The Emotions
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 () as The Sunbeams - Jeanette Hutchinson (aka Jeanette Hawes) -- vocals - Shelia Hutchinson (aka Sheila Hutchinson-Whitt) -- vocals - Wanda Hutchinson (aka Wanda Vaughn) -- vocals
line up 2 (1965-70) as The Emotions - Jeanette Hutchinson (aka Jeanette Hawes) -- vocals - Shelia Hutchinson (aka Sheila Hutchinson-Whitt) -- vocals - Wanda Hutchinson (aka Wanda Vaughn) -- vocals
line up 3 (1970-77) NEW - Theresa Davis -- vocals (replaced Jeanette Hutchinson) - Shelia Hutchinson (aka Sheila Hutchinson-Whitt) -- vocals - Wanda Hutchinson (aka Wanda Vaughn) -- vocals
backing musicians (1976) - Oscar Brashear -- trumpet - Richard Brown-- tenor sax - Larry Dunn -- keyboards - Michael Harris -- trumpet - Joe Hutchinson, Jr. -- guitar - Al McKay -- guitar - Don Myrick -- alto sax - Louis Satterfield-- trombone - Fred White- drums, percussion - Verdine White-- bass
line up 5 (1977-85) NEW- Pamela Hutchinson -- vocals (replaced Jeanette Hutchinson-Hawes) - Shelia Hutchinson (aka Sheila Hutchinson-Whitt) -- vocals - Theresa Hutchinson -- vocals
line up 6 (1985-87) NEW - Adrianna Harris -- vocals - Shelia Hutchinson (aka Sheila Hutchinson-Whitt) -- vocals - Wanda Hutchinson (aka Wanda Vaughn) -- vocals
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- The Heavenly Sunbeams - The Hutch Stereos - The Hutchinson Sunbeams - Our Ladies of Soul (Theresa Davis) - The Sunbeams (Jeanette Hutchinson, Shelia Hutchinson, and Wanda Hutchinson) - The Three Ribbons
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Genre: soul Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Flowers Company: Columbia Catalog: 34163 Year: 1976 Country/State: Chicago, Illinois Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $15.00
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There are scores of female soul singing groups. You can get into in-depth discussions over which is the most talented. While The Emotions certainly don't have the name recognition of a Destiny's Child, or The Supremes, they certainly had the chops. Add to that, the Hutchinsons' were responsible for writing much of their own material.
This is an album I can distinctly remember hearing for the first time and rushing out to purchase. There happened to be one copy at my local Base Exchange which I promptly purchased. Anyhow, I've always been a soul fan, but 1976's "Flowers" was something special; perhaps having something to do with the fact I remember slow dancing to a couple of these tunes at high school dances.
After the sad collapse of Stax Records, The Emotions signed with Maurice White's Columbia Records affiliated Kalimba Productions. That partnership resulted in the release of their 1976 Columbia debut "Flowers." Co-produced by Charles Stepney and White, exemplified by tracks like 'No Plans for Tomorrow' and 'God Will Take Care of You' the album showcased the ladies wonderful voices. As lead singer Wanda Hutchinson remained an overlooked treasure. Gift with a crystal clear and powerful voice, she was capable of handling virtually anything. And if you doubted how magical their voice were, checkout their blended voices on tracks like 'Changes', the closing part of 'Special Part' and the closer 'God Will Take Care of You.' At the same time White his Earth, Wind and Fire cohorts lightened The Emotions overall sound, injecting EW&F commerciality to the mix. While lots of reviewers leave the impression this was very much a White effort, I'd argue that wasn't the case. Musically the album found The Emotions responsible for writing about half of the material, including the bubbly opener 'I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love' and the equally impressive 'You've Got the Right to Know.' Yes, EW&F influences abounded on those tracks, giving the album a more mainstream and commercial feel than previous endeavors, but make no mistake these ladies were very much their own bosses. I'll also agree that White's smooth title track was the standout performance. Hard to understand why 'Flowers' didn't provide the group with a massive radio hit. Great, if overlooked album ... My only complain was the album was extremely short, clocking in at under thirty minutes playing time.
"Flowers" track listing: (side 1) 1.) I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love (Wanda Hutchinson - Jeanette Hawes) - 4:01 rating: ***** stars After five decades this track still makes me what to get up and move. There's just something magical about the Hutchinson sisters' vocal interactions and those talents are all on display on this upbeat dance number. Produced by White and Stepney, the combination of their "twilling" vocals, Verdine White's blasting bass lines and the Earth, Wind and Fire horns ... "I don't wanna lose your love ..." Dance music for people who don't like dance music !!! The track was released as the album's second single:
- 1977's 'I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love' b/w 'How Can You Stop Loving Someone' (Columbia catalog number 3-10347)
With a glowing introduction from Elton John, YouTube has a December 1977 performance of the song on the BBC's Top of the Pops television program: 8 The Emotions - I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love (TOTP 15-12-1977).flv (youtube.com)
2.) Me for You (Clarence McDonald - Fritz Baskett) - 4:17 rating: *** stars 'Me for You' was one of the album's requisite "big ballad." What saved it from oblivion were the sweet chorus and the sisters' amazing harmonies. 3.) You've Got the Right to Know (Wanda Hutchinson) - 2:36 rating: ***** stars Loved the jazzy opening guitar, White's galloping bass and the urgent melody that powered 'You've Got the Right To Know.' Shame the song ended so abruptly. 4.) We Go Through Changes (Wanda Hutchinson - Henry Hicks, Jr.) - 0:55 rating: ***** stars If you were skeptical about their abilities to blend voices then I suggest listening to the brief accapella 'Changes.' It wasn't more than a song fragment with the sisters singing the title over and over, but those voices ... The closest thing I can compare it to is the experience of heard Gregorian chants for the first time. 5.) Special Part (Deniece Williams - Clarence McDonald - Lani Groves) - 3:52 rating: *** stars Showcasing Wanda's wonderful voice, 'Special Part' was a pretty ballad, showcasing their positive outlook on life. The track actually got even better towards the end when the instrumentation dropped away leaving the trio to handle the chorus with just a touch of percussion.
(side 2) 1.) No Plans for Tomorrow (Wanda Hutchinson - Henry Hicks, Jr.) - 3:44 rating: **** stars 'No Plans for Tomorrow' was a perfect example of the sisters' updated sound ... Gospel-influenced soul with a positive social message and a melody that won't leave you alone. Nice Richard Brown sax solo. 2.) How Can You Stop Loving Someone (Wanda Hutchinson) - 4:14 rating: ** stars Opening up with some pretty Larry Dunn electric piano, the ballad 'How Can You Stop Loving Someone' was certainly pretty, but there was something about the fragile, fraught, little-girl-lost lead vocal that has always irritated me. The albums first outright misstep. 3.) Flowers (Maurice White - Al McKay) - 4:28 rating: **** stars Easily the album's standout performance, the title track brought the full Maurice White and EW&F recipe to The Emotions repertoire. Smooth, joyful and uplifting, what wasn't there to love about this track? Always loved the funky Al McKay guitar riff and Verdine White's throbbing bass lines. Hearing the sisters harmonies still brings chills to my spine. Pure ear candy and their secular lyrics managed to avoid the in-your-face excesses that can prove so irritating !!!
- 1976's 'Flowers' b/w 'You've Got the Right to Know' (Columbia catalog number 3-10347) 4.) God Will Take Care of You (Civilla D. Martin - Walter S. Martin) - 0:33 rating: *** stars And just to remind you of their Gospel roots, there was the brief, accapella closer 'God Will Take Care of You.'
