Marshall was the director behind a start-up label, Cadet Concept Records, and wanted to focus on music outside of the blues and rock genres, which had made the Chess label popular. This led Marshall to turn his attention to the burgeoning psychedelic movement. He recruited Charles Stepney, a vibraphonist and classically-trained arranger and producer for sonic wizardry. Marshall then recruited members of a little-known white rock band, The Proper Strangers (Bobby Simms, Mitch Aliotta & Ken Venegas). Sidney Barnes, a songwriter within the Chess organization, also joined, as did Judy Hauff and a Chess receptionist named Minnie Riperton, who would later be successful in her own solo career. Marshall also called up prominent session musicians associated with the Chess label, including guitarist Phil Upchurch and drummer Morris Jennings.
The band released their self-titled debut album in late 1967. It plays like a melange of styles, borrowing heavily from pop, rock, and soul, but in a way that isn't entirely radio-friendly. The album also boasts an Eastern influence through its use of the sitar on Turn Me On and Memory Band. Stepney's arrangements, brought to life by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, imbue the album with a certain dreamlike quality; this would become a trademark of both the arranger and the mouthpiece. The album proved to be a modest success within the Midwest, but failed to make an impact nationally -- this was to be the Rotary's ultimate fate.
The band returned in 1968 with a pair of albums, Aladdin and Peace. The former was the group's proper sophomore effort, and it found Riperton assuming a more prominent vocal role than the "background instrument" status she had on the debut. The latter was a Christmas release, with strong pervasive messages of love and understanding for a nation in the grips of Vietnam. The album's cover art of a hippie Santa Claus more than makes its intentions known. Peace is notable for being involved in controversy: an anti-war cartoon in a December 1968 edition of Billboard magazine featured a graphic image of a bruised and bloodied Santa on a Vietnam battlefield. Mistaking this cartoon for the album's cover art, Montgomery Ward cancelled all shipments of the album.
Rotary Connection would release three more albums: Songs, in 1969, a collection of drastic reworkings of other artist's songs, including Otis Redding's Respect and The Band's The Weight and Cream's Sunshine Of Your Love. Dinner Music followed in 1970, in which they added elements of folk and country into the mix along with some electronic experimentation, and; Hey Love in 1971, where the band, oddly credited as the New Rotary Connection, ended its career with a jazz-oriented affair. From this particular album came the uplifting I am the Black Gold of the Sun, which was famously covered in 1997 by underground dance outfit Nuyorican Soul.
After the break-up of the band, Stepney served as a producer and arranger for other artists, most notably the soul outfit Earth, Wind, & Fire. He died in 1976 of a heart attack. Minnie Riperton enjoyed the fruits of a successful solo career until breast cancer ended her life in 1979. Sidney Barnes continues to work a singer and songwriter, and in recent years has gained a following in the U.K.. The other remaining members of the band either attempted other, lower-profile, musical endeavours or divorced themselves entirely of the business. Thanks to reissues of their catalog in the late 1990s and the appropriation of material through sampling within the hip-hop community, Rotary Connection has been formally introduced to a new generation.
Magical World
Rotary Connection Lyrics
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In a magical world
In a magical world
I live (yes I live)
In a magical world
In a magical world
In a magical world
In a magical world
Why ya wanna wake me from such, a beautiful dream
Can't you see that I am sleeping
So why, don't you leave me alone
For life is so exciting, on the island in my room
And as I sing and dance along, the shadows over me
I live in a magical world
In a magical world
In a magical world
The fragrance of sweet flowers, is filling the air
Cool peace of mind is devastating
So why should I make you feel cold
For no one here can tell me
I'm not good enough to share
And anyone I want to love
I love and no one cares
I live in a magical world
In a magical world
In a magical world
I'm not asking you to, understand me
'Cause you can't change my way of giving
Oh I, a light I can feel
So I fold my mind up, in a yellow submarine
And gliding down the shadow
That was left from last nights scene
I live in a magical world
In a magical world
In a magical world
I live in a magical world
In a magical world
In a magical world
The lyrics of Rotary Connection's "Magical World" describe the idyllic, dream-like world in which the singer lives, far removed from the mundane and often harsh realities of life. The singer expresses their desire to remain in this magical world and laments the intrusion of others who try to interrupt their peaceful existence, urging them to leave and let them continue to enjoy the beauty around them. The magical world described by the singer is characterized by sweet scents, cool breezes, and a feeling of lightness and freedom. The singer asserts their independence and individuality, refusing to conform to societal expectations and doing as they please, to love whom they want to love, and to live in their own way. The lyrics suggest that the singer finds happiness and fulfillment in this magical world, where they are free to be themselves.
Overall, the lyrics of "Magical World" convey a sense of escapism and a desire to find a place of peace and tranquility amid the chaos of the world. The singer finds solace in their own private world and encourages others to leave them be so they can continue to live in blissful ignorance of the troubles that surround them.
Line by Line Meaning
I live in a magical world
The singer lives in a fictitious world that is filled with magic and wonder and is separated from reality.
In a magical world
Repeating the assertion that the singer lives in a world that is magical in nature.
I live (yes I live)
Reiterating that the singer is alive and currently present in the magical realm.
Why ya wanna wake me from such, a beautiful dream
The artist is annoyed with someone for forcing them to come back to reality from their imagined bliss.
Can't you see that I am sleeping
The artist is currently in a state of slumber and does not desire disturbance.
So why, don't you leave me alone
The singer requests to be left alone so that they may continue to enjoy their magical dream world.
For life is so exciting, on the island in my room
The singer believes that their life within their dream world is far more thrilling and stimulating than any experience they could have in reality.
And as I sing and dance along, the shadows over me
The artist is fully immersed in their dream world and is making music and motion in tune with their imagined environment.
The fragrance of sweet flowers, is filling the air
Within the magical world, the artist senses the fragrant aroma given off by imaginary blossoms.
Cool peace of mind is devastating
The artist feels that the tranquility they experience in their imaginary realm is overpowering and profound.
So why should I make you feel cold
The singer questions why they should make anyone else feel isolated, as they are the only one who can experience their magical world.
For no one here can tell me
The artist is confident that, within their dream world, no one can criticize or dismiss them.
I'm not good enough to share
The singer feels that their dream world is too valuable to share with any other person.
And anyone I want to love
Within their dream world, the singer can love anyone they choose.
I love and no one cares
In their dream world, the singer feels free to give love as they see fit without any judgment or backlash.
I'm not asking you to, understand me
The artist would prefer that anyone dealing with them in reality does not worry about how their dream world works.
'Cause you can't change my way of giving
The artist feels that no one has the power to change how they express themselves, even within their magical world.
Oh I, a light I can feel
The singer is experiencing an emanation of light within their dream world that is providing a sense of comfort.
So I fold my mind up, in a yellow submarine
The singer feels that they can entirely envelop their mind within their dream world, much like being on a submarine and blocking out the external world.
And gliding down the shadow
The artist is moving effortlessly through their dream world's shadow, as if their presence is desired and welcomed.
That was left from last night's scene
The artist is traveling through the remnants of a previous night's activities within their dream world.
Contributed by Carter I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.