The Delfonics were an American R&B/

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

vocal group from

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. The Delfonics were most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include "

La-La (Means I Love You) "La-La (Means I Love You)" is an R&B/Soul music, soul song by American vocal group The Delfonics. Released on January 26, 1968, by Philly Groove Records, the song was written by Thom Bell and William Hart, and produced by Bell and Stan Watson. Ba ...

", "

Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time) "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" is a song co-written by record producer Thom Bell and William Hart, lead singer of the American R&B/Soul vocal group the Delfonics. It was released by the group in 1969 on the Philly Groove record label and i ...

", "Break Your Promise", " I'm Sorry", and "

Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love) "Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love)" is a single from American R&B vocal group The Delfonics. The song was produced by Thom Bell and released on October 22, 1968 by Philly Groove Records. The song peaked at number 35 on the U.S. pop ...

". 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 orches ...

and producer

Thom Bell Thomas Randolph Bell (January 27th, 1943 – December 22, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, pianist, and composer known as one of the creators of Philadelphia soul in the 1970s. He found success as a producer ...

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

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, Black comedy, dark humor, Nonlinear narrative, non-lin ...

's 1997 movie ''

Jackie Brown ''Jackie Brown'' is a 1997 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, based on Elmore Leonard's 1992 novel ''Rum Punch.'' It stars Pam Grier as Jackie Brown, a flight attendant who is caught smuggling money. Samuel L. Ja ...

'', 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 and singer. Described by Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star (although, there are some who dispute that claim and believe Cheng Pei-pei actually holds that distin ...

and

Robert Forster Robert Wallace Forster Jr. (July 13, 1941 – October 11, 2019) was an American actor, known for his roles as John Cassellis in ''Medium Cool'' (1969), Captain Dan Holland in ''The Black Hole'' (1979), Abdul Rafai in ''The Delta Force'' (1986), ...

. 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 Herbert Randal Cain III (May 2, 1945 – April 9, 2009) was a Philadelphia soul singer with The Delfonics (early 1960s to 1971). He also helped set up the group Blue Magic. Life and career Cain was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United S ...

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 BET's ''Real Husbands of Hollywood''. He has produced and directed numerous stand-up comedy specials st ...

, 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 named

, who was at the time working with

Chubby Checker Chubby Checker (born Ernest Evans; October 3, 1941) is an American rock and roll singer and dancer. He is widely known for popularizing many dance styles, including The Twist dance style, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard & The Midnighte ...

. 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 "

", which featured Hart on falsetto lead. With Cameo-Parkway about to be defunct, Stan Watson started up his own label entitled

Philly Groove Records Philly Groove Records was a soul music label started by Stan Watson and Sam Bell in 1967, with noted producer Thom Bell doing A&R. The label's best-known artists were male vocal group the Delfonics and female group First Choice. Both acts enjoye ...

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 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

, 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 LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

'', 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 grew up in New York City. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick. Early life David ...

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; born May 12, 1928) is an American composer, songwriter, record producer and pianist who composed hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s through the 1980s, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. A six-time Gra ...

compositions "

Alfie Alfie may refer to: Theatre and film * ''Alfie'' (play), a 1963 play by Bill Naughton * ''Alfie'' (1966 film), a film based on the play starring Michael Caine * ''Alfie'' (2004 film), a remake of the 1966 film * ''Alfie'' (2013 film), an Indi ...

" and " The Look of Love". Four more Bell-produced albums appeared in the next few years: ''

The Sound of Sexy Soul ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'', ''The Delfonics Super Hits'', ''

The Delfonics The Delfonics were an American R&B/soul vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 ...

'' and ''

Tell Me This Is a Dream ''Tell Me This Is a Dream'' is the fourth studio album by American vocal group The Delfonics. It was released via Philly Groove Records in 1972. It peaked at number 123 on the Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Track listing Charts Refe ...

''. Among the Delfonics' popular hits were the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

-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". 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 Billboards 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 of ...

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 Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

.) 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 its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

, and releasing his 1975 No. 1 R&B hit single, "

Love Won't Let Me Wait "Love Won't Let Me Wait" is a hit 1975 single by Major Harris, a former member of R&B/soul group The Delfonics. Written by Vinnie Barrett and Bobby Eli, the single is considered to be a staple of classic soul playlists, and was Harris' only entr ...

", which peaked at No. 5 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100

chart A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a 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 represent tabu ...

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 Hart'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 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 (36 C ...

. 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 vocal group. The group originated as The Moments, who formed in the mid-1960s and whose greatest successes came in the 1970s with hits including "Love on a Two-Way Street", "Sexy Mama", and "Look at Me ( ...

and a short stay with

The Manhattans The Manhattans are an American popular R&B vocal group. Their work "Kiss and Say Goodbye", recorded in 1976, and 1980's " Shining Star", both sold millions of copies. The Manhattans have recorded 45 hits on the ''Billboard'' R&B Chart, includi ...

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

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. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...

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. 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. Russell Allen Thompkins Jr. (born March 21, 1951) is an American soul singer. Best known as the original lead singer of the vocal group The Stylistics and noted for his high tenor, countertenor, and falsetto vocals. With Russell as lead singer, ...

, 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 is an American musician, arranger, composer and record producer from Philadelphia. He is a founding member and lead guitarist of Philadelphia studio band MFSB. Overview A multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter and arranger, Eli ...

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 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. Wilbert Hart is the only surviving original member of The Delfonics still performing as of 2022.

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 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...

on their 1970 album, ''

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

'',

Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, multimedia artist, sound engineer and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the band Ut ...

covered the song in his 1973 album, ''

A Wizard, a True Star ''A Wizard, a True Star'' is the fourth album by American musician Todd Rundgren, released March 2, 1973, on Bearsville Records. It marked a departure from his previous, ''Something/Anything?'' (1972), with its lesser reliance on straightforward po ...

.''

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 1 ...

covered the song on her 1978 LP, ''

Emotion Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definition. ...

''. The Jets covered this song in 1985 on their self-titled debut album. The group

Swing Out Sister Swing Out Sister are a British pop group best known worldwide for the 1986 song " Breakout". Other hits include "Surrender", " Twilight World", " Waiting Game", and a remake of the Eugene Record soul composition "Am I the Same Girl?" Histor ...

covered the song on their 1994 album ''

The Living Return ''The Living Return'' is the title of the fourth studio album by the British pop group Swing Out Sister. It was released in September 1994 on Fontana Records. Charts Although this was the first studio album by the group that failed to reach the ...

''.

The Manhattan Transfer The Manhattan Transfer is a Grammy award–winning vocal group founded in 1969 that has explored a cappella, vocalese, swing, standards, Brazilian jazz, rhythm and blues, and pop music. There have been two editions of the Manhattan Transfer, ...

cover was on their 1995 album ''

Tonin' ''Tonin is the sixteenth studio album by The Manhattan Transfer. It was released in 1995 on Atlantic Records. The expression "tonin'" is associated with the vocal groups of the 1950s and 1960s. The songs on this album are favorites of the band's ...

'' 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. Th ...

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 and social rights, political rights or equality, often for a specifically disenfranchis ...

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

sampled Sample or samples may refer to: Base meaning * Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of so ...

"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, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...

's film, ''

Crooklyn ''Crooklyn'' is a 1994 American semi-autobiographical film produced and directed by Spike Lee and co-written with his sister Joie and brother Cinqué. Occurring in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, during the summer ...

.'' *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 family television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for Fox. The series premiered on January 9, 2000, and ended on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes. The series follows a dysfunctional ...

''. *

Nicolas Cage Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. Born into the Coppola family, he is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Gu ...

sang this song to

Téa Leoni Téa Leoni (; born Elizabeth Téa Pantaleoni; February 25, 1966) is an American actress. In her early career, she starred in the television sitcoms '' Flying Blind'' (1992–93) and ''The Naked Truth'' (1995–98). Her breakthrough role was in t ...

in the 2000 film ''

The Family Man ''The Family Man'' is a 2000 American romantic fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Brett Ratner, from a screenplay by David Diamond and David Weissman. The film stars Nicolas Cage and Téa Leoni, with Don Cheadle, Saul Rubinek, and Jeremy ...

''. *On April 23, 2006, the song was featured on season 6 episode "

Luxury Lounge "Luxury Lounge" is the 72nd episode of the HBO original series ''The Sopranos'' and the seventh of the show's sixth season. Written by Matthew Weiner and directed by Danny Leiner, it originally aired on April 23, 2006. Starring * James Gandolfini ...

" of the television series ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based American Mafia, Italian-American mobster, portraying h ...

''. *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 Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...

''. "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. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

(from ''

Young, Gifted and Black ''Young, Gifted and Black'' is the eighteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin, released in early 1972, by Atlantic Records. The album climbed to #2 on ''Billboards R&B albums survey and peaked at #11 on the main ...

'' in 1971). In 1973,

Jackie Jackson Sigmund Esco "Jackie" Jackson (born May 4, 1951) is an American singer 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 Jackson family, a ...

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

''.

Maxine Nightingale Maxine Nightingale (born 2 November 1952) is a British Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul music singing, singer. She is best known for her hit single, hits in the 1970s, with the million seller "Right Back Where We Started From" (1975, UK #8 & 197 ...

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, bars, nightclubs, parties, live music, concerts, cabarets, theatre, ...

''. In 1980,

Millie Jackson Mildred Virginia Jackson (born July 15, 1944) is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and Soul music, soul recording artist. Beginning her career in the early 1960s, three of Jackson's albums have been certified Music recording certification, gold ...

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 enjoy ...

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 ente ...

, self-titled debut album.

Regina Belle Regina Elaine 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" (1989) and "Make It Like It Was" (1990), Belle's most notable for two hit duets, both with ...

