Brothers William and Wilbert Hart formed the group with Richard Daniels, and Randy (Rudy) Cain in high school in the early 1960s. Richard Daniels one of the founding members would be drafted just before the groups first major success.
Soon, they became known throughout the Philadelphia area, signing with Cameo Records. At Cameo, Stan Watson introduced them to the man who made them famous, producer Thom Bell, then working with Chubby Checker. Bell dreamed of creating a Philadelphia version of Motown and struck gold with the Delfonics, whose first album, released on Watson's own Philly Groove record label, featured the hit "La-La (Means I Love You)", in 1968. Four more Bell-produced albums appeared in the next few years: The Sexy Sound of Soul, The Delfonics Super Hits, The Delfonics and Tell Me This Is a Dream. Among the Delfonics' popular hits were "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)", "For the Love I Give to You", "Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love)" and "Hey Love". Prior to the release of "La-La (Means I Love You)", they had a hit with "He Don't Really Love You" on the small Moonshot label.
Philadelphia soul was smoother than traditional soul, strongly influenced by Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" production, but solidly based in the doo-wop sounds of the 1950s. Randy Cain left the group in 1971, and in 1973 had a hand in formulating Blue Magic when he brought singer-songwriter Ted Mills in to do some writing for W.M.O.T. (We Men of Talent), and the remaining future members of Blue Magic came in for an audition. The rest, as they say, is history. Cain was replaced by Major Harris; by then, however, Thom Bell had moved on to produce The Stylistics and later, The Spinners. The Delfonics swiftly produced another album, Alive and Kicking, produced by Stan Watson. However, in the absence of Thom 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 Give to You", although popular, was never released as a single.) Most of their songs at this point were written by lead singer William Hart.
Major Harris left and had major success with the song "Love Don't Let Me Wait". Wilbert Hart also left around this time, leaving William Hart as the only original member. New members were brought in, and the group continued for some time. The group then broke up and reformed with William Hart, Randy Cain, and Major Harris. (Wilbert Hart formed his own Delfonics group; the members were Wilbert, Eban Brown (falsetto lead), and Dr. S. Love.) Dr. Salaam Love has performed with both William and Wilbert Hart for the last twenty five plus years. Although often in the background he is more than qualified to take lead when asked. His claim to Fame is his vocal versatility. Randy Cain left for a second time, and was replaced by Frank Washington of The Futures.
Their music enjoyed a mild renaissance in the mid-1990s when New Kids On The Block had a hit with "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)". "La La Means I Love You" and "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind)" played a pivotal role in the film Jackie Brown. In the film, one of the characters is so struck by the music, he goes out and buys The Delfonics Greatest Hits cassette the following day. Their songs appeared in numerous movies and "Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love)" served as the basis of two hit hip hop singles: it was the chorus for The Fugees' 1996 hit "Ready or Not", and Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott and Timbaland sampled the string and horn intro for Elliott's hit 1997 "Sock It to Me". The Notorious B.I.G.'s last hit, "Playa Hata" released that same year, was a take-off on "Hey Love." The Delfonics also provided backing vocals on the track "After the Smoke has Cleared" on the 1996 hip hop album Iron Man by Ghostface Killah. In 2004 Ghostface also sampled "La-La Means I Love You" for his song "Holla" from his album The Pretty Toney Album. "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" was also sampled on Cam'ron's hit single "Hey Ma".
The current line-up of the Delfonics is William Hart, Garfield Fleming (baritone lead), and Johnny ("JJ") Johnson. Wilbert also has a group, sometimes called "The Delphonics", "The New Delfonics" or simply billed as "Wilbert Hart". Eban Brown went on to become the lead singer of The Stylistics, and Frank Washington is now the lead singer of The Spinners. The current line-up of the group is featured in concert on the DVD's "The Big Show" and "'70's 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. Major Harris is also featured on the recently re-released DVD "Blue Magic/Margie Joseph/Major Harris Live!", which was recorded during their prime in 1975.
Let It Be Me
The Delfonics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to stay around you
And so I beg you
Let it be me!
Don't take this heaven from one
If you must cling to someone
Now and forever
Each time we meet love
I find complete love
Without your sweet love
What would life be?
So never leave me lonely
Tell me you'll love me only
And that you'll always
Let it be me!
Let it be me!
So never leave me lonely
Tell me you'll love me only
And that you'll always
Let it be me
So never leave me lonely
Tell me you'll love me only
And that you'll always
Let it be me!
And that you'll always
Let it be me!
The Delfonics’ Let It Be Me is a classic love song that expresses a deep commitment to a loved one. The song begins by expressing gratitude for finding someone special and pleading for an opportunity to stay in their life. The lines “I bless the day I found you, I want to stay around you” connote a sense of gratitude and desire to be close to the beloved. The lyricist seems to be beseeching the loved one for a chance to be a part of their life, begging “Let it be me!” This could be understood as an appeal to the loved one to choose and accept the lyricist as a partner.
In the second verse, the lyricist implores the loved one not to leave him lonely, insisting that they are the only one they want to love. The sense of urgency is heightened when the lyricist melodically pleads “never leave me lonely, tell me you'll love me only.” The third verse highlights the significance of the loved one in the lyricist’s life, as they liken life without the loved one as incomplete: "without your sweet love, what would life be?"
Overall, the song is an appeal to a cherished lover for a promise of everlasting love and devotion. The irresistible melody and lyrics of Let It Be Me have endured through the years and have been covered by many artists, including Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers and Bob Dylan.
Line by Line Meaning
I bless the day I found you
I am grateful for the day I found you and met you in my life, as you have brought joy and happiness to my life
I want to stay around you
I desire to be near you as you bring out the best in me and make me feel happy
And so I beg you
I humbly request and implore you
Let it be me!
Choose to love me and be with me, as I am willing to give you all of my love and be devoted to you
Don't take this heaven from one
Do not take away the happiness and joy that you bring to my life
If you must cling to someone
If you feel the need to be with someone and love someone, let that person be me
Now and forever
For all time, without end
Let it be me!
Choose me as the one you love and want to be with, for now and forever
Each time we meet love
Every time we meet, I feel love and positive emotions
I find complete love
I experience a sense of wholeness and fulfillment when I am with you and feel your love
Without your sweet love
Without your love and affection, my life would feel empty and incomplete
What would life be?
I cannot imagine what my life would be like without your love in it
So never leave me lonely
Please do not abandon me or make me feel alone in this world
Tell me you'll love me only
Promise me that you will love and cherish me, and that I am the only one for you
And that you'll always
And that you will continue to
Let it be me!
Choose to love and be with me, and no one else, as I offer you all of my love and devotion
And that you'll always
And that you will continue to
Let it be me!
Select me as the only one you love and want to be with, now and always
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Gilbert Becaud, Pierre Delanoe, Manny Curtis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind