"Sideshow" is a song recorded by American R&B

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

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 Vinnie Barrett (born Gwendolyn Hines Woolfolk; 1945) is an American songwriter and musician. Career Barrett graduated from Armstrong High School in Washington, D.C. She studied music at Howard University and the University of the District of Col ...

and Bobby Eli (both collaborated on another Philly soul ballad "

Love Won't Let Me Wait "Love Won't Let Me Wait" is a hit 1975 single by Major Harris, a former member of R&B/soul group The Delfonics. Written by Vinnie Barrett and Bobby Eli, the single is considered to be a staple of classic soul playlists, and was Harris' only ent ...

" by former

Delfonics The Delfonics were an American R&B/soul vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Delfonics were most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include "La-La (Means I Love You)", "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This ...

member Major Harris), when

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

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 its introduction, featuring a repeat of the first 10 notes of a slow version of Julius Fucik's "

Entrance of the Gladiators "Entrance of the Gladiators" op. 68 or "Entry of the Gladiators" ( cz, Vjezd gladiátorů) is a military march composed in 1897 by the Czech composer Julius Fučík. He originally titled it "Grande Marche Chromatique", reflecting the use of chr ...

", while one of the band's members acts like a master of ceremonies, declaring: "Hurry!! Hurry!!! Step right up! See the saddest show in town for only 50 cents!" The follow-up song was the similarly themed "Three Ring Circus". Some radio edits fade the song out several seconds early, ahead of the repeat of the introduction in the Coda section, which also featured a reprise of the chorus, due to the length of the song.

Samples

The intro of "Sideshow" was sampled by Chris Brown in "Young Love".

Notes

The Chanter Sisters had a minor hit with a different song with the same title, which reached No.43 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in 1976.

Chart history

Blue Magic version

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Barry Biggs version

*It was covered as a reggae version by Barry Biggs who reached No.3 on the

with it in January 1977. Biggs also covered the Blue Magic, follow-up release, "Three Ring Circus" ( UK No.22).

Other cover versions

Ray, Goodman & Brown Ray, Goodman & Brown is an American R&B vocal group. The group originated as The Moments, who formed in the mid-1960s and whose greatest successes came in the 1970s with hits including " Love on a Two-Way Street", "Sexy Mama", and " Look at Me ...

Silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...

* Joss Stone *

Walter Beasley Walter Beasley is an American saxophonist, a professor of music at the Berklee College of Music, and founder of Affable Publishing and Affable Records. Biography Beasley grew up in El Centro, California. By the age of 13 he was singing in Span ...

Marc Hunter Marc Alexander Hunter (7 September 195317 July 1998) was a New Zealand rock and pop singer, songwriter and record producer. He was the lead vocalist of Dragon (1973–11/1979, 8/1982–1989, 1995–11/1997), a band formed by his older brother ...

References

External links

Music Legends Part 3:Blue Magic
* {{Authority control 1974 songs 1974 singles Atco Records singles Blue Magic (band) songs Silk (group) songs Songs written by Vinnie Barrett Songs written by Bobby Eli