A few weeks ago, I was putting together a Valentine’s playlist on Spotify for my partner. The theme was sexy songs of the ’70s, you know, Barry White, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, the usual suspects. But what was my first thought as I started adding songs? “Well, I gotta lead it off with the Delfonics.”
Led by singer and songwriter William “Poogie” Hart, alongside his brother Wilbert and Randy Cain, the Delfonics worked closely with Philly soul architect Thom Bell to craft the most elegant and emotionally devastating soul music of the era. Their run of hits; “La-La (Means I Love You),” “Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide from Love),” and, “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” are all bonafide classics. But when it came to my playlist, only one song came out on top.
Song: “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind this Time?)
Album: The Delfonics
Year: 1970
Written by: Thom Bell and William Hart
My Relationship With This Song
My relationship with “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” started with Quentin Tarantino’s 1997 crime classic Jackie Brown. Tarantino is one of my favorite filmmakers and his eclectic taste in pop culture has introduced me to a lot of films, shows, and music over the years.
What I love specifically about Tarantino’s relationship with music is that if he loves a song, he won’t just include it in the film, he’ll have the characters talk about why that song is so great onscreen. Here’s the scene in question:
The song hits right as bail bondsman Max Cherry (Robert Forster) is falling for Jackie Brown (Pam Grier), and it underscores exactly what the scene is about. These are two people, past their prime by modern culture’s standards, connecting over a shared weariness and the love of a song.
Later, we see Max buy a copy of the Delfonics’ 1970 album on cassette and drive around listening to it in his car. Even when Ordell (Samuel L. Jackson) is holding Max at gunpoint in that same car, the song plays on the stereo. Ordell has to comment, “I didn’t know you liked the Delfonics,” to which Max replies, “They’re pretty good.”
The song is an integral part of a movie I love. As George Lucas once said, “The sound and music are 50 percent of the entertainment of a movie.” So if you like the movie, chances are good you like the soundtrack, too.
Reasons Why I Love This Song
That Sitar thingy:
I don’t know if it’s an electric sitar or a guitar playing a sitar-like pattern at the beginning of the song, but it gives the intro an intriguing exotic texture. Producer Thom Bell was renowned for his extravagant production, and this detail fills out the song in the best way. Why don’t more love songs open with sitar?
The Shift to the Chorus:
While the verses sit in a moodier, low-key space, the transition into the chorus brings a big, sing-along swoon with it. It’s hard to articulate, but there’s a definite change in the song’s feel, like moving from wistfulness into elation. Go back and listen to it and maybe you can figure out whatever the hell it is I’m trying to describe.
That Philly Soul Sound:
I’ve heard the Philly soul sound described as “slow ballads with layered strings, horns, and highly chromatic harmony.” That definition doesn’t capture the vulnerability of the lyrics, but otherwise it’s spot on. Songs like “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” feel a notch above much of the soul music of the era, and you can thank Philly soul for that.
Why I Will Continue To Love This Song
I rewatch most of the Tarantino movies every year, and I love Jackie Brown. So unless I wake up one morning and decide, “Actually, fuck that movie,” I will always love “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time).” And you can be sure it’ll be getting lots of airplay during Wuv Week.