The Square/Marlene -- Magic（マジック）

T-Cat's article on Marlene's（マリーン）cover of "Beware Boyfriend" had me thinking about devoting a Marlene article to another cover she did for "Magic", which was originally recorded by great Japanese fusion band The Square (known as T-Square today).

Listening to the original version by The Square which was a single from October 1981, I thought it was somewhat subdued for what I've become accustomed to by the band just according to their BEST album that I have of them (as pictured above), "T-Square Plays The Square". I mean it's got the bounce in there but I think even the vocals were a bit quieter than they should have been. "Magic" was also the title track from their 5th album which came out a month after the single.

Actually, the first time I had heard "Magic" was through Marlene's cover on one of my Wah Yueh-bought compilation tapes. In fact, it was the first time that I had even heard of Marlene herself. Her take came out as a single in September 1983 and it had a whole lot more of a kick through a fine horn section and Marlene's more forward vocals. Plus there were those virtuoso strings. Her version really stood out from the rest of the tracks on that tape since it first struck me as being so disco. It was almost to the point that I wondered why it was included on this particular tape.

In fact, all these years, I had assumed that Marlene's "Magic" was the original so when I heard T-Square performing it on the above mentioned "T-Square Plays The Square", I was slightly taken aback at hearing this instrumental version so I did some checking out and found out the actual story.

Of course, you gotta have both The Square and Marlene get together to make some "Magic". Incidentally, Linda Hennrick provided the lyrics while The Square's leader, Masahiro Ando（安藤正容）, took care of the melody.