LIVE CONCERT BROADCAST FEATURING: WILL HART FORMERLY OF THE DELPHONICS Listen to a LIVE performance of the following Delfonics songs... When You Get Right Down To It, Think It Over, Don't Throw It All Away, Somebody Loves You, Ready Or Not, Break Your Promise, Hey Love, La La Means I Love You, For The Love, Didn't I Blow Your Mind. Check it out and let us know what cha think? CLICK HERE TO LISTEN! Gary Tyson of WHPK in Chicago Spotlighting the Music of The SUPERSONIC Delfonics Ready Or Not, Here I Come, Trying To Make A Fool Of Me Break Your Promise, When You Get Right Down To It Walk Right Up To The Sun, Hey Love He Don't Really Love You, Over & Over Delphonics Theme, Somebody Loves You It was really great that you chose to spotlight the Delfonics on your show last night, Gary. Hearing the music (especially the cuts listed above) did help to soothe my soul, in so many ways. It also brought back so many (good) memories of the days when, IMHO, "slow jams" touched my soul…. Can You Remember? A few of you out there might just be wondering why you should consider buying any of these 3 new re-releases on Buddha Records (pictured above)of classic Delfonics material as opposed to the Delfonics "Ultimate Collection" compilation album (which we reviewed in detail further down this page)? Here is something that you should consider while making your decision… Some of you might remember me making the following statement late last year when the "Jackson Five Anthology" was released... "Can You Remember" (with Michael on lead) is as badd a slow jam as ANYTHING that was done by Barbara Mason, Brenda and the Tabulations, Ponderosa Twins, Five Stairsteps or comparable groups at the same time." This is a SMOKIN s l o w j a m with SERIOUS "doo wop" style harmonizing of the 4 "other Jackson brothers", blending in with the sound of their brother's voice as tho they are a single instrument. In the meantime, the music is picture perfect for grinding in a hot, smokey and sweaty cigarette smoke filed, Sulfur 8 and fried chicken grease smelling basement back in 1969. I feel VERY fortunate to have been a teenager at that time and to have been an attendee on most every weekend to the type of party where this type of song would be one of the featured attractions :) It's one of those perfect 3 minitue opuses to the kind of teenage years that this earth will most likely never see again. Well I am listening to the song right now and the reason why is sorta strange... Several years ago when I was having a conversation with, Wilbert Hart and I were discussing what some of the items were that would go up on the site and he said... WILLBERT HART: "Bob, we can put up a quote from Micheal Jackson saying that the Delfonics are his favorite group..." BOB DAVIS: "Wil we can't just put that up there unless he actually said it, we could get into trouble..." WILLBERT HART: "He said it, and I have proof" Will then pulled out an old fan magazine, where Micheal Jackson was asked... Q: "Who is your favorite group" A: "The Delfonics" So we put the statement up on the page and I forgot all about it till today.... ....when I listened to my newly released reissue copy of the album... "La La Means I Love You" by the Delfonics (1968) Guess what song is on there? LOL That's right, buried deep with in the album , at song # 10 is the ORIGINAL version of "Can You Remember" as performed by the Delfonics and it's a SUPER BADD s l o w j a m Well Michael certainly knew what he was talking about :) The song "Can You Remember" was co-written by Thom Bell and William Hart. So that is what I have on my CD player right now... Listening to it now, (after perhaps not hearing the Delfonics version in over 20 years), the soaring voice of falsetto master William Hart (I swear that sometimes I can't tell him and Little Anthony apart....lol) of course dominates the song, just as the soaring falsetto of Michael Jackson does in his version. However that's where the similarities end... On the Delfonics version we are treated to a real lesson in the doo wop "blow singing" style as perfected by the Moonglows and certainly there is a much more "adult feel" to the song. For all of the discussion we have here about "Motown polish", the Jackson Five version of the song sounds more "raw" than the Delfonics version (probably because of the strings and that trademark French Horn that makes any Delfonics song INSTANTLY recognizable) Anyhow, I'm enjoying listening to BOTH versions of the song, as I am typing this, and