Emma (song)

"Emma", also known as "Emma, Emmalene" or "Emmelene", is a song by Errol Brown and Tony Wilson released as a single by British soul band Hot Chocolate in 1974. It reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart and number 8 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. After being asked by producer Mickie Most to add "depth and darkness" to his compositions, Brown wrote the song about the death of his mother.[1]

"Emma"
Single by Hot Chocolate
from the album Cicero Park
B-side	"Makin’ Music" (UK) "A Love Like Yours" (US)
Released	25 February 1974
Genre	R&B, Soul
Length	3:52
Label	RAK, Big Tree (US)
Songwriter(s)	Errol Brown, Tony Wilson
Producer(s)	Mickie Most
Hot Chocolate singles chronology
"Rumours" (1973) "Emma" (1974) "Changing World" (1974)
Music video
"Emma" (TopPop, 1974) on YouTube

Lyrics

The song details the love of the (nameless) singer and a girl called Emmalene from the age of five, through a wedding at 17 until her suicide at an unspecified later date. Emma it seems wanted to be a "movie queen" but could never find the breaks and eventually kills herself because "I just can't keep on living on dreams no more."

Chart history

Weekly charts Chart (1974–75) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report) 6 Belgium 2 Canada RPM Top Singles[2] 5 Germany 19 Ireland (IRMA)[3] 7 Netherlands 2 New Zealand (Listener)[4] 2 UK [5] 3 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[6] 8 U.S. Billboard R&B U.S. Cash Box Top 100[7] 6

Year-end charts Chart (1975) Rank Australia [8] 45 Canada [9] 45 UK [10] 44 U.S. (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)[11] 93 U.S. Cash Box [12] 87

Cover versions

• Earth Quake recorded a cover version for their 1977 album, Leveled.
• The Sisters of Mercy started performing the song live in 1983. The studio version was released on the b-side of the 12" version of their 1988 single, "Dominion", and on the 2006 re-release of the album, Floodland. There is also an alternate version circulating from a 1983 John Peel radio session.
• Urge Overkill recorded a version for 1990 Touch and Go Records release, The Supersonic Storybook.
• The Oil Tasters released a version of the song on a 1982 album.
• Steve Harley recorded a version for his 2020 album Uncovered.[13]

References

1. Magee, Matthew (4 February 2009). "Hot Chocolate's Errol Brown: The accidental superstar". The Telegraph. London: Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
2. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1975-05-10. Retrieved 2019-08-11.
3. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Emma". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
4. Flavour of New Zealand, 27 July 1974
5. "Official Charts Company". Retrieved 2019-08-11.
6. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
7. Cash Box Top 100 Singles, April 26, 1975
8. Australian-charts.com
9. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca.
10. "Top Selling Singles for 1974". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications: 20. 4 January 1975.
11. Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
12. "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 27, 1975". Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
13. "Uncovered - Steve Harley | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. 2020-02-21. Retrieved 2020-04-06.