The Dells - Whatever Turns You On 1981

Though the Dells' close-harmony, doo wop-echoing sweet soul style remained intact by the time of this 1981 album, that style wasn't as in tune with the marketplace as it had been during the group's peak years. Despite co-production by Eugene Record of the Chi-Lites and major Chicago soul producer Carl Davis, the material wasn't strong enough to attract much notice, failing to produce a chart single. The big problem, despite the abundance of talent in attendance, was the absence of strong songs. The record had a characteristic Dells sound (if slightly updated production-wise for the early '80s), but the quality of the results came out in faded colors. While they handle some uptempo disco-tinged numbers (such as the Trammps-like "Happy Song" and the title track, the latter co-written with Billy Ocean) with competence, those aren't the kind of songs most suited for the group's approach. Sentimental ballads remained in their repertoire, but only the closing "Stay in My Corner" was that reminiscent of their glory days -- and even that was a remake of their 1968 hit of the same name.