The Magic Numbers
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- For other uses of the term, see magic number
The Magic Numbers are a four-piece band from England comprised of two pairs of brother and sister. The group were formed in 2002, released a debut album in June 2005 and are currently in the process of recording a second album, which is planned for international release in late 2006.
History
Backgrounds
The Stodarts are the children of a Scottish father and a Venezuelan mother and were born in Trinidad in the Caribbean, but were later raised in New York after their family fled an Islamic coup in 1990, and then from there they moved to London in the mid 1990s. The Gannons are of Irish descent but lived in Hanwell where they took the Stodarts in as friends.Prior to forming The Magic Numbers, Romeo and Sean spent time trying to form a band together under various guises, and previously performed under the name ‘Guess’.
Naming The Band
The origins of the band’s name is not officially declared or cited, but in an interview once held with a schoolchild researching a project on the band, Romeo said “some people call songs ‘numbers’ and we thought that not many people would have heard of the name before”.2002 to 2005
In late 2002 The Magic Numbers were formed in their present guise, and they began touring the London circuit, gradually developing their sound and building a small cult following, not least amongst some already established artists including The Chemical Brothers, Travis and Ed Harcourt, with the latter later influential in their signing to record label Heavenly Recordings, narrowly beating off competition from Rough Trade.Their rise came swiftly, beginning in the summer of 2004 and later that year when they began supporting well-known artists such as Travis and Ed Harcourt and appearing on the bill of some low-key UK festivals, building an intense following as they did so. In November 2004 they released a very limited edition 7” vinyl single, Hymn For Her, to coincide with a three-show residency at The Borderline in London.
On the back of releasing just one commercially available single, Forever Lost, and even before their debut album was released they played a sold-out show at The Forum in Kentish Town, London, a show that is recognised by many fans as the changing point between a band that was up-and-coming and one that became a household name.
2005 onwards
On the back of releasing just one commercially available single, Forever Lost, and even before their debut album was released they played a sold-out show to a crowd of over 2,000 at The Forum in Kentish Town, London, a show that is recognised by many fans as the changing point between a band that was up-and-coming and one that became a household name.Following the release of their debut album, the remainder of 2005 and the first few months of 2006 were spent touring and promoting their album and singles, throughout the UK and USA, across Europe and also in New Zealand, Australia and Japan.
Although heavily played down, they received a large amount of press attention for being the first artist to walk off the TV show Top of the Pops shortly before they were due to appear on the show to promote their single Love’s A Game. The programme itself fell into decline and was later taken off-air in summer 2006.
Records
First Album – The Magic Numbers
The first Magic Numbers album was self-titled and recorded in late 2004 and early 2005 at Metropolis Studios in London, and released on 13th June 2005. Prior to release only Forever Lost was promoted as a commercial single and this was followed up by later releases Love Me Like You, Love’s A Game and I See You, You See Me.Only one non-member contributes music to the album, Angharad Davies who plays violin on the song This Love. The UK version of the album contains Hymn For Her as a hidden track that appears after a short delay after the end of Try. US and European versions include this track independently and it is tracklisted. The Japanese version also includes the songs Idea Of A Feeling and I Hope You Don’t Mind, which appeared as additional tracks on the UK release of the single Forever Lost.
| Title | Date | UK Chart | UK Album Tracks / B-sides |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Magic Numbers | 13 June 2005 | 7 | Mornings Eleven Forever Lost The Mule Long Legs Love Me Like You Which Way To Happy I See You, You See Me Don’t Give Up The Fight This Love Wheels On Fire Love’s A Game Try |
| Forever Lost | 23 May 2005 | 15 | Idea Of A Feeling I Hope You Don’t Mind |
| Love Me Like You | 8 August 2005 | 12 | Drunk On Your Words Delphina’s Song Travelling Souls |
| Love's A Game | 24 November 2005 | 24 | Keep It In The Pocket Last Night I Fell |
| I See You, You See Me | 14 February 2005 | 20 | Forever Lost (cover by 'Magic Fractions') Close Your Eyes There Is A Light That Never Goes Out Crazy In Love |
Second Album – (presently untitled)
The second Magic Numbers album is planned for release around November 2006, although no date has been officially confirmed. This was recorded in New York at Allaire Studios in Spring 2006, a venue which has also been used in the past by David Bowie, The Strokes and Ryan Adams, and was recorded and engineered by Richard Wilkinson.Songs that were previewed at recent live performances that are expected to appear on the album include You Never Had It, Boy, Take A Chance, Slow Down, This Is A Song and Let Somebody In.
Contributions
The Magic Numbers have made appearances on various other artists’ releases, including- The Chemical Brothers - Close Your Eyes (vocals)
- The Concretes – Your Call (vocals)
- Ed Harcourt – Revolution In The Heart (backing vocals)
- David Kitt – (released autumn 2006)
Live Performances
The Magic Numbers have played tours and festivals since well before they were recorded. Major tours and appearances of note include:Headline Tours
- Forever Lost promotion, UK, May 2005
- Love Me Like You promotion, UK, August 2005
- The Magic Numbers album promotion, Europe, September 2005
- Love’s A Game promotion, UK, October 2005
- The Magic Numbers album promotion, USA, November 2005
- The Magic Numbers album promotion, Japan, February 2006
- I See You, You See Me promotion, UK, February 2006
- The Magic Numbers album promotion, Europe, March 2006
- The Magic Numbers album promotion, USA, April 2006
Support Tours
- Travis, UK, October 2004
- Ed Harcourt, UK & Scandinavia, November 2004
- Doves, UK, April 2005
- Athlete, UK, April 2005
- U2, East Europe, July 2005
- Brian Wilson, UK, August 2005
- Bright Eyes, USA, November 2005
- Franz Ferdinand, Japan, February 2006
Festivals
- SXSW, USA, March 2005
- Isle Of Wight, UK June 2005
- Glastonbury, UK, June 2005
- T In The Park, UK, July 2005
- Oxegen, Ireland, July 2005
- Fuji Rock, Japan, July 2005
- V, UK, August 2005
- Vegoose, USA, October 2005
- Big Day Out, Australia/NZ, February 2006
- SXSW, USA, March 2006
- Coachella, USA, April 2006
- Bonnaroo, USA, June 2006
- Oxegen, Ireland, July 2006
- T In The Park, UK, July 2006
- Eden Project, UK, August 2006
- V, UK, August 2006
External links
- [Official website of The Magic Numbers]
- [Unofficial fansite for The Magic Numbers]
- [The Magic Numbers Lyrics]
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