Midnight Magic (album)
| Midnight Magic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 27, 1979[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Studios |
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| Genres | ||||
| Length | 38:57 | |||
| Label | Motown | |||
| Producers |
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| Commodores chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Midnight Magic | ||||
Midnight Magic is the seventh studio album by the musical group the Commodores, released in 1979.[3] It was certified Gold in the UK by the BPI.[4] Midnight Magic was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best R&B Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus.[5]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [6] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [2] |
| Music Week | [7] |
| Smash Hits | 5/10[8] |
| The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul | [9] |
The New York Times stated that "the Commodores, too, have their disco‐dance numbers. But this group's principal appeal would seem to be its ability to come up with classy 'makeout' music. The new Midnight Magic, which is moving up the album charts quickly, will disappoint no one in search of just that. And as usual, the Commodores' ability to span a wide stylistic range and to avoid some of the more tired cliches of black vocal instrumental groups is extremely refreshing."[10] Smash Hits called it, "solid professional funk, but still faceless and only moderately entertaining - mainly because of a distinct threadbareness in the melody department."[11] The Bay State Banner noted that "the vocals, it is true, are rather toneless—grouped together in the mix, the textural interest of a single throat is erased—but the rhythm section plays with verve through unusual chordings that oddly parallel the vocal register."[12]
Singles
[edit]"Still" became the band's second U.S. No. 1 single. Another single was the No. 4 hit "Sail On".
Record World said of the single "Wonderland" that "the vocals will mesmerize all tastes."[13] "Wonderland" reached No. 25.
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gettin' It" | David Cochrane, Walter Orange | 4:18 |
| 2. | "Midnight Magic" | Lionel Richie, Jr., Thomas McClary | 5:42 |
| 3. | "You're Special" | Harold Hudson, William King | 5:10 |
| 4. | "Still" | Lionel Richie, Jr | 5:51 |
| 5. | "Wonderland" | Milan Williams | 5:28 |
| 6. | "Sexy Lady" | Thomas McClary | 3:30 |
| 7. | "Lovin' You" | Ronald LaPread | 4:36 |
| 8. | "Sail On" | Lionel Richie, Jr. | 5:43 |
| 9. | "12:01 A.M. (Reprise)" | Lionel Richie, Jr., Thomas McClary | 0:59 |
| Total length: | 41:17 | ||
Personnel
[edit]Commodores
- Lionel Richie – vocals, acoustic piano, keyboards, saxophones
- Milan Williams – keyboards
- Thomas McClary – vocals, lead guitar
- Ronald LaPread – vocals, bass
- Walter Orange – vocals, drums, percussion
- William King – vocals, trumpet, keyboards, percussion
Additional personnel
- Harold Hudson – horn and string arrangements (1, 3, 6)
- James Anthony Carmichael – horn and string arrangements (2, 4, 5, 7–9)
The Mean Machine
- David Cochrane – saxophones
- Harold Hudson – trumpet
- Darrell Jones – rhythm guitar
- Winston Sims – saxophones
Production
- Commodores – producers, arrangements
- James Anthony Carmichael – producer, arrangements
- Calvin Harris – engineer, mixing
- Jane Clark – engineer, mixing
- Bernie Grundman – mastering at A&M Studios (Hollywood, California)
- John Cabalka – art direction
- Ginny Livingston – design
- Tom Nikosey – cover and logo design
- Gene Gurley – photography
- Suzee Ikeda – product manager
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
Singles
[edit]| Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| "Sail On" | Belgium (VRT Top 30) | 14 |
| Canada (RPM) |
3 | |
| Ireland Singles Chart |
8 | |
| Netherlands Singles Top 100 | 8 | |
| Official New Zealand Music Chart | 6 | |
| UK Singles Chart | 8 | |
| U.S.Billboard Hot 100 | 4 | |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 9 | |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Singles | 8 | |
| "Still" | Canada (RPM) | 2 |
| Ireland Singles Chart | 3 | |
| Netherlands Singles Top 100 | 16 | |
| Official New Zealand Music Chart | 13 | |
| UK Singles Chart | 4 | |
| U.S.Billboard Hot 100 | 1 | |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 6 | |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Singles | 1 | |
| "Wonderland" | Canada (RPM) | 70 |
| UK Singles Chart | 40 | |
| U.S.Billboard Hot 100 | 25 | |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 43 | |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Singles | 21 |
Sales and certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands (NVPI)[20] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[21] | Gold | 100,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
[edit]- ↑ "BPI certifications for Commodores".
- 1 2 MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 159.
- ↑ The Commodores: Midnight Magic. Motown Records. 1979.
- ↑ "The Commodores: Midnight Magic". bpi.co.uk. BPI.
- ↑ "Commodores". grammy.com. The Recording Academy. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
- ↑ Henderson, Alex. "Commodores: Midnight Magic". allmusic.com. AllMusic.
- ↑ "Album Reviews: Commodores — Midnight Magic" (PDF). Music Week. Gwent: Pensord Press Ltd. August 4, 1979. p. 16. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 26, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2025 – via WorldRadioHistory.com.
- ↑ Starr, Red. "Albums". Smash Hits (August 23 – September 5, 1979): 25.
- ↑ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul. Virgin. p. 75.
- ↑ "The Pop Life". The New York Times. August 24, 1979.
- ↑ Red Starr (March 23, 1979). "albums". Smash Hits. No. 19.
- ↑ Freedberg, Mike (August 23, 1979). "Soul Dog". Bay State Banner. No. 46. p. 22.
- ↑ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. December 8, 1979. p. 1. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
- ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 72. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ↑ "RPM 100 Albums". RPM. July 17, 2013.
- ↑ "Commodores: Heroes". charts.nz. The Official New Zealand Music Chart.
- ↑ "Commodores: Heroes". dutchcharts.nl. Dutch Charts.
- ↑ "Commodores: Heroes". swedishcharts.com. Sverigetopplistan.
- ↑ "Commodores: Heroes". norwegiancharts.com. VG-Lista.
- ↑ "Dutch album certifications – Commodores – Midnight Magic" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved July 16, 2022. Enter Midnight Magic in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1979 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
- ↑ "British album certifications – Commodores – Midnight Magic". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 16, 2022. Select albums in the Formats field. Type Midnight Magic Commodores in the "Search:" field.
