Album This song officially appears on the Driving Rain Official album.
Timeline This song was officially released in 2001
This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:
Feb 25, 2001
Getting Better All the Time - The complete interview - live and uncut!
November 2001 • From Reader's Digest
November 2001 • From paulmccartney.com
“Magic” is a track from Paul McCartney’s 2001 album “Driving Rain“.
Recorded 25th February 2001 onto 16-track analogue tape then loaded into Logic Audio for overdubs. Paul played Epiphone electric guitar then overdubbed Hofner Bass, Martin acoustic guitar and the vocal. Abe played Paul’s Ludwig drum kit. Rusty Gibson SG electric guitar and then overdubbed Martin acoustic guitar. Gabe played Fender Rhodes. David overdubbed a synth.
From the liner notes of the album, and from paulmccartney.com
‘There Must Have Been Magic’ This is about meeting Linda – ‘it must have been magic the night that we met’. I met Linda in a club and I always thought years after, particularly after she died, that if I hadn’t stood up that night in a club we might never have met again. It was something I never normally did; I wouldn’t normally stand up as someone was about to leave and say ‘Er, excuse me, hello.…’ I didn’t do that. It was a bit embarrassing for a young guy to do that. I didn’t normally do that but it was just one of those things that I felt I just had to do that night – ‘Hi, um, I’m Paul, who are you?’ And she sort of smiled and said ‘Linda’. I said ‘Er, we’re going onto another club. Are you going home? Shall we meet up at this other club?’ We were in The Bag O’Nails and we said we’d meet up in The Speakeasy. Which we did. So ‘Magic’ is a song about that; it must have been some sort of magic that made me do that. Because if I hadn’t done that I might not have met her again.
Paul McCartney – From “The Driving Rain interview” published on paulmccartney.com, November 2001
There must have been magic
The night that we met
If I hadn't stopped you
I'd always regret
A few minutes later
You'd have been out that door
And I'd have been lonely
For ever more
For ever more
Oh what made us do it
Under what holy spell
Nature's mother knew it
Only too well
She reached out her fingers
To point at the sky
Leaving me helpless
Not knowing why
And this is the hour
That they turn out the light
Nothing but memories
Burning so bright
Burning so bright
Oh what made us do it
Under what holy spell
Nature's mother knew it
Only too well
There must have been magic
The night that we met
If I hadn't stopped you
I'd always regret
I'd always regret
There must have been magic
There must have been magic
There must have been magic
The night that we met
Official album • Released in 2001
3:59 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Electric guitar, Executive producer, Vocals Rusty Anderson : Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar Abe Laboriel Jr. : Drums Gabe Dixon : Piano David Kahne : Mixing engineer, Producer, Synthesizer Mark Dearnley : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Jaime Sickora : Assistant engineer Kevin Mills : Second assistant engineer
Session Recording: Feb 25, 2001 • Studio Henson Recording Studio, Los Angeles
Driving Rain - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2015
3:59 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Electric guitar, Executive producer, Vocals Rusty Anderson : Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar Abe Laboriel Jr. : Drums Gabe Dixon : Piano David Kahne : Mixing engineer, Producer, Synthesizer Mark Dearnley : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Jaime Sickora : Assistant engineer Kevin Mills : Second assistant engineer
Session Recording: Feb 25, 2001 • Studio Henson Recording Studio, Los Angeles
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 2) 1990-2012
This new book by Luca Perasi traces Paul McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1990 to 2012 in the form of 250 song entries, filled with details about the recordings, stories behind the sessions and musical analysis. His pop albums, his forays into classical and avant-garde music, his penchant for covering old standards: a complete book to discover how these languages cross-pollinate and influence each other.
The second volume in a series that has established itself as a unique guide to take the reader on a journey into the astonishing creativity of Paul McCartney.
Notice any inaccuracies on this page? Have additional insights or ideas for new content? Or just want to share your thoughts? We value your feedback! Please use the form below to get in touch with us.
Scott Hart • 3 years ago
Despite not being one of his most famous songs, I have always thought this was superb and captures such a wistful mood.
