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Dan Gross: Randy Cain, member of the Delfonics, dies at 63

RANDY CAIN, who was a founding member of Philly soul band the Delfonics and who sang on such hits as "La La Means I Love You," and "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)," died Thursday. He was 63.

RANDY CAIN, who was a founding member of Philly soul band the Delfonics and who sang on such hits as "La La Means I Love You," and "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)," died Thursday. He was 63.

No cause of death was yet known for Cain, who formed the Delfonics with brothers William and Wilbert Hart while attending Overbrook High in the 1960s.

Cain left the group in 1971 and was replaced by Major Harris.

In the 1980s, Cain returned for a later incarnation of the group, and for the past several months Cain had been again performing in the Delfonics with William Hart, the group's lead singer and songwriter and the sole owner of the name of the group.

The reunion was somewhat surprising. In 2002 and 2005, Cain and Wilbert Hart filed and won civil suits against William Hart and against Arista Records/Sony BMG for back royalties.

"I'm gonna miss him. We grew up together since 1968," Wilbert said of Cain, whom he last saw four or five months ago.

"We're gonna have to do what we're doing until God brings us together," said Wilbert, who now performs with a group as "Wil Hart formerly Delfonics."

Cain had lived for a while in Willingboro with Wilbert and his family, and according to Wilbert had recently moved into an apartment in Maple Shade. Wilbert said he hopes Cain will long be remembered through the Delfonics' music.

The group's timeless tunes had a resurgence in popularity after several songs were featured in Quentin Tarantino's 1997 film "Jackie Brown."

"That three-part harmony with the falsetto sound was phenomenal," DJ Jerry Blavat said of the Delfonics.

Blavat said he was the first DJ to spin "La La Means I Love You," and also had Cain and the Hart brothers performing on his TV show "Jerry's Place," which was broadcast on WFIL.

Chuck Gamble, an executive with Philadelphia International Records (PIR) - Kenny Gamble's and Leon Huff's record label - said last night that "Gamble and Huff have fond memories of working with Randy and the group." *