Magic (Pilot song)
1974 single by Pilot
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"Magic" is a 1974 song by Scottish pop rock band Pilot and was the first hit single for the group. It was written by band members David Paton and Billy Lyall for their debut album From the Album of the Same Name.
April 1975 (US)
| "Magic" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
German single picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by Pilot | ||||
| from the album From the Album of the Same Name | ||||
| B-side | "Just Let Me Be" | |||
| Released | September 1974 (UK) April 1975 (US) | |||
| Recorded | 1974, Abbey Road Studios, London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:03 | |||
| Label | EMI | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Producer | Alan Parsons | |||
| Pilot singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
According to Paton, the song is inspired by the sunrise on Blackford Hill in Edinburgh.[5] In a 2012 interview with Hotdisc Television, Paton also stated that at the time, his wife said she had "never seen a daybreak", which also inspired the song.[6]
Personnel
Pilot
- David Paton – lead vocals, bass, electric guitar
- Billy Lyall – keyboards, synthesizer, piano, backing vocals
- Stuart Tosh – drums, backing vocals
Additional personnel
- Ian Bairnson – additional electric guitar (uncredited)
Chart performance
"Magic" charted most successfully in Canada, where it topped the RPM national singles chart on 19 July 1975,[7] and received a gold certification.[8] It climbed as far as number 11 on the UK Singles Chart and reached number 5 during the summer of 1975 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100.
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[8] | Gold | 75,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[22] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Selena Gomez version
| "Magic" | |
|---|---|
| Promotional single by Selena Gomez | |
| from the album Wizards of Waverly Place | |
| Released | 21 July 2009 |
| Recorded | 2009 |
| Genre | Pop rock |
| Length | 2:49 |
| Label | Walt Disney |
| Songwriters | |
| Producers |
|
| Music video | |
| "Magic" on YouTube | |
The cover version by Selena Gomez was released on 22 July 2009 as part of the Radio Disney iTunes Pass, serving as a promotional single for the soundtrack of the Disney Channel television series Wizards of Waverly Place.[23] It debuted and peaked at no. 61 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart with 42,000 downloads.[24] It also peaked at No. 80 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart, No. 5 on the Norwegian Singles Chart and at No. 90 on the UK Singles Chart. It has sold 563,000 copies in the United States.[25] The song was featured in the television film Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie. The music video premiered on the Disney Channel on 24 July 2009, and was directed by Roman Perez.[citation needed]
Charts
| Chart (2009–2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Hot 100 (Billboard)[26] | 80 |
| Guatemala (EFE)[27] | 8 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[28] | 5 |
| Scottish Singles Sales (Official Charts)[29] | 72 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts)[30] | 90 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[31] | 61 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[32] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Ozempic television advertisement
In 2018, pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk began using the song in its ads for Ozempic, an injectable drug originally intended for people with type 2 diabetes, but which became popular for its off-label use as a weight-loss drug. David Paton was asked to return to Abbey Road Studios to record a new version of the song, which from a vocal standpoint is little more than his singing the opening line, replacing the words "It's magic" with "Ozempic" and otherwise adding nonverbal singing.[33][34]