Played by the same musicians who comprised MFSB, First Choice's sole pop hit, "Armed and Extremely Dangerous" was more compact than most of Philadelphia International's output, but soon proved archetypal in another way: This early-1973 classic brought to the discos one of soul's standby themes: Good Girls Who Love Bad Men. It was the topic of all the early singles by this Philly female trio: Lead singer Rochelle Fleming sings in "Armed" of a guy "wanted by the FBI." In "Smarty Pants," her paramour leaves her pregnant, and the playboy celebrated in "The Player" is a "cold-hearted son of a gun" who'll "shoot you down, right down to the ground." Candi Staton soon proved she knew this fella in "Young Hearts Run Free" and "Victim," and the Three Degrees dismissed him in "Dirty Ol' Man," while Gloria Gaynor showed him the door in "I Will Survive."

Fleming may have made some poor relationship choices, but she possessed formidable pipes, and together with Joyce Jones and several others in the third position, this Philly trio became one of disco's most durable groups. The Best of First Choice may be nothing more than the threesome's first two albums scrambled together… read more »