"Side by Side" was produced by Maurice White and composed by White, Wayne Vaughn and Wanda Vaughn of The Emotions. The single is four minutes and nine seconds long with a tempo of adante moderato at 104 beats per minute.[1][3]
The B-side of the single is the song "Something Special" which also appears on the album Powerlight.[1]
Critical reception
Joel Elias of Allmusic called Side by Side a "lush and romantic song". He also noted "For a group that was always known for their maverick spirit, steel drums, and Tom 84's horn and string arrangements, that makes this sound like EWF but even more adventurous, eclectic, and sensual."[4]Cashbox proclaimed that "EWF honcho Maurice White blends his band's signature sound with strings and adds a dash of steel drums to cook up this midtempo ballad".[5] Chip Stern of Musician noted that "Robert Greenidge's slithery steel drums featured on..the gospel-y Side by Side".[6]
Billboard described the song as a "blending of jazz vocals and chords in the funk of a rhythm ballad".[7]Cash Box described it as blending the "band’s hot signature sound with strings and...a dash of steel drums"[8]
