from a menu and dine in comfort. >>
So, according to Toni, the "Pink Room" was actually the restaurant area, and kids could play pool in that other room, the Ettlines living room I believe it was, located off to the right as you entered the house. Maybe that was also the make-out room.
Like you, I spent way too much time (and $$$) playing pinball, but I had a heck of a good time.
Thanks for following-up, good buddy Jerre, and happy holidays to you!
Nothing like old ads and magazine covers. Most of which wouldn't work today. Although I think the husband giving his wife a vacuum cleaner for Christmas would have the same response as back then...
ReplyDeleteHi, Alex!
DeleteThanks for popping over on a Sunday to take third place, good buddy!
Yes, my friend, if there's one Christmas present that truly "sucks" it's a vacuum cleaner. :) That poor wife was expecting diamonds and pearls, but her pipe-mouth hubby had other ideas. I think I remember seeing that couple on Divorce Court. :) Did you see Partridge Family star Shirley Jones in the image directly above that one? Heavens - Shirley will soon be age 91!!!
Thanks again for your visit and comment and happy holidays, good buddy Alex!
The old ads make me remember looking through my grandmas magazines when I was a kid. I might not have seen these particular ads but they remind me of the ones I did see back then.
ReplyDeleteThe dinosaurs are awesome. I've always like dinosaurs.
The Christmas decorations and the puppies are my favorites.
I never got a vacuum for Christmas but my brother did give his wife a screen door and a few tubes of caulk for Christmas one year because that's what she asked him to fix! LOL It didn't go over well.
I see the little girl and her Dachshund are back and I love them.
I didn't know any of the songs this time though.
I read in the comments you won't be back before Christmas so Falcor and I would like to wish your and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Hi, Mary!
DeleteGreat news, dear friend. The gremlins forgot to mess with your comment again this month! Thanks for coming by to sample the sights and sounds of late 1959 and early 1960.
Yessum, I remember you telling me that you enjoyed paging through your grandma's magazines when you were a little one. My parents had subscriptions to Life and Look and I did the same in my household. Dad also had a "prescription" to Playboy, and I regularly sneaked a peek at issues he kept stashed in a drawer in the basement.
I have loved dinosaurs ever since childhood. For my 5th or 6th birthday, or perhaps for Christmas one of those years, my folks bought me a high quality set of anatomically correct plastic dinosaurs. I remember accidentally stabbing my cousin's big toe with the horn of the triceratops. :) Your brother is a braver man than I for buying his wife DIY materials for Christmas.
Yessum, in this installment of the series, we see more covers of Calling All Girls magazine, always a treat thanks to the predicaments she and her sausage hound get into. Be sure to show them to Falcor!
You are so kind, Mary. Thank you for spreading holiday cheer. I wish you and my buddy Falcor the same. I'll be back early next year with a major surprise and a renewed commitment to keep you entertained with my Music & Memories. Happy holidays, dear friend Mary!
Hi Tom --
ReplyDeleteFor me, I think #15 was one of your best! For some reason, The Big Hurt has always been one of my favorites (maybe the powerful voice with the unusual background sound) as well as Step By Step. Two out of five isn’t bad.
Your Show and Tell was also a winner for me. I can’t believe that you acquired the Grand Opening advertisement. Talk about rare – wow! But there is also another strange connection that the Grand Opening reminded me of. My sister had always told me that our mother had dated one of the Ettline brothers for a bit and I think because of that my parents went over to the Dell to see the new restaurant and took me along. I certainly could have been about 10 years old at the time which probably means that it was one of the nights (probably the 23rd) of the grand opening. Even now I still remember all of the colorful lights strung up outside. Strange that Helen and John would have picked Christmas eve and the night before to have their grand opening.
On a different note, I came across a few white plastic cups with a picture of a jukebox inscribed with “John & Helen’s Shady Dell 1945-1991” on it. Do you have and idea where they may have come from?
Looking forward to #16,
Jim
Hi, Jim!
DeleteThanks for taking a look and a listen to Part 15, my friend! I'm happy to know that you got so much enjoyment out of it.
