Their songs have been used in film soundtracks, including Quentin Tarantino's 1997 movie Jackie Brown, in which "La-La (Means I Love You)" and "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" underscore the pivotal relationship between the characters played by Pam Grier and Robert Forster. Their songs "Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love)" and "Funny Feeling" were used in the video game Grand Theft Auto V on the fictional radio station The Lowdown 91.1.
Career
Early days
Prior to forming the Delfonics, William "Poogie" Hart sang in a variety of groups including Little Hart and The Everglows, the Veltones, the Four Guys, and the Four Gents. Members of some of these early groups included brothers William and Wilbert Hart, Ritchie Daniels, Randy Cain, and Jimmy Wroten, Stan Lathan, and Donald Cannon, friends who met at Overbrook High School in the 1960s.[2]
Circa 1964, William "Poogie" Hart and his brother, Wilbert Hart, formed a group called The Orphonics, consisting of themselves plus Randy Cain and Richie Daniels. After Daniels joined the armed services, they used Ricky Johnson. Randy Cain later rejoined, and the original trio of William Hart, Wilbert Hart, and Randy Cain became The Orphonics. The name came from a stereophonic machine the Harts had in their basement.
In 1965, William Hart was working in a barbershop in Philadelphia. A man named Stan Watson came into the barbershop one day, where William Hart, who had written quite a few songs by this point, would sing while playing his guitar. Watson told William Hart that he knew a young arranger/producer for Cameo-Parkway Records named Thom Bell, who was at the time working with Chubby Checker. Watson thereafter introduced the group to Bell. William Hart recalls that the first song he presented to Bell was an original composition of his entitled "He Don't Really Love You".[3] Bell immediately produced the music arrangement to that song and it was released on Moon Shot, which later became Cameo-Parkway Records.
Hit years
The Orphonics were soon renamed "The Delfonics," and their first recording, "He Don't Really Love You" b/w "Without You", which had been arranged and produced by Thom Bell, was released on the small Moon Shot Records label in around August 1966. (The artist on first pressings of the 45 RPM record was actually listed as "The Del Fonics" and Thom Bell was credited as "Tommy Bell." Following the increased popularity of the group, the Moon Shot record was reissued in April 1968, and on this later release it was distributed by Calla Records.) The second Delfonics' recording, "You've Been Untrue" b/w "I Was There," once again arranged/produced by Bell (now credited as "Thom Bell") was released in April 1967 on Cameo Records.
The Delfonics promo photo, 1971
By the end of 1967, Cameo-Parkway Records announced that it would soon no longer exist as a record company. In December of that year, Thom Bell took the Delfonics into Cameo-Parkway's recording studio to record a William Hart composition, entitled "La-La (Means I Love You)", which featured Hart on falsetto lead.[4] With Cameo-Parkway about to be defunct, Stan Watson started up his own label entitled Philly Groove Records and, in December 1967, "La-La (Means I Love You)" was first released to the local Philadelphia music market.[4] After gaining national distribution/promotion with New York's Amy-Mala-Bell, the single became a hit in 1968, selling over one million copies. It reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100,[5] and was awarded a gold disc.
The group's debut album La La Means I Love You, released on Philly Groove Records in 1968,[4] featured the hit original compositions "La-La (Means I Love You)", "Break Your Promise", "I'm Sorry", and "Can You Remember"; along with covers of the Hal David/Burt Bacharach compositions "Alfie" and "The Look of Love".
Four more Bell-produced albums appeared in the next few years: The Sound of Sexy Soul, The Delfonics Super Hits, The Delfonics and Tell Me This Is a Dream.[4] Among the Delfonics' popular hits were the Grammy Award–winning "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)", "(For The Love) I Gave To You", "Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love)", and "Hey! Love", written by Wilbert Hart.[6][4] The Delfonics and Bell had to work with a basic budget on the first creation as Thom explained "When I took them into the studio we didn't have any money to pay for string players and an orchestra so I played most of the instruments myself!"—a far cry from the full classical productions from 1968 to the beginning of the 1970s.[7] "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" also sold a million copies and by March 1970 received a gold disc from the R.I.A.A.
By 1972, the Delfonics racked up twelve top-20 hits on Billboard's R&B/Soul Single Chart.[8]
Randy Cain left the group in 1971 after completing their fourth album,[4] and in 1973 had a hand in forming Blue Magic. Cain was replaced by Major Harris; by then, however, Thom Bell had moved on to produce The Stylistics and later, The Spinners.[4] The Delfonics swiftly produced another album, Alive & Kicking (1974), produced by Stan Watson.[4] However, in the absence of Bell, the Delfonics' career declined sharply, and with the exception of the aforementioned "Hey Love" and the minor hits "When You Get Right Down to It", "I Don't Want to Make You Wait" and "I Told You So", success eluded them after 1975.[4] ("(For the Love) I Gave to You", although popular, was never released as a single.) Most of their songs at this point were written by lead singer William Hart.
