First Choice

First Choice was an American girl group vocal music trio from Philadelphia. The group produced the disco hits "Armed and Extremely Dangerous", "The Player", "Love Thang", "Let No Man Put Asunder" and "Dr. Love".

Group members

The group was originally made up of

• Rochelle Fleming (born 11 February 1950, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.)
• Joyce Jones (born 30 July 1949, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• Annette Guest (born 19 November 1954, Chester, Pennsylvania).

Career

Fleming was the main vocalist. The group was originally known as the Debronettes.

Philadelphia DJ Georgie Woods introduced the trio to Norman Harris, guitarist with MFSB, to produce their debut single, "This Is The House Where Love Died". Although it sold poorly, the record led to a recording contract with the Philly Groove record label, and the release of "Armed and Extremely Dangerous". Also produced by Harris, the song was a hit first in the UK, where it reached the Top 20 in the UK Singles Chart on Bell Records.^[1]

U.S. success followed and the later singles, "Smarty Pants" and "The Player," sold equally well.^{[citation needed]} While producer Harris was associated with numerous hits during the disco boom of the late 1970s, the only later chart entry for First Choice was "Dr. Love," and, in 1984, the group split up.

In 1983, however, the group's 1977 album cut "Let No Man Put Asunder" was remixed by Shep Pettibone and Frankie Knuckles for club play, and became a staple for urban DJs and a classic for listeners. The centerpiece vocals and bass riff of the song were among the most sampled expressions of the emerging Chicago house music scene in the 1980s. Steve "Silk" Hurley used this bass line in his 1987 song "Jack Your Body," which went on to become the first house record to top the UK Singles Chart.

In 1987, Fleming re-formed the group with her cousin Laconya Fleming, and Lawrence Cottel, to record Love Itch (Prelude Records). In the same year, a reissue of "Let No Man Put Asunder" was a dancefloor hit in the UK.^{[citation needed]}

Over the years, the group has seen some new success, as many of their songs have been remixed and re-released. Larry Levan remixed its "Double Cross" (Gold Mind, 1979) track, plus Tee Scott's first studio mix was "Love Thang" (1979)). It was also remixed by Tony Humphries in 1993 for the Salsoul remix project, two albums released on Double J Records. First Choice benefitted somewhat when Rhino Records put its "Armed and Extremely Dangerous" into the Soul Hits of the 70s: Didn't It Blow Your Mind series, and also when the Salsoul catalog was digitally remastered and released in the 1990s.

Fleming has also provided guest vocals for the occasional house music release over the years.

Albums

Singles

Remixed singles

• 1990 "It's Not Over (The Hithouse Mix)"
• 1993 "Doctor Love (The C&C Remixes)"
• 1993 "Double Cross (Danny Tenaglia Remixes)"
• 1995 "Let No Man Put Asunder ('95 Remixes)"
• 1997 "Armed and Extremely Dangerous (1997 Mixes)"
• 1997 "The Player (Mousse T & Boris Dlugosch Mixes)"
• 1997 "The Player (The Italian Mixes)"
• 2000 "The Player (Olav Basoski Remixes)"
• 2000 "Love and Happiness (Remixes)"
• 2002 "Ain't He Bad (Harlem Hustlers Remixes)"
• 2003 "The Player" (re-release)
• 2003 "You Took the Words (Harlem Hustlers Remixes)"
• 2004 "The Salsoul Re-edit Series"
• 2005 "Newsy Neighbors (Remixes)"

References

External links

• First Choice at Allmusic
• First Choice discography at the Soulwalking Web Site
• First Choice at Discogs