The Dells: Marvin James, Charles Barksdale, Michael McGill, Verne Allison, Johnny Carter (vocals).
Producers includes: Calvin Carter, Charles Stepney, Don Davis, Harris Machine, Andrew "Mike" Terry.
Compilation producer: Harry Weigner.
Includes liner notes by Scott Galloway.
Digitally remastered by Erik Labson (MCA Music Media Studios, North Hollywood, California).
The Dells more than earned their place in the pantheon of R&B greats, not only for the consistently excellent quality of their output, but for their sheer longevity (the group performed together from the early 1950s into the 2000s). Over the course of their career the Dells moved from classic doo-wop to vocal jazz to disco, but their impeccable harmonies and smooth soulful approach make their body of work remarkably unified.
Hip-O's lovingly assembled ANTHOLOGY serves as a near-comprehensive overview of the group's trajectory. Kicking off with the group's first single, "Darling I Know," the two-disc set moves chronologically through the quintet's stylistic changes, and features all of their biggest hits, including "Oh, What a Night," "Stay In My Corner," and "Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation," among others. The Dells managed to keep pace with pop music's changing sounds well up to the '90s (where this compilation ends), but unlike a lot of wide-spanning retrospectives the material is impressively consistent. Anyone looking for a one-stop shot of one of R&B's shining acts should pick this up.
