Ten days ago I wrote a post covering everything I know about Emma Tucker (which is little enough). Today, two more things: First, over on Dave's Jukebox you can listen to Emma Tucker's Nashboro # 793, released around October 1963 and feat- uring »I Don't Have To Worry« w/ »Something To Tell Jesus«.
Second, below you can listen to her Nashboro # 45-860, released in or around June 1965. There are two songs, both credited to Emma Tucker: »You Should Have Been There« and »I'll Reach My Home«.
I couldn't track the lyrics of the first tune anywhere else, so the song may well be an Emma original; other songs by the same title were recorded by several gospel outfits, but I do not know them. As to the music, we have a groovy swing here, with the chorus (»I'm Satisfied«) being much reminiscent of the »Night 'n' Day« refrain in Ray Charles's »(Night Time Is) The Right Time«! (Personnel of backing group is unknown). The second tune, »I'll Reach My Home«, takes its first lines from the traditional hymn known as »Travelin' On«. There is some information about this hymn in Olivia & Jack Solomon (eds.): "Honey in the Rock". The Ruby Pickens Tartt Collection of Religious Folk Songs from Sumter County, Alabama, Macon 2002. This is what you'll find there (and see more here: Ruby Pickens Tartt, 1880-1974):
Emma Tucker: »You Should Have Been There« / »I'll Reach My Home« on Nashboro # 45-860 (1965):
Happy Sunday all! Today I would like to tell you the little I know of Emma Tucker. She did several 45s for Nashboro, between 1962 and 1967. This was her first single, re- leased in July 1962 (you can listen to both sides below):
As said, this was the first 45 in her own name. However, she can also be heard on the B-side of Nashboro # 643 (1959, together with Brother Joe May). In addition, she appears on a number of gospel samplers released by Nashboro during the '60s, but no solo LP of her was ever released (there is an Ernie's LP, # 2005, prob. released in the mid-'70s, containing most of her 45s and some other unissued '60s recordings).
Information about Emma Tucker is scarce and hard to come by. She hailed from Montgomery, Al., and was later, at least in 1966, billed as »The Gospel Queen of Alabama«, nothing less! So it appears from an interesting notice in the Florida Star newspaper, in the April 9, 1966, issue, page 3, concerning a vocal contest in Jacksonville, Florida, in which she took part:
So folks, now you know what »E.T.« really means: Emma Tucker or Essie (Mae) Thomas ... I think this is good news after Spielberg tried to lead us astray all these years!
Joking apart, there is another news clip of considerable interest for the career of Emma Tucker. It appeared in the Kentucky New Era, issue of July 27, 1965, page 5, and announces her performance (together with Joe May and others) in Hopkinsville, Kentucky:
Sometime between 1962 and 1964 she appeared on the TV Gospeltime show (they did 66 half-hour shows in all), and in general a lot of Nashboro soloists and groups were featured in this show. You'll find further information about this in Ray Funk: »Research Approaches to Black Gospel Quartets«, in: D.W. Patterson (ed.), Sounds of the South, Chapel Hill 1991, page 101.
Alas, this is just about all I can come up with regarding Emma Tucker! Somewhere on the net a niece of Emma Tucker is mentioned, and there she is called Emma Tucker Harris.
As for the songs, both are credited to Emma Tucker on the Nashboro 45. »I'm Trusting in Jesus« takes some of its refrain from a hymn by Edgar Page Stites (1836–1921), entitled »Trusting Jesus« and first published in 1876. However, most of the lyrics seem to be Emma's own. It is a beautiful song, very moving.
»Free To Worship« is another hybrid creation. It obviously is inspired by the tradi- tional commonly known as »(I'm Glad) Salvation Is Free«, done by The Consolers, Mahalia Jackson and many others. In both tunes, we have an organ as well as a piano (I initially wondered whether Emma Tucker did the piano playing herself, but the piano seems much more remote than her voice on the recordings ... so if this does mean anything, she seems to be only singing). Listen now to Emma Tucker:
Emma Tucker: »I'm Trusting In Jesus« / »Free To Worship« on Nashboro # 731 (1962):
I am interested in the music, not in the relative rarity of discs. I also listen with great pleasure to Aretha Franklin, because she has the voice of the century. Music is no Faith and therefore has no heretics.
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No music downloads on this site. All mp3s (with very few exceptions where noted) are ripped from original vinyl discs. If something on this blog is objectionable to anyone or should, for valid reasons, be re- moved from the net please let me know; it will be removed. And to reiterate: This is a non-profit blog.
