{{Short description|American soul/vocal music group}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = The Choice Four | image = | caption = | image_size = | background = group_or_band | alias = | origin = Washington, D.C., United States | instrument = | genre = R&B<br/>Disco | occupation = | years_active = | label = RCA | associated_acts = | website = | past_members = }}
'''The Choice Four''' were the most consistent of the male American soul/vocal groups produced by Van McCoy. They were from Washington, D.C., recorded for RCA Records and had three albums. Several of the group's members had previously sung in The Love Tones and The Stridels.<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p16473/biography|pure_url=yes}} Biography], Allmusic</ref> They had several minor hits on the ''Billboard'' charts in the mid-1970s. Their attempt to hit big with their version of "When You're Young and In Love" was thwarted by the simultaneous release of a disco version of the song by actor Ralph Carter (of the ''Good Times'' TV show). Their biggest hit, '"Come Down to Earth" became a favorite in the discos after the group had broken up. They recorded the original version of the David Ruffin hit "Walk Away From Love" (also produced by McCoy), hitting the high note that Ruffin famously missed. Both Pede "Pete" Marshall and Charles Blagmon went on to tour with groups led by former members of The Temptations after the group's demise, prior to its revival by Teddy Maduro.{{citation needed|date=August 2017}}
Maduro announced his bandmate Pede Marshall died on July 13, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.soultracks.com/story-pede-marshall-dies|title=R.I.P. Pede Marshall of The Choice Four|author=|date=|website=SoulTracks|accessdate=August 10, 2020}}</ref> Bobby Hamilton died on February 6, 2025.<ref>{{cite news |title=R.I.P. Bobby Hamilton of the popular 70s group Choice Four |url=https://soultracks.com/news-bobby-hamilton-choice-four-dies/ |access-date=8 February 2025 |publisher=Soul Tracks |date=6 February 2025}}</ref>
==Members== *Bobby Hamilton (died 2025) *Ted Maduro *Pede "Pete" Marshall (died 2017) *Charles Blagmon (a/k/a "Blackmon")
==Albums== *''The Finger Pointers'' (RCA, 1974) *''The Choice Four'' (RCA, 1975) *''On Top of Clear'' (RCA, 1976) US R&B #43<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p16473/charts-awards|pure_url=yes}} Billboard], Allmusic</ref>
===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" ! width="28" rowspan="2"| Year ! width="150" rowspan="2"| Title ! colspan="3"| Chart positions<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p16473/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}} Billboard Singles]. Allmusic.</ref> |- ! width="86"| <small>US Pop Singles</small> ! width="86"| <small>US R&B Singles</small> ! width="86"| <small>US Disco Singles</small> |- | 1974 | "You're So Right for Me" |align="center"| — |align="center"| 63 |align="center"| — |- | 1974 | "The Finger Pointers, Part 1" |align="center"| — |align="center"| 85 |align="center"| — |- | 1975 | "Hook it Up" |align="center"| — |align="center"| — |align="center"| 4 |- | 1975 | "When You're Young and in Love" |align="center"| 91 |align="center"| 45 |align="center"| — |- | 1976 | "Hey, What's That Dance You're Doing" |align="center"| 107 |align="center"| 57 |align="center"| — |- | 1976 | "Just Let Me Hold You For a Night" |align="center"| — |align="center"| 76 |align="center"| — |- | 1977 | "Come Down to Earth/Two Different Worlds" |align="center"| — |align="center"| — |align="center"| 26 |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{discogs artist|The Choice Four}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Choice Four, The}} Category:Musical groups from Washington, D.C. Category:American disco groups