The Radiants
The Radiants were an American rhythm and blues singing group that released records from 1962 to 1971.
Members
- Maurice McAlister (1962–1967, 1971; lead singer)
- Wallace Sampson (1962–1971; baritone)
- Jerome Brooks (1962–1967; 2nd tenor)
- Elzie Butler (1962–1967; bass)
- Green McLauren (1962–1967; 1st tenor)
- Leonard Caston Jr (1964, tenor)
- Mitchell Bullock (from 1967; lead singer for McAlister)
- James Jameson (from 1967; tenor for Jerome Brooks)
history
In 1962, the Chicago record company Chess Records signed a record deal with the five Chicago singers Maurice McAlister, Wallace Sampson, Jerome Brooks, Elzie Butler and Green McLauren, who called themselves "The Radiants". McAlister had sung in the youth choir of the Baptist Church early on and later founded the gospel group The Troubadors with Sampson, Brooks and Butler. From 1961 on, the troubadors switched to rhythm and blues music, made demo tapes and started looking for a record deal. After numerous rejections, they finally succeeded at Chess.
With McLauren as the fifth singer and the new name "The Radiants", the first single with the titles Father Knows Best and One Day I'll Show You was recorded on Chess in the summer of 1962 under the direction of producer Billy Davis . After Father Knows Best had initially found local interest , especially in Cleveland , the US music magazine Billboard also included the title in the Hot 100 , where it did not get above 100th. It was two years before the fifth record before the Radiants could achieve a real success with the title Voice Your Choice . In December 1964 the song was inducted into the Hot 100 and rose to number 51. With 10th place in the rhythm and blues charts, Voice Your Choice was even better received. By 1968 the Radiants were able to place themselves in the charts with three other titles.
In 1967, Mitchell Bullock replaced McAlister as lead singer. Jerome Brooks and Elzie Butler were also eliminated and replaced by James Jameson and Victor Caston. In 1971, McAlister returned to replace Caston in the group that recorded their last single with the small Chicago record company Twinight. In 1972 the Radiants broke up.
Discography
Singles
| From page | Catalog no. | published |
|---|---|---|
| Chess | ||
| Father Knows Best / One Day I'll Show You | 1832 | 8.1962 |
| Heartbreak Society / Please Don't Leave Me | 1849 | 3.1963 |
| Shy Guy / I'm in Love | 1872 | 11.1963 |
| I Gotta Dance to Keep My Baby / Noble the Bargain Man | 1887 | 8.1964 |
| Voice Your Choice / If I Only Had You | 1904 | 11.1964 |
| It Ain't No Big Thing / I Got a Girl | 1925 | 4.1965 |
| Tomorrow / Whole Lot of Woman | 1939 | 7.1965 |
| Baby You've Got It / I Want to Thank You Baby | 1954 | 3.1966 |
| Feel Kind of Bad / Anything You Do Is Alright | 1986 | 12.1966 |
| Don't Take Your Love / The Clown Is Clever | 2021 | 9.1967 |
| Hold on / I'm Glad I'm the Loser | 2037 | 3.1968 |
| I'm Just A Man / Tears of a Clown | 2057 | 10.1968 |
| Ida Mae Foster / Choo Choo | 2066 | 3.1969 |
| Book of Love / Another Mule Is Kicking in Your Stall | 2078 | 11.1969 |
| I'm So Glad I'm the Loser / Shadow of a Doubt | 2083 | 3.1970 |
| Twinight | ||
| My Sunshine Girl / Don't Wanna Face the Truth | 153 | 3.1971 |
Chart placements
Singles
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US
|
R&B
|
|||
| 1962 | Father Knows Best |
US100 (1 week) US |
- | |
| 1964 | Voice Your Choice |
US51 (9 weeks) US |
R&B10 (10 weeks) R&B |
|
| 1965 | It ain't no big thing |
US91 (3 weeks) US |
R&B14 (6 weeks) R&B |
|
| 1967 | Feel kind of bad | - |
R&B47 (2 weeks) R&B |
|
| 1968 | Hold on |
US68 (9 weeks) US |
R&B35 (7 weeks) R&B |
|
gray hatching : no chart data available for this year