You Can Do Magic (song)
Encyclopedia
"You Can Do Magic" is a song by singer-songwriter Russ Ballard
which was recorded as a 1982 single by folk rock
duo America
from their album View from the Ground
.
The song was one of two Ballard compositions on View from the Ground, the other being "Jody". Ballard wrote both songs specifically for America at the behest of Rupert Perry
, A&R vice president for Capitol Records. Ballard also produced the tracks marking a return to record production after a four year hiatus: although Ballard had had earlier hits as a songwriter, "You Can Do Magic" was his first major hit credit as a producer.
"You Can Do Magic" proved a solid comeback vehicle for America whose last Top 40 hit - "Today's the Day" - had occurred in 1976 with the second of their two further appearances on the Hot 100
in Billboard
occurring in 1979. "You Can Do Magic" returned America to the Top 40 in August 1982 with the track reaching #8 that October. The popularity of "You Can Do Magic" was paralleled by the success of the parent View From the Ground album which rose to #41 on Billboards listing of the top 200 albums
, the first time an album by America as a duo (rather than the original trio) had appeared in that chart's upper half.
International chart placings for America's "You Can Do Magic" include #30 in Australia, #37 in Canada,#20 in Ireland, #27 in Italy, #12 in New Zealand and #59 in the UK.
The success of "You Can Do Magic" led to America recording their 1983 album Your Move with Russ Ballard as producer.
Drew Seeley covered "You Can Do Magic" for a soundtrack, under Walt Disney Records
, called Wizards of Waverly Place
.
The tune (with different lyrics) was used in a commercial for Sonic Drive-In
restaurants.
Russ Ballard
Russell Glyn Ballard is an English singer, songwriter and musician.-Career:Ballard was initially a guitarist with Buster Meikle & The Day Breakers in 1961, together with Roy Ballard, Russ's older brother on piano and Bob Henrit on drums...
which was recorded as a 1982 single by folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
duo America
America (band)
America is an English-American folk rock band that originally included members Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek. The three members were barely out of their teens when they became a musical sensation during 1972, scoring #1 hits and winning a Grammy for best new musical artist...
from their album View from the Ground
View from the Ground
View from the Ground is the tenth original studio album by American folk rock duo America, released by Capitol Records in July 1982.This album marked a major comeback for a group that had been generally written off since Dan Peek's departure five years before...
.
The song was one of two Ballard compositions on View from the Ground, the other being "Jody". Ballard wrote both songs specifically for America at the behest of Rupert Perry
Rupert Perry
Rupert Perry is a high-ranking member of the EMI Record Corporation. After joining EMI Music in 1971, he was given various promotions. 1976 earned him a title as Vice President of Artist and repertoire for Capitol Records in the US. 1982 landed him a position as President of EMI America...
, A&R vice president for Capitol Records. Ballard also produced the tracks marking a return to record production after a four year hiatus: although Ballard had had earlier hits as a songwriter, "You Can Do Magic" was his first major hit credit as a producer.
"You Can Do Magic" proved a solid comeback vehicle for America whose last Top 40 hit - "Today's the Day" - had occurred in 1976 with the second of their two further appearances on the Hot 100
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...
in Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
occurring in 1979. "You Can Do Magic" returned America to the Top 40 in August 1982 with the track reaching #8 that October. The popularity of "You Can Do Magic" was paralleled by the success of the parent View From the Ground album which rose to #41 on Billboards listing of the top 200 albums
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...
, the first time an album by America as a duo (rather than the original trio) had appeared in that chart's upper half.
International chart placings for America's "You Can Do Magic" include #30 in Australia, #37 in Canada,#20 in Ireland, #27 in Italy, #12 in New Zealand and #59 in the UK.
The success of "You Can Do Magic" led to America recording their 1983 album Your Move with Russ Ballard as producer.
Drew Seeley covered "You Can Do Magic" for a soundtrack, under Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O...
, called Wizards of Waverly Place
Wizards of Waverly Place (soundtrack)
- Bonus content :Bonus content for the physical CD for Wizards of Waverly Place includes exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews with Gomez and also the new music video for "Magic".-International Release:...
.
The tune (with different lyrics) was used in a commercial for Sonic Drive-In
Sonic Drive-In
Sonic Drive-In is an American drive-in fast-food restaurant chain based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, complete with carhops who sometimes wear rollerskates. As of August 31, 2010, there were 3,500 restaurants in 43 U.S. states. Sonic serves approximately 3 million customers daily.-1950s:Following...
restaurants.