December 10, 2021 —– Chart #121
Hello Music friends,
Welcome to the 121st edition of Chart of the Day. Today’s song is a hit from 1965. “Do You Believe in Magic” is a song written by John Sebastian. It was first recorded and released by his group, the Lovin’ Spoonful in 1965. In 1978, Shaun Cassidy reached the Top 40 with his cover version.
In 1965, the group The Lovin’ Spoonful 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. Session drummer Gary Chester played tambourine on the track. 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.”
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.”
“Do You Believe in Magic” was featured in The Parent Trap, American Pie, Date Movie, Temple Grandin, and The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!. The original version was also the theme song for the short-lived TV series State of Grace. The song is also significantly featured in the Jim Sheridan movie In America, as an Irish-immigrant family, having entered the U.S. on false pretenses, enter New York City for the first time.
In 2012, the Lovin’ Spoonful’s version was used in the official “Meet the Pyro” trailer for the first-person shooter video game Team Fortress 2.
Enjoy the original recording:
Performed on the Ed Sullivan show in 1967: https://youtu.be/b8qZ4qzDICg
Keep rockin my friends,
Stan