FREE GROOVES

The Delfonics — “LA-LA MEANS I LOVE YOU”

The Delfonics were one of the first groups to sing in the sleek, soulful style that became popularized as the "Philadelphia sound." A vocal trio made up of brothers William and Wilbert Hart and high school friend Randy Cain, the Delfonics roots go back to doo wop singing at school dances in the early '60s. They were well-known in the Philly area for their supple, airtight harmonies talent that brought them to the attention of record producers, including Thom Bell who signed the band to his soon-to-be influential soul label Philly Groove. Right from the start this was a perfect match as the band released the classic "La La Means I Love You" in 1968, a song that began a string of hits lasting into the mid-'70s.

Wilbert Harrison — “KANSAS CITY”
In 1959, North Carolina native and blues musician Wilbert Harrison waxed his driving "Kansas City" for Harlem entrepreneur Bobby Robinson. With a barbed-wire guitar solo by Wild Jimmy Spruill igniting Harrison's no-frills piano and clenched vocal, "Kansas City" paced both the R&B and pop charts soon after its issue on Fury Records. Only one minor problem: Harrison was still technically under contract to Savoy Records, leading to all sorts of legal wrangles that finally went Robinson's way. Momentum for any Fury follow-ups had been fatally blunted in the interim, but “Kansas City” became an instant classic.

The Silhouettes — “GET A JOB”
To most listeners, the Silhouettes are another one of rock & roll's one-hit wonders, another of those R&B harmony vocal groups that scored big once and never repeated that trip up the charts. And that is true — they never scored a second nationally charting single after “Get A Job.” But they did carry on a lot longer than most people think, continuing to perform and even record right to the end of the 1960s, with at least two of the group's four original members present at any time. Additionally, the impact of "Get a Job," a song that was written by group member Rick Lewis is astonishing to contemplate as a popular culture flash point. It became, for many listeners, the quintessential doo wop song.

Mickey and Sylvia — “LOVE IS STRANGE”
Although this duo is primarily remembered as a one-hit act — for "Love Is Strange," which reached number 11 in 1957 — they actually recorded quite a few exciting hybrids of R&B and rock & roll in the mid- and late '50s. Playing on countless '50s sessions for various labels, Mickey Baker was one of the greatest guitar players of early rock & roll. With his partner (and former guitar student) Sylvia Robinson, he got to stretch out a bit from his usual role, with some trailblazing, piercing, lean, and bluesy leads. Vocally, Mickey & Sylvia had an engagingly playful, occasionally sly and sassy repartee that makes up in charm what it might lack in smoke and firepower. At their best they offered a fetching blend of blues, Bo Diddley, calypso, and doo wop.

Benny Goodman and His Orchestra — “SING, SING, SING PART 1 (INTRODUCING “CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS”)
Benny Goodman was the first celebrated bandleader of the 30s Swing Era. Dubbed "The King of Swing," his popular emergence marked the beginning of the era. He was an accomplished clarinetist whose distinctive playing gave an identity both to his big band and to the smaller units he led simultaneously. The most popular figure of the first few years of the Swing Era, Goodman continued to perform until his death 50 years later. His thrilling instrumental "Sing, Sing, Sing” was later was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.