Released 1974 (1974) Length 4:06 | Genre R&B, Philly soul Label Atco | |
B-side "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely" Writer(s) Bobby Eli, Vinnie Barrett | ||
"Sideshow" is a song recorded by American R&B soul vocal quintet Blue Magic, released in 1974. It was first released on the album Blue Magic and when issued as a single it sold over a million copies, going to #1 R&B and #8 pop in the United States in the summer of 1974. Billboard ranked it as the No. 19 song for 1974. It was covered as a reggae version by Barry Biggs who reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1977. It has also been covered by Ray, Goodman & Brown, Silk, and Joss Stone.
Contents
Song
A visit into an antique museum was the inspiration to write a romance metaphor, which took about four months to finish. Composed by Vinnie Barrett and Bobby Eli (both collaborated on another Philly soul ballad "Love Won't Let Me Wait" by former Delfonics member Major Harris), when record producer and guitarist Norman Harris heard "Sideshow", he said that should be recorded by Blue Magic. It was released on the album Blue Magic, it came from an idea from songwriter and group associate Richard Dickson who also was considered a group member as well and it became one of pop music's most affecting ballads and sold over a million copies, going to number one R&B and number eight pop in the summer of 1974.
The song is noted for its introduction, featuring a repeat of the first 10 notes of a slow version of Julius Fucik's "Entrance of the Gladiators" while one of the band's members acts like a master of ceremonies, declaring: "Hurry!! Hurry!!! Step right up! See the saddest show in town for only 50 cents!"
The follow-up song was the similarly themed "Three Ring Circus" (which was similarly covered as a later single by Biggs). Some radio edits fade the song out several seconds earlier before the repeat of the Introduction in the Coda section, which also features a repeat of the chorus, due to the length of the song.
Samples
The intro of Sideshow is sampled by Chris Brown in "Young Love".