"Magic" is a song recorded by British-Australian singer

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...

for the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

to the 1980

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

film, '' Xanadu''. Written and produced by

John Farrar John Clifford Farrar ( ; born 8 November 1946) is an Australian music producer, songwriter, arranger, singer, and guitarist. As a musician, Farrar is a former member of several rock and roll groups including The Mustangs (1963–64), The Stra ...

, the song was released as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

from the album in May 1980. It peaked at number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for four weeks beginning on August 2, 1980. On August 30, it was displaced from the top by

Christopher Cross Christopher Cross (born Christopher Charles Geppert; May 3, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter from San Antonio, Texas. He won five Grammy Awards for his eponymous debut album released in 1979. The singles "Sailing" (1980), and "Arthur's T ...

's "

Sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...

". ''Billboard'' magazine ranked "Magic" as the third most popular single of 1980, behind only " Call Me" by Blondie and "

Another Brick in the Wall, Part II "Another Brick in the Wall" is a three-part composition on Pink Floyd's 1979 rock opera ''The Wall,'' written by bassist Roger Waters. "Part 2", a protest song against corporal punishment, and rigid and abusive schooling, features a child ...

" by

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...

. In Canada, the single spent two weeks at number one on the ''RPM'' Top Singles chart. It also reached number four in Australia and number 32 in the United Kingdom. The single also became Newton-John's biggest ''Billboard''

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

hit to date, spending five weeks at the top of the chart, and also topped the ''RPM'' Adult Contemporary chart for a week.

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 ...

named "Magic" and " All Over the World" as two recent songs he liked in a ''Newsweek'' interview in September 1980, shortly before his death. In a lawsuit involving the use of the song in a high school musical performance, the US

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts: * District o ...

described the song as follows: ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...

'' called it an "infectious pop ballad

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

has a big beat production treatment." Both US and UK B-sides also appear in ''Xanadu'': *US: "Fool Country" is one of three single B-sides to appear in the film but not on the soundtrack album. This is featured in the nightclub grand opening segment following the movie title track and before its reprise. *UK: "Whenever You're Away From Me" (with

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

), also appears as the B-side of the US "Xanadu" single.

Track listing and formats

*US 7-inch vinyl single ( MCA) #"Magic" – 4:25 #"Fool Country" – 2:29 *UK 7-inch vinyl single ( Jet) #"Magic" – 4:25 #"Whenever You're Away from Me" – 4:22

Personnel

* Olivia Newton-John – lead and backing vocals *

– electric guitars, electric piano, synthesizers and backing vocals *

David Hungate William David Hungate (born August 5, 1948) is an American bass guitarist noted as a member of the Los Angeles pop-rock band Toto from 1976 to 1982 and again from 2014 to 2015, and the son of judge William L. Hungate. Along with most of his T ...

– bass *

Carlos Vega Carlos Vega (December 7, 1956 – April 7, 1998) was a Cuban-born Los Angeles-based session drummer best known for his performances with James Taylor. As a part of the L.A. studio scene from the late 1970s through the 1990s, Vega contributed to ...

– drums and percussion Additional personnel * Strings arranged and conducted by

Richard Hewson Richard Anthony Hewson (born 17 November 1943) is an English producer, arranger, conductor and multi-instrumentalist, who created the studio group RAH Band. Career Hewson began in the late 1960s as an arranger, and has worked with musicians s ...

* David J. Holman –

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

and mixing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

All-time charts

Certifications and sales

2011 version

"Magic (Peach & DJ Dan Murphy remix)" is a remix of the 1980 song. In May 2011, the song was remixed by two Australians, DJ Dan Murphy and Steve Peach, to create a dance version. Olivia went back to the studio to re-sing the vocals. The version was sponsored by WACCI, a humanitarian group. Everybody who worked on the project volunteered their time, with all proceeds being donated to Olivia's charity, the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre. Olivia was presented the world premiere of the song on Australian ''

Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...

'' on Sunday 22 May 2011. The song was released exclusively on Australian

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

, also on Sunday May 22.

Music video

A video was shot for the new remix in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

in an attempt to break the

Guinness Book ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

World Record for largest cast in a music video by featuring 350 people. Newton-John does not appear in the video, which was directed by DJ Dan Murphy.

Charts

Covers

*The song is included in the film '' Xanadu'' and also the ''Xanadu'' musical. *A version of the song by Stimulator was used in commercials for

Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...

. This cover was also used in the film ''

Ella Enchanted ''Ella Enchanted'' is a Newbery Honorfilm's soundtrack. *Another updated version of the song was performed by

Meaghan Martin Meaghan Jette Martin () (born February 17, 1992) is an American actress and singer known for her work in film, television, and theatre. She is best known for her starring role in the ABC Family television series, '' 10 Things I Hate About You'' ...

for the

Disney Channel Original Movie Many television films have been produced for Disney Channel, an American family-oriented basic cable channel and former premium television channel since its launch on April 18, 1983. Until October 1997, films were released under the banner nam ...

'' Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie''. It was subsequently included on the television series and the film's soundtrack album. * In 2015, the singer/pianist character performed the song in Part I of the HBO mini-series Olive Kitteridge. *In 2015 Newton-John teamed with her daughter

Chloe Lattanzi Chloe Rose Lattanzi (born January 17, 1986) is an American-Australian singer and actress. Biography Personal life Lattanzi was born on January 17, 1986, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of the lat ...

and

Dave Aude Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...

to rework the song's chorus into a new recording, "

You Have to Believe "You Have to Believe" is a 2015 electronic dance song produced by American DJ/remixer/producer Dave Audé, featuring vocals from Australian singer/songwriter/actress Olivia Newton-John and her daughter, singer/actress Chloe Lattanzi, who co-wrote ...

". The song went to number one on the US

Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

chart. *

Juliana Hatfield Juliana Hatfield (born July 27, 1967) is an American musician and singer-songwriter from the Boston area, formerly of the indie rock bands Blake Babies, Some Girls (band), Some Girls, and The Lemonheads. She also fronted her own band, The Julia ...

covered the song on her album ''

Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John ''Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John'' is the sixteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Juliana Hatfield. It was released on April 13, 2018, by American Laundromat Records. It's a tribute album to Australian singer Olivia Newton ...

''. *In 2018,

Delta Goodrem Delta Lea Goodrem AM (born November 9, 1984) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Goodrem signed to Sony Music at the age of 15. Her debut album, '' Innocent Eyes'' (2003), topped the ARIA Albums Chart for 29 non-consecutive week ...

performed the song in the mini-series '' Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You'' and the accompanying soundtrack album, ''

I Honestly Love You "I Honestly Love You" is a song recorded by Olivia Newton-John released in 1974 on the album '' Long Live Love'' in United Kingdom and ''If You Love Me, Let Me Know'' in the United States. The song became a worldwide pop hit, her first number ...

''.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Magic (Olivia Newton-John Song) 1980 singles Olivia Newton-John songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Songs written by John Farrar Songs from Xanadu (film) Song recordings produced by John Farrar RPM Top Singles number-one singles 1980 songs Jet Records singles MCA Records singles

Track listing and formats

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

All-time charts

Certifications and sales

2011 version

Music video

Charts

Covers

See also

References

External links