Voice Your Choice: The Rise and Fade of The Radiants
In the smoke-swirled corners of South Side Chicago, where gospel harmonies spilled out of churches and streetlights flickered like rhythm sections, a group of young men were dreaming in doo-wop and falsettos. They called themselves The Radiants, and for a fleeting moment in the 1960s, their sound pulsed through transistor radios, whispered across lovers' dance floors, and carved a groove in the story of American soul.
Their story wasn’t one of towering fame or platinum records. It was something subtler, something more human—one of grit, gospel roots, and harmony that rose, for a while, above the noise.
It all started in the late '50s at the Greater Harvest Baptist Church, where a handful of friends began singing together—not for fame, but for faith. Among them was Maurice McAlister, the golden voice who would later become the group's lead. They weren’t chasing stardom back then. They were just kids harmonizing under stained glass, learning to blend voices in the way only gospel singers could. The kind of training no music school could teach.
By 1962, that gospel fire had turned into ambition. Inspired by the growing success of local vocal groups like The Impressions and The Dells, The Radiants pivoted toward secular music, bringing their church-honed harmonies to the city’s R&B clubs. McAlister’s voice, nimble and rich with emotion, soared above the group like a preacher’s final call. Paired with Wallace Sampson’s velvet baritone and the soulful backing of Jerome Brooks and Elize Butler, they had a sound that was both familiar and fresh—like Sunday morning dressed up for Saturday night.
Their break came when they caught the ear of Chess Records, the legendary Chicago label better known for launching the careers of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. But by the early '60s, Chess had started dabbling in soul, and The Radiants fit the bill. They signed in 1962, and soon released Father Knows Best, a doo-wop-styled tune with emotional pull. It didn’t chart nationally, but it turned heads locally—especially among DJs and diehard soul fans.
Then came Voice Your Choice in 1964, the track that gave The Radiants their moment. Built on a bouncing rhythm and wrapped in McAlister’s pleading vocals, the song hit No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100—a modest peak, but a major leap for a group that had once harmonized on church pews. It was the kind of record that made people stop mid-conversation in diners, or pull their car to the curb to hear the last verse. Smooth, sincere, and steeped in longing.
But like many groups of the era, The Radiants weren’t immune to the turbulence behind the scenes. Lineup changes came quickly—brothers left, friends fell out, and McAlister himself eventually stepped away to record with Green McLauren as “Maurice & Mac,” a duo that would produce the beautifully aching You Left the Water Running.
Still, The Radiants endured in different forms. Sampson remained, steering the group into a second chapter with new members, even as the soul scene evolved around them. By the mid-60s, doo-wop had faded, giving way to funkier, grittier styles. But The Radiants held on to that clean, harmony-driven sound—like they were preserving a purity from a rapidly changing world.
Their later records, like Hold On, captured some of that transition—soulful but sharper-edged, a little more urgent. They weren’t chart-toppers, but they earned a loyal following among soul collectors and R&B aficionados. If you walk into the right record shop today—somewhere tucked between a dusty Al Green single and a stack of Curtis Mayfield 45s—you’ll find Radiants records carefully preserved, the vinyl still warm with heartache and harmony.
What makes their story resonate isn’t just the music, though that alone is worth the listen. It’s the sense of time they carry with them. The Radiants are a sonic snapshot of an era when voices mattered more than studio tricks, when groups hustled from corner to corner, harmony to harmony, just hoping someone would hear them. They remind us of the thousands of acts who made the 1960s such a rich and revolutionary time for Black music—artists who may not have climbed the pop charts, but who sang with just as much soul.
And for those who knew them—really knew them—their music is more than nostalgia. It’s the echo of neighborhood parties, of slow dances under low-hung gymnasium lights, of radio stations run by DJs who knew they were playing something that mattered.
The Radiants never became household names. But maybe that’s the point. They were never about flash or fame. They were about feel. About harmony. About finding something divine in the everyday grit of Chicago streets.
And if you ever hear Voice Your Choice come on late at night—maybe on a soul classics radio show or buried in a YouTube rabbit hole—listen closely. You might not recognize the name, but you’ll feel the truth in it. The blend. The beat. The beauty.
They were The Radiants. And for a moment, they shined.
📀 Sidebar: Essential Tracks by The Radiants
Whether you're crate-digging for vinyl or building a soul playlist, these songs capture the heart and harmony of The Radiants:
🎵 "Voice Your Choice" (1964)
Their breakout hit—smooth, emotional, and endlessly replayable. A must-hear for any fan of classic soul.
🎵 "Father Knows Best" (1962)
Their debut single—a perfect example of gospel-tinged doo-wop crossing into secular soul.
🎵 "Ain't No Big Thing" (1965)
Raw emotion layered over crisp harmonies—one of their most underrated gems.
🎵 "I'm In Love" (1967)
A post–McAlister lineup track with a deeper groove and late-60s soul flair.
🎵 "Hold On" (1968)
A punchier, funk-adjacent sound that showed the group evolving with the times.
🎵 "You Left the Water Running" – Maurice & Mac (1967)
Though technically a spinoff, this hauntingly beautiful track by former Radiants frontman Maurice McAlister is often considered part of the group’s extended legacy.
💡 Tip: Most of these can be found on soul compilations or reissues from Chess Records. Some collectors even seek out the original 45s—if you’re lucky enough to find one, hold on tight.
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