THE DEL VIKINGS - "COME GO WITH ME" (1957)

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The Del-Vikings (also known as The Dell-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.

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, 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 Vikings[1][2] with the prefix "Del" being "added to give the group name an air of mystery."[2] Another suggestion is that Clarence Quick had known of a basketball team in Brooklyn, New York, called the Vikings and had suggested the name.[1] The name may also have originated from the popular Viking Press, publisher of paperbacks that group members liked to read.[2]

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.