November 7, 2025 —– Chart #323
Howdy Music Friends,
Some songs cut through the airwaves like sunshine through water—bright, unexpected, and instantly uplifting. That’s exactly what happened when The Dirt Band (yes, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band wearing a streamlined name in the early 1980s) conjured up “Make a Little Magic.”
Written by Jeff Hanna, Bob Carpenter, and Richard Hathaway, the song emerged in 1980 as the title track from their Make a Little Magic album. Backed by some sweet harmonies from Nicolette Larson, it strutted its way to No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and even sneaked into the No. 77 spot on the country charts, while the album itself climbed to No. 62 on the Billboard 200.
The song was cut during a period when the band was embracing a smoother pop-rock sound—one foot in traditional roots music and the other tapping on the dance floor. They recorded the album at Aspen Studios and mixed it at Sunset (giving it that polished sheen) [background credits]. In the studio, Jeff Hanna handled guitars and lead vocals, Bob Carpenter added keyboards and smooth backing vocals, Jimmie Fadden filled in with harmonica, while Richard Hathaway held down the bass. Session drummer Rick Shlosser brought his seasoned touch on drums and percussion—he’s a Nashville studio legend who’s played with the likes of Van Morrison and James Taylor.
If you close your eyes during that first chorus, you can practically feel the late-day sun on your shoulders—guitar licks and those effortless harmonies giving you toes tapping and a grin spreading like a sunrise. It’s breezy, charming, and downright magnetic—with a country backbone that never quite let go.
Members of the band didn’t just stay rooted in this one lineup. Jeff Hanna, for example, has a songwriting and session-artist resume that stretches across decades—working with stars from Linda Ronstadt to Rascal Flatts, even co-writing the Grammy-winning country hit “Bless the Broken Road.” And earlier in the band’s timeline, John McEuen (who had replaced Jackson Browne in the original lineup) became a vital multi-instrumentalist, weaving bluegrass textures throughout the band’s catalog and later working with a host of roots legends.
Over time, “Make a Little Magic” became one of those songs people remember with a smile—a light-bulb moment in the middle of a playlist, where roots, pop, and sweetness meet without pretense.
If your day could use a little glow—whether you’re spinning records at dusk or trying to wake the mellow into motion—this one might be exactly the playlist potion you didn’t know you needed.
Keep Rockin’,
Stan Bradshaw
This is quite humorous (watch to 2:25 for the punch line):