"Magic Man" is a song by the American rock band

Heart The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...

released as a single off their debut album, ''

Dreamboat Annie ''Dreamboat Annie'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Heart. At the time, the band was based in Vancouver, British Columbia; the album was recorded in Vancouver and first released in Canada by the local label Mushroom Records in Se ...

.'' Written and composed by

Ann Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

and Nancy Wilson, the song is sung from the viewpoint of a young girl who is being seduced by an older man (referred to as a Magic Man), much to the chagrin of her mother, who calls and begs the girl to come home. In an interview,

Ann Wilson Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

revealed that the "Magic Man" was her then boyfriend, band manager Michael Fisher, and that part of the song was an autobiographical tale of the beginnings of their relationship. The album version of "Magic Man" features an over-two-minute instrumental break which consists of a guitar solo and usage of a Minimoog synthesizer, while the single version of the song edits out most of this break, cutting it down from 5:28 to 3:29. ''

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 ...

'' said that "a funk rhythm is established quickly with some screaming guitar licks, and the vocal, handled by the female lead, plays well against the

arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...

." "Magic Man" was originally released in Canada in June 1975 as the second single from the yet-to-be released ''Dreamboat Annie'', the first single having been the folksy "How Deep It Goes". "Magic Man" spent 9 weeks on the RPM Singles Chart peaking at number 62 on August 16, 1975. The success of "Magic Man" prompted the release of the album and, in March 1976, a third single, "

Crazy on You "Crazy on You" is a song by American rock band Heart from their debut studio album, ''Dreamboat Annie'' (1975). It was released in March 1976 as the album's third single in Canada and the album's debut single in the United States. It reached the ...

". After "Crazy on You" had a chart run, "Magic Man" gained popularity in new areas of the country almost a full year later and re-entered the RPM Singles Chart on September 11, 1976 for 14 weeks peaking at number 26 on October 30, 1976. In America, "Magic Man" received its first release in summer 1976, after the first US single "Crazy on You" had primed audiences to the group's sound. It became Heart's first Top 10 hit, peaking at No. 9 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on November 6, 1976. In the Netherlands and Belgium, "Magic Man" was the first single released from the album, that being in late 1976, and it peaked at number 7 and 10, respectively, in early 1977. It was also successful in Australia where it peaked at number 6 while it reached number 26 in nearby New Zealand.

Personnel

– lead vocals * Nancy Wilson – rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals * Roger Fisher – lead guitar, acoustic guitar * Steve Fossen – bass guitar * Howard Leese – rhythm guitar,

Minimoog The Minimoog is an analog synthesizer first manufactured by Moog Music between 1970 and 1981. Designed as a more affordable, portable version of the modular Moog synthesizer, it was the first synthesizer sold in retail stores. It was first popul ...

Additional musicians *Dave Wilson – drums *Ray Ayotte – conga * Mike Flicker – percussion

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

{{authority control 1976 singles Heart (band) songs American hard rock songs Songs written by Nancy Wilson (rock musician) Songs written by Ann Wilson Mushroom Records singles 1976 songs Song recordings produced by Mike Flicker