The Force M.D.s is a doo wop vocal group that was formed in 1981 in Staten Island, New York. They originally called themselves the L.D.s, then The Force MCs, but ultimately preferred "M.D." which is short for "Musical Diversity." Though they weren't quite always as recognizable as other New York R&B acts when they first started, the Force M.D.s were among the first R&B vocal groups to intermix doo wop-affected consonances with hip-hop beats.
When they began performing as the L.D.s on Greenwich Village street corners and the Staten Island ferry, the group consisted of brothers Stevie D. and Antoine "T.C.D." Lundy (d. January 21, 1998), their uncle, Jessie Lee Daniels, and friends Trisco Pearson and Charles "Mercury" Nelson (December 19, 1964–March 9, 1995). After they connected with DJ Dr. Rock, they also performed as Dr. Rock & the M.C.s and played at hip hop shows.
By the time the Force M.D.s made a record deal, signing with Tommy Boy Records in 1984, they had already developed into a pure quiet storm/urban R&B group, with their top-ten R&B hit "Tears" from the Love Letters album and signified by their street attitude. They produced a collection of R&B hits throughout the '80s, but their sole pop hit was the Jimmy Jam- and Terry Lewis-penned love song "Tender Love" from both their second album Chillin’ (1985) and the 1985 feature film and soundtrack Krush Groove. The single proved to be a huge success, peaking at #10 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and stayed on the chart for 19 weeks. With the exception of their first album, the group was also the first act on Tommy Boy to have major-label distribution through its then-parent Warner Bros. Records.
The Force M.D.s' finally scored their first R&B #1 hit in 1987, "Love Is A House", from their third album Touch and Go. However, their popularity began to wane the following year. A fourth album Step to Me was released in 1990, and its featuring production was by Full Force, Marley Marl, Monte Moir (of the Time) and others. Mercury and Trisco then left, only to be replaced by Rodney "Khalil" Lundy and Shawn Waters. Force M.D.s released the album Moments in Time in 1994.
Tragedy struck the group three times with the passing of three of its members: Charles "Mercury" Nelson suffered a fatal heart attack in 1995; Antoine "T.C.D." Lundy died of Lou Gehrig's disease in 1998; and DJ Dr. Rock died under unknown circumstances. The Remaining MDs returned with a comeback album "The Reunion" in 2000.
