Sarah Fulcher - Sarah & Friends (2021) Hi-Res

TMI Records. I could find no record of Sarah Fulcher's career for the balance of the 1960s. However, a series of Billboard magazine articles in early 1971 make a number of references to a Sarah Fulcher who is a singer on TMI Records. She is specifically referred to as being from San Marcos, TX, so I am confident that it is the same Sarah Fulcher. More importantly, it appears she recorded an album for TMI Records in Memphis in 1971, produced by Steve Cropper of Booker T and The MGs. Finally, since her picture is on the cover, we can now put a face to the voice.

A detailed feature in Billboard describes the backstory to Trans Maximus Inc (TMI). Manager Jerry Williams and guitarist/producer Steve Cropper teamed up to form a production company in Memphis, TN, complete with a recording studio and record label. Williams had been manager of Paul Revere and The Raiders, among many others, and Steve Cropper had not only been in the MGs, but he had written, recorded and produced many hits for Stax Records and many other labels. According to a May 29, 1971 Billboard article on TMI, Cropper had produced Fulcher's debut album for TMI, and there was a lot of enthusiasm for the record.

TMI Records was a "Custom" label for Columbia Records. Structurally, this meant that the principals (Cropper and Williams) had control of their artists, but the ultimate output belonged to Columbia, the parent label. The idea was that this arrangement promoted the creative vision of the principals while leveraging the financing and distribution of a major label. This is a tried and true formula for major record companies. Columbia particularly liked this arrangement in the early 1970s, and they had a similar arrangement with Douglas Records. Producer Alan Douglas, of course, made the arrangement to have Jerry Garcia record with Howard Wales for the Hooteroll album.