Bob Abrahamian honors two soulful powerhouses—Clarence Burke Jr. of the Five Stairsteps and Marvin Junior of the Dells—who passed just days apart in 2013. In this heartfelt tribute on Sitting in the Park, Bob spins deep cuts, B-sides, and classics from each group’s storied catalog. With personal commentary, rare 45s, and an emphasis on overlooked brilliance, Bob presents a sonic memorial to two of Chicago’s finest voices—artisans of harmony whose influence reached far beyond the charts. This show is not just a tribute; it’s an act of soul preservation.
Five Stairsteps - Baby make me feel so good - Curtom
Dells - The love we had stays on my mind - Cadet
Five Stairsteps - World of fantasy - Windy C
Dells - Stay in my corner - Cadet
Five Stairsteps - Ooh baby baby - Windy C
Dells - I can sing a rainbow / Love is blue - Cadet
Five Stairsteps and Cubie - Stay close to me - Curtom
Dells - It’s all up to you - Cadet
Five Stairsteps - Playgirl’s love - Windy C
Dells - Close your eyes - Cadet (LP)
Five Stairsteps - Danger she’s a stranger - Windy C
Dells - Just as long as we’re in love - Cadet
Five Stairsteps - You waited too long - Windy C
Dells - There is - Cadet
Five Stairsteps - You don’t love me - Windy C
Dells - Ooh I love you - Cadet
Five Stairsteps - The touch of you - Windy C
Dells - Reminiscing - Mercury
Dells and Dramatics - Love is missing from our lives - Cadet
Five Stairsteps - Don’t waste your time - Windy C
Dells - Give your baby a standing ovation - Cadet
5 Stairsteps - Behind curtains - Windy C
Dells - Bring back the love of yesterday - Cadet
In May 2013, the soul world lost two of its most distinct and dynamic voices within days of each other—Clarence Burke Jr., lead singer of the Five Stairsteps, and Marvin Junior, the commanding baritone of the Dells. Their deaths weren’t just personal losses for soul music lovers—they marked the departure of two vocal architects whose gifts had shaped and stretched the possibilities of group harmony. On this episode of Sitting in the Park, Bob Abrahamian did what he did best: curate, contextualize, and commemorate.
Broadcasting from WHPK 88.5 FM in Chicago, Bob turned his Sunday night show into an impromptu memorial—"not even planned out," as he humbly admitted. With two stacks of 45s in hand, he pulled from a personal archive that was as emotionally charged as it was historically vital. The show opened with the Dells’ “Always Together,” a record that encapsulated Marvin Junior’s ability to blend grit with grace, anchoring harmonies with a baritone both stormy and soothing.
Clarence Burke Jr., meanwhile, was honored through a range of Five Stairsteps tracks that exposed his nuanced vocal phrasing and effortless falsetto. Cuts like “World of Fantasy” and “Baby Make Me Feel So Good” weren’t just hits—they were expressions of teenage longing shaped into polished soul miniatures. With each record, Bob subtly mapped Burke's evolution from youthful frontman into a seasoned vocalist whose contributions rivaled many better-known peers.
Among the show’s revelatory moments was Bob’s playing of the six-minute version of “Stay in My Corner”—a track that had broken Black radio norms by thriving as a long album cut. This, as Bob explained, was a critical turning point in soul music’s format. It was a sign of growing creative freedom in the studio, and of the trust audiences placed in artists like the Dells to deliver emotional truth across a longer form. When Bob casually noted he played it “off a 45,” he was quietly signaling both his collector's insight and his commitment to the medium where these songs first lived.
Throughout the two-hour tribute, listeners were taken on a deep dig through essential yet often underappreciated tracks: “You Waited Too Long,” “Danger! She’s a Stranger,” “Just As Long As We’re in Love.” These weren’t just filler songs—they were the connective tissue of an era. Bob’s selections showed how both groups navigated changing musical landscapes—from doo-wop origins to more orchestrated '70s soul—without losing their identity.
The segment also spotlighted “Love Is Missing from Our Lives,” a collaboration between the Dells and the Dramatics that, while lesser-known, encapsulates the drama and power of Marvin Junior’s vocal presence. Bob's affection for the track—“one of my absolute favorite Dells songs”—is a reminder that the heart of soul music history often lives in the corners, on B-sides and overlooked LP cuts that only deep heads, like Bob, knew to seek out and cherish.
Beyond the records, Bob’s commentary offered a community-oriented tone. He made space for listener calls, fielded song requests, and gently reminded men to get medical checkups and listeners to save money—a blend of DJ as friend, guide, and public steward. This approach echoed the communal role of Black radio in the mid-20th century, where DJs weren’t just tastemakers but trusted figures in daily life.
Bob's tribute wasn’t merely a broadcast—it was an act of stewardship. Clarence Burke Jr. and Marvin Junior may never headline Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies or top Rolling Stone’s lists, but in Sitting in the Park, their legacies received something rarer: an honest, intimate memorial from a man who truly listened. He recognized what so many soul fans have always known—that behind the chart positions and industry politics were voices that told our stories, carried our feelings, and built the sonic architecture of Black America’s emotional landscape.
Bob Abrahamian 00:00
Okay, you're tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM, Chicago. You're now listening to the Sitting in the Park show. Today is going to be a special show, because, as you know, last Sunday Clarence Burke Jr., lead singer of the Five Stairsteps, passed away—one of the great, unacknowledged musical geniuses. And then, just a couple of days later, really sad news: Marvin Junior, one of the Dells, and one of the greatest baritone leads in soul music history, also passed away.
So—really sad news. Today, I'm going to do a tribute show. I'm going to be playing some of my favorite records by both groups. It's not even planned out; I just brought a couple stacks of 45s by each group.
If you want to call me up, the number here is 773-702-8424.
This first record is the Dells with “Always Together.”
Bob Abrahamian 20:54
Okay, you're tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM, Chicago. You're listening to the Sitting in the Park show. Today is a special show celebrating the legacy of Clarence Burke of the Five Stairsteps and Marvin Junior of the Dells.
The last track was the Dells with their second version—the long version—of Stay in My Corner, which is also an important record. It's about six minutes long and was one of the first album cuts to get played on Black radio, although I actually played it off of a 45.
Before that:
