"My Baby Must Be a Magician" is a 1967 song written and produced by Smokey Robinson and recorded by

the Marvelettes The Marvelettes were an American girl group that achieved popularity in the early to mid-1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Gladys Horton, Katherine Anderson, Georgeanna Tillman, Juanita Cowart (now Cowart Motley), and Georgia Dobbins, who wa ...

Background

Wanda Young Rogers was the lead vocalist on the track; the background vocals were provided by

the Andantes The Andantes were an American female session group for the Motown record label during the 1960s. Composed of Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps, the group sang background vocals on numerous Motown recordings, including songs by Ma ...

rather than Marvelettes Ann Bogan and Katherine Anderson.

Melvin Franklin David Melvin English (October 12, 1942 – February 23, 1995) better known by the stage name Melvin Franklin, or his nickname "Blue", was an American bass singer. Franklin was best known for his role as a founding member of Motown singing ...

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

is the male voice speaking the song's intro and the track features guitar licks from

Miracles A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...

guitarist

Marv Tarplin Marvin Tarplin (June 13, 1941 – September 30, 2011) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist for the Miracles from the 1950s through the early 1970s. He was one of the group's original members and co-wrote several of their bigges ...

. The narrator of the song likens her lover to a magician admitting his lack of the expected paraphernalia (e.g. "No rabbits in his hat/ No pigeons up his sleeve...No special gear like Aladdin's lamp and such") but maintaining "My baby must be a magician 'cause he's sure got the magic touch".

Personnel

* Lead vocals by Wanda Rogers * Background vocals by

The Andantes The Andantes were an American female session group for the Motown record label during the 1960s. Composed of Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps, the group sang background vocals on numerous Motown recordings, including songs by Ma ...

: Marlene Barrow, Jackie Hicks and Louvain Demps * Introduction by

* Guitar by

* Other instrumentation by

The Funk Brothers The Funk Brothers were a group of Detroit-based session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972. Its members are considered among the most successful groups of stud ...

* Written and produced by Smokey Robinson

Chart performance

Released in November 1967, "My Baby Must Be a Magician" reached #17 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in February 1968, also peaking at #8 on the R&B chart. As the Marvelettes' third consecutive Top Thirty single, "My Baby Must Be a Magician" set a new level of prolonged pop chart success for the group; it marked their last appearance in the Top 40 and was their final R&B Top Ten hit.

Cover versions & interpolations

"My Baby Must Be a Magician" has never had a high-profile remake; * Stiff Records act Sylvia and the Sapphires had a 1983 UK single release produced by Peter Collins. *On the title track of

Teena Marie Mary Christine Brockert (March 5, 1956 – December 26, 2010), known professionally as Teena Marie, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, composer, arranger, and producer. She was known by her childhood nickname Tina before taking the sta ...

's 1981 album ''

It Must Be Magic ''It Must Be Magic'' is the fourth studio album by Teena Marie, released on May 14, 1981. It was her last album for Motown and the highest-selling of Marie's tenure with Motown. The album peaked at No. 2 on the US Black Albums chart and No. 23 on ...

'' - her last for Motown - Teena Marie repeats the hookline from "My Baby Must Be a Magician": "My baby must be a magician 'cause he's sure got the magic touch", as her song's outro. (Melvin Franklin's original intro is also included in this song.)

References

{{authority control 1968 singles The Marvelettes songs Songs written by Smokey Robinson Motown singles 1967 songs Song recordings produced by Smokey Robinson