Trying To Make A Fool Of Me

Trying to Make a Fool of Me by The Delfonics: Recording and Chart History

The Delfonics were a Philadelphia vocal group formed in the mid-1960s by brothers William and Wilbert Hart along with Randy Cain, later replaced by Major Harris. Under the production and arrangement guidance of Thom Bell, who developed the lush, string-laden sound that would later be known as the Philadelphia Sound or Philly Soul, The Delfonics became one of the pioneering groups in the transformation of American rhythm and blues from the rawer soul styles of the mid-1960s to the orchestrated, sophisticated approach that defined the early 1970s. The group's falsetto-heavy vocal blend, centered on William Hart's extraordinary high tenor, gave them a distinctive identity that set them apart from nearly every other act working in the soul genre during their peak commercial period.

The group had released major hits including "La-La Means I Love You" in 1968, which reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" in 1970, which won a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song. "Trying to Make a Fool of Me" was released on Philly Groove Records, the independent Philadelphia label founded by Stan Watson that served as The Delfonics' primary recording home throughout their most commercially significant period. The song was produced by Thom Bell and Stan Watson, with Bell contributing his signature orchestral arrangements that transformed the recording into a showcase for both the group's vocal capabilities and the production philosophy that Bell was simultaneously applying to other acts in the emerging Philadelphia stable.

Billboard Hot 100 Performance

The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 on June 6, 1970, debuting at number 83. The record climbed to 70 in its second week, then moved to 67 in its third and fourth weeks before advancing to 57, 52, and continuing upward through July. The single reached its peak position of number 40 during the week of July 25, 1970, spending a total of nine weeks on the Hot 100. The performance on the Billboard R&B chart was considerably stronger, where the group's reputation with Black radio stations and urban record buyers gave them access to audiences that were already deeply familiar with their previous recordings.

The commercial context of mid-1970 was particularly competitive for soul acts. The same summer saw major releases from established artists including Edwin Starr, Diana Ross, and The Temptations, all of whom were releasing material through Motown's considerably larger promotional apparatus. For an independent Philadelphia label to achieve a top-40 pop single in that environment was a meaningful commercial accomplishment that demonstrated both the quality of the material and the effectiveness of the regional promotion network that Philly Groove and its distributor had established.

Thom Bell's Production Philosophy

Thom Bell's arrangements for The Delfonics established production conventions that would become the foundation of the Philadelphia International sound in the early 1970s. His use of orchestral strings as melodic foreground elements rather than merely harmonic support, combined with inventive horn arrangements and precise vocal overdubbing, created a sonic density and warmth that was immediately identifiable as distinct from both the Motown approach and the rawer Southern soul productions of the period.

On "Trying to Make a Fool of Me," Bell's arrangement framed William Hart's remarkable falsetto within a carefully constructed orchestral setting that allowed the voice to soar without the surrounding instrumentation feeling cluttered or competitive. The ability to balance a strongly individuated lead vocal with ambitious orchestral arrangement was one of Bell's most distinctive skills, and the Delfonics recordings of this period represent some of his finest early work in that vein.

The song contributed to a remarkable run of output from The Delfonics in 1969 and 1970, a period when the group was releasing consistent chart material and building the audience base that made them one of the most influential vocal groups in the history of soul music. Their recordings from this era were later sampled extensively by hip-hop producers in the 1990s, particularly by producers associated with the Wu-Tang Clan's extended network, giving the Delfonics a new generation of listeners who encountered William Hart's falsetto through its recontextualization in street-level rap production.