Eric Matthew
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| image =
| name = Eric Matthew
| birth_name = Joseph William Tucci
| birth_date = {{birth year|1953}}
| origin = Queens, New York
| instrument = Guitar, piano, vocals
| occupation = Producer, songwriter, engineer
| years_active =
| label = Radar Records, Columbia Records
| associated_acts = Gary's Gang, Darryl Payne, Toney Lee
| website =
| current_members =
| past_members =
}}
Joseph William Tucci (born 1953),{{cite book|first=Norm N.|last=Nite|date=Sep 1, 1985|title= Rock on: the illustrated encyclopedia of rock n' roll : the video revolution, 1978-present|url=https://archive.org/details/rockonillustrate00nite|url-access=registration|publisher=Harper & Row|isbn=978-0-06-181644-4|page=[https://archive.org/details/rockonillustrate00nite/page/126 126]}} 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.
Biography
Tucci 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.Radar Records CD compilation booklet. 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/garys-gang-mn0000800373/awards|title=Billboard Albums & Singles – Gary's Gang|website=AllMusic|accessdate=2014-08-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304221612/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/garys-gang-mn0000800373/awards|archive-date=March 4, 2016}} 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.
Tucci{{cite book|first=Bill Brewster|last=Frank Broughton|year=2011|title=The Record Players: DJ Revolutionaries|publisher=Black Cat, 2011|isbn=978-0-8021-7089-7|page=[https://archive.org/details/recordplayersdjr00brew/page/121 121]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/recordplayersdjr00brew/page/121}} is married and has three daughters.{{cite magazine|date=Sep 25, 1982|magazine=Billboard|volume=94|page=84|title=General News: Lifelines > Births}} His musical influences include 1960s pop and the "zaniness of the later Beatles albums."{{cite magazine|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc|date=19 Jun 1982|magazine=Billboard|title=Disco Dance Music > The Beat Meets The Street|issue=94|issn=0006-2510}}
Production and writing discography
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:89%;" ; |
| style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" style="background:darkslategray; color:white" | Year ! rowspan="2" style="background:darkslategray; color:white" | Work ! rowspan="2" style="background:darkslategray; color:white" | Label ! rowspan="2" style="background:darkslategray; color:white" | Add. ! rowspan="2" style="background:darkslategray; color:white" | Role ! colspan="2" style="background:darkslategray; color:white" | Peak chart positions |
| style="font-size:smaller;"
! width="30" style="background:darkslategray;"| US ! width="30" style="background:darkslategray;"| US |
| bgcolor=#bfe0bf colspan=7 align=center| Gary's Gang |
| 1978
| width="90" | "Keep On Dancin’" | Columbia Records/Sony | | artist, co-writer, co-producer | align=center| 11 | align=center| 1 |
| bgcolor=#bfe0bf colspan=7 align=center| Sharon Redd |
| 1982
| width="90" | "Beat the Street" | Prelude | with Darryl Payne | co-writer, co-producer | align=center| 41 | align=center| — |
| rowspan="3"| 1983
| width="90" | "Takin' a Chance on Love" | Prelude | with Gene Redd, S. Redd, Ruth Carson | co-writer, producer | align=center| — | align=center| — |
| width="90" | "You're the One"
| Prelude | with Daryl Payne | co-writer, producer | align=center| — | align=center| — |
| width="90" | "Love How You Feel"
| Prelude | alone | writer, producer | align=center| — | align=center| 16 |
| 1984
| width="90" | "You're a Winner" | Prelude | with S. Redd, Scott Nesbitt | co-writer, producer | align=center| — | align=center| — |
| bgcolor=#bfe0bf colspan=7 align=center| Elektric Funk |
| 1982
| width="90" | "On a Journey (I Sing the Funk Electric)" | Prelude | with Darryl Payne, Miles Watson | co-writer, co-producer | align=center| — | align=center| 33 |
| bgcolor=#bfe0bf colspan=7 align=center| Toney Lee |
| 1982
| width="90" | "Reach Up" | Radar | with Toney Lee | co-writer, producer | align=center| — | align=center| 8 |
| bgcolor=#bfe0bf colspan=7 align=center| France Joli |
| 1982
| width="90" | "Your Good Lovin'" | Prelude | with Darryl Payne | co-writer, co-producer | align=center| — | align=center| 53 |
| bgcolor=#bfe0bf colspan=7 align=center| Sinnamon |
| 1982
| width="90" | "Thanks to You" | Becket | with Darryl Payne, Keith Diamond | co-writer, co-producer | align=center| 44 | align=center| 1 |
| bgcolor=#bfe0bf colspan=7 align=center| Disco 4 |
| 1983
| width="90" | "We're at the Party" | Profile | with Disco 4 | co-writer, producer | align=center| 84 | align=center| — |
| bgcolor=#bfe0bf colspan=7 align=center| Rockell |
| 1998
| width="90" | "In a Dream" | Robbins Entertainment | | co-producer | align=center| — | align=center| 13 |
| bgcolor=#bfe0bf colspan=7 align=center| Phats & Small |
| 1998
| width="90" | "Turn Around" | Multiply Records | with Toney Lee | co-writer | align=center| — | align=center| 1 |
| bgcolor=#bfe0bf colspan=7 align=center| Soulsearcher |
| 1998
| width="90" | "Can't Get Enough" | Defected Records | | co-writer | align=center| — | align=center| 20 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.allmusic.com/artist/eric-matthew-mn0000802554/related AllMusic Page]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthew, Eric}}
Category:American male composers
Category:20th-century American composers
Category:Record producers from New York (state)
Category:American audio engineers
Category:American rock guitarists
Category:American male guitarists
Category:American soft rock musicians
Category:Musicians from Queens, New York
Category:American people of Italian descent
Category:20th-century American guitarists