May 7, 20212 min read

Could It be Magic - Barry Manilow (1975) 5/7/21

The original 1970 version of today's "Great Song" was a bubblegum concoction so bad, the artist hated it. And it never charted.

The 1979 version was a sexy disco song that was a Top 10 hit in South Africa and all over Europe, but was a little too hot to handle in the US and Canada, peaking somewhere between 47 and 52, depending on the chart.

The version that came BETWEEN those two, in 1975, was a huge hit that incorporated Frederic Chopin's "Prelude in C-Minor" and was a Top 10 hit in both the US and Canada.

The song was "Could it be Magic" by Barry Manilow, Barry Manilow, and Donna Summer.

Yes, I typed Barry Manilow twice.

In 1970, Barry was signed to Bell Records, which at the time, was run by Tony Orlando. Tony and Barry cowrote the lyrics and as a producer, Tony felt the song should sound like something he and Dawn would record.

He also felt that since Barry was unknown at the time, and the song was "bubblegum," it should released under an innocuous "bubblegum style" group name like The Ohio Express, Edison Lighthouse, etc.

And so it was christened: "Could It Be Magic" by Featherbed.

Barry hated it with a passion.

In 1973, he reworked the tempo, changed the lyrics (with help from songwriter Adrienne Anderson) added the Chopin and put it on his solo debut album.

At that point, Clive Davis bought Bell records and created the Arista label. He liked Barry, moved him to Arista and eventually (in 1975) released "Could it Be Magic" as a single.

Trivia; The lyric "Sweet Melissa" was a nod to his friend, singer Melissa Manchester.

That brings us to 1979's version by Donna Summer. Click the link and listen. You'll soon understand why it was "too hot to handle" for North American radio stations. (Some discos, however, played the song--mostly in larger cities like New York and L.A.)

I should also mention that in 1993, the British group Take That released an uptempo cover that became a Top 10 hit in several European Countries.

"Could it Be Magic," Thanks to Barry Manilow (and NO thanks to Tony Orlando), It's a "Great Song of 1975, 1979 and 1993!

Featherbed (1970):