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The Magic Of The Blue
''The Magic of the Blue'' is the second album by American soul group Blue Magic, produced by Norman Harris and Bobby Eli and released in 1974 on the Atco label. History The album was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia and features Sigma's famous house band MFSB. ''The Magic of the Blue'' received a similar favorable critical reception to its predecessor '' Blue Magic'', although its lead single "Three Ring Circus" was regarded as an obvious attempt to produce "Sideshow" Part 2. The album peaked at #14 on the R&B chart and #71 on the pop chart. It was reissued by Rhino Records in 2006, but unlike the same company's ''Blue Magic'' reissue, did not include any bonus tracks. Track listing Personnel ;Blue Magic *Vernon Sawyer, Richard Pratt, Keith Beaton, Wendell Sawyer, Ted Mills ;Musicians *Bobby Eli, Roland Chambers, Norman Harris, Tony Bell – guitars *Ted Mills, Ron Kersey, Cotton Kent – pianos *Rusty Jackmon, Ron Baker, Bob Babbitt – bass * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blue Magic (band)
Blue Magic is an American R&B and soul group, and one of the more popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. Founded in 1972, the group's original members included lead singer Ted Mills with Vernon Sawyer, Wendell Sawyer, Keith Beaton, and Richard Pratt. Their most notable songs included smooth soul ballads such as "Sideshow", "Spell", "What’s Come Over Me", "Three Ring Circus", and " Stop to Start". History Origins Blue Magic was formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1972 when former member of The Delfonics, Randy Cain, brought in singer-songwriter Ted Mills to do some writing with the Philly-based WMOT production company to create a new band. A short time later the group Shades of Love, featuring Keith Beaton, Richard Pratt, Vernon Sawyer and his brother Wendell, came in to audition. (According to Marc Taylor in his book ''A Touch of Classic Soul of the Early 1970s'', "although the group performed admirably, they lacked a standout lead singer".) The execs decided to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sideshow (song)
"Sideshow" is a song recorded by American R&B soul vocal quintet Blue Magic, released in 1974. It was first released on the album '' Blue Magic'' and when issued as a single it sold over a million copies, going to No.1 R&B in April 1974 and No.8 pop in the United States in that summer. ''Billboard'' ranked it as the No.19 song for 1974. In the Canadian Year-end chart, it was No.77. Background A visit into an antique museum was the inspiration to write a romance metaphor, which took about four months to finish. Composed by Vinnie Barrett and Bobby Eli (both collaborated on another Philly soul ballad "Love Won't Let Me Wait" by former Delfonics member Major Harris), when record producer and guitarist Norman Harris heard "Sideshow", he said that should be recorded by Blue Magic. Released on the album '' Blue Magic'', it became one of pop music's most affecting ballads and sold over a million copies, going to No.1 R&B and No.8 pop in the middle of 1974. The song is noted for it ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barbara Ingram
Barbara Jane Ingram (February 9, 1947 – October 20, 1994) was an American R&B singer and songwriter who was active throughout the early 1970s until the mid-late 1980s, enjoying modest success as a backup singer for almost two decades. Career In 1972, Ingram formed a vocal trio with her cousin Carla Benson and Benson's close friend, Evette Benton, alternating with group names such as: "The Sweethearts of Sigma", "The Philadelphia Angels", "The Sweeties" and "The Sweethearts". The trio can be heard on many Contemporary R&B/Disco albums recorded in Philadelphia. In 1971, she sang background vocals, alongside songwriter Linda Creed, on The Stylistics eponymous album, reappearing on their 1973 successor album, '' Rockin' Roll Baby''. In 1973 and 1974, Ingram appeared on Hawaiian based soul singer Dick Jensen’s eponymous debut album, followed by R&B/Soul band Ecstasy, Passion & Pain's eponymous debut album. Through the decade of the 1970s, Ingram, Benson and Benton comp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bunny Sigler
Walter "Bunny" Sigler (March 27, 1941 – October 6, 2017) was an American R&B singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer who did extensive work with the team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, and was instrumental in creating the "Philly Sound" in the early 1970s. Career Sigler was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and was nicknamed "Bunny" by his family as a young child. He sang in churches, and joined several local doo-wop groups, including the Opals, in which he sang with his brother James Sigler, Ritchie Rome and Jack Faith. By the late 1950s he had started performing in local venues as a singer and pianist, and he first recorded for the V-Tone Records label in 1959. Leon Huff then recommended him to record producers John Medora and Dave White at Cameo-Parkway Records. His second single for the Parkway label, a medley of two Shirley and Lee hits, " Let the Good Times Roll & Feel So Good", rose on both the national pop and R&B charts, r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phil Hurtt
Phil Hurtt is a musician, singer, songwriter and arranger who has written hits for The Detroit Spinners, The Ritchie Family and many others. His compositions have been recorded by many artists and he has worked as an arranger on recordings by well-known artists in the Soul genre. Background Phil Hurtt started out singing in church. At the age of 10, he and his oldest brother Al were singing on street corners. By the age of 12, he and his brother had formed a group with their cousin Sarah. They were known as Sarah & the Dreams. They got a steady gig performing in Gold Room of the Theresa Hotel in Harlem. After cousin Sarah left the group in 1957, they became The Swinging Phillies. Philadelphia DJ named Jocko Henderson had something to do with the name change. That year, they signed a recording contract with Deluxe Records. By the time Hurtt was 15, they had released a single, "Frankenstein's Party" b/w "L-O-V-E". Both tunes were written by his brother Al with Phil Hurtt writing t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joseph Tarsia