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 Lisa Fischer (born December 1, 1958) is an American singer and songwriter. She found success with her 1991 debut album ''So Intense'', which produced the Grammy Award–winning hit single "How Can I Ease the Pain". She has been a back-up singer ...

covered it in 2000 and

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...

covered the song on her 2005 album, '' Classic Moments''. *In 1997, the song was featured in the motion picture ''

'' and was included on the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

. *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 and musician, best known as the co-founder and principal lead vocalist of Daryl Hall and John Oates (with guitarist and ...

and

covered this song in episode 40 of ''

Live from Daryl's House ''Live from Daryl's House'' (simply known as ''Daryl's House'' and often abbreviated as ''LFDH'') is an online music series that debuted in the autumn of 2007. The show features singer-songwriter Daryl Hall performing with his band and various gu ...

''. *The song was featured on the episode "Heads Will Roll", of the television series ''

Ballers ''Ballers'' is an American sports comedy drama television series created by Stephen Levinson and starring Dwayne Johnson as Spencer Strasmore, a retired NFL player who must navigate his new career of choice as the financial manager of other NFL ...

'' 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 ''Third Album'' is the third studio album released by the Jackson 5 on Motown Records, and the group's second LP released in 1970, on September 18. ''Third Album'' featured the group's fourth consecutive No. 1 single on the US pop charts, " I' ...

''. *In 1973,

Johnny Osbourne Johnny Osbourne (born Errol Osbourne, 1948) is one of the most popular Jamaican reggae and dancehall singers of all time, who rose to success in the late 1970s and mid-1980s. His album '' Truths and Rights'' was a roots reggae success, and featu ...

recorded a

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

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 borough of New York City in the ea ...

on the track "Caribbean Connection" featuring

Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...

. *In 1991, the song was featured in the movie ''

The Five Heartbeats ''The Five Heartbeats'' is a 1991 musical drama film directed by Robert Townsend, who co-wrote the script with Keenen Ivory Wayans. Produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox, the film's main cast includes Townsend, Michael Wright, Leon Robi ...

'' (along with the single "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)." *In 1996,

The Fugees ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

interpolated the chorus of the song on their single " Ready Or Not". *In 1997, the song was sampled by

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...

for her song "

Sock It 2 Me "Sock It 2 Me" is a song recorded by American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott featuring American rapper Da Brat. It was written by Shawntae Harris, William Hart, Thom Bell and producer Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley for her debut album '' Supa ...

" featuring

Da Brat Shawntae Harris-Dupart (born April 14, 1974), better known by her stage name Da Brat, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, she began her career in 1992, the year she signed with So So Def Records. Her debut album ''Funkda ...

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

Three 6 Mafia Three 6 Mafia is an American Hip hop music, hip hop group from Memphis, Tennessee, formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground hip hop group, they would eventually go on to enjoy mainstream success. The group's 1995 debut album ''Mys ...

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. They are currently signed to Melbourne record label Illusive Sounds, and are managed and booked by label co-founders Adam Jankie and Matt Gudin ...

in their song "

The Sea is Rising "The Sea is Rising" is a song by Australian hip hop trio Bliss n Eso featuring John Butler Trio. It was released in 2008 as the third single from the trio's third studio album, '' Flying Colours''. The song peaked and debuted at No. 80 on t ...

". *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 and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of he ...

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 The afterlife (also referred to as life after death) is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's identity or their stream of consciousness continues to live after the death of their physical body. The surviving ess ...

''. "Playa Hater" was also featured in the 2012 film ''

End of Watch ''End of Watch'' is a 2012 American action thriller film written and directed by David Ayer. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña as Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala, two Los Angeles Police Department officers who work in South Central Los An ...

'', and on the season 2 episode, "

Alligator Man "Alligator Man" is the first episode of the Atlanta (season 2), second season of the American comedy-drama television series ''Atlanta (TV series), Atlanta'', and the eleventh episode of the series overall. It was originally broadcast on FX (TV ch ...

", 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, "

", at the 13th Annual Grammy Awards. * 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 The Rhythm and Blues Foundation is an independent United States, American nonprofit organization dedicated to the historical and cultural preservation of rhythm and blues music. The idea for the foundation came in 1987 during discussions about ro ...

– 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.

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. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

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

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

Maple Shade Township, New Jersey Maple Shade Township is a township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 19,131. What is now Maple Shade was originally formed as Chester Township on November 6, 1688, and was ...

)

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Singles (selected)

Television/film

*''

The David Frost Show Sir David Paradine Frost (7 April 1939 – 31 August 2013) was a British television host, journalist, comedian and writer. He rose to prominence during the satire boom in the United Kingdom when he was chosen to host the satirical programme ' ...

'' April 7, 1970 – Season 2 Episode 157 – William and Wilbert Hart and Randy Cain appeared on the television show. *''

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 1960s ...

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

American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'', abbreviated ''AB'', is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the pro ...

'' 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, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...

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

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

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

original series. *''

Mr. SOUL! ''Mr. Soul!'' (stylized as ''Mr. SOUL!'') is a 2018 American documentary film produced, written and directed by documentary filmmaker Melissa Haizlip. The film was co-produced by Doug Blush and co-directed by Sam Pollard (filmmaker), Sam Pollard. ...

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 American musical trios Vocal trios