1981 Teena Marie – It Must Be Magic
It Must Be Magic is the fourth studio album by Teena Marie, released on May 14, 1981. It was her last album for Motown and the highest-selling of Marie’s tenure with Motown. The album peaked at No. 2 on the US Black Albums chart and No. 23 on the Pop Albums chart.
Lead single “Square Biz” became her most commercially successful for the label – peaking at No. 3 on Billboard’s Black Singles chart and No. 12 on Billboard’s Club Play Singles, while performing moderately on Billboard’s Pop Singles, peaking at No. 50, becoming her second single to chart on the Pop Singles chart. This was followed up by No. 30 US Black Singles success for the title track, featuring label mates The Temptations, and the Quiet storm classic “Portuguese Love”.
Like Irons in the Fire, it was fully written and produced by Marie herself, and received a positive critical reception, earning the album a nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 1982 Grammy Awards.
In 2002, the album was re-released in a remastered and expanded CD edition containing three additional tracks (two of which were recorded during a live concert in Long Beach, California).
Tracks
1 It Must Be Magic (Teena Marie) 06:09
2 Revolution (Teena Marie) 04:40
3 Where’s California (Teena Marie) 05:25
4 365 (Teena Marie) 04:20
5 Opus III (Does Anybody Care) (Teena Marie) 01:34
6 Square Biz (Teena Marie; Allen McGrier) 06:43
7 The Ballad Of Cradle Rob And Me (Teena Marie; Jill Jones) 03:41
8 Portuguese Love (Teena Marie) 07:51
9 Yes Indeed (Teena Marie) 05:00
Biography
Musicians
Bass | Allen McGrier |
Bass | Oscar Alston |
Drums | Paul Hines |
Guitar | Tom McDermott |
Keyboards | James Stewart Jr |
Keyboards | Teena Marie |
Synthesizer | Bill Wolfer |
Synthesizer | Teena Marie |
Flute | Cliff Ervin |
Flute | Roy Poper |
Flute | Gerald Albright |
Sax | Gerald Albright |
Trumpet | Eric Butler |
Trumpet | Kenneth Scott |
Vocals | Teena Marie |
Other Musicians
1 It Must Be Magic
Drums | Christopher Boehme |
Horns | Daniel LeMelle |
Background Vocals | Diedra Joseph |
Background Vocals | Glenn Leonard |
Background Vocals | Jackie Ruffin |
Background Vocals | Jill Jones |
Background Vocals | Melvin Franklin |
Background Vocals | Mickey Hearn |
Background Vocals | Otis Williams |
Vocals | Teena Marie |
2 Revolution
Background Vocals | Arnell Carmichael |
Background Vocals | Darren Carmichael |
Background Vocals | Julia Tillman Waters |
Background Vocals | Maxine Willard Waters |
Background Vocals | Pattie Brooks |
Background Vocals | Phillip Ingram |
Vocals | Teena Marie |
3 Where’s California
Keyboards | Scott Markus DeTurk |
Background Vocals | Julia Tillman Waters |
Background Vocals | Maxine Willard Waters |
Background Vocals | Pattie Brooks |
Vocals | Teena Marie |
4 365
Background Vocals | Glenn Leonard |
Background Vocals | Jill Jones |
Background Vocals | Melvin Franklin |
Background Vocals | Mickey Hearn |
Background Vocals | Otis Williams |
Vocals | Teena Marie |
5 Opus III (Does Anybody Care)
Harp | Lloyd Lindroth |
Vocals | Teena Marie |
6 Square Biz
Guitar | Josef Parson |
Synthesizer | Allen McGrier |
Background Vocals | Diedra Joseph |
Background Vocals | Jackie Ruffin |
Background Vocals | Jill Jones |
Background Vocals | Mickey Hearn |
Background Vocals | Rick James |
Vocals | Teena Marie |
7 The Ballad Of Cradle Rob And Me
Bass | Charles Glenn Jr |
Background Vocals | Glenn Leonard |
Background Vocals | Melvin Franklin |
Background Vocals | Mickey Hearn |
Background Vocals | Otis Williams |
Vocals | Teena Marie |
8 Portuguese Love
Background Vocals | Jill Jones |
Background Vocals | Mickey Hearn |
Vocals | Rick James |
Vocals | Teena Marie |
9 Yes Indeed
Keyboards | Patrice Rushen |
Vocals | Teena Marie |
Vocals (Percussion) – Anthony Brockert, Christopher Anthony Boehme (Track 6)
Voice (Party) – Anthony Brockert, Dwayne Wedlan, Ginny Pallante, Grayland Taylor, Ray Townsend (Track 7)
Liner Notes
Producer – Teena Marie
Arranged By (Horns) – Daniel LeMelle (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Arranged By (Horns) – Teena Marie (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9)
Arranged By (Rhythm, Vocals) – Teena Marie
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Rick James (Track 4)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Allen McGrier (Track 6)
Arranged By (Vocals) – Mickey Hearn (Tracks 3, 4)
Arranged By (Strings) – Paul Riser (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 8, 9)
Engineer (Assistant) – Ginny Pallante, Lon Neumann, Peter Vargo
Mastered By – Dick Charles, Jim Sintetos
Mixed By – Bobby Brooks
Recorded By – Bobby Brooks
Art Direction – Johnny Lee
Design – Terry Taylor
Photography – Ron Slenzak
Mastered At K Disc Mastering
Phonographic Copyright Motown Record Corporation
Copyright Motown Record Corporation