"Do You Believe in Magic" is a song by American rock band

the Lovin' Spoonful The Lovin' Spoonful is an American rock band popular during the mid- to late-1960s. Founded in New York City in 1965 by lead singer/songwriter John Sebastian and guitarist Zal Yanovsky, the band is widely known for a number of hits, including ...

, written by

John Sebastian John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonicist who founded the rock band The Lovin' Spoonful. He made an impromptu appearance at the Woodstock festival in 1969Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

chart. In 1978,

Shaun Cassidy Shaun Paul Cassidy (born September 27, 1958) is an American singer, actor, writer, and producer. He has created and/or produced a number of television series including '' American Gothic'', '' Roar'' and ''Invasion''. Cassidy currently serves as ...

reached the Top 40 with his cover version.

The Lovin' Spoonful version

Do you believe in magic lovin spoonful 1965

In 1965,

The Lovin' Spoonful The Lovin' Spoonful is an American rock band popular during the mid- to late-1960s. Founded in New York City in 1965 by lead singer/songwriter John Sebastian and guitarist Zal Yanovsky, the band is widely known for a number of hits, including ...

originally recorded and released the song as the first single from their debut studio album '' Do You Believe in Magic''. The single was well received by the public and became a top ten hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number 9. According to the lyrics, the magic referenced in the title is the power of music to supply happiness and freedom to both those who make it and those who listen to it. Session drummer

Gary Chester Gary Chester (born Cesario Gurciullo; October 27, 1924 – August 17, 1987) was an American studio drummer, author, and teacher. Beginning in the 1960s, he played on hundreds of records for bands such as The Coasters, The Monkees, and The Lovin ...

played tambourine on the track. The Lovin' Spoonful's version was ranked number 216 on ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

''s list of

The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring survey compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2004 in ...

. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' said of the original single release that the "pulsating folk-flavored rhythm number serves as a strong and exciting debut for new group in

the Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...

vein." ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' described it as a "rollicking, teen-angled romancer with an infectious danceable

riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accompani ...

." In a 2007 DVD entitled ''The Lovin' Spoonful with John Sebastian - Do You Believe in Magic'', author Sebastian illustrates how he sped up the three-chord intro from Martha and the Vandellas' "

Heat Wave A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...

" to come up with the intro to "Do You Believe in Magic." "Do You Believe in Magic" was featured in '' The Parent Trap'', '' American Pie'', ''

Date Movie ''Date Movie'' is a 2006 American romantic comedy parody film written by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, directed by Seltzer, and produced by Paul Schiff and Friedberg. It was released on February 17, 2006 by 20th Century Fox and stars Alys ...

'', ''

Temple Grandin Mary Temple Grandin (born August 29, 1947) is an American academic and animal behaviorist. She is a prominent proponent for the humane treatment of livestock for slaughter and the author of more than 60 scientific papers on animal behavior. Gra ...

'', and ''

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'' is an American live-action/animated television series airing from September 4 to November 30, 1989, on syndication. The series is based on the video games ''Super Mario Bros.'' and '' Super Mario Bros. 2'' by ...

''. The original version was also the theme song for the short-lived TV series '' State of Grace''. The song is also significantly featured in the

Jim Sheridan Jim Sheridan (born 6 February 1949) is an Irish playwright and filmmaker. Between 1989 and 1993, Sheridan directed two critically acclaimed films set in Ireland, ''My Left Foot'' and ''In the Name of the Father'', and later directed the film ...

movie '' In America'', as an Irish-immigrant family, having entered the U.S. on false pretenses, enter New York City for the first time. In 2012, the Lovin' Spoonful's version was used in the official "Meet the Pyro" trailer for the first-person shooter video game ''

Team Fortress 2 ''Team Fortress 2'' is a 2007 multiplayer first-person shooter, first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve Corporation. It is the sequel to the 1996 ''Team Fortress'' Mod (video gaming), mod for ''Quake (video game), Quake'' and ...

''. As a worried BLU Spy remarks, "One shudders to imagine what inhuman thoughts lie behind that mask...What dream of chronic and sustained cruelty?" the camera zooms in on Pyro's eye, revealing that he actually thinks he is in a Candy Land-like utopia world, while bits and pieces of the song playing in the background as it shifts between his mind and what is actually happening.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Shaun Cassidy version

"Do You Believe in Magic" became a top forty hit again in

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

in both the U.S. and Canada when

released his cover as a single. Cassidy's version reached number 31 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song was Cassidy's second successful remake of a 1960s hit, the first being "

Da Doo Ron Ron "Da Doo Ron Ron" is a song written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector. It first became a popular top five hit single for the American girl group The Crystals in 1963. American teen idol Shaun Cassidy covered the song in 1977 and ...

" from his previous LP.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Aly & AJ version

"Do You Believe in Magic" was covered by American

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

duo

Aly & AJ Aly & AJ are an American pop rock duo that consists of sisters Alyson (Aly) and Amanda Joy Michalka (AJ) and signed a recording contract with Hollywood Records in 2004. Their debut album, ''Into the Rush'', debuted at number 36 on the US ''Bil ...

. Their version of the song was for Aly's film ''Now You See It...'', and it also appeared in the 2007 Disney film " The Game Plan" as well as on their debut studio album, ''

Into the Rush ''Into the Rush'' is the debut studio album by American pop rock duo Aly & AJ. The album was released on August 16, 2005, by Disney-owned label Hollywood Records. The album features 14 tracks, including the singles " Rush" and " Do You Believe i ...

'', in addition to an appearance on the 2009 soundtrack to the TV show ''

Wizards of Waverly Place ''Wizards of Waverly Place'' is an American fantasy teen sitcom created by Todd J. Greenwald that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between October 2007 and January 2012. The series centers on Alex Russo (Selena Gomez), a teenage wiza ...

''. The video has Aly and AJ performing with acoustic guitars in their loft apartment, cuddling their dog, taking Polaroids and then finger painting.

Track listings

Release history

Chart performance

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Do You Believe In Magic (Song) The Lovin' Spoonful songs 1965 debut singles 1978 singles Shaun Cassidy songs 2005 debut singles Aly & AJ songs Songs written by John Sebastian Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients 1965 songs Song recordings produced by Erik Jacobsen Song recordings produced by Michael Lloyd Kama Sutra Records singles Warner Records singles Hollywood Records singles