La-La Means I Love You: The Definitive Collection

Performer: The Delfonics
Producer: Stan Watson; Bob Irwin (Compilation)
Distributor: BMG (distributor)

Notes: The Delfonics: William Hart, Wilbert Hart, Randy Cain, Major Harris (vocals). Includes liner notes by Bill Dahl. All tracks have been digitally remastered. Liner Note Author: Bill Dahl. Illustrator: McDavid Henderson. The combination of Philadelphia vocal trio the Delfonics and genius producer Thom Bell was a potent force, resulting in 19 R&B hit singles on the Philly Groove label. All but the minor hit "Alfie" appear here, together with two album tracks, "Loving Him" and "Delfonics Theme." Virtually all the songs were written in-house (a dozen are credited to Bell/Hart). The main ingredients in the hit formula were William Hart's high tenor and his colleagues' harmonies floating over a luxurious bed of strings and horns. "Delfonics Theme" showcases the sound of the house band: it boasts a stately pace driven by the rhythm section, overlaid with orchestra, electric sitar and organ. The two biggest hits, "La-La Means I Love You" and "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)," are probably the best of the bunch, but this collection offers quality listening from beginning to end.

Preceding the Gamble & Huff -led Philly Soul explosion by a few years, Philadelphia's Delfonics were one of the most popular soul vocal groups of the late 1960s and early '70s. Marked by gorgeous harmonies, a hazy funk groove, and William Hart's gentle lead vocals, the group's hits like "La La Means I Love You" and "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" provided the soundtrack to a distinct era in urban America.

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