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Genre: soul Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Sunshine Company: Stax Catalog: STX-4100 Year: 1977 Country/State: Chicago, Illinois Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: 4430 Price: $10.00 Cost: $66.00
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With The Emotions ripping up the charts via their collaboration with Maurice White and Earth, Wind and Fire ('Best of My Love'), Stax Records was more than willing to raid the recording vaults in order to cash-in on the group's unexpected commercial success. The funny thing is that though they had enjoyed some minor R&B hits for the label, it's always been a mystery to me why these ladies weren't major stars for Stax. Anyone listening to 1977's "Sunshine" will be hard pressed to figure out why it took White and EW&F to turn them into a commercial blockbuster.
Musically the album wasn't a major departure from their earlier releases. The biggest difference I hear throughout the nine selections is the Stax tunes lack the sheen and gloss that Maurice White brought to the table. Reflecting a mixture of previously released songs and material that had apparently been shelved, the songs teamed the sisters with some of Stax's most talented producers including Al Bell, Al Jackson, Jr., Jim Stewart and Pervis Staples. The collection served to showcase wonderful harmonies (the only people even coming close being The Staple Singers). With all three sisters handling lead vocals, tracks such as 'Shouting Out Love' (recalling The Staples), 'Innocent' and their stark cover of Bill Withers' 'Ain't No Sunshine' were simply stunning. Mind you, there were a couple of misfires. There was no need to cover Carla Thomas' 'Gee Whiz', while 'I Really Miss You' was a pretty, but bland and forgettable ballad. Unfortunately for the group the album was the first to be released under Stax's newly signed distribution agreement with Fantasy Records. With Stax's finances in rapid collapse the set enjoyed little or no support and quickly disappeared into cutout bins.
Sporting one of the of the year's most unimaginative covers certainly didn't help sales (initially Stax didn't even bother plastering a picture of the group on the cover). The set hit # 88 on the US pop charts and # 39 on the R&B charts.
Sunshine" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Shouting Out Love (Carl Smith) - 3:15 rating: **** stars 'Shouting Out Love' was worth the investment just to hear the wonderful Duck Dunn bass line. Okay, the breezy melody and the sisters' wonderful harmonies might have played a small role in making this such a killer tune. You had to wonder how it wasn't a major hit for them.
- 1978's 'Shouting Out Love' b/w 'Baby, I'm Through' (Stax catalog STS-3200) 2.) Gee Whiz! (Look at His Eyes) (Carla Thomas) - 3:23 rating: *** stars I'll give them credit for turning in a nice enough cover of the Carla Thomas hit, but ultimately it wasn't as good as the Thomas version. Judging by the "little girl" quality to the lead vocals, this might have been Theresa Davis, rather than Jeanette Hutchinson. 3.) I Really Miss You (Wanda Hutchinson) - 3:17 rating: **** stars An original composition, 'I Really Miss You' captured the group at their most pop and commercially oriented. The breezy melody and arrangement were irresistible. 4.) Ain't No Sunshine (Bill Withers) - 4:45 rating: **** stars So, there's no doubt that Bill Withers owns this song. It's simply impossible to hear 'Ain't No Sunshine' and not instantly make a comparison to the Withers original. His version is and always will be the ultimate version. That said, The Emotions deserve credit for turning in the second best version of the song. The arrangement doesn't stray far from the original, through the lyrics are given a female slant. That said, hearing the three female voices made fro an interesting change. Nice. 5.) Runnin' Back (and Forth) (Eddie Floyd - Mack Rice) - 2:58 rating: *** stars If you've ever heard 'Runnin' Back (and Forth)' it was probably a result of the Edwin Starr. Once again, their cover was nice, but paled next to Starr's take. Interestingly, this one had previously been released as a "B" side appearing on the 1973 single 'I Wanna Come Back' (Stax catalog number VOA-4095).
