The Dells

The Dells - I Touched A Dream - 20th. Century T 618 (1980)

So You Are Love; All About The Paper; Passionate Breezes; I Touched A Dream; Just A Little Love; Look At Us Now; Your Song

Produced by: Carl Davis/Eugene Record



The Dells - I Touched A Dream

Today I received the sad news that Johnny Carter of the Dells had died, Friday morning the 20th. August aged 75.

I remember the first single that I brought that featured his voice heavily and that was 'I Can Sing A Rainbow' back in 1969 and thinking these guys are really powerful what else have they done? As the years went by I discovered many songs that touched the soul.

The group has been together since 1952 and had no personnel change since 1960! They also sang the theme music in the film Five Heartbeats that was loosely based on their life story. Johnny joined The Dells as a replacement for Johnny Funches in 1960 having already been in the Flamingos.

The featured track today comes from their 28th. Anniversary year 1980 and is a Eugene Record song and production and is titled I Touched A Dream. I remember the first time time this song came at me out of the radio it was being spun by Lady Cherry a PCRL Birmingham radio deejay at the time and I remember ringing her up and asking her to marry me! (I was that imprest - in jest you know). The album also contains the Groovesville/Bobby Womack dancer'Your Song', that has sold for £157 when search fever hit the streets, settled now though now at about £50.

Johnny's voice is in this song like many others it seems always in the background as though to say yes THIS IS the Dells your listening too. Surviving members: Chuck Barkdale, Marvin Jones, Verne Allison, Michael McGill. The group up to this point was the longest lasting original group of all time, 57 years!