The Del-Vikings
The Del-Vikings | |
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Background information | |
Also known as | The Dell Vikings |
Origin | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 1955–1965 |
Labels |
The Del-Vikings (also known as The Dell-Vikings) were an American
History
Formation and early fame
The Del-Vikings were formed in 1955 by members of the
The band's name was created by Clarence Quick. Some sources say that band members had read about
Their first hit came in 1957 with "
The Dell-Vikings also released "Whispering Bells" in May 1957, another Clarence Quick song, with Kripp Johnson singing lead vocals.[14] (The Dot label referred to Johnson as "Krips Johnson".[15]) "Whispering Bells" reached No. 5 on the U.S. R&B chart and #9 on the U.S. pop chart in 1957.[16] "Whispering Bells" was featured in the 1986 film Stand by Me[17] and was included in the film's soundtrack.[18] Johnson also sang lead vocals on the B-side "Don't Be A Fool".
Split
All of the group members, other than Kripp Johnson, were under 21 when they signed their recording contract with Fee Bee (a tiny Pittsburgh label, which was later distributed by Dot Records). Having signed the contract as minors, they had the right to be released from it. In 1957, under the direction of their manager, Alan Strauss, they left to record at Mercury Records. Johnson, who was still bound to Fee Bee/Dot, stayed, thus creating two Del-Vikings groups. The original group replaced Johnson with Quick's friend William Blakely and recorded the Backus-led song "Cool Shake". Kripp Johnson constructed a new group with the returning Don Jackson, Chuck Jackson, Arthur Budd, and Ed Everette. This group recorded the Kripp Johnson-led "I'm Spinning", billing themselves as the Dell-Vikings.
Around this time, some old demo tracks had been sold to an up-and-coming record company, Luniverse, who overdubbed a backing track on these a capella songs, which included an early version of "Come Go with Me". The eight-song album subsequently released by Luniverse was titled "Come Go With The Del Vikings". Also one single was released from these Luniverse overdubs—"Somewhere Over The Rainbow"/ "Hey Senorita". Due to legal reasons the LP was pulled off the market shortly after its release in July 1957.
Johnson's Dot group had an extra advantage—he had been discharged from the USAF and his group could tour freely, while the original group needed to seek military leave in order to tour. Mercury sued, claiming it had sole rights to any spelling of the group's name, and the Dell-Vikings briefly became The Versatiles, with singles being billed to "Kripp Johnson and the Versatiles" or "Chuck Jackson and the Versatiles". The group broke up, with Chuck Jackson going on to a successful solo career. Meanwhile, the original group had begun to fall apart. Gus Backus was re-stationed, and was replaced by the groups guitarrist "Joe Lopes". The Mercury Del Vikings recorded their last record in October 1958.
By the end of 1959, Quick restructured the group with new talent from the Pittsburgh area—lead tenor, Billy G. Woodruff, Willie Green, Horace Douglas "Doug" White, and
Reunion and split
The Del-Vikings were back in 1970 with a near-original line-up of Clarence Quick, Kripp Johnson, Norman Wright, David Lerchey, and William Blakely. The group re-recorded their old hit for Scepter Records; a new version of "Come Go With Me" made the Bubbling Under The Hot 100 chart in 1973 (it also wound up on the Easy Listening chart, where it peaked that year at #32).
They performed "Come Go with Me" on the April 27, 1973, episode of The Midnight Special. The line-up was Billy G. Woodruff, Roalf "Ritzy" Lee, Kripp Johnson, Clarence Quick, and Terry Young.[19]
Norman Wright, David Lerchey, and Wright's two sons, Norman Wright, Jr. and Anthony Wright performed as The Del Vikings for PBS show "Doo Wop 50" in 2000, and Wright toured and performed with his sons for the remainder of his life.
