The Delfonics were an American R&B/

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

vocal group from

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. The Delfonics were most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include " La-La (Means I Love You)", " Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)", "Break Your Promise", " I'm Sorry", and " Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love)". Their hit songs were primarily written by lead vocalist and founding member William "Poogie" Hart, and

arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestrat ...

and producer

Thom Bell Thomas Randolph Bell (January 26, 1943 – December 22, 2022) was an American record producer, arranger, and songwriter known as one of the creators of Philadelphia soul in the 1970s. Hailed as one of the most prolific R&B songwriters and prod ...

. Wilbert Hart is the last surviving founding member. Their songs have been used in film soundtracks, including

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...

's 1997 movie ''

Jackie Brown ''Jackie Brown'' is a 1997 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, based on the 1992 novel ''Rum Punch'' by Elmore Leonard. It stars Pam Grier as Jackie Brown, a flight attendant who smuggles money between the United Sta ...

'', 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 Pamela Suzette Grier (born May 26, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and martial artist. Described by Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star, she achieved fame for her starring roles in a string of 1970s action, blaxploitati ...

and

Robert Forster Robert Wallace Foster Jr. (July 13, 1941 – October 11, 2019), known professionally as Robert Forster, was an American actor. He made his screen debut as Private L.G. Williams in John Huston's '' Reflections in a Golden Eye'' (1967), followed ...

. 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 ''Grand Theft Auto V'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2008's ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', and ...

'' 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 Stan Lathan (born July 8, 1945) is an American television and film director and television producer. He is executive producer and director of Black Entertainment Television, BET's ''Real Husbands of Hollywood''. He has produced and directed nume ...

, and Donald Cannon, friends who met at Overbrook High School in the 1960s. 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 Cameo-Parkway Records was the parent company of Cameo Records and Parkway Records, which were major American Philadelphia-based record labels from 1956 (for Cameo) and 1958 (for Parkway) to 1967. Among the types of music released were doo-wop, ...

named

, who was at the time working with

Chubby Checker Chubby Checker (born Ernest Evans; October 3, 1941) is an American singer and dancer. He is widely known for popularizing many dance styles, including the Twist, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard & The Midnighters' R&B song " The Twis ...

. 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". 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. 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. 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. 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, and was awarded a

gold disc Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

. The group's debut album '' La La Means I Love You'', released on Philly Groove Records in 1968, 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 Harold Lane David (May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012) was an American lyricist. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick. Early life David was born and raised in New ...

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...

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 The Delfonics were an American R&B/soul vocal group from Philadelphia. The Delfonics were most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include " La-La (Means I Love You)", " Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)", "Bre ...

'' and '' Tell Me This Is a Dream''. Among the Delfonics' popular hits were the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

–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. 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. "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. Randy Cain left the group in 1971 after completing their fourth album, 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 The Stylistics are an American Philadelphia soul group that achieved their greatest chart success in the 1970s. They formed in 1968, with a lineup of singers Russell Thompkins Jr., Herb Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All ...

and later, The Spinners. The Delfonics swiftly produced another album, '' Alive & Kicking'' (1974), produced by Stan Watson. 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. ("(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.

1974–1980s

Late 1974, Major Harris started his solo career by signing with

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

, and releasing his 1975 No. 1 R&B hit single, " Love Won't Let Me Wait", which peaked at No. 5 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100

chart A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a graphics, graphical representation for data visualization, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart". A chart can repres ...

and was awarded a

by the R.I.A.A. on June 25, 1975. 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. 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, and toured in Japan at least one time with Ingleton and Dr. Salaam Love. In 1989, Wilbert Hart, Major Harris and Frank Washington appeared on ''

The Arsenio Hall Show ''The Arsenio Hall Show'' is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall. There have been two different incarnations of ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. The original series premiered on January 3, 1989 ...

''.

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 Dennis David Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of ''Enter the Wu-Tang ...

. 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 Ray, Goodman & Brown is an American R&B human voice, vocal band (music), group. The group originated as the Moments, who formed in the mid-1960s and whose greatest successes came in the 1970s with chart-topper, hits including "Love on a Two-Way S ...

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 The Stylistics are an American Philadelphia soul group that achieved their greatest chart success in the 1970s. They formed in 1968, with a lineup of singers Russell Thompkins Jr., Herb Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All ...

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'', which he wrote and produced.

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...

was featured on the single entitled "Here For U".

