It Must Be Magic
Encyclopedia
It Must Be Magic is the fourth studio album by Teena Marie
, released in 1981. It was her last album for Motown
and the highest-selling of Marie's tenure with Motown. Like Irons in the Fire
, it was fully written and produced by Marie herself, and received a positive critical reception.
In 2002, the album was re-released in a remastered and expanded CD edition containing three additional tracks (two of which were recorded during a live concert in Long Beach, California
).
Teena Marie
Mary Christine Brockert, better known by her stage name Teena Marie, was an American singer, songwriter and producer...
, released in 1981. It was her last album for Motown
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
and the highest-selling of Marie's tenure with Motown. Like Irons in the Fire
Irons in the Fire
Irons in the Fire is the third album by Teena Marie, released in 1980 on Motown. Her first self produced effort, it was dedicated to her father, Thomas Leslie Brockert. It received positive reviews on its release.-Reception:...
, it was fully written and produced by Marie herself, and received a positive critical reception.
In 2002, the album was re-released in a remastered and expanded CD edition containing three additional tracks (two of which were recorded during a live concert in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
).
Track listing
All songs written by Teena Marie, except where noted.- "It Must Be Magic" – 6:07
- "Revolution" – 4:27
- "Where's California" – 5:24
- "365" – 4:10
- "Opus 111 (Does Anybody Care)" – 1:27
- "Square BizSquare Biz"Square Biz" is a song by American R&B singer, Teena Marie. The song was released as a single in 1981 from the album It Must Be Magic. It would go on to become one of Marie's signature songs.- Chart performance :...
" (Marie/Allen McGrier) – 6:40 - "The Ballad of Cradle Rob and Me" (Marie/Jill D. JonesJill JonesJill Jones is an American singer and songwriter, who was a backing vocalist for Teena Marie and Prince in the 1980s.-Biography:...
) – 3:24 - "Portuguese Love" – 7:17
- "Yes Indeed" – 4:57
- "Square Biz [Instrumental]" – 6:40 (expanded edition)
- "Someday We'll All Be FreeSomeday We'll All Be Free"Someday We'll All Be Free" is a 1973 song by Donny Hathaway from the album Extension of a Man. The song was released as the flipside to the single "Love, Love, Love"...
" (Donny HathawayDonny HathawayDonny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
) – 1:57 (expanded edition - live recording) - "Déjà Vu" (Rick JamesRick JamesJames Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B...
) – 12:26 (expanded edition - live recording)
Personnel
- Teena MarieTeena MarieMary Christine Brockert, better known by her stage name Teena Marie, was an American singer, songwriter and producer...
- Lead and Backing Vocals, Synthesizer - Patrice RushenPatrice RushenPatrice Rushen is a Grammy Award-winning African American R&B and jazz vocalist, composer and pianist.-Biography:...
, Scott Markus DeTurk, James S. Stewart Jr. - Keyboards - Allen McGrier, Oscar Alston, Charles A. Glenn Jr. - Bass
- Tom McDermott, Josef Andre Parson - Guitar
- Paul Hines - Drums
- Bill Wolfer, Allen McGrier - Synthesizer
- Lloyd Lindroth - Harp
- Daniel LeMelle - Saxophone
- Gerald AlbrightGerald AlbrightGerald Albright is an American jazz saxophonist.Albright has sold over 1,000,000 albums in the U.S. alone. His self-produced music features him on bass guitar, keyboards, flutes, drum programming, and background vocals.- Biography :...
- Saxophone, Tenor Flute - John Ervin - Trombone, Flute
- Eric Butler, Kenneth Scott - Trumpet
- Cliff Ervin, Roy Poper - Piccolo Flute
- Rick JamesRick JamesJames Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B...
, Diedra Joseph, Glenn Carl Leonard, Jackie Ruffin, Jill D. JonesJill JonesJill Jones is an American singer and songwriter, who was a backing vocalist for Teena Marie and Prince in the 1980s.-Biography:...
, Melvin FranklinMelvin FranklinDavid Melvin English better known by the stage name Melvin Franklin, was an American bass singer. Franklin is best known for his role as a member of Motown singing group The Temptations from 1960 to 1994....
, Mickey Boyce Hearn, Otis WilliamsOtis WilliamsOtis Williams is an American baritone singer. Nicknamed "Big Daddy", he has also acted as a sporadic songwriter and record producer. Williams co-founded the Motown vocal group The Temptations in early 1960 as The Elgins, a group in which he continues to perform...
, Julia Waters, Maxine Waters, Pattie Brooks, Anthony Brockert, Christopher Anthony Boehme, Diedra Joseph, Dwayne Wedlan, Ginny Pallante, Grayland Taylor, Ray Townsend - Backing Vocals
Charts
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
||
| 1981 | It Must Be Magic It Must Be Magic It Must Be Magic is the fourth studio album by Teena Marie, released in 1981. It was her last album for Motown and the highest-selling of Marie's tenure with Motown... |
23 | 2 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
US Dance |
||
| 1981 | "It Must Be Magic" | — | 30 | — |
| "Square Biz" | 50 | 3 | 12 | |
| 1982 | "Portuguese Love" | — | 54 | — |
Later Samples
- "Square Biz"
- "Firm BizFirm Biz"Firm Biz" is the first single by the Hip hop supergroup The Firm from their singular collaborative LP The Album. The song was produced by L.E.S, who based the song's track on a sample of Teena Marie's 1981 hit "Square Biz". "Firm Biz" also features a chorus performed by former En Vogue singer Dawn...
" by The Firm from their self-titled albumThe Album (The Firm album)The Album, also known as The Firm: The Album, is the debut studio album of American hip hop supergroup The Firm, released October 21, 1997 on the Interscope-subsidiary label Aftermath Entertainment.-Background:... - "Crip Hop" by Tha EastsidazTha EastsidazTha Eastsidaz, originally spelled as the Eastsiders, was a hip hop group of somewhat reforming the LBC Crew with Snoop Dogg, Lil' C-Style and Techniec. Their first appearance was in the Tommy Boy Records' Ride:Music from the Dimension Motion Picture with Crooked Eye Q on a Battlecat-produced song...
from the album Duces 'n Trayz: The Old Fashioned WayDuces 'N Trayz: The Old Fashioned WayDuces 'n Trayz: The Old Fashioned Way is the second studio album by American rap group Tha Eastsidaz, released on July 30, 2001. The album features the single "I Luv It" and includes the song "Crip Hop" which was also featured in the film, Baby Boy and the corresponding soundtrack.The album had...
- "Firm Biz
- "Portuguese Love"
- "Child of the Night" ft. Nate Dogg by LudacrisLudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
from The Red Light DistrictThe Red Light DistrictThe Red Light District is the fourth studio album from Def Jam recording artist Ludacris. The album was released on December 7, 2004 and was eventually certified double platinum by the RIAA. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart with 322,000 copies sold in its first week...
- "Child of the Night" ft. Nate Dogg by Ludacris