The Del-Vikings
Encyclopedia
The Del-Vikings are an American
doo-wop
musical group
, who recorded several hit singles in the 1950s, and continued to record and tour with various lineups in later decades. The group was notable for being one of the few racially integrated
musical groups to attain success in the 1950s.
stationed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, with Clarence Quick, Kripp Johnson
, Don Jackson, Samuel Paterson, and Bernard Robertson. Because all of the members were in the armed forces, the group constantly ran the risk of being disrupted by members being stationed in other places. This happened soon after the group's forming when Paterson and Robertson were sent to Germany. They were replaced by baritone David Lerchey, the group's first white member, and tenor Norman Wright. Norman Wright had started a group with Lawrence "Prince" Lloyd called The Valverteens from Amarillo Air Force Base,Texas before joining The Del-Vikings.
The origin of the band's name is unclear. Some sources say that the band members had read about Viking
s with the prefix "Del" being "added to give the group name an air of mystery." Another suggestion is that Clarence Quick had known of a basketball team in Brooklyn, New York, called the Vikings and had suggested the name. The name may also have originated from the popular Viking Press
, publisher of paperbacks that group members liked to read.
Originally signed to Fee Bee Records
, their first hit came in 1957 with "Ultra High Fidelity" (Dot
EP
DEP 1058) followed by the Wright-led "Come Go with Me
". The group quickly found itself in greater demand following the release of "Come Go with Me", which propelled the group into the Top 10 on Billboard's
pop chart
. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
. Soon after, Jackson left and was replaced by Gus Backus
, the group's second white member.
). 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 Viking 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. Dot also released "Whispering Bells", with Kripp Johnson again featured on lead. Interestingly, the Dot label added an 's' to his name which read "featuring 'Krips' Johnson". It reached number nine on Billboard's Top 100 chart. Around this time, some old Fee Bee demo tracks had been sold to an up-and-coming record company, Luniverse, who overdubbed a backing track on these accapella songs, which included an early version of "Come Go with Me". The overdubbed demo was included as a track on an 8 song album subsequently released by Luniverse. Only one single was released from these Luniverse overdubs - #106 - "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"/ "Hey Senorita".
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, leaving the group a quartet. They broke up soon after. Quick restructured the group with new talent from the Pittsburgh area—lead tenor, Billie Woodruff, Willie Green, Douglass White,and Ritzy Lee
. By the end of 1957, with the breakup of the "Dell" Vikings, Kripp Johnson returned to the original group, making them a sextet. They signed to ABC-Paramount. While the nucleus of the group was back, they weren't able to chart any more hits, and the group split up in 1965.
; a new version of "Come Go With Me" made the Bubbling Under The Hot 100 chart in 1973. Things began to unravel quickly, however, as members began to leave once again. David Finley was in one of the lead spots from 1972-76. Another group, with lead singer Billy Woodruff, Ritzy Lee, Terry Young, Mona Lisa Young and Paul Moser lasted a short time in the mid-seventies. Later in the seventies, the group was Quick, Blakely, Louis C. Velez (whom Quick, now the only original member, selected to replace him when he was no longer able to perform), Arthur Martinez, and Jerry Williams.
In 1980, Kripp Johnson restarted the "Dell" Vikings with Dave Lerchey, 1960s member Ritzy Lee, and new member John Byas. Norman Wright rejoined this group in 1990. In the Del Vikings, Jerry Williams was replaced by Herbert McQueen.
Frank "Mingo" Ayers replaced William Blakely in the early 80s. He suffered some health problems after a short time and Dickie Harmon was brought in as a sub. The group lost its last original member, Clarence Quick, when he died in 1985. His place was taken by Lloyd "Butch" Phillips. Leroy Binns of the Charts supplied bass vocals for a time - later being taken over by Bernard "BJ" Jones (current member of the Dubs.) After Frank Ayers return, Dickie Harmon became a permanent member and Louis Velez took over bass vocals. They continued recording, and released an album in 1991 for BVM Records entitled Rock and Roll Remembered.
Kripp Johnson died in 1990. His group (John Byas, Dave Lerchey, Norman Wright, and Ritzy Lee) continued to perform at major resorts in the US, Canada, and Caribbean, as well as major cruise lines and various casinos. After the death of John Byas in 1999, Norman Wright left and reformed another group with his sons Anthony Wright and Norman Wright, Jr., and friend Mike Machado. Dave Lerchey retired but occasionally performed with this group (Lerchey died on January 29, 2005). This group was featured on the PBS special Doo Wop 50
in 1999, with Dave Lerchey.
