The Delfonics

Formed of the two brothers, William and Wilbert Hart, along with their high school friend, Randy Cain, the vocal trio began singing doo-wop at their school events, before gradually building up local fame for their dynamic and well-synced harmonic talent. The band initially caught the attention of the Cameo-Parkway record label, although they were not to find success with these early releases. However, the group did attract the attention of producer/arranger Thom Bell, who brought them over to his soul label, Philly Groove, which went on to become one of the most influential record labels in the soul genre.

Bell’s production style took away the grit and edge of the sound of Stax in Memphis and Muscle Shoals in Alabama, instead creating a smooth, orchestral soul that had a light, airy feel. For The Delfonics, this was to bring them immediate success, with “La-La (Means I Love You),” in 1968, which was followed by a string hits, releasing five albums with Bell as producer. They received a Grammy Award for the song “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time),” which went on to sell a million copies and be certified Gold by the R.I.A.A. However, this immediate success was not to continue and the trio failed to create any more major hits, with the group disbanding in 1975, after Major Harris, who replaced Cain in 1971, left to pursue a solo career.

The band’s music lived on well into the 90s, finding their songs being sampled extensively by hip-hop artists, such as The Wu-Tang Clan and The Notorious B.I.G. A version of the band returned, featuring William Hart, Harris and Frank Washington, to appear on GhostFace Killah’s “After the Smoke Has Cleared.”Quentin Tarantino’s “Jackie Brown” featured Delfonics songs heavily in the soundtrack, helping to create the mood of the 70s.

Towards the end of the 90s, The Delfonics, led by William Hart, released a new record “Forever New,” helping to revive the group. Various forms of the group continued to perform throughout the decade although they did not record any new material until producer Adrian Younge persuaded Hart to record a new album project, which became “Adrian Younge Presents the Delfonics,” which was released on Wax Poetics in 2013.