wondering how it would sound with Smokey singing it... LIVE CONCERT BROADCAST FEATURING: WILL HART FORMERLY OF THE DELPHONICS Listen to a LIVE performance of the following Delfonics songs... When You Get Right Down To It, Think It Over, Don't Throw It All Away, Somebody Loves You, Ready Or Not, Break Your Promise, Hey Love, La La Means I Love You, For The Love, Didn't I Blow Your Mind. Check it out and let us know what cha think? CLICK HERE TO LISTEN! Major Harris of The Delfonics Comes To Soul-Patrol.com MR "LOVE WON'T LET ME WAIT" MAJOR HARRIS!!!!!!!!!! Major Harris is well known to ALL of you as a result of his SMASH hit record "LOVE WON'T LET ME WAIT" and from his work with the LEGENDARY DELFONICS!!!!!!!! Mr. Harris hung out with us in the Soul Patrol Chat Room, on Monday evening 04/16/01 at 10 pm est, where he will shared with us the FACTS about his LEGENDARY career in the entertainment business. Click here to check out the transcript! Delfonics: La La Means I Love You "The Definitive Collection" This album is subtitled "The Definitive Collection" and whomever thought of that title wasn’t lying. I picked up on this one about 3 weeks ago and let me tell you I have very quickly become re aquatinted with some of the most romantic music ever made. This album is the BOMB !!! Everything here has been re-mastered so the sound is great, but more important than the sound is the music. Not all of these songs were hits on the national R&B chats a few were but most weren’t. However every single one of these songs was a hit record in my neighborhood at the "Blue light parties" that people used to have. I can remember GRINDING to most of them !! When I first picked up the CD in the store and started reading the track listing, I only recognized about half the songs. But when I got home and played it I remembered EVERY song and was immediately transported back to the time and place where I first heard the song on a scratchy 45 or on an AM station full of static. Anyone else pick up on it or plan to ?? Who else remembers the Delfonics ? The Delfonics La La Means I Love You (The Definitive Collection) 1. La La means I Love You 2. Im Sorry 3. Break Your Promise 4. Ready Or Not Here I Come 5. Somebody Loves You 6. Funny Feeling 7. Loving Him 8. You Got Yours and Ill Get Mine 9. Didnt I (Blow Your Mind This Time) 10. Trying To Make A Fool Out Of Me 11. When You Get Right Down To It 12. Over and Over 13. Delfonics Theme 14. Hey Love 15. Walk Right Up To The Sun 16. Tell Me This Is a Dream 17. Think It Over 18. I Dont Want To Make You Wait 19. I Told You So 20. Lying To Myself Whatever happened to... The Delfonics? Although they helped to develop The Sound of Philadelphia, this is not the group that comes to mind when you think of that sound. Originally from Philadelphia, The Delfonics started singing together in high school, where they called themselves The 4 Gents. The group was comprised of William Hart, Wilbert Hart, Randy Cain & Ritchie Daniels. Although popular in the Philadelphia area, the group didn't achieve nationwide success until they made two changes. First, they hired Thom Bell to become their producer, and second they added Major Harris as a primary vocalist. Under the production arm of Thom Bell, the group developed a smooth, harmonious, romantic sound that became known as the Philly Sound. The Delfonic's hits ranged from 1968's number 1 single "LaLaLa Means I Love You", to top 40 soul hits "Ready Or NotHere I Come", "Break Your Promise" and "Trying To Make a Fool Out of Me". Perhaps the song that best showed off William Hart & Major Harris' singing as well as Thom Bell's producing was the 1970 song "Didn't I Blow Your Mind". From 1968 to 1970, you couldn't go to a party, a nightclub, or listen to the radio without hearing the smooth grooves of the Delfonics. In 1970 their greatest hits albums was one of the most popular 8 track tapes around, probably because it made such good "make out" music. In 1971 after an argument with the Delfonics manager, Thom Bell stopped producing the Delfonics and started producing the Stylistics. It's interesting that the Delfonics never had another hit, while Bell produced hits for the Stylistics for almost another 10 years. As for the individual members, Major Harris left the group to pursue a solo career, he only had one hit as a soloartist "Love won't Let Me Wait", although he recorded 6 albums. The members continued recording together until 1974 when they all retired. In 1990, The Hart Brothers ended their retirement & started doing oldies shows. Although they still sound good, William Hart's falsetto leads have NOT remained as clear and unchanged as,say Russell Thompkins Jr. of the Stylistics. Still they remain one of the great slow jam groups of all time. And That's Whatever Happened To... The Delfonics. Break Your Promise..is was and always will be on of my absolute Delfonics favorites..