Blue Magic (album)
| Blue Magic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 1974 | |||
| Studio | Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||
| Genre | Philadelphia soul | |||
| Length | 43:35 (original version) 56:25 (expanded reissue) | |||
| Label | Atco | |||
| Producer | Norman Harris, Alan Rubens, Steven Bernstein | |||
| Blue Magic chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Blue Magic | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B+[2] |
Blue Magic is the eponymous debut album by American soul group Blue Magic, produced by Norman Harris and released in 1974 on the Atco label.
History
Blue Magic's debut single "Spell" was released in November 1972 and work on the album began in early 1973. Two more singles, "Look Me Up" and "
The Main Ingredient
, whose version reached both the R&B and pop top 10 at around the same time Blue Magic was released. Blue Magic peaked at No. 4 on the R&B album chart and No. 45 on the pop chart.
Music for the album was provided by
disco sound of 1973-74, expressed his opinion that Harris' expertise in this field gave Blue Magic the ability to deliver convincing uptempo tracks in a way which largely eluded other Philadelphia soul groups with whom they are usually bracketed, notably The Stylistics and The Delfonics
.
Blue Magic was reissued by
B-sides
previously unavailable on CD and a remix of "Look Me Up"
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sideshow" | Bobby Eli, Vinny Barrett | 4:06 |
| 2. | "Look Me Up" | Norman Harris, Allan Felder | 5:54 |
| 3. | "What's Come Over Me" | Ted Mills | 4:09 |
| 4. | "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely" | Bobby Eli, Vinny Barrett, John Freeman | 7:00 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Stop to Start" | Jimmy Grant, Allan Felder | 3:18 |
| 6. | "Welcome to the Club" | Norman Harris, Allan Felder | 5:05 |
| 7. | "Spell" | Ted Mills | 4:15 |
| 8. | "Answer to My Prayer" | Norman Harris, Allan Felder | 3:15 |
| 9. | "Tear It Down" | Ted Mills, Allan Felder | 5:27 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Guess Who" (B-side of "Spell") | Mills | 3:37 |
| 11. | "Where Have You Been" (B-side of "Stop to Start") | Mills, Felder | 3:20 |
| 12. | "Look Me Up" (Tom Moulton Remix) | Harris, Felder | 5:56 |
Personnel
- Blue Magic
- Vernon Sawyer, Richard Pratt, Wendell Sawyer, Keith Beaton, Ted Mills – vocals
- Musicians
- Bobby Eli, Norman Harris, Ted Cohen, Roland Chambers – guitars
- Ted Mills, Ron Kersey, Cotton Kent – pianos
- Ronnie Baker, Jimmy Grant, Lee Smith, Jimmy DeJulio – bass
- Earl Young, Larry James – drums
- Larry Washington – percussion
- Vince Montana– vibes
- Don Renaldo and his Strings and Horns – strings & horns accompaniment
Production
- Norman Harris – producer, remixing, arrangement
- Alan Rubens, Steven Bernstein – producers, executive producers
- Bruce Gable – executive producer
- Joe Tarsia, Kenny Present, Don Murray, Jay Mark, Carl Paruolo – recording engineers
- Vince Montana– arrangement
- Carl Helm – vocal arrangement
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
US A/C |
CAN | ||
| 1973 | "Spell" | — | 30 | — | — |
| "Look Me Up" | — | 36 | — | — | |
| "Stop to Start" | 74 | 14 | — | 59 | |
| 1974 | "Sideshow" | 8 | 1 | 35 | 5 |
References
- AllMusic. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
- ^ "Blue Magic, TLP". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
- ^ "Blue Magic, BLP". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
- ^ "RPM Top Albums - February 17, 1969" (PDF).
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1974". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
External links
- Blue Magic at Discogs (list of releases)
