Randy Cain (May 2, 1945 – April 9, 2009) – Trying to Make a Fool of Me (1970)

The late great Delfonics tenor sang on this overlooked single from his last album before leaving the group, their best-selling self-titled LP produced by Thom Bell.

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Randy Cain was a tenor singer and original member of the Delfonics. Although he almost never sang lead, his smooth vocals completed the group’s sound and he also played a key behind-the-scenes role in the history of soul music by bringing together one of the most successful songwriting teams of the golden soul era.

Herbert Randal Cain III was born in Philadelphia and went to Overbrook High School with brothers William and Wilbert Hart, who led a vocal group. When some of its members left, Cain joined as a replacement. After high school, the trio came together in another group, calling themselves The Orphonics, named after a stereophonic machine in the Harts’ basement.

William Hart was discovered by producer Stan Watson in 1965, who came into the Philly barbershop where Hart was working and heard him singing and playing guitar. He introduced the group to a young producer named Thom Bell, who produced their superb first single, “He Don't Really Love You,” written by Hart. Bell came up with the musical arrangement and played all the instruments on the track. Credited to “The Del Fonics,” it was released in August, 1966 on Moon Shot, which soon became Cameo-Parkway Records.

Bell struck gold with the Delfonics’ third single, “La-La (Means I Love You),” which he co-wrote with William Hart. Co-produced by Bell and Watson, it was released on Watson’s new label Philly Groove Records in December, 1967. After securing national distribution through New York-based Amy-Mala-Bell, it went to #2 on the national R&B charts, crossed over to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and sold over a million copies. It became the title track to their debut LP, released on May 14, 1968.

William Hart was the group’s falsetto-voiced lead singer, sometimes trading leads with his brother Wilbert. Cain almost never sang lead on Delfonics records, but his smooth tenor vocals anchored the group’s sound. He also made a huge behind-the-scenes contribution to the evolution of 70s soul when he introduced fledgling songwriter Linda Creed to Thom Bell.

Creed was initially a singer and poet who wanted to be a songwriter. While singing with a group called Raw Soul in 1968, she met Cain. As John A. Jackson explained in his essential 2004 book A House on Fire: The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul:

“(Creed) pestered Delfonic Randy Cain... to listen to her poetry. Cain told Thom Bell about it. Bell had no interest in poetry, but, he said, ‘let me listen to her. Maybe I can turn her into a songwriter.’”

That introduction eventually led to Bell and Creed’s massively successful songwriting partnership, writing hit after hit for the Stylistics, Spinners and others.

For their self-titled third studio album, released on Philly Groove in 1970, Hart and Bell co-wrote seven of the album’s ten tracks, with two others written solely by Hart and one by famed songwriter Barry Mann.

One of the songs they co-wrote was the masterpiece “Trying to Make a Fool of Me,” which was released as the third single from the album on May 17, 1970. It was the follow up single to their huge hit “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” (#3 R&B / #10 Pop), which ended up winning that year’s Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. Propelled by that single, the LP hit #4 on the R&B album charts, and became their biggest selling record.

“Trying to Make a Fool of Me” was the second most successful of the five singles released from The Delfonics, but it only reached #8 on the R&B charts, and barely cracked the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 at #40.

Although they were at the peak of their commercial success, Cain left the group in late 1971 and was replaced by former Nat Turner Rebellion singer Major Harris, cousin to legendary MSFB member and Philly producer Norman Harris. Cain later made another important introduction in 1973, when he was working for WMOT Records and introduced singer Ted Mills to the members of vocal group Shades of Love. They joined forces and Blue Magic was born.

Further info:

A House On Fire: The Rise And Fall Of Philadelphia Soul, by John A. Jackson, Oxford University Press, 2004.

#soul #funk #Delfonics #ThomBell #LindaCreed #RandyCain