SoulMusic Records (SMR) in association with The Second Disc is proud to present the first-ever definitive 6CD box set by the legendary Philadelphia quintet founded by Ted Wizard Mills, Vernon Sawyer, Wendell Sawyer, Keith Beaton, and Richard Pratt.

Entitled Stop to Start - The Atco & WMOT Recordings (1973-1977), this amazing 74-track collection includes expanded editions of Blue Magic’s five full-length albums for Atco and WMOT Records as well as all of the group’s live performances from their sizzling concert album with Major Harris and Margie Joseph.

Oh, and it also contains come wonderful bonus tracks, including rare single versions and B-sides plus remixes from Tom Moulton and Mike Maurro.

Led by falsetto singer Ted Wizard Mills – following in the footsteps of his influences, The Stylistics’ Russell Thompkins, Jr. and The Delfonics’ William Hart – Blue Magic recorded some of the richest and most beautiful ballads of the 1970s as well as uptempo floor-fillers that set the stage for the disco era.

Key tracks include Blue Magic’s signature song “Sideshow” as well as ‘Three Ring Circus’, ‘Just Don’t Want to Be Lonely’, ‘Stop to Start’, ‘Grateful’, ‘Look Me Up’, and a duet with soulful songstress Margie Joseph on ‘What’s Come Over Me’.

Includes productions from Philly soul and disco titans Norman Harris and Bobby Eli as well as Earth, Wind & Fire collaborator Skip Scarborough while musical contributors include Vincent Montana, Jr., Ronnie Baker, Earl Young, Jack Faith, Dave Crawford, and members of the legendary MFSB.

The deluxe booklet designed by Roger Williams includes liner notes by The Second Disc’s Joe Marchese drawing on extensive new interviews with WMOT Records co-founder Alan Rubens and acclaimed songwriter Vinnie Barrett (‘Sideshow’, ‘Three Ring Circus’) as well as archival quotes from Bobby Eli, Ted Wizard Mills, Vernon Sawyer, and the members of Blue Magic. The booklet also features rare and unseen photos of the group.

Disc One: BLUE MAGIC (1974)
1. SIDESHOW 2. LOOK ME UP 3. WHAT’S COME OVER ME 4. JUST DON’T WANT TO BE LONELY 5. STOP TO START 6. WELCOME TO THE CLUB 7. SPELL 8. ANSWER TO MY PRAYER 9. TEAR IT DOWN 10. GUESS WHO [Bonus Track] 11. LOOK ME UP (SINGLE EDIT) [Bonus Track] 12. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN [Bonus Track] 13. JUST DON’T WANT TO BE LONELY (SINGLE EDIT) [Bonus Track] 14. WELCOME TO THE CLUB (UK SINGLE EDIT) [Bonus Track] 15. LOOK ME UP (TOM MOULTON REMIX) [Bonus Track] 16. SIDESHOW (MIKE MAURRO EXTENDED MAGIC REMIX) [Bonus Track]

In truth, when Blue Magic hit big in 1974, their smooth, polished sound owed a lot to the Bell/Creed school; this incredibly promising debut album finds the Philly vocal group wearing their Stylistics/Delfonics/Moments heritage like a badge of honor. But the LP also demonstrates that Blue Magic was a fine group in their own right.

The single that put Blue Magic on the map was ‘Sideshow,’ a hit ballad that is as clever as it is melancholy. ‘Sideshow’ describes a circus, but not an ordinary circus - a circus in which all of the attractions are noteworthy because of their terrible luck when it comes to romantic relationships. The tune is simply magnificent; like so many great blues and country gems, ‘Sideshow’ finds a very witty way to talk about romantic disappointments.

But even though ‘Sideshow’ is one of Philly soul’s all-time classics, it isn’t the only song that makes this LP worth owning. The rest of the album is also superb, and that includes the snappy ‘Look Me Up,’ as well as dreamy, gossamer ballads like ‘Spell’ and ‘What’s Come Over Me’ (which Blue Magic revisited on a 1975 remake that features singer Margie Joseph).

