B-side "I Am Your Child" Format 7" single Genre Pop | Released June 1975 Recorded 1973 Length 6:50
4:14 (edit) | |
"Could It Be Magic" is a song with lyrics written by Adrienne Anderson and music composed by Barry Manilow, based on chord and melodical progressions of Frédéric Chopin's Prelude in C Minor, Opus 28, Number 20. Initially released in 1971, it was later rerecorded, given an album release in 1973 and a single release in 1975. This became one of Manilow's first hits. The song has been covered by a number of other artists over the years, most successfully by Donna Summer in 1976 and by Take That in 1992.
Contents
Barry Manilow version
As Manilow had only composed or arranged commercial jingles up to that point, he was unproven as a pop-song arranger, and thus, he was not permitted to arrange the original backing track himself upon its first release in 1971. Instead, this early version of the song was produced under the hand of Tony Orlando and recorded by Featherbed, a "ghost" group consisting of session musicians.
Originally released on the Bell Records label, the composer hated the Tony Orlando arrangement so severely (see Sweet Life) that, as Manilow has said in numerous subsequent interviews, he was appreciative of the fact that the song went nowhere on the charts. However, he has been quoted in recent years as having somewhat softened his opinion of the track, saying it's "kind of catchy".
Featuring a bubblegum pop beat, cowbells and a "Knock Three Times" feel, the chorus is the same, but the original verse lyrics have nothing to do with the hit version Manilow himself released in 1973.
That year, Manilow would come to be signed to Bell Records in his own right, immediately after which a completely reworked version with Manilow's own arrangement was included on his debut album, Barry Manilow I, released that fall. Six months later, former Columbia Records president Clive Davis would take over Bell Records and merge it into Arista with all the other Columbia Pictures-owned labels such as Amy, Mala, Colpix, and Colgems, to name a few.
Most of the artists at Bell were dropped during the merger, but due to the song's popularity, Manilow was brought over to Arista in the spring of 1974 and "Could It Be Magic" was released as a single a year later—a full two years after it had been originally recorded, where it reached number 6 in the United States.
The lyric "Sweet Melissa" is a tribute to singer Melissa Manchester, Manilow's then-Arista label-mate.
The song was remixed in 1993 using the original orchestration of brass and strings combined with new drums, bass and synthesizers, and was included on the album Greatest Hits: The Platinum Collection. An extended remix of the 1993 version was issued as a promotional 12" single and included on the 12" single of "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight".
Donna Summer version
Just seven months after Manilow's original version was released as a single, American singer Donna Summer recorded a disco version of the track and included it on her third studio album, A Love Trilogy, and took it to number three on the US Dance chart in 1976. The song also entered the UK singles chart where it stayed for seven weeks (peak point #40)
Track listing
- "Could It Be Magic" – 3:15
- "Whispering Waves" – 4:50
- "Could It Be Magic" – 3:15
- "Whispering Waves" – 4:50
- "Could It Be Magic" – 5:20
- "Come With Me" – 4:20
- "Could It Be Magic" – 3:15
- "Whispering Waves" – 4:50
- "Could It Be Magic" – 4:13
- "Whispering Waves" – 4:15
- "Could It Be Magic" – 3:15
- "Whispering Waves" – 3:35
Take That version
Produced and remixed by The Rapino Brothers, English boy band Take That released their cover version, based on Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder's up-tempo arrangement of the track, on November 30, 1992 as the final single from their debut album Take That & Party. The song does not appear on the cassette version of the album but was issued as a cassette single. It peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart and was featured in that year's Only Fools and Horses Christmas special "Mother Nature's Son" in the background of one of the scenes.
The song won Best British Single at the 1993 Brit Awards.
During The Ultimate Tour in 2006, former member Robbie Williams appeared on a hologram with a pre-recorded section of his vocals. Gary Barlow sings lead vocals since Take That's reformation.
The song has received a Silver sales status certification and sold over 325,000 copies sold in the UK.
Despite its success, Take That's version of "Could It Be Magic" was voted in a poll as one of the worst songs in the history of recorded sound.
Music video
The music video shows a young woman leaving a garage before the lights are turned back on and Take That perform the song with many other dancers. The music video was filmed at Bray Studios, Water Oakley, Windsor, Berkshire in 1992.
Personnel
Track listings
- Deep In Rapino's Club Mix – 5:56
- Take That Club Megamix – 7:03
- Mr. F. Mix – 6:18
- Rapino Radio Mix – 3:30
- Take That Radio Megamix – 4:38
- Rapino Radio Mix – 3:30
- Take That Radio Megamix – 4:38
- Rapino Radio Mix – 3:30
- Deep In Rapino's Club Mix – 5:56
- Acapella – 3:12
- Ciao Baby Mix – 7:19
- Rapino Dub – 3:44
- Paparazzo Mix – 5:27
- Deep In Rapino's Dub – 5:57
- Club Rapino Mix – 3:43
- Rapino Radio Mix – 3:30
- Deep In Rapino's Club Mix – 5:56
- Ciao Baby Mix – 7:19
- Paparazzo Mix – 5:27
- Rapino Radio Mix – 3:30
- Take That Radio Megamix – 4:38