Magic (Olivia Newton-John song)
1980 single by Olivia Newton-John
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"Magic" is a song recorded by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John for the soundtrack to the 1980 musical fantasy film Xanadu, which starred Newton-John and Gene Kelly. Written and produced by Newton-John's frequent collaborator John Farrar, "Magic" was released as the soundtrack's lead single in May 1980 and topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks beginning on 2 August.[4] On 30 August, it was displaced from the top by Christopher Cross's "Sailing".
| "Magic" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Picture sleeve of the US and Australasian releases | ||||
| Single by Olivia Newton-John | ||||
| from the album Xanadu | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | May 1980 | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Studio | Musicland (Munich, Germany) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:31 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter | John Farrar | |||
| Producer | John Farrar | |||
| Olivia Newton-John singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In Canada, "Magic" spent two weeks at No. 1 on the RPM Top Singles chart, and also reached No. 4 in Australia and No. 32 in the United Kingdom. "Magic" became Newton-John's biggest Billboard Adult Contemporary hit, spending five weeks at the top of the chart, and also topped the RPM Adult Contemporary chart for a week.[5] Billboard ranked "Magic" as the third most popular single of 1980. Record World called it an "infectious pop ballad [that] has a big beat production treatment".[1]
Both US and UK B-sides also appear in Xanadu:
- US: "Fool Country" is one of three single B-sides to appear in the film but not on the soundtrack. This is featured in the nightclub grand opening segment following the film's title track and before its reprise.
- UK: "Whenever You're Away from Me" (a duet with co-star Gene Kelly), also appears as the B-side of the US "Xanadu" single.
Track listing and formats
All tracks written and produced by John Farrar.
- US 7-inch vinyl single (MCA Records)
- A1. "Magic" – 4:25
- B1. "Fool Country" – 2:29
- UK 7-inch vinyl single (Jet Records)
- A1. "Magic" – 4:25
- B1. "Whenever You're Away from Me" – 4:22
Personnel
- Olivia Newton-John – lead and backing vocals
- John Farrar – electric guitars, electric piano, synthesizers and backing vocals
- David Hungate – bass
- Carlos Vega – drums and percussion
Additional personnel
- Strings arranged and conducted by Richard Hewson
- David J. Holman – engineering and mixing
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
All-time charts
|
Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[31] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
2011 version
| "Magic" (Peach & DJ Dan Murphy remix) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Olivia Newton-John featuring Wacci | ||||
| Released | 22 May 2011 | |||
| Genre | Electropop, dance-pop | |||
| Length | 3:37 | |||
| Songwriter | John Farrar | |||
| Producers | DJ Dan Murphy, Steve Peach | |||
| Olivia Newton-John featuring Wacci singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Magic" (Peach & DJ Dan Murphy remix) on YouTube | ||||
"Magic (Peach & DJ Dan Murphy remix)" is a remix of the song. In May 2011, it was remixed by two Australians, DJ Dan Murphy and Steve Peach, to create a dance version. Newton-John went back to the studio to re-sing the vocals. The version was sponsored by WACCI, a humanitarian group.[citation needed]
Everybody who worked on the project volunteered their time, with all proceeds being donated to Newton-John's charity, the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre.[citation needed]
Newton-John was presented the world premiere of the song on the Australian edition of Dancing with the Stars on Sunday 22 May 2011. The song was released exclusively on Australian iTunes that same day.[citation needed]
Music video
A video was shot for the new remix in Sydney in an attempt to break the Guinness Book World Record for largest cast in a music video by featuring 350 people. Newton-John does not appear in the video, which was directed by DJ Dan Murphy.[citation needed]
Chart performance
Cover versions
- A version of the song by Stimulator was used in commercials for Macy's.[33] This cover was also used in the film Ella Enchanted and appeared on the film's soundtrack.
- In 2015 Newton-John teamed with her daughter Chloe Lattanzi and Dave Aude to rework the song's chorus into a new recording, "You Have to Believe". The song went to number one on the US Dance Club Songs chart.[34]