Do You Believe in Magic (song)

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"Do You Believe in Magic"
Do You Believe In Magic.jpeg
Italian picture sleeve
Single by the Lovin' Spoonful
B-side "On the Road Again"
ReleasedJuly 20, 1965 [1]
RecordedJune 1965 [2]
Studio Bell Sound, New York City
Genre Folk rock, [3] pop, [4] rock [5]
Length2:17
Label Kama Sutra
Songwriter(s) John Sebastian
Producer(s) Erik Jacobsen
The Lovin' Spoonful singles chronology
"Do You Believe in Magic"
(1965)
"You Didn't Have to Be So Nice"
(1965)
Audio
"Do You Believe in Magic" on YouTube

"Do You Believe in Magic" is a song by American rock band the Lovin' Spoonful, written by John Sebastian in 1965. The single peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 1978, Shaun Cassidy reached the Top 40 with his cover version.

Contents

The Lovin' Spoonful version

Billboard trade ad for the song Do you believe in magic lovin spoonful 1965.JPG
Billboard trade ad for the song

In 1965, The Lovin' Spoonful originally recorded and released the song as the first single from their debut studio album Do You Believe in Magic . The single was well received by the public and became a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 9. According to the lyrics, the magic referenced in the title is the power of music to supply happiness and freedom to both those who make it and those who listen to it. The Lovin' Spoonful's version was ranked number 216 on Rolling Stone 's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Billboard said of the original single release that the "pulsating folk-flavored rhythm number serves as a strong and exciting debut for new group in the Byrds vein." [6] Cash Box described it as a "rollicking, teen-angled romancer with an infectious danceable riff." [7] Record World said that it has "plenty of beat and plenty of contemporary grit sound." [8]

In a 2007 DVD entitled The Lovin' Spoonful with John Sebastian - Do You Believe in Magic, author Sebastian illustrates how he sped up the three-chord intro from Martha and the Vandellas' "Heat Wave" to come up with the intro to "Do You Believe in Magic."

In 2002, "Do You Believe in Magic by The Lovin' Spoonful was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. [9]

Charts

Shaun Cassidy version

"Do You Believe in Magic"
Do You Believe in Magic - Shaun Cassidy.jpg
Single by Shaun Cassidy
from the album Born Late
B-side "Teen Dream"
ReleasedMarch 1978
Recorded1977
Genre Pop
Length2:15
Label Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s) John Sebastian
Producer(s) Michael Lloyd
Shaun Cassidy singles chronology
"Hey Deanie"
(1977)
"Do You Believe in Magic"
(1978)
"Our Night"
(1978)

"Do You Believe in Magic" became a top forty hit again in 1978 in both the U.S. and Canada when Shaun Cassidy released his cover as a single. Cassidy's version reached number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was Cassidy's second successful remake of a 1960s hit, the first being "Da Doo Ron Ron" from his previous LP.

Chart performance

Aly & AJ version

"Do You Believe in Magic"
DYBIM.jpg
Single by Aly & AJ
from the album Into the Rush
ReleasedFebruary 14, 2005
Recorded2004
Genre
Length2:14
Label Hollywood
Songwriter(s) John. B. Sebastian
Producer(s) Matthew Gerrard
Aly & AJ singles chronology
"Do You Believe in Magic"
(2005)
"No One"
(2005)
Alternative cover
Aly & AJ - Do You Believe in Magic.PNG
UK/digital cover

"Do You Believe in Magic" was covered by American pop rock duo Aly & AJ. Their version of the song was for Aly's film Now You See It..., and it also appeared in the 2007 Disney film "The Game Plan" as well as on their debut studio album, Into the Rush , in addition to an appearance on the 2009 soundtrack to the TV show Wizards of Waverly Place . The video has Aly and AJ performing with acoustic guitars in their loft apartment, cuddling their dog, taking Polaroids and then finger painting.

Release history

DateCountryFormatLabel
February 15, 2005 United States CD Hollywood Records
June 5, 2006 Belgium
United Kingdom Digital download EMI

Chart performance

Chart (2005)Peak
position
US Hot Singles Sales (Billboard) [18] 2

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References

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