Joseph William Tucci (born 1953),[1] known under his alias Eric Matthew, is an American record label owner, record producer, engineer, songwriter and guitarist, previously involved in the New York post-disco scene of the early 1980s.
Eric Matthew | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Joseph William Tucci |
| Born | 1953 |
| Origin | Queens, New York |
| Genres | Rock Disco R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Producer, songwriter, engineer |
| Instrument | Guitar, piano, vocals |
| Labels | Radar Records, Columbia Records |
Biography
editTucci originally performed at weddings, bar mitzvahs and parties in the New York metropolitan area with his friends. Then, after producing a demo with fellow band member Gary R. Turnier, he landed a record deal with indie label SAM Records, owned by Sam Weiss, which by then had major label Columbia as their distribution company.[2] Essentially a minimal rock combo with musical influences ranging from deep funk, pop, jazz to disco, the band, named Gary's Gang by Turnier and Tucci, consisted of a saxophonist, a trombonist, a flautist, a percussionist, and keyboardists. The second album, Keep on Dancing, performed well on the music charts, peaking at #27 on the Billboard R&B Albums and #42 on the Billboard 200.[3] This accomplishment led Tucci to establish his own record label and produce other artists. His productions included "Reach Up" by Toney Lee (on his own label) and the album Redd Hott by Sharon Redd (for Prelude Records). With Gary Turnier he produced records like Tracy Weber's "Sure Shot," Sinnamon's "Thanks to You," and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde's "Genius Rap" in his garage.[4]
Tucci[5] is married and has three daughters.[6] His musical influences include 1960s pop and the "zaniness of the later Beatles albums."[4]
Production and writing discography
edit| Year | Work | Label | Add. | Role | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B |
US DAN | |||||
| Gary's Gang | ||||||
| 1978 | "Keep On Dancin’" | Columbia Records/Sony | artist, co-writer, co-producer | 11 | 1 | |
| Sharon Redd | ||||||
| 1982 | "Beat the Street" | Prelude | with Darryl Payne | co-writer, co-producer | 41 | — |
| 1983 | "Takin' a Chance on Love" | Prelude | with Gene Redd, S. Redd, Ruth Carson | co-writer, producer | — | — |
| "You're the One" | Prelude | with Daryl Payne | co-writer, producer | — | — | |
| "Love How You Feel" | Prelude | alone | writer, producer | — | 16 | |
| 1984 | "You're a Winner" | Prelude | with S. Redd, Scott Nesbitt | co-writer, producer | — | — |
| Elektric Funk | ||||||
| 1982 | "On a Journey (I Sing the Funk Electric)" | Prelude | with Darryl Payne, Miles Watson | co-writer, co-producer | — | 33 |
| Toney Lee | ||||||
| 1982 | "Reach Up" | Radar | with Toney Lee | co-writer, producer | — | 8 |
| France Joli | ||||||
| 1982 | "Your Good Lovin'" | Prelude | with Darryl Payne | co-writer, co-producer | — | 53 |
| Sinnamon | ||||||
| 1982 | "Thanks to You" | Becket | with Darryl Payne, Keith Diamond | co-writer, co-producer | 44 | 1 |
| Disco 4 | ||||||
| 1983 | "We're at the Party" | Profile | with Disco 4 | co-writer, producer | 84 | — |
| Rockell | ||||||
| 1998 | "In a Dream" | Robbins Entertainment | co-producer | — | 13 | |
| Phats & Small | ||||||
| 1998 | "Turn Around" | Multiply Records | with Toney Lee | co-writer | — | 1 |
| Soulsearcher | ||||||
| 1998 | "Can't Get Enough" | Defected Records | co-writer | — | 20 | |
References
edit- ^ Nite, Norm N. (September 1, 1985). Rock on: the illustrated encyclopedia of rock n' roll : the video revolution, 1978-present. Harper & Row. p. 126. ISBN 978-0-06-181644-4.
- ^ Radar Records CD compilation booklet.
- ^ "Billboard Albums & Singles – Gary's Gang". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
- ^ a b "Disco Dance Music > The Beat Meets The Street". Billboard. No. 94. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. June 19, 1982. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ Frank Broughton, Bill Brewster (2011). The Record Players: DJ Revolutionaries. Black Cat, 2011. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-8021-7089-7.
- ^ "General News: Lifelines > Births". Billboard. Vol. 94. September 25, 1982. p. 84.