Song:Sideshow
Album:The Best Of Blue Magic: Soulful Spell
Though they had several R & B hits, the 1974 hit Sideshow was the only top ten pop hit for the smooth Philly Soul group Blue Magic. Though he wasn't actually a member of the group, Randy Cain of The Delfonics was responsible for putting the group together. He took singer songwriter Ted Mills to WMOT Productions to be a staff songwriter and write songs for The Delfonics. WMOT had auditioned a group called Shades Of Love. They were pals with Mills anyway and Mills became lead singer and the group was named Blue Magic. Other members were Keith Beaton, Richard Pratt and Vernon & Wendell Sawyer. Norman Harris produced the group. Harris was part of Baker/Harris/Young and produced all kinds of groups. WMOT signed a distribution deal with Atco. Sideshow was the secons single and topped the R & B charts and reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was written by legendary Philly Soul guitarist Bobby Eli and his long time songwriting partner Gwen Woolfolk. She usually used the name Vinnie Barrett. Eli, Harris, Earl Young, Ron Baker and MFSB played on the song. Blue Magic continued to have success in the 70s on the R & B charts. This Rhino comp has all their hits. But they came to a halt when Ted Mills and Richard Pratt left in 1981. Rod Wayne was the new lead singer and Blue Magic had some R & B chart success in 1989. Blue Magic still tours today and Ted Mills does a lot of musical theatre. Here's Blue Magic performing Sideshow on Soul Train 1974.
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