The Magic of the Blue

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox album

| name = The Magic of the Blue

| type = Studio

| artist = Blue Magic

| cover = bluemagic2.jpg

| alt =

| released = December 1974

| recorded = 1974

| venue =

| studio = Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

| genre = Philadelphia soul

| length = 43:17

| label = Atco

| producer = Norman Harris, Bobby Eli

| prev_title = Blue Magic

| prev_year = 1974

| next_title = Thirteen Blue Magic Lane

| next_year = 1975

}}

{{Music ratings

| rev1 =AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{AllMusic |class=album |id=r582103 |tab=review |label=The Magic of the Blue review |first=Jason |last=Ankeny |accessdate=2011-10-21}}

|rev2 = Christgau's Record Guide

|rev2Score = C+{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|publisher=Ticknor & Fields|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: B|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=B&bk=70|accessdate=February 22, 2019|via=robertchristgau.com}}

}}

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

{{Track listing

| headline = Side one

| title1 = Three Ring Circus

| writer1 = Bobby Eli, Vinnie Barrett

| length1 = 5:12

| title2 = Stringin' Me Along

| writer2 = Norman Harris, Pat Cooper, Ronnie Tyson

| length2 = 3:29

| title3 = You Don't Have to Tell Me Goodbye

| writer3 = Norman Harris, Vinnie Barrett, James Hendricks

| length3 = 4:26

| title4 = Never Get Over You

| writer4 = Norman Harris, Allan Felder

| length4 = 4:42

| title5 = Talking to Myself

| writer5 = Bobby Eli, Vinnie Barrett

| length5 = 4:22

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side two

| title6 = Let Me Be the One

| writer6 = Norman Harris, Allan Felder, Chuck Brooks

| length6 = 5:05

| title7 = Maybe Just Maybe (We Can Fall in Love Again)

| writer7 = Morris Bailey, Jr., Edward Green

| length7 = 4:15

| title8 = Love Has Found Its Way to Me

| writer8 = Bobby Eli, Allan Waldman

| length8 = 5:02

| title9 = When Ya Coming Home

| writer9 = Ted Mills, Allan Felder

| length9 = 3:48

| title10 = Looking for a Friend

| writer10 = Ted Mills

| length10 = 4:12

}}

Personnel

;Blue Magic

  • Vernon Sawyer, Richard Pratt, Keith Beaton, Wendell Sawyer, Ted Mills

;Musicians

Production

Charts

class="wikitable"

!Chart (1974)

!Peak
{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0000053428|tab=awards|title=Blue Magic > US Charts|accessdate=2016-07-11}}

U.S. Billboard Top LPs

|align="center"|71

U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs

|align="center"|14

;Singles

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
rowspan="2"| Year

! rowspan="2"| Single

! colspan="4"| Peak chart positions

style="font-size:smaller;"

! width="40"| US

! width="40"| US
R&B

! width="40"| US
A/C

! width="40"| CAN
{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.3890b.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - November 30, 1974}}

rowspan="1"|1974

| align="left"| "Three Ring Circus"

| 36

| 5

| 26

| 87

rowspan="1"|1975

| align="left"| "Love Has Found Its Way to Me"

| —

| 45

| —

| —

References

{{reflist}}