Early in 2008, the musical Emotional Memory will launch in Chicago, after a successful run earlier this year in England. It will chronicle the lives of The Emotions, whose music, particularly during the 1970’s reigned over the R&B charts in the United States, and rose to the top of the pop charts in the U.K and America. Comprised of the three Hutchinson sisters, Wanda, Sheila and Pamela, The Emotions, are best known for their # 1 hit “Best Of My Love,” (1977), however they were far from being a one hit wonder, with top ten song, “Boogie Wonderland,” a 1979 collaboration with Earth, Wind & Fire, # 6 R&B hit, “Smile,” and # 7 R&B hit “Don’t Ask My Neighbors.”  They also recorded the popular “Flowers,” “Shouting Out Love,” and “Stealing Love.”  Their songs were not only chart stoppers in America, but were power hits in the U.K as well.  The Emotions have also been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.  The ladies have been the recipient of a Tokyo Music Festival Award, and their soulful harmonies have been embraced by blacks, whites, Latinos, Asians, Europeans and Africans, a testimony to their excellence.  

In a recent interview, the delightful Wanda Hutchinson fresh from a European tour, took time to speak with Riveting Riffs about the musical, the companion CD, also called Emotional Memory, and took time to reflect on the soulful journey that she has enjoyed with The Emotions. 

 “We (wrote) several new songs for our musical, and we have recorded them. My daughters, (in addition to) Nikkole (urban artist), and Wallace Hall, have written several songs for us. My favorite songs (on the CD) are the up-tempo “Chi-Town Anthem,” and a ballad called “Life,”  says Hutchinson while adding that the same sultry vocals her sister Sheila delivered for the song “Don’t Ask My Neighbors,” are evident in the new tune “Life.”

For their musical, The Emotions hooked up with producer Larry Heingartner, who has worked on several Disney musical productions. “He is the head of the drama department at Los Angeles Harbor College, which is where we worked up the musical. All of us took classes there in ’96 and ’97,” says Hutchinson.

“It (Emotional Memory, the musical) starts off with my father, Joseph Hutchinson. We are singing at his funeral, and remembering the songs that he taught us when we sung gospel music. It is based out of Chicago, but my dad was (originally) from Indiana and my mom was from Greenville, Mississippi. My father was singing with a gospel group from Chicago, called The Wings Of Heaven, at the time that they met. When we were three, four and five (years old), we were always at the rehearsals. We would hear them singing, so we would sing. After that, my father started working with us. By the time, that we were five, six and seven we were singing at the Hutchinson Sundays. My father quit his group and started singing (gospel) with us.  Until we got our record deal with Stax Records in 1968, we were singing gospel with my dad,” says Hutchinson, recalling that they signed their deal with Stax when they were sixteen, seventeen and eighteen years old.

I playfully tease Hutchinson and convey that I am happy that her sisters and she did not stick with some of their earlier monikers such as, Three Ribbons & A Beau, The Hutch Stereos, and The Sunbeams, among others. She recalls the time when they first adopted the name The Emotions, “We were singing “Ava Maria,” at Mahalia Jackson’s church in Chicago. She (Jackson) said if there was ever anything that she could do to help us get into music school or anything else; my parents just had to let her know. She said the affect that our music had on others was quite emotional.  My father named us The Emotions shortly after that.”