"Magic Moments" is a popular song composed by Burt Bacharach and written by Hal David, being one of the first songwriting collaborations by that duo.[1] This song was recorded by Perry Como and released in 1957 as the B-side of his "Catch a Falling Star"; it reached No. 1 in the UK in 1958.

"Magic Moments"
Single by Perry Como
A-side"Catch a Falling Star"
B-side"Magic Moments"
Released1957
Recorded1957
GenreSwing
Length2:41
LabelRCA Victor
Songwriter(s)Burt Bacharach
Hal David
Producer(s)Joe Reisman
Perry Como singles chronology
"Jingle Bells"
(1957)
"Magic Moments"
(1957)
"Kewpie Doll"
(1958)

Background

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In his 2003 book Burt Bacharach, Song by Song, Serene Dominic comments:

Combined with the quizzical bassoon, the whistling and the ghastly white shadings of the Ray Charles Singers, these distant recollections must seem like occurrences on another planet to later generations.[2]

Chart performance

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The biggest hit version of the song was recorded by Perry Como and released by RCA Victor in December 1957, becoming a hit early in 1958. The record was produced by Joe Reisman.[3] The peak position in the United States is hard to track precisely, due to the multiple charts used in Billboard magazine: On the Most Played by Disc Jockeys chart, it reached it highest peak of number four. [4]

The song was also a 1958 hit in Italy, while in the United Kingdom it spent eight weeks at number one in the UK Singles Chart, becoming Como's biggest ever hit there.[3]

In Canada, the song reached number 12 on the CHUM Charts, February 3, 1958, co-charting with Catch a Falling Star.[5]

Other recordings

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  • A less successful UK cover version recorded by Ronnie Hilton reached No. 22 on the UK Singles Chart, in 1958.[6] Hilton's version included some different lyrics from the original.
  • Bing Crosby recorded the song in 1958[7] for use on his radio show and it was subsequently included in the album With All My Heart (2012).[8]
  • Amanda Lear recorded this song for her 1985 EP A L.
  • Synthpop duo Erasure recorded the song for their 1997 album Cowboy.

Other uses

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References

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  1. ^ Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 24 – The Music Men. [Part 2]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.
  2. ^ Dominic, S. (2003), Burt Bacharach, Song by Song: The Ultimate Burt Bacharach Reference for Fans, Serious Record Collectors, and Music Critics, Omnibus Press, ISBN 978-0825672804, p.27.
  3. ^ a b Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 36. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955–2012. Record Research. p. 187.
  5. ^ "CHUM Hit Parade - February 3, 1958". Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  6. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 253. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  7. ^ "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  8. ^ "allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  9. ^ Browne, Amy (November 1, 2016). "Remember these brilliant Christmas adverts from your childhood". Liverpool Echo.