Sunday, August 6, 2023

Sunday Music: Magic

I have this on the car MP3 rotation, but can't figure out how I missed moving it onto the Sunday Music list. Oversight: corrected. I already liked Olivia Newton-John long before this song came out. But when she guest-hosted the Midnight Special on July 26, 1980, I watched the whole show. And watching this performance of a great song by her, I only spent the next 43 years (so far) completely captivated by this woman.

Live TV?

Two versions, same show for different time zones, with band/no band, and a costume change:


I definitely remember watching the white version on the West Coast. When this aired, the song was #2 on Billboard's Hot 100. The next day it moved to #1, and stayed there for the next month.

The beauty of video and YouTube is that ONJ gets to be this hot and effortlessly talented forever, despite what her tombstone says. >sigh<

7 comments:

  1. I'll be in my bunk until further notice....
    Damn.

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  2. They don't make 'em like that anymore.

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  3. Certainly much more attractive (and talented) than Lizzo!

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  4. In lulls in the teaching gig I pop tunes off the computer. A couple of kids arrived early and heard 'Magic' playing. "Who is that?", "Wow", "Keep it on..."

    The 80's may in fact be the decade of the best music ever. No wonder the kids are screwed up, they have never experienced excellence to recognize what a dump media is these days.

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  5. I'll give a stamp of approval to this post. About 2 years ago came across the Midnight Special clip of her performing "Magic" and found it quite..captivating. the song is decent enough for a light pop diddy. But there is something about her mannerisms and movements in that performance that was quite seductive - without being overtly sexual - in a way I've seldom seen. Props for picking up on it and posting it here.

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  6. A high school friend was a key member of her band, toured with her for years including her Vegas stand. He said she was one of the best people he’s ever known, even better than her public persona. This guy knows a lot of people in the music business and has decades of experience; he thought she was the finest, most grounded people he had ever worked with. Good to hear that sometimes.

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