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Could It Be Magic
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"Could It Be Magic" is a song by Adrienne Anderson and Barry Manilow. It was included on Manilow's 1973 debut album, Barry Manilow I.
Due to its popularity, it was released as a single in 1975, two years after it had originally been recorded, where it reached #6 in the United States.
The song is based on Frédéric Chopin's Prelude in C Minor, Opus 28, Number 20, and Manilow's singing in the last verse fades into a straight performance of the last few bars of the Prelude.
The song has been covered by a number of other artists over the years, most successfully by Donna Summer in 1976 and UK boy band Take That in the early 1990s.
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Encyclopedia
"Could It Be Magic" is a song by Adrienne Anderson and Barry Manilow. It was included on Manilow's 1973 debut album, Barry Manilow I.
Due to its popularity, it was released as a single in 1975, two years after it had originally been recorded, where it reached #6 in the United States.
The song is based on Frédéric Chopin's Prelude in C Minor, Opus 28, Number 20, and Manilow's singing in the last verse fades into a straight performance of the last few bars of the Prelude.
The song has been covered by a number of other artists over the years, most successfully by Donna Summer in 1976 and UK boy band Take That in the early 1990s. Manilow himself re-recorded an up-tempo version of the song in 1993, using the original orchestration of brass and strings combined with new drums, bass and synthezisers, and included it on the album Greatest Hits: The Platinum Collection. An extended remix of the 1993 version was issued as a promotional 12" single.
Donna Summer version
Just one year after Manilow's original version was released as a single Donna Summer recorded a disco version of the track and included it on her second international album Love Trilogy, and took it to #3 on the US Dance chart in 1976. The song also entered the UK single chart where it stayed for 7 weeks (peak point #40).
Track listings
7" single
- "Could It Be Magic" — 3:15
- "Whispering Waves" — 4:50
7" single
- "Could It Be Magic" — 5:20
- "Come with Me" — 4:20
Charts
| Chart (1976) | Peak
position |
|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 14 | | German Singles Chart | 23 | | UK Singles Chart | 40 | | U.S. Billboard Black Singles | 21 | | U.S. Billboard Pop Singles | 52 | |
Take That version
Produced and remixed by The Rapino Brothers, UK boyband Take That released their cover version, based on Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder's up-tempo arrangement of the track, on November 30 1992 as the final single from their debut album Take That & Party. The song does not appear on the cassette version of the album. It peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart. During The Ultimate Tour in 2005, former member Robbie Williams appeared on a hologram with a pre-recorded section of his vocals.Gary Barlow sings lead vocals since Take That's reformation.
The song has recieved a Silver sales status certification for sales of over 200,000 copies in the UK.
Track listings
U.K. 12" Promo Vinyl (TAKE7)
U.K. 12" Vinyl (74321 12313 1)(limited edition fold out poster sleeve)
- Deep In Rapino's Club Mix - 5:56
- "Take That Club Megamix"
- Mr. F. Mix
U.K. Promo CD Single (TAKE8)
E.U. 7" Vinyl (74321 12313 7)
- Rapino Radio Mix /Album Version - 3:30
- "Take That Radio Megamix" - 4:38
U.K. Maxi-CD (74321 12313 2)
- Rapino Radio Mix /Album Version - 3:30
- Deep In Rapino's Club Mix - 5:56
- Acapella - 3:12
- Ciao Baby Mix - 7:19
- Rapino Dub - 3:44
- Paparazzo Mix - 5:27
- Deep In Rapino's Dub - 5:57
- Club Rapino Mix - 3:43
E.U. Maxi-CD (74321 12735 2)
- Rapino Radio Mix /Album Version - 3:30
- Deep In Rapino's Club Mix - 5:56
- Ciao Baby Mix - 7:19
- Paparazzo Mix - 5:27
French 12" Promo Vinyl (7432161791)
- Paparazzo Mix - 5:27
- Club Rapino Mix - 3:43
- Ciao Baby Mix - 7:19
Charts
| Chart (1992) | Peak
position |
|---|
| Irish Singles Chart | 3 | | UK Singles Chart | 3 | |
| Chart (1993) | Peak
position |
|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 30 | | French SNEP Singles Chart | 42 | | German Singles Chart | 37 | | Swedish Singles Chart | 30 | |
Official versions
- Rapino Radio Mix /Album Version (3:30)
- Acapella (3:12)
- Deep In Rapino's Club Mix (5:56)
- Rapino Dub (3:44)
- Club Rapino Mix (3:43)
- Deep In Rapino's Dub (5:57)
- Ciao Baby Mix (7:19)
- Paparazzo Mix (5:27)
- Mr. F. Mix
- Live Version
Other cover versions
- A house remix of the song appears as the penultimate track on Hed Kandi: Disco Heaven 01.05, credited to "Andrea T. Mendoza & Tibet feat. Ife Corcoran".
- In 1993 British top-producer Trevor Horn remixed the song with Barry Manilow, who re-recorded his vocals. The release was only available on promo-12" ARISTA-COULD1993
- The song was recorded in Dutch by the singer Rob de Nijs, called Ontmoeting. Text was written by his former wife Belinda Meulendijk, and was released as a single in 1986. Taken from the album Vrije val.
- The Dutch group Lucifer also recorded the track in 1975, even before Donna Summer recorded hers. This version doesn't contain the Chopin-preludium, but has a falset-ladyvoice from Margriet Eshuys and mandolines instead.
- Cascada are said to be covering a dance version of the song for their new album due out spring 2009.
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