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 Del-Vikings were formed in 1955 by members of the United States Air Force stationed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with Clarence Quick, Kripp Johnson, Don Jackson, Samuel Paterson, Bernard Robertson and Clarence Harvey Ringo. 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 was created by Clarence Quick while talking to Clarence Ringo at the library on base. Some sources say that the band members had read about Vikings 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. Clarence Harvey Ringo is vehement about the name being created by him and Clarence Quick at the Greater Pittsburgh airbase library, although he is largely uncredited for his contribution.
Their first hit came in December 1956 with “Come Go with Me”, released on Fee Bee Records. In January 1957 Dot Records re-released “Come Go With Me”, taking it nationally. The group quickly found itself in greater demand following the re-release 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.
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 Records; a new version of “Come Go With Me” made the Bubbling Under The Hot 100 chart in 1973 (it also wound up on the Easy Listening chart, where it peaked that year at #32).
The group’s biggest hits have been used in such films as American Graffiti, American Hot Wax, The Hollywood Knights, Diner, Stand By Me, and Joe Versus the Volcano.
Source: Wikipedia.org