I've had "The Big Hurt" stuck in my noggin as an earworm all day today! I recall the song being a biggie in our neck of the woods, played heavily on WSBA. It is also included on a record album I owned, Cruisin' 1960, hosted by DJ legend Dick Biondi at WKBW radio in Buffalo. Toni's single reached the top 3. It is notable in pop music history for being one of the first recordings to use an audio enhancement effect known as "flanging" to produce a jet plane-like sound. Dick Biondi introed the record as "Toni Fisher's weird one." You can't miss with The Crests. Just ask Dell Rat Jerre.
Wow, Jim! It blows my mind to think that you might have attended the Shady Dell restaurant's Christmas 1952 grand opening promoted in this newspaper clipping. I had just turned age three at the time and my family had not yet moved to York, so the chances of me having been there are slim to none. It is a valuable tidbit that you remember the outdoor strings of colored lights, another indication that John & Helen were in the process of transforming the Dell into a hangout for young people. Notice the ad states that the Dell stayed open until 1am? Yes, I suppose it is a bit strange that The Ettlines announced their grand opening just before Christmas, long after most people had already made other plans. Yet, I remember the Dell being packed with teens during the Christmas and New Year holidays. It was an after-hours spot, the place to go to blow off steam after you attended (boring) family gatherings and church services. I remember driving up there during heavy snowstorms, even if it meant John had to help me dig my dad's VW Beetle out of a drift so that I could go home. Nothing could deter me from going to the Dell!
You have me very curious about those Dell souvenir plastic cups. I never heard of them, but hope you will keep me informed if you ever find out when they were made and by whom.
Thanks again for joining the fun, good buddy Jim, and happy holidays to you. See you in early January when I return with my first post of 2025!
These songs are all new to me. My favorite is Miss Toni Fisher's "The Big Hurt". I know it's a different musical genre, but Toni's voice reminds me a little of Shirley Bassey.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be more studio effects on all these songs as we move into the 1960s.
Hi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for coming, good buddy!
I'm pleased to introduce 5 new-to-you songs in Vol. 15 of the series. I agree that Toni Fisher's husky vocals sound like those of Shirley Bassey. Good call! I also agree that the advances in recording studio technology are becoming more evident as we proceed along the series' timeline that runs from 1955 to 1964. Many singles from those early years sounded stripped-down, like demos. By the time the 1960s got underway, production equipment was being modernized and recording techniques refined. In addition, studio wizards were experimenting with different types of sound effects. In some cases, new sounds were discovered by accident or mistake.
Thanks again for dropping by and happy holidays, good buddy Kirk!
I'm here! No more sickness and no more word from the city which is great plus we hired someone to work on a fence...step by step..just like the last song. I've been busy decorating and watching the animals. Harley just walks past the tree, tail wagging flicking my ornaments around and causing havoc with the tinsel. Lol I enjoyed all these oldies and I think of my mom and dad who met in Oct. 1959 and , by New Year's, they decided to live together! That was a big deal back then. I can imagine them hearing this music and my mom turning it off to play classical. Much later, she ended up loving this music because it brought back fond memories. I love all the outfits,,so classy..much better than what you see now. Sweat top and pajama bottoms with cro s. Just so enjoyed this. Merry Christmas
ReplyDeleteHi, Birgit!
DeleteCongratulations on being the Early Bird, dear friend! Yessum, you are the first person to arrive on the third day. :)
I'm happy to learn that problems on your side of the screen are being resolved. I didn't even know you were "poorly" until I saw mentions of it in comments on BBC. I'm glad you are feeling better now, and pleased that you are rebuilding the fence and restoring the beauty of your property while remaining in full compliance, just in case the finicky neighbors decide to challenge you again.
Thanks for sharing touching memories of your folks meeting in the fall of 1959. Notice the cover of the December, 1959, issue of Seventeen? It mentions "gay presents." So now we know for sure that the word was still being used in its traditional context at that time. Decades later, department stores started carving out special sections for Pride clothing, accessories and merchandise, some facing backlash for going to such lengths. The January, 1960, issue of the same mag mentions up-and-comer Sen. John Kennedy on the cover. Did you use Lustre-Creme back in the day? Please show Harley the blonde girl's wiener dog on the covers of Calling All Girls. I can picture your pooch's tail swatting the branches of your Christmas tree and wreaking havoc. I hope kitty Lexi is behaving herself around your decorations. Around ten years ago, Mrs. Shady got her coat caught on a branch of a Yule tree in the lobby of a hotel. She didn't realize it until the tree started following her across the lobby! :)
Well, this is my last post of 2024, dear friend. Thank you for another year of devoted friendship. Look for my next post early next year around the 3rd of January. Until then, please take good care of yourself, your hubby and your wonderful pets. Happy holidays, dear friend BB. See you in 2025 - Year of the Dell Rat!
