People's Choice

In 1971 keyboardist and vocalist Frank Brunson assembled the Philly funk outfit People's Choice. The original roster featured drummer and percussionist David Thompson, vocalists Valerie Brown and Marc Reed, guitarists Darnell Jordan and Johnnie Hightower, keyboardists Clifton Gamble and Bill Rodgers, plus bassist and vocalist Stanley Thomas. That same year the group made its first appearance on the Phil-L.A. of Soul imprint, where “I Likes to Do It” climbed to number nine on the R&B survey and crossed into the pop Top 40. A subsequent move to Philadelphia International placed them alongside Leon Huff for the disco-funk single “Do It Any Way You Wanna.” Long regarded as a highlight of seventies Philly dance music, the track delivered the band’s sole R&B chart-topper and stopped just short of the pop Top Ten. A scattering of lesser-charting singles on Casablanca, TPC, and Mercury appeared through the early eighties, after which the original lineup disbanded. Brunson passed away in 2007, yet Thompson directed a revived edition of the group throughout the 2010s. In 2017 People’s Choice issued Jammin’ Philly Style, a collection that mixed updated versions, covers, and fresh material.