Unsung is an hour-long music documentary program that airs on TV One. The series, which premiered November 27, 2008, uncovers the stories behind once well-known R&B and soul music artists, bands, or groups who exploded onto the Billboard music charts with a string of hits, only to have their career derailed by a major crisis that caused them to be essentially unappreciated by later generations of contemporary R&B and soul music listeners.[1] The series is produced by production company A. Smith & Co. Productions.
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.
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’,[1] “although the group performed admirably, they lacked a standout lead singer”.) The execs decided to replace the Toppicks, the act Mills recorded with. They inserted Shades of Love (which they owned contractually) with Ted Mills and retitled the group Blue Magic. They were signed with Atco Records through WMOT in the same year.
The group was one of the earliest acts produced by Norman Harris, a Philadelphia recording veteran. The group’s harmonies were supported by the MFSB studio house band. Their first early song release in 1973 was “Spell” which went onto the Billboard R&B charts at number 30 (it was written and co-produced by Mills). They were known for making dreamy ballads and their choreographed stage moves.
Their second release was the uptempo “Look Me Up”; which reached number 36, stayed on the R&B chart for 11 weeks, and was popular on the early disco scene. Their next single was the ballad “Stop to Start”. This hit was even more successful, reaching #14 on the Billboard R&B chart and #74 on the pop chart. The next single release became their first Billboard US Top 10 R&B and Pop hit, “Sideshow”, It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA on August 16, 1974.[2] It climbed to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the R&B chart. The Blue Magic album also went Gold, and is considered a classic, as well as one of the best Philly soul albums of all-time. In addition to the four hit singles, it also included another Richard Dickson inspired creation, the hit ballad “What’s Come Over Me”, a 7-minute rendition of the Main Ingredient million seller.
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