Frankie Brunson had an instant hit when he created a form of “scat soul” -- verbal improvisation set to a funky soul beat. “I Likes To Do It,” the first release of a sound that grew out of six years of constant public performances as a backing band, spent more than a dozen weeks on the charts in the summer of 1971 and ultimately rose to No.3 on the Cash Box Top R&B charts and No. 9 in Billboard.
On their very first session, The Peoples Choice set a pattern of cutting numerous songs. They finished “I Likes To Do It” in two takes and went on to record “Big Ladies Man” the same night. Other sessions were equally, if not more, productive and led to diversifying the Peoples Choice scat soul style. On the night they recorded “La Papala,” they also cut “When You’re All Alone” along with “It’s Still Good.” They cut two singles on the same night of September 2, 1971, recording “Cause That’s The Way I Know” at the same time as “Woo-T-Tee Woo.” That night also produced “Oh How I Love It.” Their lovely ballad, “Magic,” was cut with the unusually mellow and smooth guitar instrumental, “Jo,” a song only belatedly discovered on the multi-track tape.
Brunson’s long career on the charts had started a decade before with an easy, soulful sound, traces of which are evident here on “Magic.” Fellow-band member David Thompson said, “He touched people. He could make people cry,” as he had done as “Little Frankie Brunson” with “Mother’s Eyes,” which came out on RCA in 1960. He then sang “Charmaine” for RCA’s subsidiary Groove label before touring with Jackie Wilson and recording as “Big Daddy” for an album on Gee Records. After moving to Philadelphia, he sang Billy Jackson’s song, “Boys Have Feelings Too” on Fairmount Records. From Phil-LA of Soul, they became international superstars on Philadelphia International with “Anyway You Wanna,” among a string of hits. Frankie Brunson died on November 4, 2007 in his native Buffalo, New York, where is in the Music Hall of Fame.