(side 2) 1.) Anyway You Look At It (Smith - Wilkes) - 3:54 rating: *** stars ' Anyway You Look At It' was a sweet, easy-going ballad. With one of those patented "heartbreak" lyrics, it was also one of the prettiest melodies they ever worked with. The tune' had appeared as an earlier single: - 1974's 'Anyway You Look At It' b/w 'There Are More Questions Than Answers' (Volt catalog number VON 4113) 2.) Baby, I'm Through (Joe Hutchinson) - 4:12 rating: **** stars The ladies at their funkiest ... If you thought all they were capable of handling were sappy, overly sentimental ballads, then this is the track you need to hear. Another one where you simply had to wonder how radio missed it,
- 1978's 'Baby, I'm Through' b/w 'Anyway You Look At It' (Volt catalog number VON-4110)
3.) Innocent (Bettye Crutcher - Snell) - 3:11 rating: **** stars If the later Bettye Crutcher wrote it, then chances are it was going to be impressive and 'Innocent' stays true to that formula. Framing the trio with one of the most soulful tunes, this was another album highlight. 4.) Put a Little Love Away (Brian Lambert - Dave Potter) - 5:18 Another
wonderful ballad, though the song's most interesting characteristic came in
the form of the sinewy opening guitar. The sound has always reminded
me of George Harrison ... Another track that had previously seen
daylight as a single:
- 1974's 'Put a Little Love Away' b/w 'I Call This Loving You' (Volt catalog number VOA-4106)
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Genre: soul Rating: ** (2 stars) Title: Sincerely Company: Red Label Catalog: RLLP-001-1 Year: 1984 Country/State: Chicago, Illinois Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: 5314 Price: $10.00
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Released by the Chicago-based Red Label, 1984's "Sincerely" marked somewhat of a comeback for the Hutchinson sisters. Working with a slew of producers (the liner notes credited four separate teams, including sister Wanda and her husband Wayne Vaughn and Billy Osbourne and Zane Giles) the collection reflected a then state-of-the-art sound, complete with synthesizers and loads of high tech production. The problem is that similar to the glossy, glamour shot group photo on the back cover, the glossy high tech sound robbed the sisters of much of their original charm and creative strengths.
Wanda, Sheila and Pamela (back cover of "Sincerely"
Tracks like 'You're the One', 'Can't Blow Out the Candle' and 'You're the Best' were recognizable as Emotions songs, but came off as fragile and frequently shrill. Imagine slapping the sisters into a studio with mid-1980s Prince and you'll get a feel for what most of the album sounded like. Sure, there were glimmers of promise throughout. The Hutchinsons' voices remained wonderful instruments and they remained capable of turning in some to-die-for harmonies, but for the most part they'd become tools for their handlers. Major disappointment ...
That didn't stop the label from releasing a string of singles off the LP:
- 1984's 'You're the One' b/w 'I Can Do Anything' (Red Label catalog number RSLG- 001-3A/B) - 1984's 'You're the Best' b/w 'You Know I'm The One' (Red Label catalog number RSLG-002A/B) - 1984's 'Are You Through With My Heart' b/w 'You Know I'm The One' (Red Label catalog number RLSG-001-3A/B)
"Sunshine" track listing: (side 1) 1.) All Things Come In Time (Wayne Vaughn - Wanda Vaughn) - 5:20 2.) Are You Through with My Heart (Keg Johnson - Danni Johnson - Marlo Henderson - Pat Henderson) - 3:45 3.) You're the One (Billy Osbourne - Zane Giles) - 3:49 4.) Can't Blow Out the Candle (Jerry Williams - Jeanette Williams) - 3:45 5.) Sincerely (Sheila Henderson - Keith Henderson) - 4:10
(side 2) 1.) You're the Best (Billy Osbourne - Zane Giles) - 6:05 2.) You Know I'm the One (Keith Henderson) - 4:45 3.) Never Let Another (Sheila Hutchinson - Wayne Vaughn) 4.) I Can Do Anything (Wayne Vaughn - Wanda Vaughn - Debbie King) - 5:25
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