2005–Present

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. 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

and Ted Mills the original lead singer of Blue Magic came together to record a CD entitled, ''The Three Tenors of Soul'', which was produced by songwriter and producer,

Bobby Eli Bobby Eli (born Eli Tatarsky; March 2, 1946 – August 17, 2023) was an American musician, arranger, composer and record producer from Philadelphia. He was a founding member and lead guitarist of Philadelphia studio band MFSB. Overview Bobby ...

and released in 2007. Randy Cain died on April 9, 2009, at age 63. Major Harris died on November 9, 2012, at age 65. In 2015, Wilbert Hart's group performed on the Soul Train Cruise. 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. 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 replaced Eban Brown as lead singer for the Stylistics for a short period of time. On April 24, 2023, The Delfonics were inducted into The National R&B Music Society Atlantic City Walk of Fame. Wilbert Hart is the only surviving original member of the Delfonics still performing as of 2025. His group performed for a second time on the Soul Train Cruise in January of 2025.

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)" * Booker T. & the M.G.'s in 1968 on their album ''

Soul Limbo ''Soul Limbo'' is the seventh studio album by the American R&B band Booker T. & the M.G.'s, released in 1968 on Stax Records. The album was the first Stax LP issued after the label severed its ties with former distributor Atlantic Records in 1 ...

'',

The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Ti ...

on their 1970 album, '' ABC'',

Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the bands Nazz and Utopia. He is known for his sophistica ...

covered the song in his 1973 album, '' A Wizard, a True Star.''

Samantha Sang Cheryl Lau Sang (born 5 August 1951), known professionally as Samantha Sang, is an Australian singer. She had an earlier career as a teenage singer under the stage name Cheryl Gray, before adopting the stage name she is more widely known as in ...

covered the song on her 1978 LP, ''

Emotion Emotions are physical and mental states brought on by neurophysiology, neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavior, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or suffering, displeasure. There is ...

''. The Jets covered this song in 1985 on their self-titled debut album. The group Swing Out Sister covered the song on their 1994 album '' The Living Return''.

The Manhattan Transfer The Manhattan Transfer was an American vocal group founded in 1969 in New York City, performing music genres like a cappella, Brazilian jazz, Swing music, swing, vocalese, rhythm and blues, Pop music, pop, and standards. They have won eleven G ...

cover was on their 1995 album '' Tonin''' and

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

covered the song in 1996 on his album ''

Emancipation Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure Economic, social and cultural rights, economic and social rights, civil and political rights, po ...

'', retitling the song "La, La, La Means 👁 Love U". In 2004, rapper

sampled Sample or samples may refer to: * Sample (graphics), an intersection of a color channel and a pixel * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of something * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample ...

"La-La" on his song "Holla" from his album '' The Pretty Toney Album''. *In 1994, The song was featured in

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. His work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary ...

's film '' Crooklyn.'' *On February 4, 2000, the song was used at the end of season 1 episode 5 of the television series, ''

Malcolm in the Middle ''Malcolm in the Middle'' is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 9, 2000, and ended on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons consisting of 151 episodes. The ...

''. *

Nicolas Cage Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Nicolas Cage, various accolades, including an Academy A ...

sang this song to Téa Leoni in the 2000 film '' The Family Man''. *On April 23, 2006, the song was featured on season 6 episode " Luxury Lounge" of the television series ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The series follows Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey American Mafia, Mafia boss who suffers from panic attacks. He reluct ...

''. *On February 15, 2017, The Roots performed the song live on season 2017, episode 27 of ''

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by actor and comedian Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It i ...

''. "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" *Covered by,

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...

(from '' Young, Gifted and Black'' in 1971). In 1973,

Jackie Jackson Sigmund Esco "Jackie" Jackson (born May 4, 1951) is an American singer and songwriter best known as a founding member of the Jackson 5, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Jackson is the second child of the Jac ...

covered the song on his self-titled debut album, ''

'';

Jimmy Castor James Walter Castor (January 23, 1940 – January 16, 2012) was an American funk, R&B and soul musician. He is credited with vocals, saxophone and composition. He is best known for songs such as "It's Just Begun", " The Bertha Butt Boogie", and ...

did an instrumental version of it on his ''Everything Man'' album; Maxine Nightingale covered it on her 1977 album ''

Night Life Nightlife is a collective term for entertainment that is available and generally more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning. It includes pubs, Bar (establishment), bars, nightclubs, party, parties, live music, conc ...

''. In 1980, Millie Jackson cover peaked at No. 49 in the ''Billboard''

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart.. Billboard.com.