Lerchey formed another Del Vikings group with his sons shortly before his death.
Frank Ayers would later be out of the Clarence Quick group at which time the group would reorganize with bassman Les Levine entering and Harmon taking over lead vocals. Ayers died in 1999. 2002 marked Dickie Harmon leaving the group and becoming a member of The Teenagers
and the death of Lloyd "Butch" Phillips. Phillips, Harmon, and Binns had backed up Joe Grier as The Charts
that year. By the mid 2000s, the line-up was Velez, Martinez, Les Levine, Ron Coleman, and Reggie Walker. Unfortunately, after a long battle with ill health, "Sweet" Lou Velez died on May 31, 2008. Obituary of Louis "Sweet Lou" Velez. Shelly Wengrovsky joined the group in the middle of 2008. During the latter part of 2009, Ron Coleman joined "The Channels". Reggie Walker died on January 25, 2010. The addition of Lewis McMillan and Bobby Walker in April 2010 now completes the quintet.
Norman Wright died in April, 2010.
The group's biggest hits have been used in such film
s as American Graffiti
, American Hot Wax
, The Hollywood Knights
, Diner
, Stand By Me
, and Joe Versus the Volcano
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
musical group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, who recorded several hit singles in the 1950s, and continued to record and tour with various lineups in later decades. The group was notable for being one of the few racially integrated
Racial integration
Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely...
musical groups to attain success in the 1950s.
Formation and early fame
The Del-Vikings were formed in 1955 by members of the United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
stationed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, with Clarence Quick, Kripp Johnson
Kripp Johnson
Kripp Johnson was a singer for The Del-Vikings from 1956 to the 1980s. He died in 1990....
, Don Jackson, Samuel Paterson, and Bernard Robertson. Because all of the members were in the armed forces, the group constantly ran the risk of being disrupted by members being stationed in other places. This happened soon after the group's forming when Paterson and Robertson were sent to Germany. They were replaced by baritone David Lerchey, the group's first white member, and tenor Norman Wright. Norman Wright had started a group with Lawrence "Prince" Lloyd called The Valverteens from Amarillo Air Force Base,Texas before joining The Del-Vikings.
The origin of the band's name is unclear. Some sources say that the band members had read about Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s with the prefix "Del" being "added to give the group name an air of mystery." Another suggestion is that Clarence Quick had known of a basketball team in Brooklyn, New York, called the Vikings and had suggested the name. The name may also have originated from the popular Viking Press
Viking Press
Viking Press is an American publishing company owned by the Penguin Group, which has owned the company since 1975. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim...
, publisher of paperbacks that group members liked to read.
Originally signed to Fee Bee Records
Fee Bee Records
-Fee Bee Records:Fee Bee Records was a record label started by Joe Averbach in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The label is notable for recording the Del Vikings hit "Come Go With Me" in 1956...
, their first hit came in 1957 with "Ultra High Fidelity" (Dot
Dot Records
Dot Records was an American record label and company that was active between 1950 and 1977. It was founded by Randy Wood. In Gallatin, Tennessee, Wood had earlier started a mail order record shop, known for its radio ads on WLAC in Nashville and its R&B air personality Bill "Hoss" Allen...
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
DEP 1058) followed by the Wright-led "Come Go with Me
Come Go with Me
"Come Go with Me" is a song written by C. E. Quick , an original member of the American doo-wop vocal group The Del-Vikings. The song was originally recorded by The Del-Vikings in 1956 and was released on Fee Bee Records...
". The group quickly found itself in greater demand following the release of "Come Go with Me", which propelled the group into the Top 10 on Billboard's
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
pop chart
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. Soon after, Jackson left and was replaced by Gus Backus
Gus Backus
Gus Backus is a former member of the Del-Vikings. He also released a single on Carlton Records in 1958. He later became a popular singer in 1960s West Germany after he was stationed there as a soldier in the U.S. Army at Wiesbaden Air Base from 1957.-External links:...
, the group's second white member.
The split
All of the group members, other than Kripp Johnson, had been under 21 when they had signed their recording contract with Fee Bee (a tiny Pittsburgh label, which was later distributed by Dot RecordsDot Records
Dot Records was an American record label and company that was active between 1950 and 1977. It was founded by Randy Wood. In Gallatin, Tennessee, Wood had earlier started a mail order record shop, known for its radio ads on WLAC in Nashville and its R&B air personality Bill "Hoss" Allen...
). 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
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
. Johnson, who was still bound to Fee Bee/Dot, stayed, thus creating two Del Viking 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
Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson is an R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully. He has performed with moderate success since 1961...
, Arthur Budd, and Ed Everette. This group recorded the Kripp Johnson-led "I'm Spinning
I'm Spinning
"I'm Spinning" is a Doo Wop song recorded by the Del-Vikings on the Fee Bee Records label in 1957 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as an A side for the single "I'm Spinning"/"You Say You Love Me," written by Pat DiCesare. It was soon released on Dot Records for national distribution, and later released...
", billing themselves as the Dell Vikings. Dot also released "Whispering Bells", with Kripp Johnson again featured on lead. Interestingly, the Dot label added an 's' to his name which read "featuring 'Krips' Johnson". It reached number nine on Billboard's Top 100 chart. Around this time, some old Fee Bee demo tracks had been sold to an up-and-coming record company, Luniverse, who overdubbed a backing track on these accapella songs, which included an early version of "Come Go with Me". The overdubbed demo was included as a track on an 8 song album subsequently released by Luniverse. Only one single was released from these Luniverse overdubs - #106 - "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"/ "Hey Senorita".
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
The Versatiles
The Versatiles were a Jamaican reggae group, formed in 1967 by Junior Byles, Louie Davis and Dudley Earl. 1970 Byles left the group for a successful solo career....
, 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, leaving the group a quartet. They broke up soon after. Quick restructured the group with new talent from the Pittsburgh area—lead tenor, Billie Woodruff, Willie Green, Douglass White,and Ritzy Lee
Ritzy Lee
Ritzy Lee, who was a member of The Del-Vikings from 1959 until his retirement in 2003, is now part owner of a recording company titled "Rock Bottom Blues Company" based in Beverly Hills, CA. Along with Robert "Junior" Brantley, and Sam McWhorter, co-founders of the company, Ritzy Lee is recording,...
. By the end of 1957, with the breakup of the "Dell" Vikings, Kripp Johnson returned to the original group, making them a sextet. They signed to ABC-Paramount. While the nucleus of the group was back, they weren't able to chart any more hits, and the group split up in 1965.
Reunion and split
The Del Vikings were back in 1970 with a near original line-up- Clarence Quick, Kripp Johnson, Norman Wright, Dave Lerchey, and William Blakely. The group re-recorded many of their old hits for Scepter RecordsScepter Records
Scepter Records is a record company founded in 1959 by Florence Greenberg. She had just sold Tiara Records with The Shirelles for $4000 to Decca Records. When The Shirelles didn't produce any hits for Decca, they were given back to Greenberg, who promptly signed them. By 1961 Greenberg launched a...
; a new version of "Come Go With Me" made the Bubbling Under The Hot 100 chart in 1973. Things began to unravel quickly, however, as members began to leave once again. David Finley was in one of the lead spots from 1972-76. Another group, with lead singer Billy Woodruff, Ritzy Lee, Terry Young, Mona Lisa Young and Paul Moser lasted a short time in the mid-seventies. Later in the seventies, the group was Quick, Blakely, Louis C. Velez (whom Quick, now the only original member, selected to replace him when he was no longer able to perform), Arthur Martinez, and Jerry Williams.
In 1980, Kripp Johnson restarted the "Dell" Vikings with Dave Lerchey, 1960s member Ritzy Lee, and new member John Byas. Norman Wright rejoined this group in 1990. In the Del Vikings, Jerry Williams was replaced by Herbert McQueen.
Frank "Mingo" Ayers replaced William Blakely in the early 80s. He suffered some health problems after a short time and Dickie Harmon was brought in as a sub. The group lost its last original member, Clarence Quick, when he died in 1985. His place was taken by Lloyd "Butch" Phillips. Leroy Binns of the Charts supplied bass vocals for a time - later being taken over by Bernard "BJ" Jones (current member of the Dubs.) After Frank Ayers return, Dickie Harmon became a permanent member and Louis Velez took over bass vocals. They continued recording, and released an album in 1991 for BVM Records entitled Rock and Roll Remembered.
Kripp Johnson died in 1990. His group (John Byas, Dave Lerchey, Norman Wright, and Ritzy Lee) continued to perform at major resorts in the US, Canada, and Caribbean, as well as major cruise lines and various casinos. After the death of John Byas in 1999, Norman Wright left and reformed another group with his sons Anthony Wright and Norman Wright, Jr., and friend Mike Machado. Dave Lerchey retired but occasionally performed with this group (Lerchey died on January 29, 2005). This group was featured on the PBS special Doo Wop 50
Doo Wop 50
Doo Wop 50 was a PBS pledge drive special created and produced for PBS member station WQED-TV by TJ Lubinsky, grandson of Herman Lubinsky...
in 1999, with Dave Lerchey.
Lerchey formed another Del Vikings group with his sons shortly before his death.
Frank Ayers would later be out of the Clarence Quick group at which time the group would reorganize with bassman Les Levine entering and Harmon taking over lead vocals. Ayers died in 1999. 2002 marked Dickie Harmon leaving the group and becoming a member of The Teenagers
The Teenagers
The Teenagers are an American integrated doo wop group, most noted for being one of rock music's earliest successes, presented to international audiences by DJ Alan Freed...
and the death of Lloyd "Butch" Phillips. Phillips, Harmon, and Binns had backed up Joe Grier as The Charts
The Charts
The Charts were an American doo-wop group of the 1950s, most famous for their recording "Deserie".The group formed as The Thrilltones in Harlem, New York in 1956, and comprised teenagers Joe Grier , Stephen Brown , Glenmore Jackson , Leroy Binns , and Ross Buford...
that year. By the mid 2000s, the line-up was Velez, Martinez, Les Levine, Ron Coleman, and Reggie Walker. Unfortunately, after a long battle with ill health, "Sweet" Lou Velez died on May 31, 2008. Obituary of Louis "Sweet Lou" Velez. Shelly Wengrovsky joined the group in the middle of 2008. During the latter part of 2009, Ron Coleman joined "The Channels". Reggie Walker died on January 25, 2010. The addition of Lewis McMillan and Bobby Walker in April 2010 now completes the quintet.
Norman Wright died in April, 2010.
The group's biggest hits have been used in such film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s as American Graffiti
American Graffiti
American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
, American Hot Wax
American Hot Wax
American Hot Wax is a 1978 biopic film directed by Floyd Mutrux and written by John Kaye telling the story of Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed, who was instrumental in introducing and popularizing rock 'n' roll in the 1950s...
, The Hollywood Knights
The Hollywood Knights
The Hollywood Knights is an American motion picture comedy written and directed by Floyd Mutrux depicting the crass and mischievous antics and practical jokes of the remaining members of a 1950s-era car club turned social fraternity in and around Beverly Hills and Hollywood in 1965...
, Diner
Diner (film)
Diner is a 1982 comedy-drama film written and directed by Barry Levinson. Levinson's screen directing debut, Diner is the first in his "Baltimore films", which also include the subsequent Tin Men, Avalon and Liberty Heights.-Plot:...
, Stand By Me
Stand by Me (film)
Stand by Me is a 1986 American drama film directed by Rob Reiner. Based on the novella The Body by Stephen King, the film takes its title from the Ben E. King song of the same name, which plays over the end credits.-Plot:...
, and Joe Versus the Volcano
Joe Versus the Volcano
Joe Versus the Volcano is a 1990 comedy film written and directed by John Patrick Shanley and starring Tom Hanks and—in three roles—Meg Ryan. The film is writer Shanley's directorial debut and the first of three films pairing Hanks and Ryan....
.
External links
- Marvin Goldberg's article on The Del Vikings
- [ The Del Vikings biography at allmusic.com]
- Vocal Group HOF
- The Dell Vikings at stormyweather.de (formerly doowopy.de)
- Listen to "Rock and Roll Remembered"
- History of Rock article
- Destination Doo-wop article]
- Kripp Johnson article
- Come Go With Me, Kripp Johnson's group in the 50s
- Video of the Del Vikings performing "Jitterbug Mary" an almost forgotten song