Disc Two: MAGIC OF THE BLUE (1974)
1. THREE RING CIRCUS 2. STRINGIN’ ME ALONG 3. YOU WON’T HAVE TO TELL ME GOODBYE 4. NEVER GET OVER YOU 5. TALKING TO MYSELF 6. LET ME BE THE ONE 7. MAYBE JUST MAYBE (WE CAN FALL IN LOVE AGAIN) 8. LOVE HAS FOUND ITS WAY TO ME 9. WHEN YA COMING HOME 10. LOOKING FOR A FRIEND 11. THREE RING CIRCUS (SINGLE EDIT) [Bonus Track] 12. LOVE HAS FOUND ITS WAY TO ME (SINGLE EDIT) [Bonus Track] 13. LOOK ME UP (TOM MOULTON EXTENDED REMIX) [Bonus Track]

In my humble opinion, Blue Magic’s sublime sophomore effort manages to retain the delicate beauty of their debut while summoning a more confident, robust approach to group harmony. The Magic of the Blue is above all a celebration of the human voice in all its myriad forms of expression.

Whether transcending contrived ballads like ‘Three-Ring Circus’ (a bland rewrite of the earlier hit ‘Sideshow’) or soaring on the strength of up-tempo dance tunes like the excellent title cut, Blue Magic’s harmonies are impeccable, showcased by arrangers Norman Harris, Bobby Eli, and Vince Montana in a series of elegant, richly detailed contexts as unique to Philadelphia as the Liberty Bell.

Disc Three: THIRTEEN BLUE MAGIC LANE (1975)
1. THE LONELIEST HOUSE ON THE BLOCK 2. CHASING RAINBOWS 3. BORN ON HALLOWEEN 4. HAUNTED (BY YOUR LOVE) 5. I LIKE YOU 6. MAGIC OF THE BLUE 7. WE’RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK 8. STOP AND GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF 9. MARGIE JOSEPH & BLUE MAGIC: WHAT’S COME OVER ME 10. MARGIE JOSEPH & BLUE MAGIC: YOU & ME (GOT A GOOD THING GOING) [Bonus Track] 11. GRATEFUL [Bonus Track] 12. MAGIC OF THE BLUE (VOCAL VERSION) [Bonus Track] 13. STOP AND GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF (SINGLE EDIT) [Bonus Track] 14. GRATEFUL (SINGLE EDIT) [Bonus Track]

Without a shadow of a doubt, the third Blue Magic LP continues to subtly refine and expand the group’s approach. While their gossamer harmonies remain squarely at the forefront, Thirteen Blue Magic Lane features more pronounced club grooves than on their previous records, bowing to the inexorable shift from classic Philly soul to disco.

Arranged by Norman Harris and Ron Kersey, several songs feature electronic textures that add surprisingly complementary muscle to Blue Magic’s delicate vocals. In fact, despite the presence of sumptuous ballads like ‘Chasing Rainbows’ and ‘Loneliest House on the Block,’ up-tempo fare like ‘We’re on the Right Track’ is even better.

The times would later pass Blue Magic by, but for this glorious album, they were not only in lockstep with the prevailing attitudes but further ahead of the curve than any of their contemporaries.

Disc Four: MYSTIC DRAGONS (1976)
1. FREAK-N-STEIN 2. TO GET LOVE (YOU MUST GIVE LOVE) 3. SEE THE BEDROOM 4. MOTHER FUNK 5. SUMMER SNOW 6. ROCK N ROLL REVIVAL 7. TEACH ME (IT’S SOMETHING ABOUT LOVE) 8. MAKING LOVE TO A MEMORY 9. SPARK OF LOVE 10. FREAK-N-STEIN (SINGLE EDIT) [Bonus Track] 11. SUMMER SNOW (SINGLE EDIT) [Bonus Track]

All the while having epitomized the sweeter side of Philadelphia soul, allowing R&B lovers to fall in love with them album after album, thusly having always been associated with romantic ballads and slow jams (and definitely not tough, gritty funk), it came as a huge surprise when, in 1976, Blue Magic opened its fourth album, Mystic Dragons, with the very funky and very danceable ‘Freak-N-Stein.’

That infectious opener demonstrated that the Philadelphians were quite capable of handling funk, and they are every bit as inspired on the equally funky ‘Mother Funk.’ Also surprising is the exuberant ‘Rock N Roll Revival,’ which blends R&B with rock and is hardly the sort of tune one expected Blue Magic to record in 1976.