Joseph Dominick Tarsia (September 23, 1934 – November 1, 2022) was an American recording studio owner and engineer from Philadelphia who was credited on many classic pop music tracks, earning him over 150 gold and platinum record awards. He was the founder and owner of the Sigma Sound Studios, which was the recording base of Gamble and Huff's Philadelphia International Records. Tarsia's recordings between the 1960s and 1980s were noteworthy for their clarity and aural definition, achieved years before the digital era. Biography Tarsia took technical courses in high school before taking a position with the research department of Philco Corporation, which lasted for a decade. Later, he became a service technician for various Philadelphia recording studios. He traveled to New York City to mix with top audio engineers. Around 1961, he took an audio engineering position with Cameo Parkway Records. Cameo Parkway's artists included Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, The Orlons, The Tymes, D ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vince Montana
Vincent Montana Jr. (February 12, 1928 – April 13, 2013), known as Vince Montana, was an American composer, arranger, vibraphonist, and percussionist. He is best known as a member of MFSB and as the founder of the Salsoul Orchestra. He has been called "the Godfather of disco". Montana was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2016. Life and career Montana was born in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in an Italian-American neighborhood. He began playing drums as a child and soon took up other percussion instruments, including the glockenspiel and marimba. By the late 1940s, he regularly played in nightclubs with jazz musicians such as Charlie Parker, Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown and Red Garland. He then spent time as a musician in Las Vegas hotels, accompanying and arranging for Harry Belafonte, Louis Prima and others. He returned to Philadelphia in the late 1950s, playing vibraphone on Frankie Avalon's 1959 hit "Venus", as well as recordings ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Earl Young (drummer)
Earl Donald Young (born June 2, 1940) is a Philadelphia-based drummer who rose to prominence in the early 1970s as part of the Philly Soul sound. Young is best known as the founder and leader of The Trammps who had a hit record with "Disco Inferno". Young, along with Ronnie Baker and Norman Harris (the trio best known as Baker-Harris-Young), was the owner of the Golden Fleece record label. Career Young is seen as the inventor of the disco style of rock drumming (in Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes's "The Love I Lost" from 1973), and is often credited with popularizing four-on-the-floor bass drum beats, and as being the first drummer to make extensive and distinctive use of the hi-hat cymbal throughout the playing time of an R&B song. This led to DJs favoring his recordings because they could hear the cymbal quite easily in their headphones as they "cued up" records to be mixed. In the mid-sixties Young played drums on many recordings for the Philadelphia-based record label "ARCT ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bob Babbitt
__NOTOC__ Robert Andrew Kreinar (November 26, 1937 – July 16, 2012), known as Bob Babbitt, was a Hungarian-American bassist, most famous for his work as a member of Motown Records' studio band, the Funk Brothers, from 1966 to 1972, as well as his tenure as part of MFSB for Philadelphia International Records afterwards. Also in 1968, with Mike Campbell, Ray Monette and Andrew Smith he formed the band Scorpion, which lasted until 1970. He is ranked number 59 on ''Bass Player'' magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Bass Players of All Time". Babbitt traded off sessions with original Motown bassist James Jamerson. When Motown moved to Los Angeles, Babbit went in the opposite direction and ended up in New York as well as making occasional trips to Philadelphia. In this new city he worked on recordings for Frank Sinatra, Barry Manilow, Gloria Gaynor, Robert Palmer, and Alice Cooper. During this time his most notable successes were " Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ronnie Baker (musician)
Ronald Baker (1947 – 1990) was an American record producer, bassist, arranger and songwriter. He participated on many Gamble and Huff recordings and was one-third of the production team Baker-Harris-Young. He was one of The Trammps, who are best known for their hit "Disco Inferno", which hit #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. In 2016, Baker was posthumously inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum (MHOF) in Nashville honors all musicians regardless of genre or instrument. The MHOF timeline starts with the beginning of recorded music and inductees are nominated by current members of the American Feder .... References 1947 births 1990 deaths 20th-century American bass guitarists MFSB members Salsoul Orchestra members The Trammps members {{US-bass-guitarist-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ron Kersey
Tyrone Garfield Kersey (April 7, 1949 – January 25, 2005), known as Ron "Have Mercy" Kersey, was an American keyboardist, songwriter, producer and arranger most known for writing the music to "Disco Inferno" by The Trammps. Kersey was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended and graduated from Edison High School where he sang in the glee club and played football. He was a lifelong football fan and loved his Philadelphia Eagles. Kersey served in the United States Air Force from 1967 through 1972. While in the service he often played piano and keyboards at the local boards. There is where he gained the nickname "have mercy". It was the name the patrons would scream at him as he played because they loved his funky rhythms. Upon returning to Philadelphia, he re-acquainted himself with his longtime friend and musician Norman Harris. Norman was instrumental in Kersey becoming a studio musician at Sigma Sound Studios. He later became a member of the disco band The Trammps. Kerse ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Allan Felder
Allan Wayne Felder (May 26, 1943 – November 7, 1999) was an American songwriter. He had many successes with songs created during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s – frequently collaborating with Norman Harris, Bunny Sigler, and Ronnie Baker. His sister is Nadine Felder of Honey And The Bees Honey & the Bees were a girl group from Philadelphia who had a hit in 1971 with "It's Gonna Take A Miracle". Two of the members of the group would later become part of The Ritchie Family. Background According to one source, the group began as Th .... Since 2015, the publishing interest of Allan Felder’s catalog has been represented by Reservoir Media Management. References {{DEFAULTSORT:Felder, Allan 1943 births 1999 deaths American male songwriters Musicians from Philadelphia Songwriters from Pennsylvania 20th-century male musicians ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |