Magic (Four Tops album)

Magic
Studio album by The Four Tops
Released	May 15, 1985 (1985-05-15)
Studio	The Song, Chatsworth, USA Hitsville U.S.A., Hollywood, USA The Complex, Los Angeles, USA Sound Suite, Detroit, USA Right Track, New York City Sigma Sound, New York City
Genre	Soul
Label	Motown
Producer	Willie Hutch Reggie Lucas Kerry Ashby Benny Medina Johnny Bristol Hal Davis
The Four Tops chronology
Back Where I Belong (1983) Magic (1985) Indestructible (1988)

Magic is the twenty-second studio album recorded by the Four Tops, released in 1985 on Motown Records. ^[1] The album reached No. 23 on the Blues & Soul Top British Soul Albums chart and No. 33 on the Billboard Top US R&B Albums chart. ^{[2] [3]}

Overview

Half of the Magic album was produced by Reggie Lucas, which was the idea of Iris Gordy, who felt his work on the debut double-platinum Madonna album reminded her of an updated Holland-Dozier-Holland sound. The other half was handled by Willie Hutch. ^[4]

Reggie Lucas produced the song "Maybe Tomorrow", a duet between Levi Stubbs and Phyllis Hyman, which received substantial urban contemporary airplay. ^{[5] [6] [7] [8] [9]}

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[10]

Singles

"Sexy Ways" peaked at No. 21 on the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart. ^[11]

Critical reception

Carl Allen for The Buffalo News praised the album for “more of that earthly harmonized sound fans have come to expect from The Tops”. ^[12] Bryan Anderson of the North Bay Nugget wrote “their line-up remains the same as it was when they first formed in 1954” saying the Four Tops “continue their penchant for lovelorn ballads and the more upbeat streeter-boaster pose that delivered them past hits.” ^[13] Jack Lloyd of The Philadelphia Inquirer said the Tops “have lost little of the energy and polish that made them so hot in the 1960s” noting the album’s song presentation in the “the classic Motown pattern:  upbeat numbers alternating with mellow ballads” citing standout tunes including a duet featuring Phyllis Hyman singing with the Tops. ^[14] Frank Sullivan for the Times Colonist called it a “romp down memory lane” of “nice easy ballads and up-tempo tunes.” ^[15]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"I Can Feel the Magic"	Willie Hutch	4:47
2.	"Don't Tell Me That It's Over"	Hutch	4:34
3.	"Sexy Ways"	Hutch, Val Johnson	5:01
4.	"Easier Said Than Done"	Kerry Ashby, John Bokowski, Benny Medina	5:59
5.	"Don't Turn Away"	Ivy Jo Hunter, William “Mickey” Stevenson	5:03
6.	"I'm Ready for Love"	Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Eddie Holland	3:17
7.	"Again"	Fred Bridges, Lawrence Payton, George Roundtree	4:45
8.	"Maybe Tomorrow"	Roxanne Seeman, Eddie del Barrio	4:03
9.	"Remember Me"	Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson	3:39

Personnel

Four Tops

• Levi Stubbs – baritone lead vocals
• Abdul "Duke" Fakir – first tenor vocals
• Renaldo "Obie" Benson – bass vocals
• Lawrence Payton –second tenor vocals

Musicians

• Richard Kosinski – keyboards (1, 3), synthesizers (1, 3)
• John Bokowski – keyboards (4), arrangements (4)
• Larry Williams – keyboards (4)
• Fred Zarr – pianos (5), synthesizers (5, 7)
• Dean Gant – pianos (5, 8), synthesizers (5, 8)
• Reginald "Sonny" Burke – keyboards (6), synthesizers (6), arrangements (6)
• Philip Woo – synthesizers (7)
• John Duarte – keyboards (9), synthesizers (9)
• David Kitay – acoustic guitar (1, 3), electric guitar (1, 3)
• Charles Fearing – guitars (2, 6)
• Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars (2)
• Ray Fuller – guitars (4)
• Reggie Lucas – guitars (5, 7)
• Willie Hutch – bass (1, 3), Oberheim DMX programming (1, 3), BGV arrangements (9)
• Alfredo Washington – bass (2)
• Cornelius Mims – bass (4)
• Anthony Jackson – bass (5, 7, 8)
• Ed Greene – drums (2)
• Steve Ferrone – drums (4, 8)
• Michael White – drums (4)
• Paulinho da Costa – percussion (4, 9)
• Bashiri Johnson – percussion (5)
• Gerald Albright – saxophone solo (1, 3)
• Ernie Watts – saxophone solo (2)
• Harold Vick – saxophone (7)
• Stanley Behrens – harmonica (3)
• Gene Page – orchestration (2), string arrangements (9)
• Benjamin Wright – additional arrangements (4, 6)
• Eddie Summers – rhythm arrangements (9)
• Phyllis Hyman – lead vocals (8)

Production

• Iris Gordy – executive producer
• Willie Hutch – producer (1, 2, 3)
• Kerry Ashby – producer (4)
• Benny Medina – producer (4)
• Reggie Lucas – producer (5, 7, 8)
• Johnny Bristol – producer (6)
• Hal Davis – producer (9)
• Johnny Lee – art direction
• Janet Levinson – design
• Aaron Rapoport – photography

Technical

• John Matousek – mastering At Motown/Hitsville U.S.A. Recording Studios (Hollywood, CA)
• Steve King – recording (1, 3)
• Jim Vitti – recording (1, 3)
• Willie Hutch – mixing (1)
• Bob Robitaille – recording (2, 9), mixing (2, 4, 9)
• Steve Smith – recording (2)
• Barney Perkins – mixing (3, 6, 7)
• Tom Perry – recording (4)
• Nick Spigel – recording (4)
• Joe Ferla – recording (5, 7, 8)
• Reggie Kendall – recording (6)
• Russ Terrana – mixing (1), recording (9)

References

1. Four Tops: Magic. Motown Records. 1985.
2. Top British Soul Albums. Blues and Soul. September 3, 1985.
3. "Four Tops: Magic (Top R&B Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard. Archived from the original on November 1, 2019.
4. Hoersburger, Rob (April 20, 1985). Four Tops Hope to Recapture “Magic”. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
5. "Welcome rnbhaven.com - BlueHost.com". www.rnbhaven.com. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
6. Michael, Jason A. (October 15, 2018). Strength Of A Woman: The Phyllis Hyman Story. ISBN   978-0979489013.
7. George, Nelson (June 15, 1985). The Rhythm & The Blues. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
8. Magic – The Four Tops at AllMusic . Retrieved October 31, 2019.
9. Blues & Soul. Napfield Limited. June 1985.
10. "The Four Tops: Magic". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
11. "Four Tops: Sexy Ways (Hot R&B Singles)". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 1, 2019.
12. Briefly (June 21, 1985). "Records". The Buffalo News. p. 82. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
13. "New Vinyl By Bryan Anderson". North Bay Nugget. October 19, 1985. p. 34. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
14. Lloyd, rock By Jack (June 7, 1985). "Albums - Jazz By Francis Davis, Pop". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 102. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
15. "ON TRACK with Paul Bennett". Times Colonist. August 3, 1985. p. 28. Retrieved June 17, 2025.

External links

• Magic at Discogs (list of releases)
• Magic at MusicBrainz (list of releases)