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], pop
Length	2:06
Label	Kama Sutra
Writer(s)	John Sebastian
Producer	Matthew Gerrard
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 the name of a song written by John Sebastian.

Song history

In 1965, Sebastian's group, The Lovin' Spoonful, released the song as the first single from their debut album Do You Believe in Magic. The song was well-received by the public and became a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #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.

The song became a top forty Hot 100 hit again in 1978 when Shaun Cassidy released his remake as a single. Other notable artists who have remade the song include John Mellencamp, who released his version as a track on his 1976 album Chestnut Street Incident, Bud Shank, and Randy VanWarmer.

A cover from the song was used in the Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "Mighty McMario and the Pot of Gold".

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."

Indie pop/rock band, The Format released a cover of the song on their popular compilation album B-Sides & Rarities

In 1992, McDonald's used a rewritten version of the song for one of their commercials, replacing all of the lyrics except for the first line with ones pertaining to their talking Happy Meal items and Ronald McDonald.

In 1989 Kids Incorporated sang "Do You Believe In Magic" in the episode "Stop the Presses".

In 2002, the song was later recorded by BBMak for the score of Return to Never Land, a sequel to Disney's 1953 classic Peter Pan.

Also in 1989, Steve Tyrell performed a cover of the song for the film Second Sight.

On September 4, 1993 when Jim Abbott of the New York Yankees pitched a no-hitter, the song was played after Twisted Sister song, "We're Not Gonna Take It".

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, enters New York City for the first time, and was also the theme song to the ABC Family series State of Grace.

Do You Believe in Magic also featured in Disney's The Parent Trap, with Lindsay Lohan (1998), the 1999 comedy, American Pie, Date Movie and 2002 movie, Rolie Polie Olie.

The original version was the theme song for the short-lived TV series State of Grace. In 2010 a few bars from the song was used as background music to a television commercial for the Chase Bank iPhone app which allows remote check deposits using the iPhone camera.

The Lovin' Spoonful's version was ranked #216 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Aly & AJ cover

"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	Country pop
Length	2:14
Label	Hollywood, EMI
Writer(s)	John. B. Sebastian
Producer	Matthew Gerrard
Aly & AJ minor singles chronology
"Do You Believe in Magic" (2005) "No One" (2005)
Alternative cover UK/digital cover

Track listings

Promo CD/CD single[2]
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[3]	2
Canadian Singles Chart	23

External links

1. ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Great Moments in Folk Rock: Lists of Aunthor Favorites". www.richieunterberger.com. http://www.richieunterberger.com/turnlists.html. Retrieved 2011-01-26. 
2. ^ Aly & AJ "Do You Believe in Magic" Promo CD
3. ^ All Billboard Charts