(can you tell Im a big fan ???) Well the Brothas will be here on the 14th of November ..I cant wait. Im gettin front row seats...forget all the crazy stuff...East Coast Groove gonna rock the house !! Along with them will be Major Harris and the Main Ingredient ..oh yeah. oh yeah... You need to buy this album !!! It's great.......every song........all tracks will bring back some memories for you (& perhaps help to create some new ones ....(g) "Break Your Promise" eh...??? Lemme se what I can do with that one........:) "If I had a DIME for every time I dreamed about you, Ill tell no joke, yes Im really BROKEN UP without you girl without you......& oh ho ho......tell me what should I doooooo when you dont mean that you love me.....DARLING...are you gonna break your promise baaaaaby and now your acting sooooo strange ........you said that you…….NEED me ?? If I saw you with somebody new .Id be so HELPLESS (be so helpless) .so tell me what are YOU gonna do.dont leave me breathless....." :::::::::::::::::WHEW:::::::::::::::::::::::::: These guys really had the words, didn't they ?? Some of these songs can soften even an old stone heart like me. The Delfonics represent a simpler time and place where you didn't need $120 NIKE to get a girlfriend or an AK-47 to find love. Pure and simple love, yes that’s what it was? On the other hand, however, was it any more or less real than the love of today? Let me ask, if these songs didn't make players out the common man. I remember guys waiting for the next Delfonic record release to get a new angle with the ladies. These tunes and lyrics are the precursor to today's hip-hop playa themes? The Delfonics today sound so simple, so wholesome, so romantic but underneath it grew the seeds for today's biggest players. ROFL.......well said my friend........well said !! You right most of the titles i don't remember either buti'm sure if i heard them....wellllllll so i will be looking for my copy of the cd on tape in the mail in the near futureLMAO Love on a 2 way street, la la la la la...... what elsecan be said? ( ok i'll take the one in red in the center, you take Kathy R.(don't you wish) and he can go for the other one).hehehehehe i'm going to the left corner, you got the pole and well the rest is history LMAO Picked up the collection this past weekend... it is worth the money. It brought back fond memories of the days when the Delphonics performed in Trenton as did the DELLS, The Moments and others...they wore black capes with red lining!! One could barely hear them sing because of the screaming. La La La Means I Love You Many guys have come to you.......With a line wasn't true And you passed them by........ .Though u're in the center ring And their lines don't mean a thing.......Why don't u let me tryNow i don't wear a diamond ring......I don;t even know a song to sing All i know is - ......La la la la la la la la laMeans i love u.......La la la la la la la la la Means i love u If i ever saw a girl..............That i needed in this world U are the one for me........... Let me hold u in my arms Girl and i fill u with my charms......I'm sure u will see The things i am sayin' are true.........And the way i explain them to u Listen to me...La la la la la la la la la.Means i love u Back in the day, the big thing among the guys was to "pull" the one girl who would talk to no one else. And thissong was one the player's "national anthem," along with "Lonely Girl," Love on a Two Way Street and "I Wanna Know .. Your Name" . . . yeah right. Think of all the guys who got dances, dates and girlfriends from this one song. It has to be perhaps the all-time favorite among players. Click here for more on the Delfonics LIVE CONCERT BROADCAST FEATURING: WILL HART FORMERLY OF THE DELPHONICS Listen to a LIVE performance of the following Delfonics songs... When You Get Right Down To It, Think It Over, Don't Throw It All Away, Somebody Loves You, Ready Or Not, Break Your Promise, Hey Love, La La Means I Love You, For The Love, Didn't I Blow Your Mind. Check it out and let us know what cha think? CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!