| Thirteen Blue Magic Lane | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 1975 | |||
| Recorded | 1975 | |||
| Studio | Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||
| Genre | Philadelphia soul | |||
| Length | 39:54 | |||
| Label | Atco | |||
| Producer | Norman Harris, Ron "Have Mercy" Kersey | |||
| Blue Magic chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Thirteen Blue Magic Lane is the third album by American soul group Blue Magic, produced by Norman Harris and Ron "Have Mercy" Kersey and released in 1975 on the Atco label.
The album was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia and features Sigma's famous house band MFSB. Thirteen Blue Magic Lane is the third of Blue Magic's highly regarded triumvirate of classic Philadelphia soul albums of 1974-1975, admired for its mixture of equally strong ballads and uptempo tracks. "Chasing Rainbows" and "The Loneliest House on the Block" are ballads in the style for which the group had become known, while tracks such as "We're on the Right Track" are seen as being at what was at the time the cutting edge in the development of disco music out of established soul music forms. "What's Come Over Me" is a remake of a track from the group's first album Blue Magic , featuring vocalist Margie Joseph.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Loneliest House on the Block" | Norman Harris, Allan Felder | 5:07 |
| 2. | "Chasing Rainbows" | Ted Mills | 4:11 |
| 3. | "Born on Halloween" | Nomran Harris, Allan Felder, Tanya Jones | 3:17 |
| 4. | "Haunted (By Your Love)" | Ron Tyson, Allan Felder, Bruce Hawes | 3:03 |
| 5. | "I Like You" | Ted Mills | 3:14 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Magic of the Blue" | Ron Kersey, Norman Harris, Allan Felder | 5:33 |
| 7. | "We're on the Right Track" | Norman Harris, Allan Felder | 5:45 |
| 8. | "Stop and Get a Hold of Yourself" | Pat Cooper, Ron Kersey | 5:18 |
| 9. | "What's Come Over Me" (with Margie Joseph) | Ted Mills | 4:26 |
| Chart (1975) | Peak [2] |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top LPs | 50 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs | 9 |
| Year | Single | Peak |
|---|---|---|
| US R&B [2] | ||
| 1975 | "Chasing Rainbows" | 17 |
| "What's Come Over Me" (with Margie Joseph) | 11 | |
Philadelphia soul, sometimes called Philly soul, the Philadelphia sound, Phillysound, or The Sound of Philadelphia (TSOP), is a genre of late 1960s–1970s soul music characterized by funk influences and lush instrumental arrangements, often featuring sweeping strings and piercing horns. The genre laid the groundwork for disco by fusing the R&B rhythm sections of the 1960s with the pop vocal tradition and featuring a slightly more pronounced jazz influence in its melodic structures and arrangements. Fred Wesley, the trombonist of the James Brown band and Parliament-Funkadelic, described the signature deep but orchestrated sound as "putting the bow tie on funk."
Disco Inferno is the fourth studio album by American soul-disco group, The Trammps, premiered in discothèques on December 29, 1976 for New Year's Eve celebrations, and then widely released through Atlantic Records in January 1977.
The Whole World's Dancing is the sixth studio album by American musical group the Trammps, released in 1979 through Atlantic Records.
The Trammps III is the fifth studio album by the American soul-disco group the Trammps, released in 1977 through Atlantic Records.
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".
Tyrone Garfield Kersey, known as Ron "Have Mercy" Kersey, was an American keyboardist, songwriter, producer and arranger most known for writing the music to "Disco Inferno" by The Trammps.
Gloria Gaynor's Park Avenue Sound is the fifth album by Gloria Gaynor. It was released in 1978 on Polydor Records.
Blue Magic is the eponymous debut album by American soul group Blue Magic, produced by Norman Harris and released in 1974 on the Atco label.
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.
He's a Friend is the seventh album by former Temptations vocalist Eddie Kendricks. It was released in February 1976 on the Tamla imprint of Motown Records.
Fourplay is the second studio album by American male vocal quartet Double Exposure, released in 1978 on the Salsoul label.
Locker Room is the third studio album recorded by American male vocal quartet Double Exposure, released in 1979 on the Salsoul label.
The Player is the second studio album recorded by the American female vocal trio First Choice, released in 1974 on the Philly Groove label.
So Let Us Entertain You is the third studio album recorded by the American female vocal trio First Choice, released in 1976 on the Warner Bros./Philly Groove label.
My Way is the debut album by former The Delfonics vocalist Major Harris. Released in 1975 and recorded at Sigma Sound Studios, Harris scored a hit in the United States with the single "Love Won't Let Me Wait". The single hit number five on the pop chart and number one on the soul chart for one week. It was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. on June 25, 1975.
Mixin' It Up is the seventh studio album by American soul-disco group, The Trammps, released in 1980 through Atlantic Records.
At the Top is a 1978 studio album by American soul music vocal group Four Tops, released by ABC Records. The album was the last the group recorded for ABC and was followed by a brief hiatus from recording. Four Tops had experienced a decline in their album sales in the 1970s and also had difficulty booking touring dates, so they initially planned to team up with former Motown associates Holland–Dozier–Holland, but they instead recorded this album with Philadelphia soul producer Norman Harris at his Sigma Sound Studios.
Visions is an album by the American soul group Gladys Knight & the Pips, released in 1983.
Hear to Tempt You is a 1977 studio album from American soul group The Temptations.
Friends is a studio album by B. B. King, released by ABC Records in 1974. It was available in stereo under the reference ABCD-825 and in quadraphonic sound under the reference CQD-40022. This album maintains the sentimental mood initiated in the previous album To Know You Is to Love You recorded in the same studio by the same producer.
