Lance signed with OKeh Records in 1962 as Curtis Mayfield recommended. Major was constantly showing up at the Okeh offices, offering to run errands for Carl Davis, telling him about the record he'd once made and how he and Curtis Mayfield were friends from their childhood. Major Lance's first single was called "Delilah", which was made by Curtis Mayfield. Although it was not successful, it made his partnership with a writing and arranging team for Curtis Mayfield, Carl Davis, and Johnny Pate, often with members of Mayfield's music group called The Impressions on backing vocals. Together they made a distinctive, Latin-tinged sound which epitomised Chicago soul unlike other music.