Alex Henderson

Blue Magic
Message from the Magic 

Philadelphia, like Detroit and Chicago, was one of the top cities for northern soul during the 1960s and 1970s. The 1960s saw the rise of Philly-based icons like the Intruders, the Delfonics, Barbara Mason, the Moments (later Ray, Goodman & Brown) and Patti LaBelle & the Blue Belles, and Philly soul became even more popular in the 1970s thanks to a long list of Philadelphians who included the Stylistics, the Trammps, First Choice, producer/songwriter Norman Harris, songwriters Thom Bell & Linda Creed and the legendary producing/songwriting team of Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff. Although Gamble & Huff wrote and produced some major hits in the 1960s (including “Expressway to Your Heart” for the Soul Survivors and “Cowboys to Girls” for the Intruders), their Philadelphia International label (which was founded in 1971 and distributed by Epic/CBS Records, now Epic/Sony Music) made them even bigger thanks to a stellar roster that boasted, among others, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Teddy Pendergrass, the Three Degrees, MFSP, Billy Paul and the O’Jays (who were from Cleveland, Ohio but recorded most of their major hits at Philly’s famous Sigma Sound Studios).

Another group that prospered from Philly soul was the vocal quintet Blue Magic, who were formed in Philly in 1972 and favored a gossamer sound that was greatly influenced by the Delfonics and the Stylistics. Blue Magic exploded commercially in 1974 with their melancholy ballad “Sideshow” (which soared to #1 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart and #8 on Billboard’s pop singles chart), and their other 1970s hits included “Stop to Start,” “What’s Come Over Me,” “Three Ring Circus” and “Chasing Rainbows.” The mid-1970s were good to Blue Magic, but by the time they recorded their fifth studio album, Message from the Magic, for Atco/Atlantic Records in 1978, Blue Magic’s popularity was fading. And with Message from the Magic, they opted to try something different: instead of recording the album at Sigma Sound Studios in Philly, they traveled west to Los Angeles and worked with the late producer/songwriter Skip Scarborough, whose songs had been smash hits for LTD (“Love Ballad” in 1976) and the Emotions (“Don’t Ask My Neighbors” in 1977). Scarborough, who produced and arranged this album, was on very friendly terms with the members of Earth, Wind & Fire and wrote two songs that were big hits for them: “Love’s Holiday” and “Can’t Hide Love,” which was originally recorded in 1973 by an L.A.-based group called the Creative Source but became much better known when EWF recorded it in 1975. And while previous Blue Magic albums were dominated by Philly-based musicians, Message from the Magic finds them working with a variety of L.A. session players as well as with EWF members who include Philip Bailey on percussion, Al McKay on guitar and Ralph Johnson on drums. The late Don Myrick, who was part of the Phenix Horns (EWF’s horn section), is heard on saxophone.  

Blue Magic’s original 1972 lineup consisted of lead singer Ted “Wizard” Mills and his colleagues Wendell Sawyer, Vernon Sawyer, Richard Pratt and Keith “Duke” Beaton. But the Sawyer brothers left after 1976’s Mystic Dragons, and on Message from the Magic, the lineup consisted of Mills, Pratt, Beaton and newcomers Michael Buchanan and Walter Smith. Most of the songs on Message from the Magic were written by members of Blue Magic, including “Still in Love with You,” “Sweet Woman,” “Message,” “Can’t Get You off My Mind,” “If You Want Me To” and the single “Purple Passion.” But Bailey co-wrote “I Waited” and “Four Leaf Clover,” while Scarborough co-wrote “Lady in My World of Love.” And the end result is an appealing album that combines Philly soul with elements of EWF’s sound.

Blue Magic still sound like Blue Magic on Message from the Magic; Scarborough and the EWF members don’t obscure Blue Magic’s personality, and Blue Magic don’t forget their Delfonics/Stylistics roots. Nonetheless, an EWF influence asserts itself—specifically, the influence of EWF’s softer side (as in “Reasons,” “Devotion” or “Imagination”). EWF never had a problem giving their fans sweaty, gutsy funk—“Shining Star,” “Getaway,” “Mighty Mighty,” “Yearnin’ Learnin’” and “Jupiter” are among the many funk classics they recorded in the 1970s—but on Message from the Magic, it is the romantic side of EWF that inspires Blue Magic.

The combination of Blue Magic and members of Earth, Wind & Fire certainly sounds like a recipe for commercial success. Back in 1978, EWF were huge. And yet, Message from the Magic wasn’t a big seller—although it has a very good reputation among Blue Magic’s diehard fans and enjoyed some exposure on the quiet storm programs of the late 1970s. It isn’t hard to see why most of Message from the Magic worked well with radio’s quiet storm format: romantic ballads and slow jams dominate the album, and many of the performances are as mellow as they are ethereal. Even “Purple Passion,” which is one of the album’s more danceable and disco-minded offerings, has an ethereal quality.

Although Blue Magic parted company with Atco/Atlantic after Message from the Magic, they went on to record three albums in the 1980s: 1981’s Welcome Back on Capitol Records, 1983’s Magic Number on Mirage Records and 1989’s From Out of the Blue on Columbia. The Philadelphians never recaptured the big sales they enjoyed in the mid-1970s, although they still have their hardcore fans after all these years—and various Blue Magic lineups have continued to perform in the 2010s.

Scarborough was a busy man in 1978, when his ballad “Love Changes” was recorded by Mother’s Finest and became the Atlanta-based funk-rockers’ biggest hit. And Scarborough had some major victories in the 1980s—most notably, the ballad “Giving You the Best That I Got,” which was co-written by him and reached #1 R&B and #1 adult contemporary in Billboard. Sadly, Scarborough was only 58 when he died of cancer in 2003.

It has been 42 years since the formation of Blue Magic and 40 years since “Sideshow” took the Billboard charts by storm. Blue Magic’s Philly soul continues to hold up nicely after all these years, and that includes Message from the Magic.

—Alex Henderson, January 2014

Alex Henderson’s work has appeared in Billboard, Spin, Creem, Salon.com, The L.A. Weekly, AlterNet, JazzTimes, Jazziz, Cash Box, HITS, CD Review, Skin Two, Black Beat, The Pasadena Weekly, Black Radio Exclusive (BRE), Music Connection, Latin Style, The New York City Jazz Record, Jazz Inside Magazine and many other well-known publications. Henderson (alexvhenderson.com) also contributed several thousand CD reviews to The All Music Guide’s popular website and series of music reference books.