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- Artist: The Dells
- Rating:
- Release Date: September 28, 1999
- Type: Compilation (best of)
- Genre: Rhythm & Blues
Review
The Dells were one of the few groups that rode the transition from doo wop to smooth soul without missing a beat and without falling off the charts. Just as remarkably, the group did so without declining much in quality, as Hip-O's definitive double-disc Anthology proves. Throughout these 36 tracks, the music changes, from street-corner R&B to string-drenched disco-soul, but in all their incarnations, the Dells always sound wonderful. There are a handful of minor hits missing, but all the big singles -- including both the Vee-Jay and Cadet versions of "Oh, What a Nite" and "Stay in My Corner" -- are here, assembled chronologically. As such, it tells an epic story of a group whose history mirrored the story of R&B vocal groups from the '50s through the '70s. The latter-day material may pale somewhat in comparison to the band's early classics, but it holds up well against other '70s soul. The final cut, the group's surprise 1991 hit "A Heart Is a House for Love" -- their contribution to Robert Townsend's The Five Heartbeats, which was a loose tribute to the Dells themselves -- illustrates that the group sounded terrific well into their third decade of performing, which is a true sign of greatness. Anthology is a testament to their greatness, offering solid proof that they were one of the greatest vocal R&B groups of their time. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music GuideTracks
CD 1
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Darling I Know | (2:30) | ||
| Dreams of Contentment | The Dells | (3:04) | |
| Oh, What a Night | The Dells | (2:56) | |
| Pain in My Heart | The Dells | (3:07) | |
| The (Bossa Nova) Bird | The Dells | (2:50) | |
| Stay in My Corner | Wade Flemons, Barrett Strong, Bobby Miller | The Dells | (2:55) |
| O-O I Love You | Bobby Miller | The Dells | (3:21) |
| There Is | Bobby Miller, Raynard Miner | The Dells | (3:33) |
| Wear It on Our Face | Bobby Miller | The Dells | (3:25) |
| Love Is So Simple | Bobby Miller | The Dells | (2:45) |
| Stay in My Corner | Wade Flemons, Barrett Strong, Bobby Miller | The Dells | (6:13) |
| Always Together | Bobby Miller | The Dells | (3:05) |
| Does Anybody Know I'm Here? | Bobby Miller | The Dells | (3:19) |
| I Can't Do Enough | Bobby Miller | The Dells | (3:35) |
| I Can Sing a Rainbow/Love Is Blue | The Dells | (3:25) | |
| Oh, What a Night | Marvin Junior | The Dells | (4:06) |
| Open up My Heart | Bobby Miller | The Dells | (6:33) |
| Long Lonely Nights | Lee Andrews, |
The Dells | (2:31) |
| Oh What a Day | The Dells | (2:49) | |
| The Love We Had (Stays on My Mind) | Terry Callier, |
The Dells | (4:52) |
| The Glory of Love | The Dells | (3:54) |
CD 2
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation | Marv Johnson, Henry "Rubberlegs" Williams | The Dells | (4:37) |
| My Pretending Days Are Over | Don Davis, |
The Dells | (4:14) |
| I Miss You (Lyrics) | Tony Hester | The Dells | (4:25) |
| I Wish It Was Me You Loved | The Dells | (3:51) | |
| Learning to Love You Was Easy | Jimmy Roach | The Dells | (3:19) |
| We Got to Get Our Thing Together | The Dells | (4:16) | |
| Slow Motion | Ivy Hunter, |
The Dells | (4:09) |
| Our Love | The Dells | (5:06) | |
| Betcha Never Been Loved (Like This Before) | Allan Felder, Norman Harris, |
The Dells | (4:58) |
| Private Property | Allan Felder, Ron Tyson, |
The Dells | (3:10) |
| Super Woman | Teddy Randazzo, |
The Dells | (3:08) |
| I Touched a Dream (Lyrics) | Eugene Record | The Dells | (5:20) |
| Passionate Breezes | Chuck Jackson, Marvin Yancy | The Dells | (5:37) |
| Stay in My Corner | Wade Flemons, Barrett Strong, Bobby Miller | The Dells | (6:27) |
| A Heart Is a House for Love | The Dells | (6:08) |