New Kids on the Block New Kids on the Block (also initialized as NKOTB) is an American boy band from Dorchester, Massachusetts. The band consists of brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood. New Kids on the Block had ...

covered it on their

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...

, self-titled debut album.

Regina Belle Regina Belle (born July 17, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter who started her career in the mid-1980s. Known for her singles "Baby Come to Me (Regina Belle song), Baby Come to Me" (1989) and "Make It Like It Was" (1990), Belle is most notabl ...

covered the song in 1995 on her album, ''

Reachin' Back ''Reachin' Back'' is the fourth studio album by American singer Regina Belle. It was released by Columbia Records on September 5, 1995, in the United States. A cover album of classic songs, it is dedicated to Philadelphia soul music. The album pea ...

'', Lisa Fischer covered it in 2000 and

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godmother of Soul". LaBelle began ...

covered the song on her 2005 album, ''

Classic Moments ''Classic Moments'' is a studio album by American singer Patti LaBelle. It was her second full-length release with Island Def Jam's Def Soul Classics imprint and released on June 21, 2005 in the United States. The album features LaBelle's renditio ...

''. *In 1997, the song was featured in the motion picture ''

'' and was included on the

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

. *On March 15, 2011,

Daryl Hall Daryl Franklin Hohl (born October 11, 1946), known professionally as Daryl Hall, is an American rock, R&B, and soul singer. He is best known as the co-founder and principal lead vocalist of Hall & Oates, with guitarist and songwriter John Oa ...

and

covered this song in episode 40 of '' Live from Daryl's House''. *The song was featured on the episode "Heads Will Roll", of the television series '' Ballers'' and in the television series, ''Euphoria'' in season 1. "Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love)" *

covered the song on their 1970 album '' Third Album''. *In 1973, Johnny Osbourne recorded a

Reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

cover of "Ready Or Not, Here I Come", which itself was sampled in 1998 by

Big Pun Christopher Lee Rios (November 10, 1971 – February 7, 2000), better known by his stage name Big Pun (short for Big Punisher), was an American rapper. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in the Bronx, he came to prominence upon discover ...

on the track "Caribbean Connection" featuring

Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean ( ; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, singer, and record producer. Born in Haiti, Jean emigrated to the Northeastern United States, United States as a child. He gained fame as a founding member of the Fugees, a Ne ...

. *In 1991, the song was featured in the movie '' The Five Heartbeats'' (along with the single "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)." *In 1996, The Fugees interpolated the chorus of the song on their single " Ready Or Not". *In 1997, the song was sampled by

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the Contemporary R&B, R&B girl group 4 All the Sistas Arou ...

for her song " Sock It 2 Me" featuring

Da Brat Shawntae Harris-Dupart (née Harris; born April 14, 1974), better known by her stage name Da Brat, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, she began her career in 1992 and signed with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings two years l ...

. *In 2000, the song was sampled on "Who Run It" by

Three 6 Mafia Three 6 Mafia is an American hip-hop group from Memphis, Tennessee, formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground hip-hop group, they went on to enjoy mainstream success. The group's 1995 debut album ''Mystic Stylez'' became an influen ...

on their album '' When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1''. *In 2008, the song was sampled by

Bliss n Eso Bliss n Eso (formerly known as Bliss n' Esoterikizm) are an Australian hip hop trio based in Sydney. The group consists of emcees Bliss and Eso, and DJ Izm, and they are currently signed to Melbourne record label Illusive Sounds, and are manag ...

in their song " The Sea is Rising". *In 2012,

Bridgit Mendler Bridgit Claire Mendler (born December 18, 1992) is an American entrepreneur and former actress and singer-songwriter. She first became known as a Child actor, child actress and continued acting into adulthood, which overlapped with a musical car ...

interpolated the chorus of the song on her single " Ready Or Not". *In 2014, the song was sampled by

Lil' Kim Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include: * * * * * better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper. She was born and raised in New York City and lived much of her adolescent life on the streets after ...

in the chorus of her song "Whenever You See Me" from her mixtape, ''Hardcore 2K14''. *In 2016, the song was covered by Laura Mvula. "Hey Love" *The Notorious B.I.G. incorporated a reconstructed version of "Hey Love" for his song, "Playa Hater" from his 1997 album ''

Life After Death ''Life After Death'' is the second and final studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released on March 25, 1997, by Bad Boy Records and distributed by Arista Records. A double album, it was released sixteen days after his murder. ...

''. "Playa Hater" was also featured in the 2012 film '' End of Watch'', and on the season 2 episode, " Alligator Man", of the television series ''Atlanta''.

