The Magic Friend

"The Magic Friend"
Single by 2 Unlimited
from the album Get Ready!
Released August 1992
Format
Recorded 1992
Genre Eurodance
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Phil Wilde
  • Jean-Paul De Coster
2 Unlimited singles chronology
"Workaholic"
(1992)		 "The Magic Friend"
(1992)		 "No Limit"
(1992)

"Workaholic"
(1992)		 "The Magic Friend"
(1992)		 "No Limit"
(1992)
Music video
"The Magic Friend" on YouTube
UK cover

"The Magic Friend" is a song recorded by Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited.[1]

Music

Kat Stevens of Freaky Trigger notes the track's "tasty ingredients" of "recogniseable pop stars, colourful boshing beats, catchy chorus, silly noises [and] fervoured anticipation." Comparing parts of the track to settings on a Yamaha keyboard, she compared the track's main synth sound to the "Brass 1" setting and the "gutteral metallic swinging" to the "Slap Bass" setting.[2]

Release and reception

2 Unlimited in "The Magic Friend" music video.

The Magic Friend was released in August 1992 as the fourth and final single from 2 Unlimited's debut album Get Ready!. The UK release once again omitted Ray Slijngaard's rap, which lasted for 16 bars three times through, but did include some of the vocals from Anita Doth, though her vocals are slightly chopped too, with the "mocking chorus echoes" being abandoned, thus leaving her sole vocals as "disembodied whispers" during the middle eight.[2]

The release scored chart success in many European countries with its highest peak coming in Finland where it topped the charts. In Zimbabwe it peaked at number 5 in October 1992.

Billboard wrote about the song: "One of the more successful techno acts in Europe continues its bid for mainstream club and radio approval along these shores with a cute and NRGetic wriggler. The music is a bit harder than previous tracks, though the rap is a little too strained and silly for its own good."[3]

Music video

The music video for "The Magic Friend" was directed by British director David Betteridge. It was shot in The Pinnacles and Wave Rock in Australia. Betteridge also directed the music videos for "Get Ready for This", "Twilight Zone" and "Workaholic".

Track listings

Belgian CD single
  1. "The Magic Friend" (Vocal Edit) (3:43)
  2. "The Magic Friend" (Instrumental Edit) (3:02)
  3. "The Magic Friend" (Extended Version) (5:14)
  4. "The Magic Friend" (Rio & Le Jean Remix) (5:15)
  5. "The Magic Friend" (Automatic Remix) (4:23)
  6. "Murphy's Megamix" (5:40)
  7. "Automatic Megamix" (4:55)
German CD maxi
  1. "The Magic Friend" (Vocal Edit) (3:43)
  2. "The Magic Friend" (Instrumental Edit) (3:02)
  3. "The Magic Friend" (Extended) (5:14)
  4. "The Magic Friend" (Rio & Le Jean Remix) (5:05)
  5. "Murphy's Megamix" (5:40)
  6. "Automatic Megamix" (4:55)
UK CD single
  1. "The Magic Friend" (7" Edit) [aka Instrumental Edit] (3:02)
  2. "The Magic Friend" (Automatic Remix) (4:23)
  3. "The Magic Friend" (Rio & Le Jean Remix) (5:15)
  4. "Automatic Megamix" (4:55)
7" single
  1. "The Magic Friend" (Vocal Edit) (3:43)
  2. "The Magic Friend" (Instrumental Edit) (3:02)
12" maxi
  1. "The Magic Friend" (Automatic Remix) (4:23)
  2. "The Magic Friend" (Rio & Le Jean Mix) (5:15)
  3. "Automatic Megamix" (4:55)
  4. "Murphy's Megamix" (5:40)

Charts

References

  1. ↑ "Allmusic: 2 Unlimited (Biography)". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-05-06.
  2. 1 2 Stevens, Kat (27 November 2007). "Blog '92: THAT'S WHAT I AM". FreakyTrigger. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  3. ↑ "Billboard: Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard magazine. Retrieved 2018-01-24.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Magic Friend", in various Singles Chart Lescharts.com (Retrieved February 15, 2008)
  5. ↑ "Ultratop.be – 2 Unlimited – The Magic Friend" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  6. ↑ Canada dance peak
  7. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  8. ↑ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  9. ↑ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
  10. ↑ Irish Singles Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved February 15, 2008)
  11. ↑ UK Singles Chart Everyhit.com (Retrieved February 15, 2008)
  12. ↑
    • Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  13. ↑ "Single top 100 over 1992" (pdf) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
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