Magic (Gillan album)

Magic is the sixth and final studio album by English rock band Gillan, released in September 1982.^[7] It features eight original songs, mostly co-written by Ian Gillan and Colin Towns, and a cover of Stevie Wonder's 1973 hit single "Living for the City". This cover was released as a 7" single, in both picture-bag and picture-disc editions, and was accompanied by a promotional video.

Magic
Studio album by Gillan
Released	September 1982[1]
Recorded	July–August 1982[2]
Studio	Kingsway (London)
Genre	Hard rock, heavy metal
Length	38:45
Label	Virgin
Producer	Mick Glossop
Gillan chronology
Double Trouble (1981) Magic (1982)
Singles from Magic
"Living for the City" Released: 27 August 1982[3] "Long Gone" Released: 29 October 1982[4]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[5]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	10/10[6]

Although the album was generally accepted by Gillan's staunch UK following, it failed to achieve the chart success of Glory Road or Future Shock, peaking at No. 17 in the UK chart.^[8]

Allegedly, many of the album's lyrics cryptically predict the end of the band.^[9]

Magic was reissued in 1989 and in 2007 with seven bonus tracks, including cover versions and B-sides.

Track listing

• All songs written by Ian Gillan and Colin Towns except where noted.

Side one

1. "What's the Matter" (Gillan, John McCoy, Janick Gers) – 3:33
2. "Bluesy Blue Sea" (Gillan, Gers) – 4:48
3. "Caught in a Trap" – 3:34
4. "Long Gone" – 3:59
5. "Driving Me Wild" – 3:05

Side two

6. "Demon Driver" – 7:15
7. "Living a Lie" – 4:27
8. "You're So Right" (Gillan, McCoy) – 2:55
9. "Living for the City" (Stevie Wonder) – 4:27
10. "Demon Driver (reprise)" – 0:42

1989 Re-release bonus tracks

In 1989 Virgin re-released the album in CD format. The revised track listing was as follows:

11. "Breaking Chains" (Gillan, Gers) – 3:28
12. "Fiji" (Gillan, McCoy) – 5:21
13. "Purple Sky" (Gillan, McCoy) – 3:24
14. "South Africa" (Bernie Marsden) – 4:03
15. "John" (Gillan) – 4:44
16. "South Africa" (12" extended version) (Marsden) – 7:18
17. "Helter Skelter" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 3:26*
18. "Smokestack Lightning" (Chester Burnett) – 4:08*

Total running time 74:50

* Previously unreleased

2007 Re-release bonus tracks

In 2007 the album was re-released in CD format again on the Edsel Records label.

11. "Breaking Chains" – 3:28
12. "Fiji" – 5:21
13. "Purple Sky" – 3:24
14. "Helter Skelter" – 3:26
15. "Smokestack Lightning" – 4:08
16. "South Africa" – 4:03
17. "John" – 4:44
18. "South Africa" (12" extended version) – 7:18

Personnel

Gillan

• Ian Gillan – vocals, harmonica, producer on "South Africa"
• Janick Gers – guitar
• Colin Towns – keyboards
• John McCoy – bass guitar
• Mick Underwood – drums

Production

• Mick Glossop – producer, engineer
• Bob Broglia – assistant engineer
• Kingsway Recorders Ltd. – executive producer
• Paul "Chas" Watkins – producer and engineer on "Purple Sky"
• Nick Davis – engineer on "South Africa"
• James "Jimbo" Barton – remix on "South Africa"
• Dave Dragon – illustration
• Bitter & Twisted – design

Charts

Album Chart (1982) Peak position UK Albums (OCC)[10] 17

Singles Living for the City Chart (1982) Peak position UK Singles (OCC)[11] 50

References

1. Popoff, Martin (2018). The Deep Purple Family, vol 2 (2nd ed.). Wymer Publishing. p. 66. ISBN 978-1-908724-87-8.
2. Gillan, Ian (2016). The Autobiography (3rd ed.). John Blake Publishing. p. 325. ISBN 978-1-786-06135-5.
3. "Gillan singles".
4. "Gillan singles".
5. Anderson, Jason. "Gillan - Magic review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
6. Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 132. ISBN 978-1-894959-31-5.
7. Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. p. 211. ISBN 9780862415419.
8. "Gillan Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
9. Mayo, Bob (28 April 2019). "Was Gillan's Magic a hidden concept album about the end of the band?". Classic Rock. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
10. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
11. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 12, 2024.