Soul Junctions latest release: The Twilights To The Delights And Beyond

The Twilights To The Delights And Beyond:

Press Release:   The Delights   A1 “Listen To Me Girl/B1 Come And Rejoice/B2 Listen To Me (Backing Track)”   SJ561

Released Monday 24th March 2025

The Delights formerly unissued recording “Listen To Me Girl” first made it’s vinyl debut during 2017 when released back to back with Tearra’s modern soul anthem “Just Loving You” (SJ1008).  Having sold out very quickly this release now commands a price of £60.00 a copy. So, with demand still high we have decided to release “Listen To Me Girl” for a second time with the addition of two recently found unissued master tape tracks, which make their vinyl debut as part of this 3 track EP.

The Delights story began in the early 1960’s while as a children’s group from Chester PA. known as ‘The Twilights’ they began entering local talent shows which culminated in a performance at Philadelphia’s prestigious ‘Uptown Theatre’ during 1963. ‘The Twilights’ made their professional recording debut in 1964 for Weldon McDougal III, Johnny Stiles and Luther Randolph’s Harthon Production’s label with “It’s Been So Long/She Put Me Down” (TW-34). A second Twilights 45 came in 1967 “Shipwreck/For The First Time” (TW-35) which sold sufficiently well to be picked up for national distribution by Cameo Parkway. The group consisted of four male vocalists, brothers Kemp “Toppy” Hill, Ellis “Butch” Hill (the eldest) and Jaime “Peanut” Hill and their friend Raymond, plus lead singer and the only female member Brandi ‘Peaches’ Wells (born Marquerite J. Pinder) who was only 9 years old when she sang on the group’s first Harthon 45, (Jaime Hill reputedly never featured on either of the two Harthon 45 recordings). 

The Hill Brothers were cousins of Manny Campbell and it’s through this family connection that the group came to Emandolynn Productions initially as backing singers before being persuaded by Manny to drop their former performing name of ‘The Twilights’, to become ‘The Delights’. Under Manny and fellow Philadelphian Charles J. Bowen’s tutelage they recorded the delightful crossover dance track “Listen To Me Girl” during the months of July and August of 1968.

 Recent unearthed master tape finds from these early sessions have since yielded the featured “Come And Rejoice” an energetic subtle gospel influenced dance track which Manny wrote and produced on The Delights in the hope of giving them a wider body of work and appeal as he shopped their demos around local record companies. The original backing track to “Listen To Me” is also featured on this release.

During the mid-1970’s ‘The Delights’ under the tutelage of respected Philly producer, arranger and songwriter Morris Bailey Jr recorded two 45 releases for the Jamie/Guyden distributed Phil-L.A Of Soul label “It’s As Simple As That/I’ve Got Enough Sense” (PH-374) and “Face The Music/Things Ain’t What They Used To Be” (PH-379). Brandi Wells had left the group prior to the Phil-L.A Of Soul releases to firstly join Major Harris’s backing singers  ‘Brown Sugar’ before forming the group ‘Breeze’ who backed fellow WMOT label stable mates  Billy Paul, Fat Larry & Philly Cream (a.k.a Ingram). Breeze later evolved into the group Slick who recorded the self-named album which produced the chart hits “Space Bass” and “Sexy Cream”. In 1981 Brandi recorded her first solo debut album ‘Watch Out’ which reached #37 on the Billboard R&B Chart, her second solo album entitled “20TH Century Fox” followed in 1985 for the Omni label. She later recorded the Butch Ingram penned “I Love You” 12” single for Butch’s Society Hill records in 1992.  It appears on what is known that Brandi had left the group ‘Brown Sugar’ prior to their two 45 releases for Capitol Records. Sadly, Brandi Wells passed away in 2003 at the age of 47.

Brandi Wells

 Kemp “Toppy” Hill continued his association with Emandolynn Productions were he later shared songwriting credits with Manny Campbell on Teeah-Louise’s “Ooh Let This Feeling (Last A Long, Long Time) the a-side of her modern soul anthem “Just Loving You” recorded under the performing name of Tearra on Midtown Records. 

Words By:   David Welding

Acknowledgement to: Manny Campbell, Abayomi Benson & Kemp Hill.

For further information e-mail:   sales@souljunctionrecords.co.uk

or visit the website at https://www.souljunctionrecords.co.uk/SJ561.html

Listen: Sample #1