Clarence E. Quick died on November 3, 1985, at the age of 48
David Lerchey (born in New Albany, Indiana) died of cancer on January 29, 2005, in Hallandale, Florida, at age 67.[4][20]
Norman Wright died after a long illness on April 23, 2010, at age 72.[21]
Donald Edgar "Gus" Backus died on February 21, 2019, in Germering, Germany, at age 81.[22]
Corinthian "Kripp" Johnson died of cancer on June 22, 1990, in Detroit, Michigan, at age 57.[23]
Billy G. Woodruff died on January 26, 2019[24]
Roalf E. "Ritzy" Lee died on June 27, 2020.[25]
Current (2023-The Del-Vikings) U.S. Trademark ownership
On June 3, 2022, Kenneth Boulden, Jr United States Individual of Delaware filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the exclusive rights to perform as "The Del-Vikings" (The previous trademark expired in 2020). On August 22, 2023, Boulden's exclusive rights were approved without any objection or of being contested. (U.S. Trademark Reg. No. 7,147,212). Boulden now performs as the front man for "The Del-Vikings Doo-Wop Revue" which is named such, as being based on "The Truth in Music Act" - Int. CT. 41 - Class 41: Entertainment services in the nature of live performances by a vocal group Principal Register - The mark consists of standard characters without claim to any particular font style, size or color - Ser. No. 97-442,100. Filed 06-03-2022
Singles discography
Year | Titles (A-side, B-side) Both sides from same album except where indicated |
Chart positions | |
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US | US R&B | ||
1957 | " Come Go With Me "b/w "How Can I Find True Love" Original local release on Pittsburgh-based Fee Bee labelFirst national release on Dot |
5 | 2 |
"What Made Maggie Run" b/w "When I Come Home" or alt. "Uh Uh Baby" on B-side Original local release on Pittsburgh-based Fee Bee label |
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"What Made Maggie Run" b/w "Little Billy Boy" National release on Dot with different B-side |
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"Whispering Bells" b/w "Don't Be A Fool" Released on Fee Bee and Dot around the same time |
9 | 5 | |
"I'm Spinning" b/w "You Say You Love Me" Released on Fee Bee (and on Dot b/w "When I Come Home") |
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"Cool Shake" b/w "Jitterbug Mary" Released on Mercury |
12 | 9 | |
"Come Along With Me" b/w "Whatcha Gotta Lose" |
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"Snowbound" b/w "Your Book Of Life" |
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"Willette" b/w "Woke Up This Morning" Released on Fee Bee and Dot |
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1958 | "Can't Wait" b/w "The Voodoo Man" (from The Swinging, Singing Del Vikings) |
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"You Cheated" b/w "Pretty Little Things Called Girls" |
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"Flat Tire" b/w "How Could You" |
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1960 | "Pistol Packin' Mama" b/w "The Sun" |
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1961 | "Bring Back Your Heart" b/w "I'll Never Stop Crying" |
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"I Hear Bells (Wedding Bells)" b/w "Don't Get Slick On Me" |
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"Face The Music" b/w "Kiss Me" |
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1962 | "The Big Silence" b/w "One More River To Cross" |
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"Confession Of Love" b/w "Kilimanjaro" |
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"An Angel Up In Heaven" b/w "The Fishing Chant (Re Manu Pakurua)" |
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1963 | "Too Many Miles" b/w "Sorcerer's Apprentice" |
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1964 | "I've Go To Know" b/w "We Three" |
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1966 | "Down In Bermuda" b/w "Maggie" (= What Made Maggie Run) |
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1972 | "Come Go With Me" (New version) b/w "When You're Asleep" |
112 | |
"Cold Feet" b/w "I Want To Marry You" Both sides with Chuck Jackson |
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1973 | "Watching The Moon" b/w "You Say You Love Me" Both sides led by Kripp Johnson |
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"I'm Spinning" b/w "Girl Girl" A-side led by Kripp Johnson, B-side by Chuck Jackson |
See also
- rock & roll
References
- ^ "The Del Vikings - Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
- ^ "Remembering Rock 'N' Roll With The Del Vikings". Queens Chronicle. January 25, 2001. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
- ^ a b "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. April 7, 2011. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
- ^ a b Leigh, Spencer (March 26, 2005). "David Lerchey Singer with the rock'n'roll harmony group the Del-Vikings". Independent. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- ^ Allmusic. Retrieved April 15, 2008.
- ^ a b c The Dell Vikings at Doowopy.de. Retrieved April 15, 2008.
- ^ "Come Go With Me Fee Bee 45 RPM". Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- ^ "Come Go With Me Dot 45 RPM". Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- ^ Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 14 - Big Rock Candy Mountain: Rock 'n' roll in the late fifties. [Part 4]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.
- ^ Hinckley, David (September 14, 2023). "Fox's 'Glee' rehabilitates 1980s radio hits like 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' by Bonnie Tyler". nydailynews.com.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 172.
- ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ "Set It Up (2018) Music Soundtrack & Complete List of Songs - WhatSong Soundtracks". What-song.
- ^ "Whispering Bells - Dell-Vikings Classic 1957 Hit song with Cool Video". www.all-about-vinylrecords.com.
- ^ "The-Del-Vikings-Feat-Krips-Johnson-Whispering-Bells-Dont-Be-A-Fool". Discogs. September 14, 2023.
- ^ "The Del-Vikings, "Whispering Bells" Chart Positions". Retrieved September 3, 2018.
- ^ "The Del Vikings - Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ "Stand by Me - Original Soundtrack - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
- ^ THE DEL VIKINGS "Come Go With Me" - Live - 1973, retrieved June 16, 2023
- ^ "David Lerchey of the Del Vikings dead at 67". beatlesnews.com. February 1, 2005. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- ^ "Original Founding Del Vikings Member Norman Wright Passes". celebrityaccess.com. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- ^ "Schlagerstar Gus Backus ist tot". www.tz.de (in German). March 4, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ "Del-Vikings member dead at 57 - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ "Latest R&B, Doo Wop and Group Harmony News & Updates". us6.campaign-archive.com. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ "Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks - DEL VIKINGS". www.uncamarvy.com. Retrieved June 16, 2023.