Merry Almost Christmas Shady and Mrs. Shady! I hope it's a white Christmas for you and a jolly good time! I really hope I'm not too late. It's been a busy time here and usually we would be gone on the day you posted this. Our Chicago trip was cancelled due to various surgeries of my family members. We're going to join up in the summer instead. But time got filled quickly with work that called me in and Jack still finishing up at his office and hopefully he'll be all cleaned out and ready to lock the door to his 47yr Chiropractic career. (emotional time for him for sure) I LOVED the ads and mag covers I was only 6 & 7 those years but I imagine my sweet mom reading these and trying out recipes for the holidays. The tree with all that tinsel was just like our trees growing up. Brought back many good memories, I love the movie, Please Don't Eat the Daisies! I love watching it on TCM. I didn't know the songs but I enjoyed this post anyway. So now on to the final week and days until Christmas. We have caroling, cooking, wrapping and even signed up to ring the Salvation Army bell on Saturday. Annabelle will be dressed up to help us! I hope to post pics. Please have a wonderful New Years and many blessings for 2025 dear friend! Thanks for always providing good tunes and tons of good memories this past year. It went fast as always. Take care!
ReplyDeleteP.S..I'm so fed up with Blogger and now this has me as anonymous. It's me, YaYa! I'm almost ready to pull the plug on blogging as I've had a heck of a time even posting and have not done as much as usual. We'll see how it goes but anyway, I'm refuse to be Anonymous! Ha!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteWelcome to Part 15 of my 36-parter featuring the long lost songs pulled from the Dell's jukebox, dear friend! I know you always enjoy gazing at the changing clothing and hair styles as the timeline of this series moves forward from the mid 50s to the arrival of the Beatles at the start of 1964.
It's a mystery to me why my Blogger blog is no longer recognizing you as a longtime subscriber and has resorted to labeling you "anonymous." At least the gremlins have stopped stealing comments and hiding them in my spam bin. Thank you for persisting and getting your comments posted in spite of the technical difficulties. Your words and thoughts are always important to me. I hope you don't get so fed-up that you call it quits altogether.
I am terribly sorry that you needed to cancel your holiday trip back to Chicago due to surgeries of family members. If sister Midge is on that list, I wish her a speedy recovery. I will be thinking about her. You can count on that. I hope you can make the summertime meet-up happen. Isn't it amazing how the time gets filled so quickly when you were not even supposed to be in town during this period? That's life. Jack can feel very proud of his many years of serving the community in matters affecting their health, and so can you. I admire your dedication, dropping everything during the holidays and taking shifts at the hospital. Gosh... you and Annabelle are even volunteering to ring the bell for the Salvation Army!
I didn't expect you to know these moldy oldies from the jukebox, but I'm thrilled that you had so much fun scrolling down through the picture memories in this volume. Dids you see Shirley Jones of the Partridge Family in that Christmas scene? Did you show Annabelle the blonde girl's dachshund on the covers of Calling All Girls? I'm sure the Yeti would also get a kick out of that cute little pooch.
Thank you very much for coming over and for your loyal friendship this past year, dear YaYa. Many blessings this holiday season and all the best to you and your wonderful family in the coming year!
As usual, this is a feast to my eyes, Shady. Hey, how do they party in the 1950's? I'm not a party goer. I barely went in my younger years. Being an introvert and all. But I'm curious. Which is more fun?
ReplyDeleteI thought I checked out your latest post but I suspect it slipped by me since DH was off from work and we were doing our usual galavanting about enjoying the Christmas festivities. Your post is chockfull of fabulous vintage images. It didn't surprise me that I didn't know any of your song picks but it was fun to listen to these oldies. I hope all is well with you and yours. We'll be ringing in the new year in a few days and I hope 2025 is filled with many blessings for you, my friend!
ReplyDelete