But the group doesn’t abandon ballads and slow jams on this Bobby Eli-produced LP for those who cherish its sweetly romantic side should have no problem getting into ‘Summer Snow,’ ‘To Get Love,’ or ‘Making Love to a Memory.’

Although not as essential as 1974’s Blue Magic or 1975’s Thirteen Blue Magic Lane, Mystic Dragons is a solid, rewarding effort that offers its share of surprises.

Disc Five: BLUE MAGIC/MAJOR HARRIS/ MARGIE JOSEPH - LIVE! (1975)
1. BLUE MAGIC, MAJOR HARRIS, MARGIE JOSEPH: I LOVE MUSIC 2. BLUE MAGIC: MEDLEY - (a) SPELL (b) YOU’RE MY FIRST, MY LAST, MY EVERYTHING (c) WE’RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK 3. BLUE MAGIC: MEDLEY - (a) TRY TO REMEMBER (b) STOP TO START 4. BLUE MAGIC: CHASING RAINBOWS 5. BLUE MAGIC: SIDESHOW 6. BLUE MAGIC: HAUNTED (BY YOUR LOVE) 7. BLUE MAGIC & MARGIE JOSEPH: WHAT’S COME OVER ME 8. BLUE MAGIC: BAD LUCK 9. BLUE MAGIC & MARGIE JOSEPH: I’M GONNA MAKE YOU LOVE ME 10. BLUE MAGIC & MARGIE

The fifth disc features a wonderful ten-track selection of live tracks, all coupled together for the time that Blue Magic, Major Harris and Margie Joseph took to the stage.

This delightful live recording, recorded in 1975 at Cherry Hill, NJ’s Latin Casino, finds Blue Magic sharing the bill with two other 70’s soulsters: Major Harris (an ex-member of the Delfonics and cousin of the late producer Norman Harris) and Margie Joseph (who is the only non-Philadelphian on the bill).

Blue Magic soar on inspired performances of their hits ‘Sideshow,’ ‘What’s Come Over Me’ (a duet with the talented if underrated Joseph), ‘We’re on the Right Track Now,’ and ‘Stop to Start,’ and Harris doesn’t let listeners down on the congenial ‘Loving You Is Mellow’ or his sexy 1975 smash ‘Love Won’t Let Me Wait’ (which was covered by Luther Vandross in 1989).

In truth, Joseph is quite enjoyable when she gives Paul McCartney’s ‘My Love’ the Northern soul treatment, although her performance of Morris Albert’s ‘Feelings" is undeniably the low point of this album. Joseph tries to inject some soul into Albert’s insipid, mushy ballad, but it doesn’t work. Joseph, for all her talent, cannot salvage one of the most insufferable easy listening songs of the 70’s, but it is what it is.

Disc Six: MESSAGE FROM THE MAGIC (1978)
1. CAN’T GET YOU OFF MY MIND 2. IF YOU WANT ME TO 3. LADY IN MY WORLD OF LOVE 4. FOUR LEAF CLOVER 5. PURPLE PASSION 6. STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU 7. MESSAGE 8. SWEET WOMAN 9. I WAITED 10. I WAITED (SINGE EDIT) [Bonus Track]

Most of this albums songs were co-written by the group which meant that it was most definitely on the mellow side. Indeed, one reason for its lack of huge commercial success may have been that it was released at the height of disco. No matter, the album brims with great make-out music: the majestic ballads ‘Still in Love With You,’ ‘Sweet Woman,’ the samba-flavored ‘Can’t Get You off My Mind,’ and the glockenspiel clop, clop-laced slow jam ‘Lady in My World of Love.’

Blue Magic picks up the tempo a bit on the optimistic ‘Message’ though and so those who loved the group’s two gold singles, ‘Sideshow’ and ‘Three Ring Circus,’ won’t be disappointed. The slick and swift ‘I Waited’ is also included here in single edit form as a so-called bonus track.

With all tracks freshly remastered by Nick Robbins, ‘Stop to Start: The Atco & WMOT Recordings (1973-1977)’ is the ultimate celebration of one of soul music’s most enduring and beloved vocal groups. Hurry, hurry, step right on in!

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