''Magic'' is the sixth and final studio album by British
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
band
Gillan, released in September 1982. It features eight original songs, mostly co-written by
Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan (born 19 August 1945) is a British singer who is best known as the lead singer and lyricist for the rock band Deep Purple. He is known for his powerful and wide-ranging singing voice.
Initially influenced by Elvis Presley, Gillan ...
and
Colin Towns
Colin William Towns (born 13 May 1948 in West Ham, London) is an English composer and keyboardist. He was noted for playing in bands formed by ex-Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan, and later worked extensively in composing soundtracks for film, telev ...
, and a cover of
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
's 1973 hit single "
Living for the City
"Living for the City" is a 1973 single by Stevie Wonder from his ''Innervisions'' album. It reached number 8 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and number 1 on the R&B chart. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked the song number 104 on their 2004 list of th ...
". This cover was released as a 7" single, in both picture-bag and picture-disc editions, and was accompanied by a promotional video.
Although the album was generally accepted by Gillan's staunch UK following, it failed to achieve the chart success of ''
Glory Road
''Glory Road'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialized in ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (July – September 1963) and published in hardcover the same year. It was nominated for ...
'' or ''
Future Shock
''Future Shock'' is a 1970 book by American futurist Alvin Toffler, written together with his spouse Adelaide Farrell, in which the authors define the term "future shock" as a certain psychological state of individuals and entire societies. Th ...
'', peaking at No. 17 in the UK chart.
Allegedly, many of the album's lyrics cryptically predict the end of the band.
''Magic'' was reissued in 1989 and in 2007 with seven bonus tracks, including cover versions and B-sides.
Track listing
*All songs written by
Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan (born 19 August 1945) is a British singer who is best known as the lead singer and lyricist for the rock band Deep Purple. He is known for his powerful and wide-ranging singing voice.
Initially influenced by Elvis Presley, Gillan ...
and
Colin Towns
Colin William Towns (born 13 May 1948 in West Ham, London) is an English composer and keyboardist. He was noted for playing in bands formed by ex-Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan, and later worked extensively in composing soundtracks for film, telev ...
except where noted.
;Side one
# "What's the Matter" ''
(Gillan, John McCoy, Janick Gers
Janick Robert Gers (; born 27 January 1957) is an English musician who is best known as one of the three guitarists in heavy metal band Iron Maiden. He initially joined to replace Adrian Smith, but remained in the band after Smith rejoined. G ...
)'' – 3:33
# "Bluesy Blue Sea" ''
(Gillan, Gers)'' – 4:48
# "Caught in a Trap" – 3:34
# "Long Gone" – 3:59
# "Driving Me Wild" – 3:05
;Side two
#
"Demon Driver" – 7:15
# "Living a Lie" – 4:27
# "You're So Right" ''(Gillan, McCoy)'' – 2:55
# "Living for the City
"Living for the City" is a 1973 single by Stevie Wonder from his ''Innervisions'' album. It reached number 8 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and number 1 on the R&B chart. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked the song number 104 on their 2004 list of th ...
" ''(Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
)'' – 4:27
# "Demon Driver (reprise)" – 0:42
1989 Re-release bonus tracks
In 1989 Virgin re-released the album in CD format. The revised track listing was as follows:
#"Breaking Chains" ''(Gillan, Gers)'' – 3:28
# "Fiji" ''(Gillan, McCoy)'' – 5:21
# "Purple Sky" ''(Gillan, McCoy)'' – 3:24
# "South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
" ''(Bernie Marsden
Bernard John Marsden (born 7 May 1951) is an English rock and blues guitarist. He is primarily known for his work with Whitesnake, having written or co-written with David Coverdale many of the group's hit songs, such as "Fool for Your Loving", ...
)'' – 4:03
# "John" ''(Gillan)'' – 4:44
# "South Africa" (12" extended version) ''(Marsden)'' – 7:18
# " Helter Skelter" ''(John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
, Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
)'' – 3:26*
# "Smokestack Lightning
"Smokestack Lightning" (also "Smoke Stack Lightning" or "Smokestack Lightnin'") is a blues song recorded by Howlin' Wolf in 1956. It became one of his most popular and influential songs. It is based on earlier blues songs, and numerous artists ...
" ''(Chester Burnett
Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910January 10, 1976), better known by his stage name Howlin' Wolf, was an American blues singer and guitarist. He is regarded as one of the most influential blues musicians of all time. Over a four-decade car ...
)'' – 4:08*
Total running time 74:50
* Previously unreleased
2007 Re-release bonus tracks
In 2007 the album was re-released in CD format again on the Edsel Records label.
#"Breaking Chains" – 3:28
# "Fiji" – 5:21
# "Purple Sky" – 3:24
# "Helter Skelter" – 3:26
# "Smokestack Lightning" – 4:08
# "South Africa" – 4:03
# "John" – 4:44
# "South Africa" (12" extended version) – 7:18
Personnel
;Gillan
* Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan (born 19 August 1945) is a British singer who is best known as the lead singer and lyricist for the rock band Deep Purple. He is known for his powerful and wide-ranging singing voice.
Initially influenced by Elvis Presley, Gillan ...
– vocals, harmonica, producer on "South Africa"
* Janick Gers
Janick Robert Gers (; born 27 January 1957) is an English musician who is best known as one of the three guitarists in heavy metal band Iron Maiden. He initially joined to replace Adrian Smith, but remained in the band after Smith rejoined. G ...
– guitar
* Colin Towns
Colin William Towns (born 13 May 1948 in West Ham, London) is an English composer and keyboardist. He was noted for playing in bands formed by ex-Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan, and later worked extensively in composing soundtracks for film, telev ...
– keyboards
* John McCoy – bass guitar
* Mick Underwood
Michael John Underwood (born 5 September 1945) is an English drummer. He first played drums at the age of 14 and was a professional musician by the time he left school.
Underwood has collaborated with a number of notable musicians and groups, ...
– drums
;Production
* Mick Glossop
Mick Glossop is an English record producer and recording engineer. In 2009, he was awarded a Visiting Professorship at Leeds College of Music.
Glossop was initially known for recording and producing for new wave and punk bands such as Magazine ...
– producer, engineer
* Bob Broglia – assistant engineer
* Kingsway Recorders Ltd. – executive producer
* Paul "Chas" Watkins – producer and engineer on "Purple Sky"
* Nick Davis – engineer on "South Africa"
* James "Jimbo" Barton – remix on "South Africa"
* Dave Dragon – illustration
* Bitter & Twisted – design
Charts
Album
Singles
References
{{Authority control
1982 albums
Gillan (band) albums
Virgin Records albums