Prior to the burgeoning of disco in 1975, deep soul ballads were a mainstay of American R&B airwaves. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Major Harris, and Loleatta Holloway were just a few of the talented performers who brought such introspective moments of musical passion to the forefront. Blue Magic’s early success with slow-jams such as “Stop to Start,” “Sideshow,” and “Three Ring Circus” would eternally embed its sound into the psyche of fans of Philly soul. Meanwhile down south, New Orleans-based Margie Joseph was building a steady catalog of soulful balladry including distinctive covers of “Stop! In the Name of Love” and “My Love.”
The pairing of Blue Magic and Joseph might not have seemed the most likely, but for the fact that both were signed to labels distributed by Atlantic Records. From their joint studio session came not only a standout tune in the form of the slow-jam “What’s Come Over Me”—which just missed the R&B top 10 in the fall of 1975—but also a lesser-known B-side, “You & Me (Got a Good Thing Going).” Never included on an album by either act, the uptempo, disco-tinged gem, written by the Steals brothers, will make its first appearance on CD in two decades via SoulMusic Records’ six-disc Blue Magic anthology, Stop to Start: The Atco & WMOT Recordings (1973-1977) this October.
Produced by founding MFSB arranger, composer, and guitarist Norman Harris, “You & Me (Got a Good Thing Going)” sets a breezy chorus and smoothly swaying verses afloat bustling percussion, lively horns, and plush strings. Although Blue Magic and Joseph’s respective parts are not as collaborative in nature as the vocal interplay featured on “What’s Come Over Me,” the emotive tone and rhythmic sensibilities of each section are in satisfying tandem. With a memorable hook, engaging breakdown, and Joseph’s distinctive phrasing providing a stylish counterpart to Blue Magic’s serene falsetto delivery, “You & Me (Got a Good Thing Going)” is a lost gem worth revisiting either on the dance floor or for pure listening pleasure.
