The Dells were formed in 1953 in Harvey, Illinois by high school students Marvin Junior, Verne Allison, Johnny Funches, Chuck Barksdale, and Michael and Lucius McGill. They originally called themselves the El-Rays and released their first recording in 1954.The Dells' first R&B hit was "Oh What a Night", recorded in 1956. In 1969, the song was re-recorded with a different arrangement and tempo. Chuck Barksdale added a spoken introduction about a magical night, and the song featured the Dells' sig