The Dellwoods


The Dellwoods were a mid-20th century American doo-wop vocal group from New York City. They are most noted for releasing two albums of novelty songs under the aegis of Mad magazine.
The members were Victor Buccellato, Mike Ellis, Andy Ventura, Amadeo Tese, and Saul Zeskand. They first recorded as the Sweet Sick Teens, releasing "The Pretzel" backed with "Agnes " on RCA Victor in 1961. The songs were written by Norman Blagman and Sam Bobrick.
In 1962, the Dellwoods released an entire album of novelty songs by Bobrick and Blagman, with Russo and female singer Jeanne Hayes also featured on the album. The album had originally been written and produced for RCA, but was later sold to Mad and released on Bigtop Records as Mad "Twists" Rock 'N' Roll with a strong Mad tie-in – besides the title, a portrait of Alfred E. Neuman was featured prominently on the cover, and " Nose Job" from the album was bound as a flexi disc into an issue of Mad. Other songs included " High School Basketball Game", "Please Betty Jean ", "Somebody Else's Dandruff ". "Agnes " and "The Pretzel" " were also included on the album.
This was followed by another Dellwoods Bigtop release, again with Russo and Hayes, written by Bobrick and Blagman, and tied in with Mad, in 1963. This album, titled Fink Along With Mad, featured "She Lets Me Watch Her Mom And Pop Fight" which was bound into an issue of Mad. Other songs on Fink Along With Mad included "I'll Never Make Fun of Her Moustache Again", "When the Braces on our Teeth Lock", and "Loving A Siamese Twin". "Don't Put Onions On Your Hamburger" from the album was released as a single, credited to just the Dellwoods.
French-based Barclay Records released a 1962 EP with "Let's Do The Pretzel " and "Blind Date " credited to Mike Russo, and "Agnes " and " Nose Job" credited to the Dellwoods.
In 1963, the Dellwoods renamed themselves to the Dynamics and released a serious non-novelty single for Liberty Records, "Chapel On A Hill" backed with "Conquistador".