The group split around 1975; one group featured Major Harris and Wilbert Hart, with new member Frank Washington, formerly of the Futures. The other group featured William Hart with new members. Line-ups would become confusing as members shifted between groups and multiple groups toured.[11] Major Harris moved to William's group around 1980, with their third member being the returning Randy Cain. Frank Washington also switched from Wilbert Hart's group, joining in 1985. While the main recording line-up of the group was William Hart, Major Harris, and Frank Washington, they would tour as two separate trios with additional members added. One group featured William Hart, Randy Cain, and Garfield Fleming, and the other consisted of Frank Washington, Major Harris, and Freddy Ingleton. William Hart also toured with another line-up consisting of himself, Johnny ("JJ") Johnson and Pat Palmer,[12] and toured in Japan at least one time with Ingleton and Dr. Salaam Love.[13] In 1989, Wilbert Hart, Major Harris and Frank Washington appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show.[14]
1990–2000
Through the 1990s, the Delfonics groups continued to perform. The William Hart's with Major Harris and Frank Washington made several recordings, including backing vocals on the track "After the Smoke is Clear", on the 1996 hip hop album, Ironman by Ghostface Killah.[15]
The groups reorganized again in the 1990s. William Hart began touring with Johnnie Johnson and Garfield Fleming; this group recorded as the Delfonics. Major Harris toured with Frank Washington and Pat Palmer. Wilbert Hart's group included Salaam Love (formerly in William's group) and Eban Brown who formerly performed with Ray, Goodman & Brown and a short stay with the Manhattans as lead tenor. Brown was lead tenor with Wilbert Hart's group for five years, from 1993 until his departure to take a two-year break from the industry in 1998. Brown and Love were replaced by first tenor Van Fields and New York native Greg Hill around 1999. After a very short stay with Wilbert Hart's group, Fields left and joined the Stylistics in 2000 and Hill left in 2005 and was replaced by Dr. Salaam Love.
William Hart's group with Johnson and Fleming were featured in concert on the DVDs The Big Show and '70s Soul Jam, whereas Wilbert Hart's group is featured on the DVD Old School Soul Party Live!, which was part of the PBS My Music series. Harris is also featured on the re-released DVD Blue Magic/Margie Joseph/Major Harris Live!, which was recorded in 1975. Wilbert Hart released a CD in 2005 entitled Fonic Zone,[16] which he wrote and produced. Rick Ross was featured on the single entitled "Here For U".
2005–2022
William "Poogie" Hart continued touring with his group, Johnson and Fleming while Wilbert Hart continued touring with his group, Branch and Salaam. Randy Cain reunited with the brothers at the Rhythm and Blues Foundation Awards in Philadelphia to perform for the first time together in years, and were honored with the Pioneer Award.[17] Soon after, Cain joined William Hart on his tour and stayed with that unit until his death in 2009. William Hart, along with Russell Thompkins Jr., the original lead singer of the Stylistics and Ted Mills the original lead singer of Blue Magic came together to record a CD entitled, The Three Tenors of Soul,[18] which was produced by songwriter and producer, Bobby Eli and released in 2007.
Major Harris died on November 9, 2012, at age 65.[20]
In 2020, William Hart and Wilbert Hart celebrated their 55th anniversary in the music industry.
Lead singer William "Poogie" Hart died on July 14, 2022, at age 77.[21]
Wilbert Hart is the only surviving original member of the Delfonics still performing as of 2022.
Upon the death of William "Poogie" Hart, Johnnie Johnson and Garfield Fleming returned to the group (now named "William Hart's Delfonics") joined by Michael Muse, who took Eban Brown's place as lead singer for the Stylistics.
Legacy
The Delfonics songs are covered and sampled by multiple artists and they are used in TV shows and in films. Below is a list of some of them. "La-La (Means I Love You)"
In 1973, Johnny Osbourne recorded a Reggae cover of "Ready Or Not, Here I Come", which itself was sampled in 1998 by Big Pun on the track "Caribbean Connection" featuring Wyclef Jean.
In 1991, the song was featured in the movie The Five Heartbeats (along with the single "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)."
The Notorious B.I.G. incorporated a reconstructed version of "Hey Love" for his song, "Playa Hater" from his 1997 album Life After Death. "Playa Hater" was also featured in the 2012 film End of Watch,[28] and on the season 2 episode, "Alligator Man", of the television series Atlanta.[29]
RIAA Gold Record – On March 18, 1970, the Delfonics were awarded a Gold Record for sales of one million units.[31]
Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame – In 1995, William Hart, Wilbert Hart, Randy Cain and Major Harris were inducted as the Delfonics into the Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame.[32]
The National Rhythm and Blues Music Society – In 2013, William & Wil Hart were honored with, Lifetime Achievement Awards and Major Harris and Randy Cain received Posthumous Awards at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[34][35]
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Television and film
The David Frost Show April 7, 1970 – Season 2 Episode 157 – William and Wilbert Hart and Randy Cain appeared on the British talk show host's US syndicated program.[50]
SOUL! April 16, 1970 – Season 1970 Episode 46 – William and Wilbert Hart and Randy Cain appeared on the television show.[51]
American Bandstand January 2, 1971 / Season 14, Episode 18 – William and Wilbert Hart and Randy Cain appeared on the show.[52]
Top of the Pops On July 1, 1971 – Season 8, Episode 26 – William and Wilbert Hart and Major Harris appeared on the television show.[53]
Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia January 2009, William Hart, Randy Cain and Garfield Fleming performed on this television special.[60]
Unsung November 20, 2013 – Season 6 Episode 14 – William and Wilbert Hart were featured on "The story of The Delfonics".[61]
Luke Cage September 30, 2016 – Season 1 Episode 9, "DWYCK", – William "Poogie" Hart and The Delfonics are featured performers on the Netflix original series.[62]
Mr. SOUL! The Movie In 2018, William Hart, Wilbert Hart, Randy Cain and Major Harris, earlier performances from SOUL!, are featured in the 2018 award-winning documentary film.[63][64][65]
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