Do You Believe in Magic (song)

"Do You Believe In Magic"
Single by The Lovin' Spoonful
from the album Do You Believe in Magic
B-side "On the Road Again"
Released August 1965
Format 7" single
Recorded 1965
Genre Folk rock,[1] sunshine pop[2]
Length 2:06
Label Kama Sutra
Writer(s) John Sebastian
Producer(s) Erik Jacobsen
The Lovin' Spoonful singles chronology
"Do You Believe In Magic"
(1965)
"You Didn't Have to Be So Nice"
(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. The single peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 1977, David Cassidy scored a top 40 hit with his cover version of "Do You Believe in Magic". The song has been recorded by various artists including a 2005 version by the pop duo Aly & AJ.

The Lovin' Spoonful version

Song history

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 on the track.[3] The Lovin' Spoonful's version was ranked number 216 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

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' "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" to come up with the intro to "Do You Believe in Magic".

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.

"Do You Believe in Magic" was featured in The Parent Trap, American Pie, Date Movie, Temple Grandin, and Rolie Polie Olie. The original version was also the theme song for the short-lived TV series State of Grace.

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.

Aly & AJ version

"Do You Believe in Magic"
Single by Aly & AJ
from the album Into the Rush
Released February 15, 2005
Format Promo single, Radio Disney single
Recorded 2004
Genre Pop, teen pop
Length 2:14
Label Hollywood
Writer(s) John. B. Sebastian
Producer(s) Matthew Gerrard
Aly & AJ minor singles chronology
"Do You Believe in Magic"
(2005)
"No One"
(2005)
Alternative cover
UK/digital cover

"Do You Believe in Magic" was covered by American pop rock duo, Aly & AJ. Their version of the song was for the 2005 film, Now You See It..., and it also appeared on their debut studio album, Into the Rush. It also made an appearance on the 2009 soundtrack to Wizards of Waverly Place. The duo consists of sisters, Alyson "Aly" and Amanda Joy "AJ" Michalka.

Track listings

Promo CD/CD single[4]
No. Title Length
1. "Do You Believe in Magic"   2:17
2. "Do You Believe in Magic" (instrumental) 2:17
Total length:
4:34

Release history

Date Country Format Label
February 15, 2005 United States CD Hollywood Records
June 5, 2006 Belgium
United Kingdom Digital download EMI

Chart performance

Chart (2005) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Singles Sales[5] 2
Canadian Singles Chart 23

Other versions

References

External links

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