Abracadabra (Steve Miller Band song)
May 1982
Abracadabra is a song that was written by Steve Miller. It was included as the second track on the 1982 album of Abracadabra "Steve Miller Band ". Published in May 1982 single was a number-one hit in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, Austria and Switzerland and peaked at number two in the UK Singles Chart and in Germany.
Background
After a very commercially successful phase Steve Miller paused from 1977 for four years before in 1981 he reported back with the commercially less successful album Circle of Love. Only with the 1982 album Abracadabra Miller was back to the melodic rock music that had made him a star in the 1970s. This was triggered by his record company, Columbia Records, the expected short of him more than four minutes long pieces. Miller began working with synthesizers, vocoders and drum machines to the piece was inspired by Diana Ross' song Upside Down. The result described Miller as " creative explosion", which along with drummer Gary Mallaber the two new guitarists of the Steve Miller Band, Kenny Lewis and John Massaro, had contributed.
After release of the single reached this place 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as the singles charts in Austria and Switzerland. In the German single charts it reached number 2, 1999, the song was covered by Sugar Ray on the album 14:59, 2013 it belonged to the soundtrack of the film The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.
Music Video
The music channel MTV had been still less than a year on the air, so it was decided to shoot a music video for the song, directed by Peter Conn. The video shows in front of a blue screen different animations and circus motifs. In addition to an " aerobic Bee " Steve Miller can be seen with x-ray glasses. On account of this at the time and covered aesthetics, the video was soon shown by MTV.
Reception
The song is characterized as " great pop-rock song to sing along ." The distinctive keyboard theme and the text that makes no sense, form the prototype of a perfect pop songs: Simple, catchy and repetitive so that you can no longer get out of your head. Lothar Berndorff and Tobias Friedrich certify the song a " brilliant inanity " that it was the " most impressive result of the sessions for the album of the same name ".