Awards

– William Hart, Wilbert Hart and Randy Cain won a Grammy Award for best R&B performance for their song, " Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)", at the

13th Annual Grammy Awards The 13th Annual Grammy Awards were held on 16 March 1971, on ABC, and marked the ceremony's first live telecast. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1970. The ceremony was hosted for the first time by Andy Williams. Awa ...

. * RIAA Gold Record – On March 18, 1970, the Delfonics were awarded a Gold Record for sales of one million units. *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. * The Rhythm and Blues Foundation – In 2006, William Hart, Wilbert Hart and Randy Cain received the Rhythm and Blues Pioneer Award. *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. *Atlantic City Walk Of Fame – On April 24, 2023, the Delfonics were inducted into the newly established Atlantic City Walk Of Fame, presented by the National R&B Music Society Inc. William Hart, Wilbert Hart, Randy Cain and Major Harris were the inductees for The Delfonics. The original members of Black Ivory Leroy Burgess, Stuart Bascombe and Russell Patterson inducted The Delfonics.

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...

Little Anthony & The Imperials Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt * ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film *The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...

and Grover Washington Jr., were also part of the inaugural class of inductees.

Original members

Formed in

in 1965 and originally known as the Four Gents, the Delfonics classic lineup featured: * William "Poogie" Hart (born January 17, 1945,

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

; died July 14, 2022) * Wilbert Hart (born October 19, 1947,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

) * Randy Cain (born Herbert Randal Cain III May 2, 1945, Philadelphia; died April 9, 2009,

Maple Shade Township, New Jersey Maple Shade Township is a Township (New Jersey), township in Burlington County, New Jersey, Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 19,980, an increase of 849 (+4.4% ...

)

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Singles (selected)

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. * ''

SOUL! ''Soul!'' (also stylized in uppercaseC. Gerald Fraser January 30, 1991, ''New York Times''. Accessed online 21 April 2008.) is a performance/ variety television program that showcased African American music, dance and literature in the late 1960 ...

'' April 16, 1970 – Season 1970 Episode 46 – William and Wilbert Hart and Randy Cain appeared on the television show. * ''

American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'' (AB) is an American Music television, music performance and dance television series that aired in various iterations from 1952 to 1989. It was hosted by Dick Clark who also served as the program's Television producer, pr ...

'' January 2, 1971 / Season 14, Episode 18 – William and Wilbert Hart and Randy Cain appeared on the show. * ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...

'' On July 1, 1971 – Season 8, Episode 26 – William and Wilbert Hart and Major Harris appeared on the television show. * ''

Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. After airing locally on WCIU-TV in Chicago, Illinois, for a year, it aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featu ...

'' ** December 11, 1971 – Season 1 Episode 11 – William and Wilbert Hart and Major Harris appeared on the television show. ** March 2, 1974 – Season 3 Episode 24 – William and Wilbert Hart and Major Harris appeared on the television show. ** May 8, 1976 – Season 5 Episode 35. * ''The Ebony Affair TV Show'' In 1973, William and Wilbert Hart and Major Harris appeared on the television show. *''

'' March 22, 1989 -Season 1 Episode 75 – Wilbert Hart, Major Harris and Frank Washington appeared on show. * ''

Showtime at the Apollo ''Showtime at the Apollo'' (formerly ''It's Showtime at the Apollo'' and ''Apollo Live'') is an American variety show that first aired in syndication from September 12, 1987, to May 24, 2008. In 2018, the series returned on Fox with Steve Harve ...

'' May 15, 2004 – Season 17 Episode 23. * ''Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia'' January 2009, William Hart, Randy Cain and Garfield Fleming performed on this television special. * '' Unsung'' November 20, 2013 – Season 6 Episode 14 – William and Wilbert Hart were featured on "The story of The Delfonics". * ''

Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas, and John Romita Sr. in 1972, he was the first Af ...

'' September 30, 2016 – Season 1 Episode 9, " DWYCK", – William "Poogie" Hart and The Delfonics are featured performers on the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

original series. * '' 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.

References

External links

* * *
The Delfonics
at Philly Soul Classics
The Delfonics
at Soul Tracks {{DEFAULTSORT:Delfonics, The American rhythm and blues musical groups American soul musical groups African-American musical groups American vocal groups Bell Records artists Grammy Award winners Musical groups from Philadelphia 1965 establishments in Pennsylvania 2022 disestablishments in Pennsylvania Musical groups established in 1965 Musical groups disestablished in 2022 Sibling musical groups Musical trios from Pennsylvania Vocal trios